Nice SC on reverb

[Slam]

https://reverb.com/item/46475687-alembic-stanley-clark-signiture-short-scale-bass-1995-natural-rosewood-top-price-drop

This one is very tempting to me. Price seems about average for a SC but seller says it weighs less than 9 lbs which is a big plus.

I’m a little concerned about the placement of the strap button. My experience with basses with that feature is that the neck sticks out uncomfortably far for my taste, even if it is a short scale.

I asked them to come down a bit more on the price.

[hieronymous]

I don't know, the $7K price is definitely better than the $9.6K price, but I hope they come down more for you! It's "just" a Signature Standard - standard neck recipe, back woods, plastic compartment cover. Is this what a Signature Standard goes for these days? I haven't been in the market for over 10 years, this one is definitely more reasonable than some of the other Standards on Reverb right now...


Re: strap button - I think I have found my ideal strap length/instrument height - I've been using a leather Levy strap that helps it stay in place and it feels comfortable for me. Have you ever played one of these? I play a bunch of different basses and kind of let each one influence how I play it.


Good luck in your quest!

[Slam]

Seller says he would rather keep it then come down any more. It seems to pretty much be the going rate for a signature standard. All the recently sold ones on Reverb went for about 7k, more or less.

I’ve never played an Alembic but I used to own a bass with a strap button in the same place. It was a Reverend Wattplower short scale similar to a Gibson SG in style. The neck stuck our so far it felt like a long scale bass. I ended up selling the bass because of it.

[jazzyvee]

Being an owner of a bass like that, I can tell you it will hang differently than a bass with a longer upper horn and different strap button placement. The style of the neck does push it out to the left so reaching first position is a surprising stretch for what is a "short scale bass". I compensate for that by shifting the bass towards my right hip and rest my forearm on the top of the bass but that does mean I play that bass with more of a curved wrist on my right hand.  You could also try playing it with the neck angled higher.

There is neck dive and the top edge does want to angle away from the body. That said it is a real personal thing as to whether you love the bass enough to find a way to work with these things and keep the bass or can't tolerate them and sell the bass on. Over the years I have read many from both sides.
There are also some solutions to minimise this such as what Stanley Clarke himself does which is to remove the strap button and screw the strap directly to the body using a big screw and washer to keep it in place.

Personally I have just accepted the dive and found a way to relate to how the bass wants to be played. Yes I do have to adjust the bass whilst playing but it has become second nature now and the reward is, I get to play an incredible sounding bass.  I'd be interested in what you decide. Most of the alembics I have been seeing up for sale over the past two years have been higher than usual regardless of model but they have been up for sale for a long while.

[Slam]

Being an owner of a bass like that, I can tell you it will hang differently than a bass with a longer upper horn and different strap button placement. The style of the neck does push it out to the left so reaching first position is a surprising stretch for what is a "short scale bass". I compensate for that by shifting the bass towards my right hip and rest my forearm on the top of the bass but that does mean I play that bass with more of a curved wrist on my right hand.  You could also try playing it with the neck angled higher.

There is neck dive and the top edge does want to angle away from the body. That said it is a real personal thing as to whether you love the bass enough to find a way to work with these things and keep the bass or can't tolerate them and sell the bass on. Over the years I have read many from both sides.
There are also some solutions to minimise this such as what Stanley Clarke himself does which is to remove the strap button and screw the strap directly to the body using a big screw and washer to keep it in place.

Personally I have just accepted the dive and found a way to relate to how the bass wants to be played. Yes I do have to adjust the bass whilst playing but it has become second nature now and the reward is, I get to play an incredible sounding bass.  I'd be interested in what you decide. Most of the alembics I have been seeing up for sale over the past two years have been higher than usual regardless of model but they have been up for sale for a long while.

I’ve been looking at pics of Stanley and all of them look like he is just using the strap button. Do you mean he screws the strap onto the same spot as where the strap button is on the back of the bass?

Do you still play you SC bass much or is your series ii getting most of your play time?

[jazzyvee]

I think so.Mica mentioned it somewhere on the forum and if I'm not mistaken she indicated that he screws the strap directly to the bass with a wood screw and washer.
I do still play my SC bass but most of my gigs these days are done with one of my 5 string alembics.

[Slam]

I think so.Mica mentioned it somewhere on the forum and if I'm not mistaken she indicated that he screws the strap directly to the bass with a wood screw and washer.
I do still play my SC bass but most of my gigs these days are done with one of my 5 string alembics.

But, but, Robbie Shakespeare only needed four strings.

[jazzyvee]

:-)   Yep, and as far as I am aware he didn't need an alembic either.

[mica]

We actually did make a 4-string Series I bass for Robbie Shakespeare. HUGE inlay of his name down the fingerboard!

[Slam]

We actually did make a 4-string Series I bass for Robbie Shakespeare. HUGE inlay of his name down the fingerboard!

Wow! Got any pics?

[mica]

I've only seen a polaroid of it when I was a kid. We didn't take too many pictures back then, sorry!

[jazzyvee]

That's good to know Mica, that two of the reggae bass players I enjoy, Aston Familyman Barrett & Robbie Shakespeare also used alembics for reggae.

[Slam]

That's good to know Mica, that two of the reggae bass players I enjoy, Aston Familyman Barrett & Robbie Shakespeare also used alembics for reggae.

When did Familyman use an Alembic? I’ve never seen him with one.

[Slam]

Here he is talking about playing his five-string Elan

[jazzyvee]

Yeah Mica confirmed that he bought one but sadly no photos found of the bass or of him playing it. I would love to see that and find out which recordings he used it on. I can’t say i have ever heard any of his bass playing and wondered if it was player on an alembic. Maybe now i know i should listen more closely. 👍🏾🤔🤨