The sound of perfection-

[Randell W. Curry (hifibassman)]

Anyone who wants to hear what an aggressively played Series 1 sounds like, go to this link (you will need Real player 7 or higher;
 
http://www.forevernow.com/realaudio/mk/88jazzcafe00.ram
 
Mark King's chops is absolutely the best i have ever heard on a series 1 bass, it defines what this bass is all about- clarity, punch, power, dynamics.  check out those lightning fast voltage spikes that thing's puttin out in his solo.

[Duncan Muller (muller1007)]

Randell,
 
The bass Mark plays here is actually his medium scale series 2 bass (I think the cocobolo one, as he used that one on the encore in the Jazz Cafe London, which included the song 88).
 
Indeed it sounds great, Alembics are the best sounding basses Mark King ever played. They just fit his energetic playing style.
 
Duncan

[Dino Monoxelos (dean_m)]

Randell,
 
Thanks for sharing that with us!!!! Man, I got home last night after a gig and heard that.  I had to get my bass out and start playing.  Totally inspiring!!!!
 
Thanks,
Dino

[Dave Houck (davehouck)]

Wow! That was nice!
Thanks.

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Hi gang,
weel, I couldn't open the real files on my iMac and the Realplayer is not available for the Macos 9 platform (it is for the Macos X).
Anyway: I downloaded the mp3 files from the expohal 1, 2 and 3. He is playing solo with a drum-machine. To be honest: I can't hear if he's playing an Alembic. JD? Status? Someone an idea what he played om that exhibition of talent?
Thanks.
 
Paul

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

BTW
Randall, I noticed you're new here.
Welcome to the most friendly messageboard in the world.
Keep on dreaming of this guitars man, the realisation of any dream could be just around the corner, so if the opportunity is preenting itself to you it's important to have those dreams!
Stay on the low end!
 
Paul
 
Hey other Paul, you missed this newcomer, so I took the honours!

[Dino Monoxelos (dean_m)]

Paul,
 
FYI.  If you go to the Real Player website, you can download a version of Real Player that will work on OS9.whatever.  I have it on my G4, and I'm only running OS, I think it's 9.1.  
 
Thanks again for the message last night, it was great hearing your voice!!!
Good luck!!!
 
Dino

[Duncan Muller (muller1007)]

Hi Paul,  
 
The bass that is played on the Expohal 1,2,3 bits are Jaydee Supernaturals. I must say I think the sound differs a whole lot from the Alembic and Status sound. If you listen closely you'll definately hear the diference, as the Alembic has a lot of growling and warm low, crystal clear highs and is very much hifi sounding.  
 
The Status Graphite has very much definition and it's sound is very (i.m.o. a bit too) clean. Not the sound of wood at all. In fact, whatever the type of wood that is used, it does not affect the sound of the bass at all.  
 
The Jaydee goes somewhere in between, although i.m.o. the Jaydee misses some of that growl and warmth of Alembic. Most of all the Jaydee doesn't have that hifi sound that I love so much from the Alembics. Must admit that the Jaydee does have a strong personality of its own and it plays like a dream.  
 
The Status Graphite Kingbass plays fantastic as well, the neck dimensions are identical (customized) to the Alembics that Mark King uses.
 
Duncan

[Randell W. Curry (hifibassman)]

thanks for the welcome guys!  I am like one of the biggest fans of the Alembic way and have been for over 20 years since I first heard that series one.  This instrument just does everything very well and to the extreme.  However, it will expose and uncover any playing skill imperfections more than other basses- it just tells the truth.  And some bassist don't like to hear this true musical beautifulness.  In my opinion, it's the only bass that makes it easier for you to actually become a phenominal bass player.

[Mike Addyman Sr. (dadabass2001)]

Hi Randall & Welcome!
You're absolutely right! The Alembic sound is so beautiful, I want to practice more. My Alembics allow me to hear where my technique can improve, but also make everything I play sound BETTER (somehow more professional). Enjoy this board.
Mike

[Randell W. Curry (hifibassman)]

You know to me it's kinda sad that most bassist that I know never heard of Alembic and those who have don't like the sound.  They rather drown themselves in the distorted boominess that everyone else is used to.  I can understand to a degree why some bassist are afraid of or dont like the Alembic sound.  Those basses sound so clean and musical that it will let other people hear your real level of playing ability and skill (the real precision bass).  Someone even commented to me that the sound was too old or 70's ish.  You know I met someone in a music shop that owned several Alembics and he played professionally.  He told me that he couldn't stand the tone anymore and was looking for another bass.  What's up with that?  If anything I thought he would be on top of the world as far as bass tone goes.  Those basses just dominate over other sounds and I guess some musicians and engineers don't like this.  I mean all he has to do is learn how to use the filters and he could sound like anything he wants to.  But in general these days popular music seems to not have any room for appreciation of bass tone.  The focus is somewhere else.  I mean, I can appreciate the sound of other distinctive bass sounds like the Peavey Cirrus, Ken Smith, Musicman, or even the old standard Fender basses (I like these basses for their tones also), but most musicians I talk to don't seem to care about the extremely clean bass tone that Alembics offer.  To me, Alembic basses are what the bass guitar is supposed to sound like to begin with- the real bass.
 
Sorry for being so long winded-

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Hi there,
 
Duncan, thanks for the info. I'll find a soundtrack wjere MK plays about the same stuff on an Alembic and I'll learn  the difference. BTW: I always liked the Jaydee Supernaturals too!
 
Randell. An Alembic bass is very helpfull in playing: what was not possible on other guitars seems to go very easy now.
But  they are honest and forgive you nothing! If you have no proper finger setting: the Alembic will produce a sound of a bad fingered bass. It will translate your technique and mood perfectly. So ...as a bassplayer you're in the nude.
I say: it will take a time to play an Alembic, first the guitar will play you, than you will play the guitar.
People who are leaving the Alembic.
Well ...I can understand them. With some friends here we laughed a lot about the knob-tweaking-attitude of Alembicians.  
Presume the following: you play a Series II with a F1-X and a SF-2.
Can you imagine the zillions and zillions sound combinations there are available?
People are getting tired of making choices.
So ...let's take another bass. And -apart from the fact that the sound of that new bass is right there in the Alembic between the zillions of possibilities- the exact sound you're looking for is just in that one bass. Beware: that IS a good instrument! I believe in Smith's, Roscoe's, Conklin's, Veillette-Citrons and Yamaha's etc... . But versatility is the thing with Alembic. The PRICE you have to pay is you'll have to cope with the CHOICES!
YOU will be the one to decide.
It's not always easy man!
I have to admit that I'm certainly interested in a whole lot of other basses. The reason I leave my Alembic will be my own shortcomings and laziness.
But (again) believe me, you'll go back to that Alembic. And people who started with a Hondo will go back to that Hondo, just because once you made the choice for that guitar! And you remember.
Amen!
 
Paul

[Daniel Tracey (dannobasso)]

Perhaps those who own Alembics reflect an inherent desire for the tone. When you hear it, you know it. I started out on a Gibson Ripper L4. I picked up a hybrid Fender fretless and spent a ton of money suping it up to get what I wanted in the tone. When I heard Stanley Clarke I knew the tone I wanted. It blew me away. I flrted with the idea of a Smith 6 that Anthony Jackson was playing but I kept being drawn back to Alembic. Greg Lake, John Entswhistle, John Paul Jones, Andy West, Mark King, all reinforced my desire for that sound. It became a true quest and I finally in 83 was able to afford my first Koa Spoiler. $900.00 (no case) I raced home, plugged it into my then humble rig and actually heard that responsive tone! Finger noise, vibrato, every nuance represented! I was hooked! I'm still obsessed with the product and have 8 basses. All Alembics. There will be more in my future, 2003 promises another road bass. Maybe we feel like we are preaching to the choir but we all really love these instruments and the company that creates them. Anyone who talks about Precisions and the like just doesn't understand what tone is about. Funny that guitarists will go on and on about tone and signal chains and gear and never understand when a bassist is concerned about the same things. (Not to mention that when you show up with such a beautifully crafted instrument, the self esteem level of more ego maniacal shredders gets dropped a notch or two.)
No problem for them to rave about a PRS or expensive Les Paul. Just don't let them know about the value of your bass! Unless you enjoy watching a guitarist trying to shred from a fetal position!
Danno

[german salvatierra (german)]

congratulations man, that's the sound keep on paying that way,you'll get it

[Randell W. Curry (hifibassman)]

Danno & Paul,
 
I agree with what you all said.  Some (or maybe most) bassist are unaware of the tone shaping ability of the Alembic.  Way too many tone choices to get lost in! (their perspective only)
Recently, I saw a product that digitally alters the wave of a bass string and changes it to different tone signatures, for example you could plug a Yamaha bass into this device and dial out a rickenbacker 4001 or a musicman bass (there were a few other choices in there too).  This device electronically alters the position and or type of pickup to mimic a signature sound wave of a particular type of guitar.  I tried it out- sure it did alter the some of the tone, but it did not come all that close in my opinion- sounded kinda gritty to me.  It did respond dynamically in real time though- I'll give it that.  I suppose if a bassist was looking for versatility these days, they would look at this device as simple to understand and a way to change to the sound of a different bass for under $1,000.00.  Just another passing fashion I think, another toy to claim.  I don't know, maybe Alembic could install preset quick tone switches that would have the popular tone settings that most of these bassist would want.  This would help them sell more instruments to the technically challenged.  Anyway, my point is that today's bassist do want more user friendliness in their instrument and distinction in their sound. I, on the other hand, fully understand how to use multiple Alembic tone filters simultaneously and I think it's very simple.  Another thing is that they probably don't want to be labeled as the guy trying to copy the phenominal players that use those exotic Alembics.  Walk in the studio with a short scale series two and immediately you are stereotyped as a Stanley clone or something.  Of course in their minds why spend thousands for an Alembic when you can get the popular bass sounds you want in a simpler, less expensive way. Well... I guess we are the elite bassist of the world who demand the purest sound and the extreme versatility that a single bass instrument can ever give.
 
Randell-