Regarding all the pots and switches found on Alembics

[blazer]

Not to step on anybody's toes but isn't having all those pots and switches a bit of overkill?
 
Take a look at Stanley Clarke's new bass, no question that it is a wonderfulll looking (and sounding) instrument but all those pots?
 
I speak for myself, but I'm the type of guy who believes that tone is all in the fingers and I have modified my two pickup basses so they have a Balance pot, a master tone and a Master Volume. This enables me to back off the volume regardless of what pickup I'm playing over at that moment.
 
Sure I can see the merits of being able to completely change the sound of your bass by just turning a pot or flicking over a switch but I wouldn't be able to do so between verses in the middle of the song and would easily grab the wrong pot or switch.
 
To use Stanley Clarke as an example again: I sa him changing the sound of his bass mid song and change it again and again. And in his hands he could make the most of it. However, I also saw footage of Jaco tearing it up and he plays a Fender Jazz bass, no elaborate electronics, no phase switches but 100% pure sound, no gimmics, just his fingers on the de-fretted board of his Fender.
 
So I would like to pose you people this question, do you people actually USE all of those sound posibilities?

[dela217]

Yes.

[flaxattack]

sure do and i dont even have my bass yet
lol

[serialnumber12]

OF course all those knobs offer a whole new world of sound & versatility in a electronic stringed instruments,but of course one would have'to own one to understand,these are not your normal guitars my friend!!!

[serialnumber12]

Have you ever heard the term BEYOND CUSTOM?

[lbpesq]

Blazer:
 
I used to question it too.  In fact I preferred my Mark III Boogie over the Mark IV for precisely that reason, too many knobs on the Mark IV which I didn't think were necessary.
 
Admittedly, I don't change tones much during songs,  and when I do, I usually accomplish it with my pedal board.  But I certainly do mess with my guitar's settings in between songs as different songs often call for a different tone.  I have found a few settings that I usually go to.  The versatility of the on-board electronics then comes in handy for subtle tweaking to compensate for little differences from such things as the acoustics of the room I'm playing in, how new/old my strings are, even things like humidity and temp.  
 
It's like I'm constantly telling my 9 year old:  the difference between easy and hard is knowledge and practice.  When you are first exposed to anything new, be it math, a new gameboy game, a new sport, whatever, it is hard.  Once you learn about it and practice, it is easy.  The same with Alembic electronics.  I admittedly struggled at first with my Electrum.  Now it's definitely much easier and the controls make a lot more sense. The same with my SF-2.  Last night at rehearsal I felt I broke though a wall and really grokked it for the first time.  
 
Sure, my Fender is more basic and easier to adjust on the fly.  And when I want to sound like a Strat it does the job brilliantly.  But it is very limited compared to the Electrum and just doesn't get the incredible presence that the Alembic has.  Remember, just because the ALembic has more controls, doesn't mean you have to touch every one on every song.  It's all about possibilities.
 
Bill, tgo

[bsee]

Whenever you are going to play something, you have a tone in your mind of what it should sound like.  With simple electronics, you can usually move the intrument's tone in the direction of what you want.  With the souped-up Alembic gear, you can actually get there.
 
It is true that it takes a bunch of tweaking and playing before you can intuitively make the right adjustments, but it's worth it when you get there.

[the_mule]

Hai Wouter J, jij ook hier? Toch niet verdwaald zeker?  
 
It's a huge misunderstanding, especially on some Dutch (bass) guitar communities ;-) that every Alembic is loaded with nice but pretty useless 'gimmicks'. Anyone familiar with Alembic will strongly disagree, simply because they know what they're talking about. Example: my 'fancy' Alembic Elan only has two volumepots and one filter (Persuader electronics). Another example: I've seen numerous basses from other brands, makers and luthiers carrying a huge electronics package with lots of knobs and switches. It's simply all a matter of personal taste. As Keavin said Alembic goes 'beyond custom' and in the end it's 'to each his own', wouldn't you agree? I bet your employer Knooren also tries to please his customers, and if it's technically possible (and providing the customer is willing to pay for it) it's done. Off course Alembic electronics don't automatically make a better bass player out of you. But Alembic does increase the potential and versatility of the instrument, bass or guitar, and will always continue to do so. Alembics are practical works of art and each one is unique. To some people that's very important, others couldn't care less. Those people can and may prefer 'basic' and can even (rightly) claim that Jaco only needed his 'tool of the trade' Fender Jazz to make miracles happen. I'd dare to state that if he had used an Alembic, he'd have become even more of a legend among bass players. But on the other hand, who knows? That's what all the fun is about!
 
Groetjes,  
Wilfred
 
(Message edited by the_mule on January 14, 2005)

[blazer]

I guess it comes from me being a guitarist with a bass guitar in his hands. Guitarists tend to be conservative about their gear, keeping it as simple as possible just taken what they can use this picture shows me using my main stage guitar which has only one pickup and a volume pot knowing that I don't need more than that.
 

 
It is true that with Knooren we built plenty of Basses with very ornate EQ settings but the most pots we've ever put on a bass was five. Jan Knooren himself has the same vision as me, his personal basses just use two volumes and a master tone. We make basses big EQ's on order from customers.

[serialnumber12]

that guitar would be a perfect candidate for an alembic heart transplant!

[mrfunkwool]

Hmm.. it struck me funny you think guitarists are purists keeping things simple with gear.  Seems, to me like every guitarist.. I've ever played w/ has like 10-15 pedals. Maybe the guitar itself has no knobs, but the signal is anthing but pure.  I've found, Bass players are usually the ones w/ an ax, and an amp, maybe one stomp box, maybe...
 
but, that's just my experience.  I could be playing with Pedal Heads

[beelee]

Doesn't what kind of bass you play and what kind of pickups, electronics etc. it has come down to Personal preference ?
 
John Paul Jones started out playing a Fender Jazz bass, why did he switch to Alembic ?
A much more high quality and versatile instrument.
 
Yes one way to change your tone/sound on a bass is to play closer to the neck or the bridge, or play fingerstyle or Pick.
 
or you can constantly keep going back to your amp and tweek things, but it sure is nice to have the ability to change things if need be within fingers reach like on an Alembic.
I have a used Fender P bass that the previous owner put in EMG's and put on a Kahler whammy bar, it sounds great and its very unique, do I play it at all my shows......no, do I always use my Alembic, Fodera, Pedulla, Tobias or Conklin 7 string ? No...... it all depends on what type of music I'm playing, some times I need fretless, sometimes extended range.
 
It doesn't matter what make instrument you play or what electronics are or aren't inside or how many strings are on it,  your playing for the song needs  and gettin in that groove w/ your band mates. and makin' the audience dance or at least tap their feet  and when you finish the song and the applause comes, you worked the magic of music.
 
 
Bill, tgo says it well

[811952]

Blazer,
Yes.  My Series I is second only to an Alembic Series II in versatility, and the sounds I hear in my head are easily attainable, knowing my instrument as well as I do.  That said, I think it would be quite easy for me to adjust to Series II electronics, because Alembic uses a specific and unique approach to tone-shaping across their entire line of instruments.  True, the tone is in the fingers and playing an Alembic isn't going to make anyone not suck.  Having Alembic flexibility allows us to create more complex timbres, for better or for worse, by effectively changing the sonic properties of the entire instrument.  You cite Jaco playing the Jazz Bass (when I saw him in '84 he was playing a fretted Jazz Bass).  Consider those fingers on a Gibson EBO or a Rickenbacker or a P-bass.  Same fingers, but almost certainly yielding different, unique sounds.  That's what all the switches and knobs on an Alembic bass do for us.  The four knobs and two switches on a typical Series I are infinitely more flexible than the five or more knobs found on many, many current production basses.  As for the three knobs on the typical Jazz Bass, it's always going to sound like a Jazz Bass.  If someone has an interest in getting many different types of sounds from a single instrument, playing an Alembic is a very simple but elegant way to address that.  I don't know of a more flexible yet highly consistent bass guitar made...
John

[mrfunkwool]

Hmm.. it struck me funny you think guitarists are purists keeping things simple with gear.  Seems, to me like every guitarist.. I've ever played w/ has like 10-15 pedals. Maybe the guitar itself has no knobs, but the signal is anthing but pure.  I've found, Bass players are usually the ones w/ an ax, and an amp, maybe one stomp box, maybe...
 
but, that's just my experience.  I could be playing with Pedal Heads

[mrfunkwool]

haha... cool, First time I got the lock mechanism.. and caused a double post.  
That'll get my post number up.
 
Sorry bout that.