Author Topic: Stanley Clarke model questions (Read 146 times)

bumhucker · « **on:** March 09, 2006, 09:49:34 AM »

Hi-I am looking to get a short scale alembic in the future. i used to have an essence short scale-i really miss it. I am wondering: Are the Stanley basses heavy?
Do they balance well on a strap?
By heavy i mean over 9 lbs or so.

I have my eye on an SC or an Essence short scale-maybe with the Rogue body.

thanks for the help! i wish i could just go play one somewhere around here. Anyone around Madison WI have a stanley clarke?

kungfusheriff · « **Reply #1 on:** March 09, 2006, 11:06:51 AM »

Hi there, and welcome back to Alembicland!
Stanley basses do tend to be heavy, and the center of gravity is out toward the neck so they tend to dive unless you have a good strap. I have a Small Standard Series 2 that weighs a little over 10 pounds and is neck-heavy, but I got used to both factors pretty quickly.
From what I hear the Brown Bass variant (you can see pictures on the Alembic Store if you follow the link on the main page) is significantly lighter, between seven and eight pounds.

jazzyvee · « **Reply #2 on:** March 09, 2006, 01:19:09 PM »

There are a few threads on this subject of neck dive on the Stanley Clark or small standard body alembics.

They are kind of heavy but i think due to the balance point and the neck dive, they feel heavier on than their size would indicate. I do have an Europa 5 which feels lighter on, than the Stanley Clarke model even though it is a larger bass.

But as KungfuSheriff says you do get used to it very quickly. Now the balance is hardly an issue. :-)
Jazzyvee

keith_h · « **Reply #3 on:** March 09, 2006, 01:40:04 PM »

I have a Brown Bass. I've never checked the weight but I don't feel it is heavy. It seems to be lighter than my fretless Orion. I don't have any problems with neck dive but I play it up fairly high and have a wide strap. I think this makes the difference between the neck staying put or tending to dip. I like the body and neck enough that my next Alembic will be a short scale standard body.

Keith

bsee · « **Reply #4 on:** March 09, 2006, 01:55:18 PM »

I have an SC-shaped Europa that is called an Essence (long story). It is vermillion core and vermillion top, isn't hollowed out, and weighs just short of 10 pounds. It is dense enough that I often wonder if it is made of marble rather than wood.

Balance is fine worn high with a high-quality strap.

I suspect that if you were to order one fresh, you could select woods that would result in a lighter instrument. You could also have the body hollowed to further save on weight. Unfortunately, any weight saving would occur in the body, further tipping the balance point to the neck.

For best weight and balance, I think you'd need to look at a short scale in an Essence body shape. Hollow it out some and pick the right woods and you should do well. I think the Rogue shape will have too much upper horn for a short scale neck, but there are other options in between that should work well for you.

bumhucker · « **Reply #5 on:** March 09, 2006, 02:28:16 PM »

thanks for the info! i think bsee is right-i should just get a short scale essence and hollow the body out. one trick i learned with the neck dive problem is to use a leather strap that has the rough leather on the inside-this sticks to you better and keeps the strap from sliding on clothing.

Is the hollowbody option extra? if so, how much?

I wish i could find my old bass and beg the current owner to sell it back!

bigbadbill · « **Reply #6 on:** March 13, 2006, 04:02:28 PM »

I had a SC Deluxe which now belongs to a Club member. This was mahogany with rosewood facings and was solid bodied; I'd say it weighed at least ten pounds and was very neck heavy. As I have neck /back problems I eventually had to get rid of it as it really aggravated them (not too sad as it helped me get my Triple O..).

Whilst I had that bass I played a Brown Bass and it was about half the weight; in fact it was one of the lightest basses I've ever played. And strangely enough I didn't find the balance any worse at all (although the BB had a neck far skinnier even than my SC Deluxe). I would have estimated the BB at 6 or maybe 7 pounds. If I was to buy another Stanley model I'd get a BB, assuming I could afford it, although I think I preferred the tone of the Deluxe (bear in mind they use different neck woods). I'm sure you could get a hollowed out SC Standard or Deluxe though. However I agree that the Essence would be a great starting point for an otherwise SC style bass, and would avoid the balance issues. It's just I love the look of the body on the SC Small Standard models...especially those old ones!

jazzyvee · « **Reply #7 on:** March 13, 2006, 04:21:36 PM »

The SC is my favourite body shape for Alembic.
I'd love to get a guitar with that shape.

Jazzyvee

ampeglb100 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 14, 2006, 07:33:27 AM »

I had a 2004 SC Sig. with cocobolo top and back that probably weighed about 10 pounds, but it did not neck dive at all and balanced quite well in your lap. To me, every pound you add for cocobolo is worth it because it really does give the bass a great tone (IMHO), looks great, and gives the body more weight - thereby balacing out the bass more. The neck on this sig. was really slimmed down as well, compared to the Brown bass I tried out.

Thanks,

Andy