Bass Discrimination

[bobtait]

You know I can't count the times people have looked at my Alembic and asked me if it was some other brand that they had seen with pretty wood. My wife still calls it an Olympic. Then there was the time some guy knew it was an Alembic and felt compelled to razz me if I was gonna play Stanley Clark stuff. After a particularly tight R&B set doing nothing fancy but just playing bass, he changed his tune. The Alembic is a special instrument. You can play anything on it. And it always sounds special. That said, a Precision bass is also a special instrument. Especially one that is set up right and sounds like a Precision. I think the bottom line is ... most people dont have a clue what brand or type of instrument we play. They just know what they hear. What we as bass players know about which instruments inspire us to be better players filters to our audience as a good performance. Which is something they can appreciate. You can get things out of an Alembic you can't out of a Precision. And that is true in the opposite direction as well. I am just thankful that people like the folks at Alembic and for that matter any other folks who make quality instruments care enough about their products to make my life that much more enriched.

[ggunn]

I play bass for one of the two celebration bands at church.
 
[...]
 
(I'm afraid we're reaching critical mass....)
 
Pun intended?

[mikedm]

GGunn,
 
Took a minute to catch the pun. Ah, no, that's completely unintentional. Although, if we were a Catholic church...
 
Mike

[olieoliver]

To all my biker/musician constituents above, it?s not the ride or the axe; it's what?s inside that makes it worth while.  
 
I ride a Harley. I don't ride to show off, race or pickup chicks. I wave at any and all bikes I pass.  
Like wise with my Alembic, I don't play to show off, play speed riff's or pickup chicks. I tap my foot to any tune that grooves.
 
Life ain't a contest, it's an adventure. Enjoy it, don't destroy it.
 
PS. I also have a 1966 Bonneville, and a couple of old Fenders, (72 Telecaster and 76 Jazz basses). Still use both but not as often as the others.

[bigredbass]

I've been going to several jams at local clubs for the last several weeks as I'm looking to get heard and get back into a gig.  I always take the BigRedBass with its newly installed FatBoy horsepower, pass out some business cards, and generally have a great time.  Already starting to get some calls, so it's been good all the way around.
 
Invariably I'm following some poor schnook with a Fender or Fender clone.  Followed a cat with a NY Sadowsky the other night, NICE axe IF you're into that sort of thing (I'm sure as hell not!).  Sometimes I'm following a good player, sometimes not.
 
The great thing is that the reverse of all my previous experiences ALWAYS happens (Olympic?  You don't have a Fender? We all know the drill . . .)!  When there's no time to ask all those idiotic questions and you move straight to HEARING an ALEMBIC, believe me, it's the musical equivalent (for those other guys) of bringing a knife to a gun fight!!  They take one look at all of that red-tinted quilt and hear the FatBoys speak with that solid authority, it just OVER, right now.  Whether it's a situation with good PA and everyone riding their volumes and listening, or just that usual muck of a roar, this thing cuts through ALL of it like a laser.
Through any and all of the amps that have been there.
 
I've never had SO many positive comments about ANY axe I ever owned.  My motto is 'Own the Stage'.  When His Large Redness steps up, game over.  I may change his name from the BigRedBass to Dirty Harry!
 
J o e y

[lbpesq]

I've been reading Blair Jackson's excellent new book: Grateful Dead Gear. (I'll post a review when I'm done.)  Anyway, I came across a passage that I had to post in this thread.  It is a quote from Keith Olson, the British producer of Fleetwood Mac and Rumours.  In 1977 Olson produced the Dead's Terrapin Station album.  Many deadheads, (including moi), found the album to be substantially overproduced and schmaltzy with the addition by Olson, (and unbeknownst to the Dead), of a full orchestra and choir!  Anyway, in discussing the recording of this album, Olson states, regarding Phil Lesh:
 
He had this really weird bass that I think was one of the first Alembics .... It basically sounded like somebody took a washboard with a broom handle and put one piece of rope on it.  But he was really into it: 'It's low impedance.'  I said, 'it sounds like crap - got a Fender?'  He didn't like that.  But I dealt with it.  
 
Blair Jackson then comments: In the end, many Deadheads agree that the Terrapin Station bass sound is actually better than on many other Dead studio albums.
 
Phil didn't do that with a Fender!
 
Bill, tgo

[olieoliver]

Olson sounds like a schmuck to me!

[boombats]

Harleys, Fenders... American Classics.  CRAP

[bassman10096]

Given my own preference for Alembics:  Whatever works...

[pookeymp]

Hey Guys,
 
I just experienced a bit of 'Reverse Discrimination.'
 
I just recently finished doing a video shoot with one of the bands I work with @ EKO Productions (some of you East Coast guys might be familiar with the place).  
 
Now, I've done quite a few videos there with various bands, but this last time I noticed that I didn't get quite as many close-ups as usual.  In past videos, I seemed to be featured often, and my bass was super-imposed over the vocalist in many instances.  While I did get a few this last time, it didn't seem to be half as many as usual.  So jokingly, I asked one of the cameramen: What happened this time?  He said: Well, while the bass you're using now (my Tobias) is quite nice, in the past when you was using that Alembic, I just couldn't take my lens off of it.
 
When I thought about it, I realized the first question he asked he when I pulled out my Tobias was: Where's the Alembic?
 
Man, I gotta get my dollars together and get my next Alembic quick.
 
Mikey/

[godoze]

Here in Philadelphia many bassists use Fenders. any high end bass tha comes out is suspect. many players in this town go for a very very basic tone.  
 
Most of the negativity I have encountered comes from bringing an extended range instrument to a gig. I think this stems mainly from bassists not fulfilling the the bass function job and simply overplaying on their extended range instruments instead of playing what the job calls for.
 

[willie]

Hey godoze
Nice to hear from another Alembic player from Philadelphia. Thats where I'm at. Do you play out around here? I'll come hear how that bass sounds. Saw your post about your rig and I must join the Pauls in saying wheres the pictures?  
Willie

[godoze]

Willie,
Yes, My trio plays around quite a bit but most of my high profile gigs come from the belly dancer i play solo with.
 
I think I have heard of your band.

[willie]

You get to play solo with a belly dancer COOOOOOl
Where & when that would be interesting, hearing an Alembic live & getting to see a belly dancer at the same time. I dont remember metioning the name of my band but I've played with several, ever hear of Strange Kreek Whats the name of your trio
Willie

[godoze]

I looked at your profile and saw the band name...