Author Topic: Just bought a SC signature!! (Read 719 times)

keavin · « **Reply #15 on:** April 10, 2004, 05:53:35 PM »

hey if you want that true stanley clarke sound? now that you have the bass! get your self some 'super lite'(gauge) bass strings,.

basso · « **Reply #16 on:** April 11, 2004, 02:53:53 AM »

Keavin i don't like light strings,it had them on when i got it,but when you put on a heavier gauge, the bass has so much more bottom and punch,i like to feel the string with more resistance under my hands,i can see from the alembic web site it seems they come fitted with 45-105 from new.

keavin · « **Reply #17 on:** April 11, 2004, 05:14:02 AM »

i dont like em eiter,your rite they lack bottom. i only use lites for overdubs(solos),in the higher notes,theyre easy to run on ,thats stanleys secret to his sound,my favotites are steel strings,

basso · « **Reply #18 on:** April 14, 2004, 02:00:46 AM »

Hey Keavin,saw you and your alembic on another posting,what model is it,looks great,tell me more!

jeff · « **Reply #19 on:** April 14, 2004, 05:50:50 AM »

Hey Basso, that is a really beautiful bass. Isn't it the most awesome feeling to aquire and play an instument like yours? I feel like all is right with the world when I play my Alembic.

basso · « **Reply #20 on:** April 14, 2004, 07:14:48 AM »

Jeff,yes the bass plays and sounds really good,have used it last weekend on a couple of gigs,and will be using it this weekend also,i had been looking for one for some time,but you don't see to many used ones here in the UK,plenty of M/King's about,but not SC's.

mint_bass · « **Reply #21 on:** April 16, 2004, 06:52:40 AM »

your bass is very very nice

congratulations on owning it

have fun

mint_bass · « **Reply #22 on:** April 16, 2004, 06:54:15 AM »

double post sorry

jazzyvee · « **Reply #23 on:** April 17, 2004, 11:25:37 AM »

Hi Basso, I'm in the uk and the owner of an SC Deluxe and mine is the only one I have ever seen here in the UK.. LOL

I have seen an epic once at a gig just after I bought mine thats about it. Well I saw Clarkee play an Alembic when he was here with the Clarke Duke Project in the early 80's.

So like me you will probably get asked a lot of questions about it.
Here is what mine looks like.
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/8430.html

basso · « **Reply #24 on:** April 18, 2004, 02:26:49 AM »

Hi jazzyvee,good to hear from you,that's a nice bass you have,i'm very pleased with mine also,can get loads of tones from it,am finding something new each time i use it,i wonder what makes of strings you are using?i asked the main alembic importers here in the UK about alembic strings and they said it would take a month to get them!!i used to use a mesa boggie buster combo,great!!but,really haavy and awkward to move!!good luck.

jazzyvee · « **Reply #25 on:** April 19, 2004, 05:10:58 AM »

Yeah its a great sounding bass, the variation in tone is so vast that sometimes it's hard to dial in the sound you want quickly and I find that i'm always adjusting the sound to get it Just right when doing gigs. Thats maybe because the minutest change in the filters produces a change in sound whereas other basses you have to make big changes in the tone controls to get any noticeable change.

I love it, if I could afford it i'd get a 5 stringer as well but thats far too expensive and I'm concerned about the balance with the small body and 5 strings. I think the only other standard alembic shape I like is the Orion and considered that but when I spoke to the alembic dealer he suggested that if I liked the SC model I probably wouldn't find the sound of the Orion... Alembic enough for me and would probably be better going for a series I or II but that is small serious money.

As for strings I chose to stick with the alembic strings after trying some Elites that were recommended by non alembic players and some rotosound pressure wounds which I find have a horrible feel under my fingers and are now relegated to my musicman sterling.

I found the cheapest place was to get proper Alembic short scale strings was over the internet (my first internet purchase actually) from juststrings.com and they were $25.20 US each so I got three sets. for $110.60 US including shipping and I ordered them saturday evening and they were here by the Wednesday.

I really like the sound of the Alembic ones, the elites were a bit to thin sounding and the rotosounds a bit harsh and too much finger noise, also you will probably find it hard to get short scale strings in the UK. I didn't find anywhere to get them.

basso · « **Reply #26 on:** April 19, 2004, 06:26:04 AM »

Yes it is hard to find s/scale here,when i bought it it was strung with very light 30 to 90 elites,to light for me,i want to try a set of elixirs on it as they sound really good on my epic 5 string,the only problem is that they don't do a s/scale set!!so i will have to risk getting a set and seeing how they fit on the E and A string machine heads,the light gauge that was fitted on it was actually l/scale,and the guy said he didn't have any problems,but the thicker the winding,the more worry as to them fitting correctly,for my jazz gigs,and jazz fusion gigs i have found a jazz bass on steroidstype of tone,it really has bags of growl,amazing really for a s/scale bass,it even has more growl than my usa jazz bass!!i presume you are using the 45 to 105 alembic strings?Thomastik do a s/scale in their jazz rounds,another string i like,however the gauge is very light,and i think i will loose some bottom end perhaps,although as it is a alembic maybe not!let me have your thoughts on this,thanks,Julian.

adriaan · « **Reply #27 on:** April 19, 2004, 07:22:46 AM »

Julian,

I use Thomastik Jazz Flats on my long scale Epic, and they're not that much thinner than other 45-100 sets. I noticed that their 35 and 36 sets are progressively thinner, so the short scale ones are perhaps even thicker than the 34 ones.

They claim they decided on the thickness after getting the sound right, rather than to wind the string to a specific thickness and then trying to get sound right as an afterthought - which makes sense.

In any case the low E has a very satisfying low end response, great for jazz. Years ago I was in a jazz situation, and was asked to lay down a BIG low F. My Epic was still fretted at the time, probably had DR HiBeams on it - anyway, I just could not produce that really BIG low F. Fast forward a few years, I let a builder take out the frets and put on the Jazz Flats - the first thing I noticed was that the lowest notes really were much bigger than before.

Next step will probably be a new bass with ebony neck laminates - unfortunately it will take me years to save up for that.

David Houck · « **Reply #28 on:** April 19, 2004, 01:54:56 PM »

Thomastik's short scale strings are 32; which of course in Alembic terms are medium scale. As far as I am aware, Thomastik does not make a 30.75 scale string.

basso · « **Reply #29 on:** April 19, 2004, 04:25:42 PM »

Well it seems one makers s/scale is not the same as anothers!!32 will work fine,in fact when i bought the bass it had 30-90 34 strings fitted,in fact i have 34 fitted now with no problems,as long as you are carefull how you wind the E and A strings,Thomastik's are great,i had them on my jazz bass,but the light gauge is really a bit to light for me on a 34 bass,i used the jazz rounds with a 89 E,i'm waiting for some Elixirs to arrive,again they don't make a s/scale,so i have gone for a light set to see how they work out,hopefully they will be the ones i will use,i like them alot,they sound very good on my Epic 5.