How old were you when you got your first Alembic ?

[bassman10096]

John:  The bass solo on you remember (I think) is at the end of a song called Eyes of the World.  The song was a regular and a favorite for the Dead for many years.  I always enjoyed hearing it because Phil played with the theme from that original solo in many different ways.  I agree with you on the timbre - sounds very stringy to me (if that makes any sense).  I believe that bass was short or medium scale, so the lesser string tension was apparent in the sound. Another example of the fantastic sound of that bass is the song Stella Blue on the same album.
 
Bill  

[dadabass2001]

Phil also does a very subtle and lovely glissando (guessing at terminology) slide at one point in Bob Weir's Weather Report Suite on Wake of the Flood. Phil's sound on the first David Crosby solo album If I Only Remembered My Name is excellent. Jack Casady played on one or two tracks also.  
 
Both Phil and Jack were early influences on me. I bought myself a Guild Starfire in 1973. I still love the originality of Jack's lines on Somebody To Love, among many other tracks.
 
Mike
 
(Message edited by dadabass2001 on March 10, 2004)

[811952]

Is Jack doing anything (I can get my hands on) now?  The most recent video I've seen of him he was playing one of those tiny Steinberger-ish Modulus Graphite headless (yet very neck-dive prone) basses in a video that had a cool time-lapse shot of the pyramids in Indianapolis before there were any buildings around them.  I'm guessing it was '82 or '83.
John

[bassman10096]

Hi John:  Jack released a solo album (sort of a with a little help from your very talented friends) recently.  You can listen to samples on his website http://www.jackcasady.com/.  There is other stuff of interest there as well.  Jack does some master classes in bass at Jorma's FurPeaceRanch (sp?) in Ohio.  They consist of a 3 day weekend with a relatively small group working on specific pieces, jamming in the evenings (a wide variety of electric and accoustic instrumentation seems to be taught there).  Sounds like fun - expensive (about $8-900 for the weekend if I remember), but probably a time to remember.  Some of the other teachers at the ranch are well known (Jorma, Cindy Cashdollar, GE Smith, David Grisman, to name a few).  
 
Bill

[dadabass2001]

Jack was also involved with the Gov't Mule project: The Deep End, a tribute to their bassist Allen Woody who died in 2000. Jack plays (along with 24 other great bass players) on one studio track each. Some of the others on the project were Phil Lesh, John Entwistle, Chris Squire, Jack Bruce, Flea, Bootsy Collins, Oteil Burbridge, Larry Graham, Roger Glover, Jason Newsted, Tony Levin, Alphonso Johnson, etc. etc.  
The studio sessions were documented by Mike Gordon in the DVD Rising Low, and resulted in 2 CDs: The Deep End volumes 1 and 2. Then they put together a live show in New Orleans in 2002, and got 13 of the original 25 to come in for one or two songs during that one night (I wish I'd been there)! There is a combo DVD /CD release from that night as well, called The Deepest End.
By the way, Gov't Mule was Allen Woody, Warren Haynes, and Matt Abts.
 
Mike

[effclef]

I have all three of those Gov't Mule releases. I just watched The Deepest End DVD this past weekend - it's three hours of concert footage plus a short documentary - and it's great stuff.
 
No Alembics to be seen at all, though. Not sure which of the basses were even neck-thrus but Les Claypool, amazingly, does some slapping and popping on a Rickenbacker!
 
Dave Schools is the kind of player where you would think you'd see him with an Alembic strapped on at some point...
 
EffClef

[keavin]

I wondre why alot of big name players are never seen with an alembic,or once used them (its not that they cant afford one) but ,i guess alembics tend to make you stand out too much in the band, (the sound, and looks can be commanding)  and these guys tend to want to step down to their sadowskys or ,whatever they prefer other than   the best.

[bracheen]

Keavin, my guess would be endorsments have a lot to do with it.  Alembic doesn't do endorsments.  Frankly, they don't have to pay people to play their instruments.  Just take a look at how much of Bass Central's Alembic inventory is always marked Sold.  
As Susan said in another thread, in the privacy of the studio many Alembics are pulled from cases, endorsments be damned.  That's a paraphrase not a quote.

[cdf]

Great list of names for the Hall of Fame! Could listen to everyone mentioned for hours on end. I might have to vote for Stanley Clarke as first inductee both for his brilliance and his close association with Alembic. The're like peanut butter and jelly (if you'll pardon the odd food simile)just kinda always go together, at least in my mind. That being said my two personal favorite bassists from the aforementioned are Jack Casady and Phil Lesh. Unfortunately I was not old enough to have heard J. Casady with the Airplane, but I have seen him several times with Hot Tuna and I definitely concur with the term the assesment of monster. Great musician and what gifted hands! I have been fortunate enough to have seen Phil Lesh many times with the Grateful Dead from the late 70's to his current projects today. Love seeing him not just for technical prowess, but mostly for his amazing musicality. I sort of remember a great quote and compliment from Jerry Garcia about Phil's playing. It was something like, he plays like he was the first person ever to play bass. He really does take a very different approach, coming at the bass portion of the group musical equation from a unique angle.  
 
Well for what its worth, there's a guitar players perspective on Alembic Bass Hall of Fame
 
Though if I keep hanging around here I might start having deeper thoughts and notes ;-)

[cdf]

Come to think of it, people sometimes say I play guitar like the first person ever too. Though in my case this is not meant as a compliment.
 
LOL

[bucky]

Hey Bros:
 
Yeah, Jack Casady, Entwhistle (of course!) and I'm a HUGE fan of Chris Squire. When I saw Yes on the Close to The Edge Tour (WOW! I really AM old aren't I?!) Chris blew me away.  I'd say he was probably *thee* most influential bassist for me in my early years. . I took up bass pedals because of what I saw him do at that concert. .  
 
Also, I love all the old Motown Rhythmn Section records.  .James Jamerson, Man. THAT guy was a MONSTER. And of course Stanley. Seeing him with the original RTF showed me you CAN mix groove with chops and great Progressive writing. .  
 
Jeff    

[bare_handed]

I played a Fender back in the late 60s and early 70s. I'd decided to start looking for an upgrade and loaned my J to a friend who wanted to play it for a few days to see if he wanted to buy it. That's the last I saw of the J or the money. I soon met my future wife and got busy doing the family thing and music (playing it at least) got pushed to the back burner.
 
Last year I looked around and realized that the kids were all grown and on their own. It was then the thought hit me Why aren't you playing? For my 52nd birhtday I bought myself a used Peavey RSB and started taking lessons.
 
Two weeks ago I walked into my lesson and my teacher was playing this gorgeous bass. Before I could even get my Peavey out of the case, Mike hands the one he was playing to me commenting You HAVE to play this thing. I played it for a couple of minutes and handed it back to him. Knowing Mike's propensity for buying and selling equipment, I also told him that , if he ever wanted to find that one a new home, I'd be more than happy to take it off his hands.
 
To make a long story short (or is it too late for that?), Mike called me last Friday. It seems he found a great deal on an electric upright which was something he's been leaning toward but needed $800 to close the deal. I hope he's as happy with the upright as I am with the '85 Persuader he shoved into my hands at that lesson

[hollis]

I love hearing stories like that....Randy, welcome to this fantastic fellowship....Stick around, guaranteed to blow your mind!  I'm understating when I say that there's a great group of very knowledgeable folks around here.
Enjoy!

[palembic]

Hi Brother Randy,
 
quite a story!!!
I lived the same thing only I was lucky (??) enough to start playing again at 36 after quitting bass for 10 years.
Great to have you here!!!
Oh ...BTW ...you see ...there are those weird dudes in the corner on that table ...can you see???
Well ...I'm going to join them and will start yelling with them PICTURES - PICTURES - PICTURES!!!
Yep ...of your bass of course ...not of your garden.
We will banging loudly with empty beerbottles on the table until your post into the appropriate department.
 
 
Paul the bad one
 
 
PS: don't fix on the short dude with the beard ...he's greek an has weird notions of rhythm ...he's always off LOL!

[bracheen]

Hey Randy, welcome to our asylum.  I'm another mid life rebound bass player.  I stopped about '84.  A couple of years ago I was messing around with a classical guitar and thought I sure missed my bass.  Three basses later I'm an Alembican (?)
One day someone besides the dogs will hear me.
 
Yes pictures, your bass, your amp, your garden, your family, heck even yourself
 
Sam