Rhetorical question

[flpete1uw]

How long did it take you to allow your Bass to show you how to play her?  
  I don't mean to sound to philosophical but did you ever pick up a new or used Bass (I am referring to Alembics here) with preconceived notions and in the process miss the whole point of what the Bass your playing is all about?  
  some of you may know I have a 1975 Series 1 short scale bass with a narrow neck.  slender neck . I'm a previous P-Bass player and my Distillate has some heft as well.
Granted there were some issues that had to be corrected but I struggled with it in every way imaginable. Eventually For some reason I think this Bass may have taken a liking to me because I do pamper her, and slowly she started revealing some of her inner sonic and design beauty. I'm at a point now where each and every time I play her I say Wow this is one fine sounding Bass! Complete joy!  
 
  I feel very comfortable  to gig with her now, even though my Distillate is so much easier on a stage. But not to sound to hokey these Basses especially Series take some time and once the bonding begins it's magic.  
 
Hope this wasn't to off the wall, just meant to perhaps shared experience  
Peace,
Pete

[edwardofhuncote]

I know *exactly* what you mean Pete - I'm the same way... it takes a little bit for the instrument to teach me how to.play it.

[David Houck]

As soon as my six string arrived, everything changed.  The style of music I was playing changed.  My right hand technique changed significantly.  There was, for me, a significant learning curve going from four string to six string as well.
 
More importantly, practice became a meditation.  I began to see how patterns of thought were getting in the way of the music; where what I wanted or did not want got in the way of just letting the music flow.  Over a long period of time, these patterns of thought slowly began disappearing; and there was a more intimate connection between the instrument, the body, and the heart.
 
This isn't to say that there still aren't mistakes; and the playing is still sloppy if I don't practice every day.  And if I haven't played a song in a while, I'm likely to forget pieces of it.
 
But when I sit down to practice, the music just more readily flows; mistakes and all.  And if all I do is practice the same movement between two or three chords over and over, that's fine.  If I just allow that movement to be however it needs to be, to express whatever it chooses to express, then in that moment the experience of music is as it should be.
 
Often now, I find myself just repeating simple chord patterns, not even songs, and just being with that experience.
 
So, this bass has taught me a lot; about music, but more importantly, about myself.  And it has shown me how even the simplest melodies and chord progressions can express so much and appear so beautiful.
 
Karma.  I never know where she will take me next.

[charles_holmes]

I really didn't get to know my Shorty Series Distillate until I acquired my rig to run it properly. Then the subtle timbre nuances began to present themselves with each minute turn of a dial, flick of a qswitch. Then my Distillate began to paint superb aural pictures that no other basses on this planet could match (well, except another Alembic).By the way my bass had a previous owner. My wife bought it for me from Bass Northwest for Christmas 7 yrs ago. And each day that I play my axe has been like Christmas all over again. I have added the TC electronic G system for my bridge pickup and The Great Divide for my neck pickup. There is no other bass in my area that can touch the combination, period! Everywhere I perform there is always a compliment concerning the craftsmanship and of course That Alembic Sound Thank you Ron Wickersham for creating  such an amazing instrument!!!!!!!!

[pauldo]

For a very long time my Distillate has felt like Home.  She has been in my ownership for at least 25 years.  
 
Cripes, that realization made my head tilt!
 
Such meticulous craftsmanship makes her comfortable and easy to play. The electronics still catch me by surprise and will teach me new things . . . In fact just last Monday evening I was practicing and had one of those ah ha moments. Funny thing is I completely discounted the experience until reading this thread.
 
As we all know, your plucking hand position in relationship to the PU's will have a huge influence on the instruments voice.  While I was practicing my right hand position moved towards the neck about 1/2 an inch - and my head said Yes, that is where you should be for this song.
 
So even though my Distillate is home, she still reminds me that there are little things that can make big differences.  All I have to do is be aware and recognize those things when they happen.

[flpete1uw]

I kind of figured I wasn't alone on this,
  David, I can't even begin to tell you how many times I pick up one of my Alembics and not have a clue as to what I'm about to play. Then there it is something beautiful unfolds. I'll put down my bass and say that came from completely nowhere, no real structure and a lot of randomness. But Man did that sound good!  
  Chalie, I've said it before and I'll say it again, you chose well in your Wife and Bass. Well done sir!
   Gregory, Been watching  your epoch into the Alembic world and with the determination of Hercules you have found and will continue to find in time a beautiful nurturing Muse who has probably has not fully revealed herself yet.  
   Pauldo, What can I say Distillates are some truly special instruments. Alembic got it right with this one. I love mine as well!  
Always a new day,
Peace,
Pete

[jazzyvee]

For me coming from a passive electric guitar background and a short relationship with a Musicman Sterling bass I found getting the hang of the filters a real uphill struggle from the word go, and my earlier threads bear witness to my frustration. I'd play the bass one day get a great tone then be unable to find it again. But a point came when I started being able to confidently move the controls towards specific tones I wanted.  I decided to find what I called my starting tone and whenever I picked up the bass I'd move the controls to that setting.  That made it easier to change tones during/between a song and being able to get back to a my starting tone.  
 
When I got a series II bass it was virtually back to square one as the controls on each pickup are independent and hence work differently than they do with a pan pot. I have to admit, although I'm getting further quicker with it, it's still work in progress and I've developed a few techniques to help me make this transition easier. I feel I'm getting much more in control of my tone on these basses. Playability and ergonomics have always felt great and whilst I've always strived to be a clean precise player these basses are so responsive and resonant that they have forced me to be even cleaner because they reproduce sloppy technique very well.
 
Picking up on what Charles says in his opening.  Having a high quality rig is a must if you to hear much more of the subtle tonal possibilities that alembic basses provide.  When I first had an alembic I had a small 80w trace elliot combo and once I decided to upgrade to mesa boogie and later a rack system with alembic pre-amps I realised how much that first one was choking my sound.
 
My basses are amazingly rewarding to play and the sound is very addictive and like Dave alludes to, there is a meditative quality in the beauty of their sound.

[5a_quilt_top]

Transitioning to an Alembic after years of using, Fenders, Rics, Music Men, etc. involved a bit of a learning curve for me as well.
 
Due to the clarity of the tone, any flaws in my technique are magnified (bad) - along with other stylistic nuances that I was previously unaware of (good).
 
In addition, since the bass is more prominent in the mix, I know that the audience (and my bandmates) can probably hear what I'm doing better than if I was using another type of bass and this makes me want to play more accurately.
 
Long story short - using an Alembic has made me a better player because I'm more aware of my technique and I'm also able to better hear what I'm playing.

[flpete1uw]

Jazzy,
I remember some of the learning curve Series Bass issues you and I shared I earlier posts. And couldn't agree more on having a starting point / tone to always fall back on.  
I 'm curious, I to use a Mesa Walkabout and find that the tube pre amp gives me a nice warm sound. You mentioned moving over to the Alembic pre's, did you find that much of a difference in tonal quality? I recently was out bid on an F2-B by a pittance, might have got if I tried harder but I felt I didn't need one because of the Mesa? Having both curious on your thoughts on this.  
  Enjoy all the honest valuable into you bring to the table.
Pete

[jazzyvee]

Hey Pete, I still have the Mesa boogie however it is temporarily relegated to home use only as there is a problem with the send/return circuit even when bypassing with a cable.
 
As for the sound difference. Yes you are right the mesa does have a nice warm sound but I find the F1-x & QSC combination also warm sounding and cleaner. However where I feel it wins over the mesa is that it's cleaner sounding and the greater headroom gives me a more punchy sound at lower volumes as well as when up loud across the whole range of the bass.  
 
I find that the Mesa has to have the gain up pretty high before it starts to sound really punchy.  
When the send and return problem came I used it at a couple of rehearsals with the F1-x plugged directly into the return socket which strangely bypasses both the gain and master. It sounds superb warm and meaty and has a lot of punch.  
 
In terms of manipulating your sound off the bass, the parametric on the mesa is great and you have the option to get a heavier sound by boosting the lower frequencies and that has been an asset especially with two cabs and with it being 300w there is less chance of me blowing the speakers.  
 
I got fed up waiting for an F2-b to appear this side of the pond and ended getting another F1-x instead. I've not used both of them on a gig yet but that will come in time. The one thing I do prefer the F1-x for is the DI-out which I use all the time on gigs so I give my sound to the engineer.

[bigredbass]

For me, it was like going from a Pioneer, appliance-store, component stereo, to being dropped headfirst into an all MacIntosh rig playing thru Wilsons or Magnaplanars:  I suddenly heard everything, nothing was left out, and I had a sudden, dizzying rush of 'is this how I REALLY sound?':  String rattles, buzzes, no big, fat stupid 100hz hump and no high end where I'd previously been relatively comfortable?
 
And bear in mind, this was without changing amps:  If I'd had a truly 'reference' rig, it might have scared me out of playing bass completely.
 
But it provoked me into learning.  I suddenly had to learn how to set up my axe, and then the genius of how they're built allowed me to experiment, find my way, and ultimately learn MY setup.  This helped my playing inasmuch as I adapted my setup to me, and my playing to a now proper setup.  
 
After the usual 'why does this knob wah-wah?' we all go through, I finally understood my filters.  Only then to feel like, 'is that all there is?'.
This eventually led to me NOT going EQ-crazy (see the previously mentioned cracks about 110hz . . .) and helped me realize a cleaner tone that was easier on the amps and just sounded better.  I began to realize the hi-fi ethos of the less that's between source and speaker, the better.
 
It's utterly amazing to me that these instruments can enforce themselves on you, and as it did me, force me into realizing a better way of doing.
 
But as I've often said, they are NOT for everybody.  You can see the learning curve I went through, and I've been around plenty. There's lots of guys who will never venture beyond a PBass or Jazz into an SVT, and that's just fine.  Takes all kinds to make a world, and it is all so very subjective and personal, after all.
 
But all I can say it is utterly amazing the influence Ron and Susan have had on my playing through their instruments and I've never met them personally.  Yet I'm so much better for this 'close encounter' !
 
J o e y

[flpete1uw]

That's funny Joey!  
  I went the Sansui route to McIntosh Amps. But that came from entering the Pro Field first lots of Macs and just about everything in-between. Heck my home stereo still has a MC2505 running it!  
  It's such a joy exploring and finding and just stumbling on new experience's in sound and craftsmanship. There is nothing better. Monet, Alembic, Macintosh Amps, Mesa Boogie Amps, Studer Tape Machines, Neve Consoles. (All in my Opinion)Craftsmanship in the details that make a difference. These differences come out in the most unexpected ways sometimes.  
Good Stuff!
Pete

[hifiguy]

A good big year, and my playing still changes here and here.  I quickly discovered I couldn't even _begin_ to get away with the close enough that worked on the Rickenbacker, Warwick Corvette ProLine and many Fender Jazzes I had played over the years. And not just because it was going from a 34 scale to a 30.75.  I got so frustrated I walked away from the Alembic for a few months despite how much I loved the way it felt and sounded. I was getting way too much feedback about my bad habits, which I had never heard before in nearly 30 years of playing.
 
Eventually I got disgusted with my own laziness and woodshedded on the Alembic exclusively for about three months.  Then I felt confident enough to play it in public without sounding like a doofus.
 
The stereo analogy is very apt, Joey.  My last serious stereo - much of which is in storage for reasons too complex to detail here - was VTL TP 6.5 phono stage, TL 7.5 Series III line stage and MB-450 Signature or Lamm Industries M1.2 amplifiers on Wilson Sashas.  An Alembic bass definitely belongs in that quality of excellence.

[flpete1uw]

Paul,
 Yep, no mistakes they all come through. That's the down side, one that I had to deal with  pretty hard as well especially with my Series with its original setup issues. (On another previous post)
The upside is when its right not only does the Bass cut through the music, everyone at least who I play with wants the little nuances to come out during the set. I could never play the way I do with my P-Bass and get away with what I do with my Alembics! Heck the term get away with is a misnomer what I play Belongs there!  
Its like they are just as amazed as I am with how beautiful these Basses sound.
It feels like passing into another dimension. Ha!
I better go practice!!  
Pete

[wfmandmusic]

Yes it has taken a while to learn how to tickle these basses. Most musicians I play with say wow, I can really hear that thing.
This is the scenario I think is funny:
You're having a great night, the tone is amazing, your playing is spot on, Then the next time you pick up your bass, you pluck it, say what the hell?, look at the controls, scratch your head and start all over again.