Author Topic: Jason Newsted persuaders/spoilers... Help! (Read 318 times)

xero_tolerance · « **on:** May 11, 2014, 07:45:32 PM »

Hey all, new here, but I've been wanting an alembic of my own for live and studio work, what can you tell me about Jason newsteds Alembic spoilers and persuaders?

FC Bass · « **Reply #1 on:** May 11, 2014, 09:33:43 PM »

Welcome!

Hopefully Mica will chime in and reveal some of the secrets

I'm pretty sure that one of the black Spoilers is the JJ Persuader he used during the Damaged justice tour, I think the second one was build as a Series II (the one with the flat distillate like bottom)
There's also a picture of Jason in the studio with two black Elans, a 20th Anniversary bass, a black Spoiler with gold tuners (unlike his stage basses that had black tuners) and a P/P Persuader.
Look here: Newsted page in the showcase section

These are the two main basses I use in our 'tallica tribute Damaged Justice:

(Message edited by fc_spoiler on May 11, 2014)

xero_tolerance · « **Reply #2 on:** May 12, 2014, 11:06:47 AM »

Awesome! I'll always be jealous of your year, fc. Thanks for emailing me the pictures of your rig a few weeks back btw would any of you happen to know which bass he used live 1993 in Basel Switzerland or Mexico City? I've been trying to figure that out for a while.

FC Bass · « **Reply #3 on:** May 12, 2014, 03:33:55 PM »

Thanks and welcome anytime :-)

Ah that was you :-)

He used the two Spoilers, 5 string Europa, 5 string Elan and a 6 string Europa (for Sad but true)
All basses with series II electronics (most likely retrofitted on the Elan and one of the Spoilers)
I think he used the converted Persuader for the bass solo in Mexico City and Basel, it looks like it
has Zebrawood veneer on the back of the headstock.
He uses the Elan 5 on The Unforgiven in Basel, I'm pretty sure it's one of the converted JPJ's
(Classic taper, pickguard) Youtube link

He always used Ampeg SVT heads into Ampeg cabs for live performances and a Morley wah (newer black version)
with most likely a Tech 21 overdrive for the fuzz/wah sounds.
(the SansAmp Classic in '89 and the XXl distortion in '95)
Pre '93 he used the Older Tel Ray Morley wah, either PWF or PWB.
I'm not sure what chorus he used... (it was a Boss CE-B3 in '95)
I have an Alesis Midiverb II and it sounds pretty the same to me.

With his fuzz/wah sounds you can also hear an unprocessed sound, I'm not sure if that's the split signal
from the Series II guts or a summed DI signal
(I think Big Mick said he always used a DI for bass, also in the Cliff era) Youtube link
He could have the bridge pickup processed and neck pickup unprocessed (or vice versa)
He had a custom made (by Alembic I think?) beltpack power supply and two wireless transmitters, so the signals went separate into the rig.

With my midi switcher I can also have that split clean/fuzz sound, sounds pretty awesome!
I hereby invite fellow Alembecian Jazzyvee to come over and experiment with one of his (or preferably all) :-) Series basses.
Rig is set up and coffee always ready :-) :-) :-)

I recently updated my rig with an Ibanez HD1500, when all is ready, there will be lots of new pics/vids. :-)
(Midi switcher is out to be serviced by its original maker, due to return any day now)

The Ibanez HD1500 (or HD1000, they work/sound exactly the same) is also great for the ghostly sounds in his '89 solo Youtube link
(Bass = Elan 5 with JPJ pickups)

xero_tolerance · « **Reply #4 on:** May 13, 2014, 07:55:38 AM »

> Hmm... So 93 Basel he used the persuader, zebrawood? I always assumed it was one of his spoilers. And I was always told that he split his signal and the 1st channel was distorted and the 2nd was clean for his solos. I think Seattle 89 he definitely used the sansamp (which I have, but need to find the settings he used to get that sick overdrive during his solo) and power wah. I never found out anything else about his effects during Seattle 89, and always wondered how he did the ghostly sounds. I always assumed he had the big muff, power wah, tech 21, some kind of chorus or reverb, and a flanger on his board in 93 Basel/Mexico. Can anyone confirm or deny any of that? Also, i remember reading that a bunch of his alembics were solid maple, but would anyone else be able to confirm the woods and electronics and what not he used on his basses specifically the spoilers/persuaders? Thank you all for the help so far

FC Bass · « **Reply #5 on:** May 13, 2014, 08:32:53 AM »

That Persuader was converted to Series II electronics and painted black: Pre upgrade:

After upgrade:

I think the ghostly sounds is just he SansAmp, Morley (volume pedal mode for swells) and delay.

sonicus · « **Reply #6 on:** May 13, 2014, 08:49:33 AM »

I think that upgrade is really Kool !

xero_tolerance · « **Reply #7 on:** May 13, 2014, 03:23:12 PM »

> I'll have to look into a delay and/or hd1000 then for solo effects and what not., possibly a boss or one like the kind you have. And as for the alembic, hopefully I get lucky and find a lefty used spoiler/persuader someday

I've only seen one lefty spoiler and it was sold from someone in the Netherlands to another individual in the Netherlands and evaded my grasp > one of these days.