It's interesting. My philosophy has always been to jump off into the deep end with new gear. Practicing at home with things like this is good, but it's never the same, so by not playing the bass at a gig, I'm delaying the inevitable. It might mean that at a few gigs, I'm confused or frustrated, but the reality is that I'm the only one who feels that way. I've gone through shows where I've felt like my tone was utterly peculiar, but the only comments I've gotten were positive. So, it's come home to me again and again that 99% of this is all in the fingers and brain and the instrument and tonal settings are much less crucial. Of course, that's given that the gear is all good quality and functional. I'll set the bass and amp in a certain way, as an experiment or going for a certain sound, but, as I play the instrument, I'm always adapting my technique to get it to deliver the sound I want, regardless of where I set the controls.
It does seem to me that a Series II setup is a bit easier. I had always been a bit frustrated with the three position switches, because the sound I heard in my head always seemed to be in between two of the positions. Moving quickly between tones on a SII setup is a bit more involved, but it seems more satisfying to me. Of course, my experience is limited to a SII in a Starfire, not with an actual Alembic bass, but I think I can separate out the influence of the bass and the electronics.
Series electronics feel different to me from standard electronics in that they have different functions and outcomes. It's less about grand equalization shapes and a lot more about sculpting the attack and envelope of the notes. With a standard setup, getting that big fat reggae tone is a pretty straightforward affair. With a Series bass, but it's not going to be as easy to get that big low end boost in a similar fashion. But, I've found that if you think more about what the envelope of those notes should sound like and how each pickup contributes to that sense of the sound, it's pretty doable. However, the pickup blend control becomes even more important, as I find myself using the blend of the pickups like a mixer between two sources of sound that each have an aspect of the final tone I'm looking for.
I know that all sounds a bit abstract, but it's actually pretty visceral. After doing it for a while and feeling what it feels like on stage, it becomes clearer what I need to do. Maybe years of being an audio engineer helps make it more intuitive, but I really love the Series filters. Standard bass electronics tend to be a lot more set and forget, or compensation for issues with the bass, amp or room. Series electronics are a lot more about sculpting with sound.
