Hi Jazzy,
about the Stanley Clark. It's not in the discussion right now but you have to understand that Stanley plays a Series I or II. There is a big difference with the Signature model, e.a. how the tone of the guitar is shaped. That has to do with the type of EQ the guitar has. A Signature guitar has 2 High-quality Humbuckers. A original Series I or II -the ones SC uses- has two giant SINGLE COILS with a modest hum-cancelling so-called pick-up between them. That's why you will see SC with a 3 pick-up Alembic. The EQ on a SI and SII is completely different in approaching the thing = sound. If you read the Alembic history about it than you will learn that in the old hippie days Alembic provided a group called Gratefull Dead (with the late Jerry Garcia) and Jefferson Airplane with complete PA systems. Those guys wanted to have an extremely loud but also an extremely clean and controllable sound. That's why the Alembicians -the honourable Ron Wickersham in the first place- went into the sound-shaping concept of the guitar itself to re-think the whole thing!
Conclusive: the sound differs absolutely (think Fender versus Gibson) but the Alembicians did a great job to try to close the gap and made with the Stanley Clark Signature a wonderfull (and less costly) alternative for the original thing.
Now about changing the sound of your bass with the flick of the finger.
Sit back while you read this and maybe take the bass with you, plug it in but for best understanding you'll need a cabinet with a horn or tweeter.
The SCS has a volume and a pan knob. So theoretically you can pan with constant volume between bridge and necl PU. That's a way to change dramatically your tone.
By the way: this is the first difference with the original design I mentioned earlier, an SI or II has 2 volume knobs so you acctually add the sound of the 2 pick-ups one to each other with an ovrall volume change as a consequence (that's why a SII has a general volume knob). Try this with your bass with the toneknobs to bass = zero and the small Q-switches in upward position.
Put volume knob full and and change while playing from brigde to neck PU (Alkembic should start making us a third hand). Now by changing the tone controls you'll see that they are really powerfull just try to turn them around to add more high. The small Qswitches for each PU are actually cutting or boosting a small (high) tone range of the output of your PU with a certain db (I think it's 9). When you play a cabinet with a horn you'll hear the difference. So if you sit down and wail around for a while you will be able to shape your preffered sound.
I don't have to learn you playing but keep in mind that th esound of the bass is actually formed a whole end further from you cabinet and amplifier. The 'Q' switches are coming in very handy to keep the bass-sound in shape so each note is still on his place when it reaches the audience. Don't think too fast that you putting in to much high, the high tones are easily lost in the wall of sound of the band.
Now, changing while playing from one song to another to a well precised sound is not that easy but it comes with trial and error. Goin to a low-reggae sound could be done by turning the pan to the neck position and flicking off the Q-switch so the high-sounds are not let through anymore. Going back to the other position depends on how fast it has to happen. Visually you have to remind how it was before.
Now you have to understand that every Alembic has a tremenduous response on HOW you play it! Changing position of your hands is immediately translated in another sound.
That's the main reason why Stanley started with an Alembic on the first place. His sound comes from his hands: he plays really above the neck, like playing a double-bass plucking the strings and let rattle what rattles. Another part of his sound comes from a special position of the Toneknob of the bridge (and neck) PU: try this: turn the pan to the bridge PU, put the tone control to zero (bass), activate the Q-switch, now turn (while playing) the tone-control slowly up to bright (you'll need 3 hands to do this but that's why we are bass-players no?). You'll meet a point that gives a quacking sound. If you like the sound turn the pan to add the neck pick-up and also choose a sound there. If you fumble around a bit you can get really close.
Remember an Alembic is for well determined and sound-focused players. When mastering the guitar you'll discovering you'll mastering also a lot about your focus in music and as a band member: have fun.
Paul
