Author Topic: Another Activated Fender! (Read 3815 times)

hieronymous · « **on:** April 03, 2012, 10:52:12 AM »

I like the Alembic Activators in my Telembic Bass so much, when I got a new Fender Japan Precision Bass last year, in the back of my mind I had plans to do the same. Through the club I located a set, but they were P-J so I had to get it routed (by SF Guitarworks). Just got it back yesterday!

I've only tried it out through my Cafe Walter headphone amp - I was freaking out at first, I thought there was something wrong with the controls - couldn't get zero volume! Couldn't figure out which was volume and which was blend. Finally realized - this is an older set when they still did volume/volume/filter. Whew! I'm pretty psyched actually - I don't really like blend controls, I prefer the separate volumes for each pickup. Gonna have to get used to only one filter control though!

Anyway, it sounds great now that I know what I'm doing. I'll try to do some recording at some point. And I plan on bringing it to the upcoming SF Bay Area Gathering!

terryc · « **Reply #1 on:** April 03, 2012, 01:49:11 PM »

hieronymous..beat you to it by about 17 years, P bass with Baddass II, P/J with twin vol, bass & treble controls(now discontinued electronics package)

hieronymous · « **Reply #2 on:** April 03, 2012, 03:20:49 PM »

Nice! I went digging for Activator threads and you talking about what must have been this bass - nice to see a picture!

I actually have a Badass II lying around, I'm kind of regretting not having it installed when they did the other work. But I like the way the standard bridge works too.

sonicus · « **Reply #3 on:** April 03, 2012, 03:34:17 PM »

Harry ,
Very nice ! If you decide to change the bridge perhaps you might consider A Schaller roller bridge http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Bass_bridges/Schaller_4-String_Roller_Bass_Bridge.html

I have one on two instruments and it is my favorite non Alembic bridge.

hieronymous · « **Reply #4 on:** April 03, 2012, 04:37:03 PM »

Thanks Wolf! Here's another pic:

terryc · « **Reply #5 on:** April 04, 2012, 11:23:54 AM »

hieronymous, the Baddass should screw into the original holes, just measure the saddle distance on the fender bridge and copy over to the Baddass(which I did) and the intonation should be fine.
It is an easy installation.

hifiguy · « **Reply #6 on:** April 04, 2012, 12:00:47 PM »

Last year I redid a Fender of Japan Jazz as a player's bass with an Audere JZ3 pre, brass nut and put on a Hipshot bridge - it screws directly into the Fender mounting holes, is easy to adjust, locks down and is vastly more solid and sustain-y than the flimsy Fender bridge. It's a hell of a bass, though it ain't my Signature Standard.

hieronymous · « **Reply #7 on:** April 04, 2012, 02:00:19 PM »

Sounds interesting - can we see some pics? It would be cool if there was an Activator section in the Showcase...

I actually like the stock bridge - for the longest time I had Badasses on both my Fenders, but put on an old Fender Japan bridge from one of my earliest basses, and it worked great (this is on the Telembic). The main reason I would put a Badass on this one is a) to complete the classic '70s look and b) because I have one lying around. For a while there they went out of production - thought about selling it, but I think I'll hang onto it for now.

Here's a full-body shot - I'm thinking (witch)hat knobs - what do y'all think?

jbybj · « **Reply #8 on:** April 04, 2012, 04:42:36 PM »

What a great looking tuxedo bass. I have developed an opinion, over the last 6 or 7 years, that if I had to identify one single aspect of Alembic instruments that really distinguishes them in my mind/ear/aesthetic, it's the electronics, (pickups and preamps/filters). There are at least a few luthiers I have encountered, who can do sublime things with wood. They usually end up putting in third party electronics, maybe very nice stuff, but nothing that stands out like the Alembic sound. Even a guy like Jens Ritter, who I believe makes his own pups and pre's, creates a nice clean, pungent sound, but it could just as easily be Nortstrand, Duncan, Delano, or Bartolini. That's why I'm a huge fan of putting Alembic activators in other instruments.

So, I'm on vacation this week and I have the house to myself for a few days. This morning, I went to fetch my big rig that had been exiled from the home recently, set it up, and just before I came online to visit the club, a rang out my rig with this...........

It is a 1987 Japanese Fender, that John Carruthers put EMG's in, 25 years ago. I got it as a Birthday gift from my wife last year. Now it sports an Alembic P/J set with VVF. It's a great setup indeed.

bigredbass · « **Reply #9 on:** April 05, 2012, 09:53:50 PM »

That's simply the best combination for a Fender bass. That P-pickup fatness with as much articulation faded in from the J just gives you such a huge pallet to work from, and to do it with Activators is just the best. That P-Activator will pull satellites out of Low Earth Orbit, and as long as you DON'T put that J against the bridge (!), it's great, especially as it's stacked and quiet.

And, oh yes, the Japanese Fenders are my-t-fine !

http://www.fenderjapan.co.jp/products.html

J o e y

hieronymous · « **Reply #10 on:** April 06, 2012, 03:50:06 PM »

jbybj, are those the Activators in the picture? Did the logos rub off or did you remove them? I didn't think I would like them on my white bass (gold lettering vs. chrome hardware) but it looks much better than I expected.

I see you're in SoCal - you should come up to the SF Bay Area on the 22nd for the Gathering!

hieronymous · « **Reply #11 on:** April 06, 2012, 04:11:23 PM »

J o e y - that is a great description of the P-J setup! I kind of can't believe that in my almost thirty years of bass playing this is my first bass with that combination!

Some of my best early basses were Fender Japan - I was living in Tokyo at the time as a teenager, the yen rate was good, I had a part time job - you could get some nice stuff for not too much money. I'm going to try and get a shot of all my current ones one of these days!

jbybj · « **Reply #12 on:** April 06, 2012, 08:23:16 PM »

jbybj, are those the Activators in the picture?

No, those are the EMG's that were in it when it was given to me. I haven't photographed the bass since I put in the Alembic activators. Whenever I grab it I just wanna play it...... :-)

A gathering sounds fun, but on the 22nd I will be at some hippy gathering in the desert, just me, 100 bands, and 90,000 friends. I tried to spark an L.A. gathering a couple of years ago, but it never happened. Tomorrow though, I am having a mini gathering. Rusty is in town and will be coming to visit my basses, I mean me. It's a rare Saturday in that my wife and daughter are out of town, so the house is MINE, ALL MINE!

The timing is good too, because the Europa has been out of rotation for too long. Out of it's case and on to a stand.

(Message edited by jbybj on April 06, 2012)

hieronymous · « **Reply #13 on:** April 23, 2012, 08:46:22 PM »

Got to play this bass a bit during the recent Alembic Northern California Gathering. It was an honor to get to watch and listen to some amazing players put this baby through its paces (Victor, Nate & Kimberly you know who you are!). It was nice to play it through a sweet rig too!

rustyg61 · « **Reply #14 on:** April 23, 2012, 10:17:09 PM »

James, I just came across this post tonight mentioning my visit, so I thought I would take the time to thank you again for your hospitality & allowing me to not only see your incredible collection of basses, but also play many of them! I will also mention that you made a sale for the Mothership, today I ordered a SF-2!

On a side note, Shane found a condo in the Palms across from Sony, so y'all will be neighbors in a couple of weeks! Thanks for your help & suggestions with the apartment search! Alembic owners are the finest people on the planet!