Author Topic: Karl's Stanley deluxe and friends (Read 590 times)

karl · « **on:** May 27, 2006, 04:40:03 PM »

The need to transport amps and other band members to and from gigs over the last few months meant that I wasn't using my MK sig standard anywhere near as much as I would have liked - I just couldn't fit it in the car! Instead, I usually had to go with my Status headless, which fits in a guitar gigbag and can just be thrown in the back seat (graphite, you see - virtually indestructible - it's impervious to cabs and keyboard stands falling on top of it). Then I spotted 93SC8053 on ebay - the seller was looking for a bigger Alembic and I was looking for a smaller one - a match made in heaven. One painless part-exchange later and here's my new SC and a couple of friends relaxing at home on my sofa (that's a 1987 Jaydee GA24 on the left and a 2003 Status Kingbass on the right):

Hmm, now I see them side by side, does anybody else notice the striking resemblance in body size and shape between the Status and the SC? Very different in profile, but, face on, they're remarkably alike. And somebody must have already remarked on the Jaydee's possible visual 'homage' to the Standard point shape.

Karl
www.harambeuk.com
www.myspace.com/harambe

David Houck · « **Reply #1 on:** May 28, 2006, 08:59:37 PM »

Nice quilt!

jacko · « **Reply #2 on:** May 30, 2006, 02:49:29 AM »

Very nice quilt Karl. I like the straps too. Where'd you find them?

Graeme

jazzyvee · « **Reply #3 on:** May 30, 2006, 03:06:45 AM »

Seems you beat me to that SC, I was pondering and drooling over that maple topped SC to tune as tenor bass.
However, when I decided to have another look, it was gone.

You pinched it from under my nose.... :-)
I guess that old saying He who hesitates is lost rings true.

Oh well maybe it just wasn't meant to be.

I'm sure you will enjoy it. All the best with it.
Like Karl, I do like that bass clef strap as well.

Cheers
Jazzyvee

karl · « **Reply #4 on:** May 30, 2006, 03:38:30 AM »

Hi guys,

Thanks for the comments. The bass clef straps are from the Talkbass.com store (http://www.talkbass.com/store/home.php?cat=2) - not cheap, but they're Moody's (as recommended by Alembic!) so they're worth it.

K.

eligilam · « **Reply #5 on:** May 30, 2006, 07:08:50 AM »

As a fellow SC Deluxe owner, I give you my brotherly congratulations.

Will d.

bigbadbill · « **Reply #6 on:** May 30, 2006, 12:00:42 PM »

How does the Kingbass compare to the SC?

I keep thinking I'm going to end up going the Status route when my back finally packs in (it's getting closer every day...), although I've been disappointed with Mark's Kingbass sound, personally. I thought his Alembics (and Jaydees) sounded much better....

karl · « **Reply #7 on:** May 30, 2006, 02:27:50 PM »

Bill,

I found that the KingBass compared very well with the MK sig standard I used to own - a similar toppy, twangy hifi sound, but with a lot of headroom on the EQ, so you could dial in as much bottom end as you needed. Very versatile, and a lot of fun to play, because of its compact size and playability. However, as I've mentioned earlier, and I can only assume it's the purpleheart in the neck, all other things pretty much being equal to my old MK, the SC deluxe seems in a different league altogether - more focussed in the lower range, more punchy in the mid range and not so harsh (more 'musical' somehow) in the top range.

That said, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a KingBass - they're beautifully made with, as I said, a very versatile sound. In fact, I don't think the bass sound on the recent Level 42 DVDs does it justice at all - maybe it's the amps Mark's using or maybe he just likes that 'knitting needle'-type sound, but I don't think the KingBass is to blame for that - it's capable of a much better and much wider range of sounds than you hear on those live DVDs. Don't let Mark's sound put you off!

I know what you mean though - I was watching the L42 Rockpalast DVD the other night and it struck me then that his old Jaydee sounded massive - a bit 'old-school' now perhaps, but damn, it kicked some butt! I'd kinda forgotten that.

karl · « **Reply #8 on:** May 30, 2006, 02:38:09 PM »

(double-post - sorry!)

(Message edited by karl on May 31, 2006)

jacko · « **Reply #9 on:** May 31, 2006, 01:14:14 AM »

Karl
Will you be seeing Level 42 this year? Mike and I have tickets for Perth in November ;-) Here's hoping her brings out an Alembic - unlikely but you never know.

Graeme

karl · « **Reply #10 on:** May 31, 2006, 02:35:32 AM »

Graeme,

Yes, indeedy. The Royal Albert Hall for me. Yes, I know it's got the acoustics of an aircraft hangar: at least it did last time I went there, back in '94 - awful sound - kinda like listening to the stereo with your head down the toilet - er, not that I've ever tried that, you understand. But, hey, it's local . . .

K.

bigbadbill · « **Reply #11 on:** May 31, 2006, 09:54:48 AM »

Karl, thanks for the reply. I played a Kingbass very briefly once but it was set up totally wrong for me (wrong gauge strings, everything) and I had nothing to compare it to, so it didn't give me much idea, other than that it was very light and pretty comfortable. I had an SC Deluxe which now belongs to another member; apart from the ergonomics, which I had a real problem with, I loved it. Some things about it I even liked more than my Triple O (mainly the short scale...oh boy was it fast!).

Got to agree with you about Mark's Jaydee. I've got some old footage of a live gig shown on the TV in 1980-whenever and it sounds huge. I think his sound now is just too pingy for my tastes. The Alembics were very toppy and bright, but much more musical IMHO.

bigbadbill · « **Reply #12 on:** May 31, 2006, 10:41:26 AM »

BTW, I know what you mean about transporting your MK; I've only had my Triple O out of the house once and that was in a friend's estate car. We've got Yaris, and I don't think it fits.....

jazzyvee · « **Reply #13 on:** May 31, 2006, 02:50:58 PM »

I'm surprised it won't fit in Yaris..>!!!!

I get the following in my car when I do gigs. My SC in it's flight case, mesa boogie head and sf2 in 3U flight case,on the front passenger side of the car (with the seatbelt holding things in place). My Mesa Boogie 2x10 and 1x15 powerhouse cabs, music stand and guitar stand fit in the back, plus myself in the driver seat.

And I drive an mcc Smart Car like this one.

http://www.smart.com/-snm-0155109868-1148443915-0000026931-0000002345-1149112094-enm-is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/mpc-uk-content-Site/en_UK/-/GBP/SVCPresentationPipeline-Start?Page=issite%3a%2f%2fsmart-Site%2fsmart%2ecom%2fRootFolder%2frest%2fredirect%2epage&ScriptParam=smart/modelle/smartcitycoupe/ausstattung/pure/highlights

Jazzyvee

adriaan · « **Reply #14 on:** May 31, 2006, 11:36:53 PM »

Jazzy,

Some people will have a hard time believing you manage to get all that into a Smart. So could you post some pictures to prove it?