Author Topic: First Alembic : Alembic Epic 4 strings (Read 639 times)

yanc · « **on:** February 09, 2007, 11:42:51 AM »

Hi everyone,

happy to see that forum exists. I bought my Alembic Epic 2 years ago. I tried many basses and finally take this Alembic for the precision of his sound.

Anyone can tell me what strings are usually used by Stanley Clark and Mark King and what size ?
Because I search good strings for my bass ; I already tried Fender and RotoSound (45-65-85-105) but I find the sound is too choked.

Thanks.

olieoliver · « **Reply #1 on:** February 09, 2007, 12:01:36 PM »

Hi Yanc and welcome to the club. I'm not sure what brand Stanley or Mark use but I'm pretty sure they both use a lite gauge strings. I beleive Susan told me that Mark uses 37-95 or somewhere around that.
If you do a search of this forum you'll find many posts about strings.

kimberly · « **Reply #2 on:** February 09, 2007, 09:02:28 PM »

Hi Yanc,

I wanted to say hello and welcome, even though I'm unable to answer your question. Just the kind of gal I am.

Best Regards,

Kimberly

richbass939 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 09, 2007, 09:13:49 PM »

Yanc,
Welcome to the club. I love my Epics too.
Rich

the_8_string_king · « **Reply #4 on:** February 09, 2007, 09:25:43 PM »

Welcome to the club!

jazzyvee · « **Reply #5 on:** February 09, 2007, 11:26:42 PM »

I know at one time Stanley used to have custom wound rotosound strings that had the central core exposed over the bridge like Piano string design. Maybe he still does. His web site is a good place to check out. www.stanleyclarke.com they have a section on his equipment.

I guess they are like these.
Check the rotosound web site
http://www.rotosound.com/bass.html#

for these: PSD 99
(Piano String Design - Stainless Steel Roundwound)
The ultimate in power, sustain and brightness. Contact-core design improves string movement. Designed to fit any Bridge styles.

Jazzyvee

jazzyvee · « **Reply #6 on:** February 09, 2007, 11:29:39 PM »

Hi Kimberly :-) are you the lady on youtube?

Jazzyvee

kimberly · « **Reply #7 on:** February 10, 2007, 12:04:09 AM »

Hi Jazzyvee.

Probably, though I have to note there are at least a few gals playing bass on YouTube.

Anyways, here's a link to my intro post on the board. So, is it me? Ummm...maybe, maybe not.

http://club.alembic.com/Images/397/35817.html?1170809488

Bestest,

Kimberly

kimberly · « **Reply #8 on:** February 10, 2007, 12:20:30 AM »

Jazzvee,

PS. Nice to meet you.

Kimberly

jazzyvee · « **Reply #9 on:** February 10, 2007, 02:34:12 AM »

Yes Kimberly it is you I followed a link to.
You have a great tone and I enjoyed listening to yor playing.

Solo bass playing has fascinated me since I really heard a lady here in the uk who performed under the name of Single Bass maybe 10 years ago.

She opened for Allan Holdsworth at his gig at Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club in Birmingham England.

I'm not sure if she is still going but here is her web site.
http://www.single-bass.co.uk/

take care
Jazzyvee

yanc · « **Reply #10 on:** February 11, 2007, 10:27:42 AM »

thanks all,

jazzyvee -> thanks for the links. I already visited the gear of www.stanleyclarke.com
But thanks for the PSD-99 maybe I will order them.

Kimberly -> I saw your video on you tube. Pretty improvisation and good sound !
What are the strings had you used ? and I have the feeling, you use only handle micro. ... is it right ?

kimberly · « **Reply #11 on:** February 11, 2007, 03:22:29 PM »

Hello.

jazzyvee - Thank you very much and I'm glad you enjoyed my material.

Nice link to 'Single-Bass', thank you. Admirable that she started doing this 'way back when' in the mid-80's. I particularly enjoyed her pose cradling her bass in her promo shot (http://www.material.demon.co.uk/SingleBass/SBintro.htm). It's similar to one I've thought of doing myself and likely will before too much more time goes by.

yanc - Thank you very much also. As you may have noticed a lot or even most of my material is improv. It's interesting to compare gig to gig, as they're never done the same twice. The fundamentals of melody/arrangement, or close, or not, and then from there anything's possible.

My current strings are the bulk packaged from juststrings.com, 45-125 nickel. However, I do have to say that while I'm pleased with the sound, I'm not very pleased with their longevity and likely will not order them again. Simply my feel and experience. They just don't last for me.

Ummm...I'm not sure what you mean about handle micro. If it's about a microphone, here's what I can say. I have three different times when my videos were taken. In one, I was playing on a break with a local band (thanks guys) and didn't use a mike. On another, I used a mike on a stand with a goose neck and lastly, the other one I went to the job and found the owner had taken the PA home to do a party. That one I smiled and waved and said thank you when applauded. Any and all announcments were made 'acoustically'.

Best Regards,

Kimberly

yanc · « **Reply #12 on:** February 12, 2007, 05:26:50 AM »

Hi Kimberly,

Sorry for handle micro. I talked about your sound bass, he reminds me mine Epic when I use 100% pickup near the handle and 0% the other pickup by using knob.

kimberly · « **Reply #13 on:** February 12, 2007, 06:40:15 AM »

Hi Yanc,

Not a problem.

This is interesting to me. I'm 'one of those' who pretty much set it and forget it. I also run everything on my 'Sweetie' in the center detent position, pan, bass and treble. Truly the only adjustment I generally make is volume on my bass.

My amp is a Aguilar AG 500 SC 2-12 combo. Tone settings on it are treble half way, bass a little over half way and low and high mid's cut all the way. I don't use the -10db cut button or the treble boost button, though I do use the bass boost button. On my Roland GS-6 effects device I run low, low mid, high mid and treble halfway (this device is set for my lead guitar type sound).

This is all interesting to me because of the difference in our settings on our basses and the similarity in our sounds, per your description of sounding similar. You did say you're running full bass pickup and no treble pickup right? Even if I'm wrong and reversed with my understanding of your settings, it still seems like a pretty extreme difference with our bass settings, as I pretty much have everything running flat on my bass and my amp (other than my low and high mid cut and bass boost). I guess it would help to know what you use for an amp and how you set your tones to get a similar sound to mine.

I'm very curious about this and look forward to hearing back from you. Thank you in advance.

Take care,

Kimberly

yanc · « **Reply #14 on:** February 12, 2007, 03:39:24 PM »

Hi Kimberly,

Sometimes when I use full bass pickup and no treble pickup, my sound looks like your chorus sound on your youtube video Jan. 2007

But you told me all your knobs are in center, that's OK but I'm surprised ... Maybe your treble pickup is adjusted lower that mine.

I don't have mine amp, because I play in many places which have already an amp.

I usually use all knobs centered like you but I don't have the same sound ; mine have more treble.