Author Topic: 1st Alembic - Tribute - :-) (Read 674 times)

lbpesq · « **Reply #15 on:** December 05, 2004, 09:06:53 PM »

Andrew:

I just got back from a week in Key West. Yea!!!! The first thing I'd think about would be a real amp. The P.A. works fine for acoustic guitar (I plug my Godin Acousticaster through the P.A. when we use it in my band, but it just won't give you the kind of tone a guitar amp will. At minimum, I would consider a pod or some other amp modeler if you must go through your P.A. As far as amps, I'm a devoted Mesa Boogie guy. I bought myself a Mark III as a present when I graduated law school in '86 and have never regreted it. Boogie is in Petaluma, just about 15 inutes down the road from Alembic and, in my experience, is similarly as attentive when it comes to customer service - a true pleasure to deal with. If you are in the Bay Area some weekend I'd be happy to bring you by the studio and let you try the Boogie, as well as an old Fender or two that are usually laying around.

Bill, tgo

andrewknight · « **Reply #16 on:** December 17, 2004, 06:13:55 PM »

I've been to Petaluma often, and sure wouldn't mind a trip to go see the factories. I just got back from Dubai, only 12 time zones away, I couldn't have gone further without getting closer to home. It was a great trip though. Anyway, I'd love to check out your studio. I'll let you know ahead of time the next time I am heading that way and will have some time.
Andrew

(Message edited by andrewknight on December 17, 2004)

lbpesq · « **Reply #17 on:** December 28, 2004, 06:25:09 PM »

Andrew:

Is that your Tribute review I just read on the Harmony-central.com site?

Bill, tgo

hollis · « **Reply #18 on:** December 28, 2004, 06:46:24 PM »

Hi Andrew,

Welcome welcome welcome. What a great entrance. Your Tribute is so sweet.

I'm with Bill tgo; I love the Mesa/Alembic match up. Adding an SF-2 fits nicely as well.

I use Mackie boards and power for my PA, and I really like their stuff, but the amount of warmth tubes will bring into the equation cannot be over stated. That guitar of yours will thank you for it.

And what the hell, you can always run everything through the PA if need be. Awwwwww the possibilities......

Enjoy

lbpesq · « **Reply #19 on:** December 28, 2004, 07:07:20 PM »

Hollis:

Do you run your SF-2 between guitar and amp, or in the effects loop between pre-amp and power amp? I'm still experimenting.

Bill, tgo

hollis · « **Reply #20 on:** December 29, 2004, 11:20:31 AM »

Bill,
For guitar, I run it mono in the Mesa's effects loop between pre and power with the Mesa effects mix @ 100%.

For the bass I run Persuader into F1-X into power, mono SF-2 through F1-X's loop.

Also, if I'm switching between guitar and bass, I run the SF-2 in stereo 1st channel through F1-x for bass, 2nd channel through Mesa for guitar.

So far so good, although it is a little mind bending. I'm sure there are a whole lotta other ways to apply it.....

I love it.

(Message edited by hollis on December 29, 2004)

andrewknight · « **Reply #21 on:** December 29, 2004, 12:25:44 PM »

Guys,

I took my tribute to my local Mesa dealer and plugged it into many Mesa and other brand amps. I also have a Fender Blues Jr. amp at home that I use in tandem with my PA. The tubes absolutely do wonders for the tone and I just love the way the Tribute's tone comes through.

I also tried various other guitars with the same amps while at the dealer and the Tribute frankly blows them away. So I am going to go back a few more times and compare/contrast amps with the Tribute before I pull the trigger. I figure I might as well take my time and get the amp that I feel sounds the best to me. Mesa sure did sound good!

It'll be a few months before I make my final decision, I'll keep you posted. The fender amp that I am using is hijacked from my son. I have to say that for a cheaper amp, that Fender Blues Jr. has a great sound.

Anyway...yep, that was my review on harmony-central. I went to see other people's reviews and was surprised not to find any other Tribute reviews. So i waited until I had a substantial amount of playing time on the Tribute, and had done some comparison with my other guitars.

While the Tribute blew the other guitars away, I was pretty surprised how my Schecter performed. For a $400 guitar, it was a steal (Elite 006).

The Gibson Standard is actually the guitar I bought for my son on his 16th birthday. He was getting quite good on his Squire Strat and I felt he needed the inspiration of a good instrument. It worked. He has improved by leaps and bounds since his B-day and is taking the theory much more seriously than before. Very cool!

hollis · « **Reply #22 on:** December 29, 2004, 01:15:18 PM »

Man,

Ya just gotta love a family that ROCKS together!

My family is also in that category. These days when we crank it up even the neighbors don't seem to mind.... Rock around the block!

Enjoy

lbpesq · « **Reply #23 on:** December 29, 2004, 01:22:32 PM »

Our family musicial holiday haul:

My wife got a Pearl Rhythm Traveler Drum set,

my 9 year old got a 3/4 size Johnson Strat (a truly AMAZING deal for only $99), tuner, stand, and an Alembic T-shirt,

and I got a Moody Strap, Alembic coffee mug, Alembic hooded sweatshirt and a bag of picks with my band's name printed on them.

Partridges, watch out!!!!

Bill, tgo

andrewknight · « **Reply #24 on:** January 01, 2005, 09:51:43 PM »

Sounds great all around! Well my son and I play guitar, my middle daughter plays some keyboard but isn't too serious. My youngest daughter is a naturally talented vocalist, and she wants to be a musician/poet but I've yet to see any serious work...hopefully someday she'll put the effort in.

My wife was going to learn the bass but ran into a problem. She is digitally impaired (as in her fingers). They are so short, and the bones in her hands get so short that there is no physical way for her to cover two frets. Sounds weird, but after much trying there just isn't any possibility of it happening. So our bass just kinda sits around unless I pick it up for some fun.

Also sitting around unless I pick up the sticks is a Roland TD-5 drum set...bought for my son who gravitated to guitar and forgot about the drums. They are handy when my brother comes to town as he is an incredible drummer.

Go get them Partidges!

Andrew

richbass939 · « **Reply #25 on:** January 02, 2005, 08:24:15 AM »

Andrew,
As far as your wife's limitation with her hands, I can completely relate. It is similar to what I experience with my upright. Its scale is somewhere around 42 1/2. The proper way to play it is to put your 4 fingers on the 1-2-3-4 fret positions. I can barely reach it anyway, not to mention the fatigue that sets in very quickly.
What I ended up doing is moving my hand more than I'm supposed to and using my stronger fingers, mainly the index and ring fingers, to hold the longer notes. It's not how I SHOULD do it but at least I can play the thing. People have been doing it the right way for centuries but I don't put the time into upright to build and maintain the required hand strength. Usually, when I have time to play I spend it with my Alembic. I'm still on my honeymoon with my Epic but I LOVE playing it.
Rich

palembic · « **Reply #26 on:** January 02, 2005, 09:17:15 AM »

Brother Rich,
please allow me to correct you a bit.
4 fingers on the 4 fret positions on a upright 42 1/2 scale is physically impossible for I think 99% of the bass players on this planet I guess. MAYBE (just MAYBE) a man as SC can do it -seen his giant hands- but even that I doubt.
If I learned my lessons well in classical upright class:
index finger = first note (A flat on G string)
Ring finger = second note (A on G string)
Pink = third note on (B flat on G string).

The 4 fingers on the neck starting at the A-flat and reaching to the B-flat with the pink is called the first position in playing upright.

My teacher of electric bass always said that he could recognize upright players with no formal lessons playing electric because they play with the fist = covering from a-flat to b-flat on an electric withfour fingers gives the impression to play with a fist because the scale is shorter and the notes closer to eac other.
Although the inverse is also true: when one studies electric bass you'll be learned to use your four fingers: one for each fret: starting at A-flat up to B.
Believe me: that is hard for everyone (except for the already mentioned SC) except our Brother and Alembic collectioner par excellence Rami who practices scales and arpeggio's on the Evil Twin and the Dark Prince which are 36 (yeeeeks to play but fabulous sound) basses one of them fretless.

So I would say: please play how you play your upright. It's only theory based on best practice experience.
Isn't there a bassplayer (Abe Laboriel?

??) who misses some fingers on his left (neck side) hand?? I am not sure.
Though I know that the Belgian/French/Gitane guitarplayer Django Reinhardt had only a thumb an 2 or 3 fingers left on his left hand. Ever heard what incredible voicings and chords he came up with? I bet that creativity is hidden in your wife too!!!
Well ...oh ...huh ...oin het BASSPLAYING I mean of course!

Paul the bad one

lbpesq · « **Reply #27 on:** January 02, 2005, 11:00:56 AM »

Paul, tbo:

you wrote:

If I learned my lessons well in classical upright class:
index finger = first note (A flat on G string)
Ring finger = second note (A on G string)
Pink = third note on (B flat on G string)

What about the middle finger? Oh yea, that's right. It's guitar players that have evolved with five fingers on each hand! LOL

Sorry, couldn't resist the opening. Seriously though, is this a mistake or are upright players taught to ignore a finger?

Bill, tgo

palembic · « **Reply #28 on:** January 03, 2005, 02:49:59 AM »

Hi Brother Bill,

well ...more or less!
Indeed we are taught to NOT use the middle finger to play a note.
Try to follow this(it's easier showing but my hands are not passing the internet leave alone an upright):
index finger comes down = first note (A flat on G string)
Middle finger + Ring finger are coming down and ring finger = second note (A on G string)
Pink comes down = third note on (B flat on G string
Pink slides up 1/2 of a note = B

So in upright playing what we call the first position covers (on the G string) from G (open) to B. And you do that with three fingers (giving the fact that middle and ringfinger are acting as one) 3 times down and 1 slide.

The second position starts with the C on the G string. So you got:
index finger comes down = first note in second position (C on G string)
Middle finger + Ring finger are coming down and ring finger = second note in second position(D flat on G string)
Pink comes down = third note in second position(D on G string
Pink slides up 1/2 of a note = fourth note in second position (E flat on G string).

So you can go to third, fourth, fifth position.
These positions are of course here indicated for the G string but are intended for the whole neck: (B) E - A - D - G (C) string.

(The brackets in the case you play a 5 string upright - they exist you know ...already a long time. I think even in the Barocque period and there is for instance NO WAY to play most of Wagner without a 5 string upright)

NOW WATCH OUT:

the POSITION-RANGE is identical forplaying electric but, by fingering the notes you don't need the last pinky-slide.
You can use -if YOU WANT AND CAN- the guitar technique of 1 finger = 1 note.
Well ...oh ...huh ...after all it IS called a bassguitar no???

Paul the bad one

Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeez ...did I wrote all that???

bracheen · « **Reply #29 on:** January 03, 2005, 05:09:48 AM »

Brother Paul
Thanks for that detailed description. I?ve often heard about position playing but never had a good understanding of it. My electric bass teacher has a degree in classical bass and has explained about the two fingers on one note. This also helps me understand some of his philosophies about moving the fingers up and down the strings, either vertically or horizontally as single unit as much as possible and keeping fingers down on the board.

Sam