Having fun when you actually know how...

Non-tube amp discussion to discuss music, girls, life, etc.

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skyboltone
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Having fun when you actually know how...

Post by skyboltone »

Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooten. Listen how Marcus grounds the whole theme from the bottom. I recently bought an Alembic Elan PJ but it's too dang big at 34". I need to trade up to a Clarke Deluxe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrav_MSMjNs

I need to spend more time here. This is home actually. Everywhere else I go I just end up spending more money.
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mcrracer
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Re: Having fun when you actually know how...

Post by mcrracer »

Another bass player! I got into Stanley back in the early 70s which inspired my custom bass. Short scale with all Alembic pickups and electronics. My dream bass which I waited over 35 years to get. I have met and talked with Stan and Vic. Had Vic break down some of his licks. When he slows them down they seem easy, but you really have to work at it. (at least I do). Love Marcus' style also.
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skyboltone
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Re: Having fun when you actually know how...

Post by skyboltone »

I found Stanley back then too. Return to Forever. Did you know that they are doing an OZ tour? Yeah, back together with Hymn to the Seventh Galaxy etc. I wonder if this is a tune up for a run through the states. I don't care where they are I'm going. http://www.return2forever.com/ They've added a fiddle!! Jean luc Ponty. It's going to be interesting how they've matured and mellowed. I know that part of my deafness came as a result of that concert. Chic was playing something like a Princeton mic'd into a Grateful Dead style PA

And don't confuse me with a bass player yet. I'm limping along but there are more openings for bass players than guitarists. Especially if you can throw a pentatonic riff in instead of thumpin on the root all night long.

That's a gorgeous hunk of Coco Bolo mister. Very nice indeed.
Here's my Zebrawood Elan [IMG:800:474]http://i51.tinypic.com/122delt.jpg[/img]
The Last of the World's Great Human Beings
Seek immediate medical attention if you suddenly go either deaf or blind.
If you put the Federal Government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in five years time there would be a shortage of sand.
mcrracer
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Re: Having fun when you actually know how...

Post by mcrracer »

Thank you. It has that Alembic grand piano sound. I love running it biamped with a subwoofer. I can rumble my neighborhood. Of course I don't do this...often! The "trio came thru Chicago I think it was last year but I was too ill to go. If RTF comes thru I will have to go even if I have to go on a stretcher! Ponty is with them now....Daymmm! Egocentric Molecules!!! Yeah!! Thanks for the heads up. I play bass but I build guitar tube amps...go figure. I am working albeit very slowly on a few bass projects; An Alembic style two channel tube bass preamp, a PP 6550 bass amp , a Fender style 5B6 and a Ampeg style B-15N Fliptop. I don't gig any more because of my health so there is really no rush.
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skyboltone
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Re: Having fun when you actually know how...

Post by skyboltone »

I found an F1-X for cheap so I'm looking forward to running bi-amped with my Crown 400 (heavyduty 50lbs or so) and a 15 with a pair of 10s crossed depending on the woofer. I notice in a lot of Stanley clips he's running something similar. Only more.
The Last of the World's Great Human Beings
Seek immediate medical attention if you suddenly go either deaf or blind.
If you put the Federal Government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in five years time there would be a shortage of sand.
mcrracer
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Re: Having fun when you actually know how...

Post by mcrracer »

I saw him back in the early 80s in Gainsville FL. He had two shows and i had tickets for the second show. As I drove up to the venue his sound was audible outside . Not only audible but you could feel the vibrations in your chest. It was awesome!!!
I sold my performance rig since I don't gig anymore. I had a two channel one rack space Peavey Maxbass preamp. One chan tube the other solid state. I set the tube channel for my electric upright and the SS for my electric bass. Ran this thru a Peavey DPC one rack space 750 watt two channel power amp into a BFM subwoofer and a BFM DR250. Awesome rig. I could play just about anywhere with it. I kept the speakers since they were custom built. When my neighbors piss me off with their loud TV or Rap music , I run my stereo thru my speaker system for a while. They ALWAYS turn down in a hurry. I can re-arrange their furniture with it if I want to!
I look forward to seeing and hearing RTF again. Vulcan Worlds...My all time favorite bass solo, the original version on the album.
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skyboltone
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Re: Having fun when you actually know how...

Post by skyboltone »

I've got plans for two of BFM's boxes. They both contain either a 15" with a midrange and a tweeter or two 12" and the other two speakers. I think I'm going to build the Tallboy with a 15". Biamp with the F1-X. Should be enough for what I do. 400 Watts total. His plans show leaving out the horn tweeter and using two cheap little $3 piezo tweeters and a midrange. That way there will be no crossover on the high channel at all. The piezos just don't respond to low frequency but add a little shimmer or sparkle to the high end. He specs an Eminence Pro Sound Neo Woofer.

Then I do want to try an Ampeg Flip top build like you. That sounds like fun. With an E or K 140 JBL.
The Last of the World's Great Human Beings
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skyboltone
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Re: Having fun when you actually know how...

Post by skyboltone »

Hey Mc:
As long as we're on the subject check this one out:
part one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjdk4zg7X-M&NR=1
part two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_L1Rx9f ... re=related
The Last of the World's Great Human Beings
Seek immediate medical attention if you suddenly go either deaf or blind.
If you put the Federal Government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in five years time there would be a shortage of sand.
mcrracer
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Re: Having fun when you actually know how...

Post by mcrracer »

I just saw the picture of your bass ...WOW!!! That's gorgeous! I bet it sounds....Yummy! Watched those clips. I will be hiding my basses in my closet now. I think I will try needlepoint or knitting maybe!!!! :shock:
passfan
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Re: Having fun when you actually know how...

Post by passfan »

skyboltone wrote: I need to spend more time here. This is home actually. Everywhere else I go I just end up spending more money.
Come hang out in my shop and have a few beers. :wink:
"It Happens"
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skyboltone
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Re: Having fun when you actually know how...

Post by skyboltone »

passfan wrote:
skyboltone wrote: I need to spend more time here. This is home actually. Everywhere else I go I just end up spending more money.
Come hang out in my shop and have a few beers. :wink:
You have no idea how appealing that sounds this time of year.

I spent a month in Florida a few years back. We went to Disney in Orlando for a week, then did a yacht charter out of Fort Meyers for the rest of the time. BI. Before Ivan. That was in February. We lived in Fairbanks, AK at the time. I'd move to Fort Meyers in a heart beat but I'm told I'm not old enough yet. Our charter Captain told me the average age in Fort Meyers was 75 and that the average age in St Pete was 105. Dang. I got family in Hilton Head though. Savanna might be nice.

Dan
The Last of the World's Great Human Beings
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skyboltone
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Re: Having fun when you actually know how...

Post by skyboltone »

mcrracer wrote:I just saw the picture of your bass ...WOW!!! That's gorgeous! I bet it sounds....Yummy! Watched those clips. I will be hiding my basses in my closet now. I think I will try needlepoint or knitting maybe!!!! :shock:
Whatever you do; DON'T join the Alembic club over at their website. I mean it now. Don't do it. You'll have to sell everything you own and still won't have enough for what you want. I calculated that if I sold my Elan, (which by the way the seller now wants to buy back!), the McCarty, the Larrivee, the Heritage H-535, my '54 Selmer Paris clarinet and my '46 Buescher alto sax I might gather up enough cash for a decent used Stan Clarke Standard signature model. That's what he was playing in the "School Days" vids. Looks like maybe striped ebony front, hog center with a couple of maple accent lams in the body. A couple thousand here, a couple thousand there and pretty soon you're talking about real money. Unless you can catch Susan in a good mood that's about $11,500 I think. It gets worse in the Series Models or the SC Deluxe.

At our age Mc it's just enough to try those riffs and then go have a decent bowel movement.

Dan
The Last of the World's Great Human Beings
Seek immediate medical attention if you suddenly go either deaf or blind.
If you put the Federal Government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in five years time there would be a shortage of sand.
mcrracer
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Re: Having fun when you actually know how...

Post by mcrracer »

Amen!!! I spec'ed my bass out on their site before I had it built. When I went over $13,000 I just about fainted! Mica is great though as she helped me out a lot in my quest to get this bass built. Those are great people over at Alembic. Too late , I already joined. I quit going to the forum though. My heart just couldn't take it anymore. Of course that is where I got the ideas for the woods in mine. Those guys take their basses very seriously!
PS, Is Sparks any where near Pahrump? My mom has a friend there.
Last edited by mcrracer on Fri Jan 21, 2011 6:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
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skyboltone
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Re: Having fun when you actually know how...

Post by skyboltone »

mcrracer wrote:Amen!!! I spec'ed my bass out on their site before I had it built. When I went over $13,000 I just about fainted! Mica is great though as she helped me out a lot in my quest to get this bass built. Those are great people over at Alembic. Too late , I already joined. I quit going to the forum though. My heart just couldn't take it anymore. Of course that is where I got the ideas for the woods in mine. Those guys take their basses very seriously!
I didn't know they would sell the electronics. I know where there is a pretty nice fletch of coco bolo and some Honduras locally. Big too. The neck I don't think I could make. Whoever did yours really did a good job.
The Last of the World's Great Human Beings
Seek immediate medical attention if you suddenly go either deaf or blind.
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sliberty
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Re: Having fun when you actually know how...

Post by sliberty »

I've seen Stanley with RTF in the 70's, solo in the later 70's, and recently for the RTF reunion in NYC. He never disappoints. My only regret is never having seen him with Jeff Beck, or with The Rite of Strings. Killer.

If you have a chance to see RTF in Oz, do it. Their NYC show was really fabulous.
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