• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Club Alleva Coppolo (Part 11!)

Status
Not open for further replies.
#461
KJung said:
I have not played the 'new design' LM's, so can't really comment specifically.

To the OP, I guess I have played my share of very heavy (12+ pound) J basses, and you couldn't pay me to play a bass that heavy again.... ever. Body weight will result in a somewhat different tone, but different is not necessarily better.

I guess if your goal is to mimic a true 1977 (or whatever) J Bass (most of which weighed a ton), then the newer models using the heavy northern ash would be the way to go. The slight difference in the headstock and slightly wider body seem minor to me. If, on the other hand, you want a bass that gets you into what most would call a 70's type tone in a 9 pound or so format, the 'older stock' lighter weight ash would be the way to go.

Just realize what you are getting into if you go '70's weight spec'. I find that completely brutal on a 4 hour gig (I had a Celinder update that was over 12 pounds), and again, the slightly more aggressive, less sweet tone of most of the heavy bodied J's I've played is not necessarily a move in a 'better direction'.

There are clips on my youtube channel that are very representative of the tone of my older spec lightweight LM, so maybe that will help you decide one way or the other. Pure personal opinion... again depends what you want. I have yet to play an A-C that didn't sound great in its own way... hard to make a mistake, other than to get a bass that is so heavy that you don't want to play it on a gig!
Click to expand...

On my scale (which is not a professional scale and may be off somewhat) my LM5 is 10 pounds. Considered a medium weighted bass. The heavier will sound slightly different if you a/b it as you said. In fact everything you said i agree. Jimmy once said the heavier (not word for word) will give a darker sound but not meaning darker as bad. When people say darker some believe you will get no snap whats so ever. But warmer may be closer to what its meant. I notice the lighter give more of a bark to it. As you get heavier ( as with mine) I get a warmer punch to it. But again a nice slap also which are very signature to the 70's maple neck fenders. I had a 73 P bass i had bought from someone who thought it was too heavy. To this day I blame that bass for my left shoulder tilting down :). It was so heavy. Never weighted it but I would say it could had been in the 14 pound range. But I wish i never sold it. It was an amazing bass. I still have its pickups.
The 10 LM is fine. But again the heavier will give it different tone possiblities. My Sadowsky I have to check the gig bag to see if the bass is in there. Very light and very brite. SVTBass did a nice recording on it and it sounded very good and bright. Somewhat brighter than my AC. I have not played it much as of late. I did a recording with the AC recently and the engineer was amazed. For me it fits. The person who is considering a heavier bass may keep in mind the differences. But I am not sure because Jimmy is making them wider will also make it that much of a weight difference. It may not make a difference at all. Man I need a LG5.
 
#462
Bassist30 said:
On my scale (which is not a professional scale and may be off somewhat) my LM5 is 10 pounds. Considered a medium weighted bass. The heavier will sound slightly different if you a/b it as you said. In fact everything you said i agree. Jimmy once said the heavier (not word for word) will give a darker sound but not meaning darker as bad. When people say darker some believe you will get no snap whats so ever. But warmer may be closer to what its meant. I notice the lighter give more of a bark to it. As you get heavier ( as with mine) I get a warmer punch to it. But again a nice slap also which are very signature to the 70's maple neck fenders. I had a 73 P bass i had bought from someone who thought it was too heavy. To this day I blame that bass for my left shoulder tilting down :). It was so heavy. Never weighted it but I would say it could had been in the 14 pound range. But I wish i never sold it. It was an amazing bass. I still have its pickups.
The 10 LM is fine. But again the heavier will give it different tone possiblities. My Sadowsky I have to check the gig bag to see if the bass is in there. Very light and very brite. SVTBass did a nice recording on it and it sounded very good and bright. Somewhat brighter than my AC. I have not played it much as of late. I did a recording with the AC recently and the engineer was amazed. For me it fits. The person who is considering a heavier bass may keep in mind the differences. But I am not sure because Jimmy is making them wider will also make it that much of a weight difference. It may not make a difference at all. Man I need a LG5.
Click to expand...

+1 Anything South of around 10 pounds is fine for me on a long gig, using a Comfort Strap or whatever.

Also, I don't think the widening of the LM5 body has anything to do with the weight spec (the mass seems to stay constant due to Jimmy slightly reducing the thickness of the body.... he changed the design to make the ratio of the 5 string neck to the body width similar to a 4 string look). The heavier spec is a result of Jimmy (based on posts by TBer's who have talked to him) wanting to move the spec closer to the mid 70's J spec by using heavier ash bodies (and, heavier ash is more easily obtained than the lighter stuff, which is why Roger chambers his instruments), which my guess would average about 12 pounds for a J bass.
 
#463
KJung you are a popular guy with your You Tube videos of the AC LG5 and LM 5 !

I was wandering on the internet and found a video of you on a Korean website!

Invalid Link Removed

Pretty Cool, if you dont object them using your vids.
 
#464
Baccomang said:
KJung you are a popular guy with your You Tube videos of the AC LG5 and LM 5 !

I was wandering on the internet and found a video of you on a Korean website!

Invalid Link Removed

Pretty Cool, if you dont object them using your vids.
Click to expand...

lol that is hilarious!!!
 
#466
FINALLY! I'm part of the club! Thanks to our very own Peter Palmieri I present my new '08 KBP5 with nitro finish and dalbergia negra board!

myrig20101-450x337.jpg

body-450x337.jpg

headstock-450x337.jpg


However, I've had Jimmy's 2 band preamp in this bass for a while....

IMG_0664.jpg
 
#469
Charlie. +1
You know your sadowsky is wonderful! Im guessing it is about 8 pounds. Its lighter than mine, and Thank You for letting me use it when i was in town.
Its about as light as my older white maple/ ash. But still has that Sad signature sound..

Our friend Hugh's sadowsky is super light maybe 7.8 pounds and hes doing some major rock records with his..It has nice definition and bottom punch with focus.
Although hes been using the Alleva KBP5 on some of his recent dates on the west coast.. It too is light solid Alder with dalbergia and nitro.

My old '77 MM stingray is heavy. about 11 pounds. i just cant play it on gigs anymore with my neck issues. But it sounds meaty and warmer than my lighter weight stingray. which im going to ditch one day soon.

But somehow my alleva kbp5 and kbp4 are solid alder and each weight about 8 pounds which i like. The 5 string is about 8.5 and they both have incredible definition and punch, present throaty mids with a nice warm sheen on top.

Just put new DRs on the P4 and the engineer couldn't believe it was a p bass.. Hes used to P basses sounding plody and thumpy. These speak loudly acoustically too.. just woke up and im ranting right now..:eek:


PS when i borrowed your sadowsky i ran it with preamp off... just both pups up 100%. .. I like to record that way especially when you are going onto an EQ/Pre that cost twice as much as a sadowsky bass. lol

Bassist30 said:
On my scale (which is not a professional scale and may be off somewhat) my LM5 is 10 pounds. Considered a medium weighted bass. The heavier will sound slightly different if you a/b it as you said. In fact everything you said i agree. Jimmy once said the heavier (not word for word) will give a darker sound but not meaning darker as bad. When people say darker some believe you will get no snap whats so ever. But warmer may be closer to what its meant. I notice the lighter give more of a bark to it. As you get heavier ( as with mine) I get a warmer punch to it. But again a nice slap also which are very signature to the 70's maple neck fenders. I had a 73 P bass i had bought from someone who thought it was too heavy. To this day I blame that bass for my left shoulder tilting down :). It was so heavy. Never weighted it but I would say it could had been in the 14 pound range. But I wish i never sold it. It was an amazing bass. I still have its pickups.
The 10 LM is fine. But again the heavier will give it different tone possiblities. My Sadowsky I have to check the gig bag to see if the bass is in there. Very light and very brite. SVTBass did a nice recording on it and it sounded very good and bright. Somewhat brighter than my AC. I have not played it much as of late. I did a recording with the AC recently and the engineer was amazed. For me it fits. The person who is considering a heavier bass may keep in mind the differences. But I am not sure because Jimmy is making them wider will also make it that much of a weight difference. It may not make a difference at all. Man I need a LG5.
Click to expand...
 
#475
Thank you very VERY much KJung an Bassist30 for your opinions and sharing of knowledge about it. ;) They're very helpful.

So finally... we know about the new wider and reduced thickness body... but is heavier/lighter ash body an option or not? OR also a new LM with "old design" will be heavier without choice?
 
#476
MAURO_ISOLATION said:
Thank you very VERY much KJung an Bassist30 for your opinions and sharing of knowledge about it. ;) They're very helpful.

So finally... we know about the new wider and reduced thickness body... but is heavier/lighter ash body an option or not? OR also a new LM with "old design" will be heavier without choice?
Click to expand...

That would be the primary question! You would have to talk with Jimmy about that.
 
#479
cnltb said:
Why?
It's just a bass.
Click to expand...

Sure - It's just a bass. Using that as a basis for judgement...

The Mona Lisa is just a painting...
Peyton Manning is just a quarterback...
Chick Corea is just a piano player...

This is an instrument of exquisite quality and workmanship that produces an extraordinary tone, truly a "world class" instrument.

Yes I liked it, and it is special.
 
#480
Tom7 said:
BTW, I noticed this video had no spoken words at all, just tone demo. Great idea.
Click to expand...

+1 The ones with the 'speaking' were put up based on specific requests by TBers, and focus on amp comparisons, which are hard to do without telling folks what I'm doing with the knobs, etc.

I have a couple other up that are meant to focus on the sound of the bass or the sound of a cab without adjusting or messing with EQ or swapping heads, etc.:)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back