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Club Alleva Coppolo (Part 11!)

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#502
Vic said:
LOL! Thing is, I think that's a fair statement. :)
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Funny thing is, I'm not sure whether I own an AC or the instrument I just described. I got mine from Jimmy while the ACs were in the initial production phase. He told me mine was the "prototype." He also said the neck came from a '75 fender jazz, and the pickups were hand wound by him. The bridge is a BAIII, but the body is a total mystery. He did the frets, which is why it plays like a dream. Also, I think he got the neck specs and the "look" of his initial run from mine.
 
#504
guroove said:
Funny thing is, I'm not sure whether I own an AC or the instrument I just described. I got mine from Jimmy while the ACs were in the initial production phase. He told me mine was the "prototype." He also said the neck came from a '75 fender jazz, and the pickups were hand wound by him. The bridge is a BAIII, but the body is a total mystery. He did the frets, which is why it plays like a dream. Also, I think he got the neck specs and the "look" of his initial run from mine.
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That's really cool man, sounds like you got a pretty sweet bass there.

+1 to Jimmy's fretwork, his fretwork and setup, in general, are out of this world!
 
#505
guroove said:
Funny thing is, I'm not sure whether I own an AC or the instrument I just described. I got mine from Jimmy while the ACs were in the initial production phase. He told me mine was the "prototype." He also said the neck came from a '75 fender jazz, and the pickups were hand wound by him. The bridge is a BAIII, but the body is a total mystery. He did the frets, which is why it plays like a dream. Also, I think he got the neck specs and the "look" of his initial run from mine.
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WOW, that sounds like a WAY cool bass!!!
 
#506
Thanks guys and glad you liked it! I always enjoy when Kevin calls because I know I'll be playing something fun and different than my normal work.
It was funny, I had just gotten the KBP and he always wants my modded Mu Man, and I said give it a listen and we ended up using it all day.
KJung, cool hangin with Ralphe! I saw him w/Jean Luc way back, probably the Enigmatic Ocean tour and at least another time around there, and he was a blast! Blowing those big gum bubbles w/his shades on and just aggro. He also owned using a wah wah on solos. An original Monster Man!
 
#507
KJung said:
It was so killer I could hardly take it, and what a nice cat. He is just SCARY good, and very few really know who he is. I asked the manager of the jazz club if he realized who was playing bass, and he said 'yeah, that's Ralphe'. He just thought he was a local cat who played well! I guess he is a local cat who plays well, but that's like saying Hendrix was OK on guitar. Ralphe said very few people know who he is. I guess it takes a 50+ year old guy who grew up when fusion really hit to remember him in the glory days.

Sorry for the OT!
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This is a huge +1.

Ralphe is a monster who I think has been relatively "unsung" in the bass world compared to some other players from his era..and today. I really hope he's discovered by more new and older players alike. Maybe someone can put an LG in his hands....;)
 
#508
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!
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do you use different strings on your LM5 and LG5 and if so what do you use?

IMG_0639-1.jpg


IMG_0381-3.jpg
 
#510
lullbass said:
do you use different strings on your LM5 and LG5 and if so what do you use?
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Beautiful basses.

I do use different strings on each instrument. I use and love Hi Beams on the LM... just perfect of that grindy sizzly top end and big low end, and they last FOREVER. A little sweeter sounding than the Lo Rider Steels, which are a bit too much in the upper mids for me on this bass. Literally perfect for me with the LM!

With the LG, I started with Hi Beams, but that modern sort of voicing just didn't work for me with the LG... kind of made it sound like a 'not as good LM'... sizzle but no grind, boom but very little punch. I switched to DR Lo Rider Nickels and have never looked back. I don't dig 'em when you first put them on, but man, when they settle in after 10 hours of playing or so, they are growly and punchy, and still have plenty of top end. The Lo Riders in my clips are at least three months old, with dozens of playing hours on them.

Pure IMO there... the Hi Beams on the LM and the Lo Rider Nickels on the LG are absolutely perfect to my ear!
 
#514
Vic said:
I know you're asking Ken about this, but FWIW, I'd totally go HiBeams on that bad boy.
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I absolutely hated the Hi Beams on my RA. The RA is a bit 'scooped' by definition (that combination of alder, maple board and 70's pickup position), with a very high treble ping in the upper treble, not a lot of grind in the upper mids, and a low end more similar to the LG than the LM (not as big, warmer). The alder body with the 70's pickup placement and maple neck resulted in the Hi Beams sounding like you had the enhance control on too high.

The Lo Riders (steel if you want it a bit closer to the LM, nickels if you want to bring the 'alder' out more) worked very well. Hi Beams were all 'click and boom', at least on the RA that I had.

I ended up prefering the Lo Rider Nickels on it... more growl, less grind than the Steels. IMO and IME.
 
#517
I'd been meaning to post up about this, but was afraid I'd get flamed for this. I have DR flatwounds on my bass. It's so bright and punchy, that nobody ever believes me when I tell them I play flats, especially after they hear me slap on it. Mine was built without a tone pot. I actually spoke to Jimmy about the lack of a tone pot, and he told me it was a feature that was going into production, but that my bass didn't have enough holes for it. So, is that what that 5th knob on all the ACs is?
 
#518
KJung said:
I absolutely hated the Hi Beams on my RA. The RA is a bit 'scooped' by definition (that combination of alder, maple board and 70's pickup position), with a very high treble ping in the upper treble, not a lot of grind in the upper mids, and a low end more similar to the LG than the LM (not as big, warmer). The alder body with the 70's pickup placement and maple neck resulted in the Hi Beams sounding like you had the enhance control on too high.
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Wow! The RA I played at NAMM didn't strike me this way, but again, you've definitely had a lot more time on one.

jonno1707, just curious, is this how you hear yours as well?
 
#519
guroove said:
I'd been meaning to post up about this, but was afraid I'd get flamed for this. I have DR flatwounds on my bass. It's so bright and punchy, that nobody ever believes me when I tell them I play flats, especially after they hear me slap on it. Mine was built without a tone pot. I actually spoke to Jimmy about the lack of a tone pot, and he told me it was a feature that was going into production, but that my bass didn't have enough holes for it. So, is that what that 5th knob on all the ACs is?
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Currect. The current preamp is basically the standard J passive three knob configuration (vol vol tone.. with by pass on the bridge vol) and then an additional two smaller knobs for the bass and treble boost when in active mode.

I like the design, since it kind of communicates 'vintage passive' (i.e., the old school three knob passive J controls), plus the two small knob active controls. That fits the vibe of a very traditional, passive, vintage sounding bass that happens to have a preamp if you want to use it.

And hey, nothin' wrong with flats!
 
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