Club Alleva-Coppolo (Part 19)

[KJung]

an alder/rosewood nordy p with a standard pickup would probably get you there fairly cheap. im not really into the offset coil thing he does on the sig pickups but he makes a mean standard pickup. did you ever end up buying an ac p at any time? i know you bought every other model right?

I love my Nordy P! Not really looking for anything else. The Pino was the entire package though... tone, weight, feel, everything. Amazing, amazing bass, and I've personally never played another Fender P (other than some VERY old ones) like it.


I have not played an A-C P. The Nordy really speaks to me. It is a very bright, grindy, aggressive P, which fits my tone goals nicely. I would assume the A-C P is a bit more 'traditional'.

 

[ACB0015]

I will chime in as a P bass guy, I have one of the very early KBP4's and it replaced a great, legitimately beat-up, '63 Fender P I bought from Jimmy before he started building in earnest. It has all the best qualities the '63 had with much better pitch focus and playability. Never looked back.

 

[Modern Growl]

If you did that with the 62 reissue, it would clank your ears off That, off course, isn't necessarily a good thing, but it sure is different, so I can kind of see where Modern Growl is coming from.

All different flavors of great though!

Just for the record - I was comparing the LG to my Nordy which of course has Nordstrand pickups.

I'm actually not crazy about stock MIA Fender pickups. A bit tooooo bright for me. I would always have to roll the tone 1/3-1/2 down.

For the Fender I now have for sale - I put Lindy Fralin in it, which have a more punchy mid emphesis and warm character. Nordstrand NJ4 Single are similar. More of a complex and punchy upper mid - while the ultra bright high's are tamed a bit. But yea... the stock Fender pickups can be uber bright. Too bright for me.

 

[svtb15]

+1

I will chime in as a P bass guy, I have one of the very early KBP4's and it replaced a great, legitimately beat-up, '63 Fender P I bought from Jimmy before he started building in earnest. It has all the best qualities the '63 had with much better pitch focus and playability. Never looked back.

 

[MVPBASS]

When people started throwing around the "N" word, I thought there would be more reaction from AC fans

 

[MixBass]

On the P thang: that's what hooked me on Jimmys work first. It seems it's more J-land around here but he makes a special P bass. And I agree with you Ken on the Pino, they seem to be picking the best wood, etc., when they make those. I'll never get rid of my 64
but I almost always use the Pino or KBP5 for sessions and certainly gigs.

 

[Modern Growl]

When people started throwing around the "N" word, I thought there would be more reaction from AC fans

Perhaps people realize you can just have a conversation, comparing two great builders and share honest opinions without it turing into a flame-fest... knowing that at the end of the day - it all just comes down to personal preference.

Not sure what you were expecting... but there's no wrong or right here... just personal preference.

FWIW - I'm still dying to try an LM5.

 

[Joelc73]

+1 I never totally bonded with my LG either, even though it was killer for what it was. That 'smoothness' you talked about, combined with the alder/RW, was a bit too much for me personally. Again, killer for what it was, and one of the most beautiful RW boards and nitro surf green finish I've ever seen. I think Joel might still have it. Sweet, creamy sounding 60's J.

I do still have it. It's the bass that got me hooked on AC's. I've owned a lot of J basses over the years. That surf green LG just nails the 60's tone in ever way.

I'm equally smitten with my LM. The whole package just works. I have not found a better 5 string 70's style Jazz.

 

[Vic]

Not sure what you were expecting... but there's no wrong or right here... just personal preference.

I think he was expecting a more typical web forum response when you bring one builder's products into another builder's fan club thread, especially as a comparison, and even more especially when it's not favorable.

Somehow some people take it like a personal affront if you don't like the same things they do... like it's a criticism of their choices... forgetting the most important fact... we are not all the same people, and we DO have different prefs. Be a pretty damn boring world if that wasn't the case, too.

Nice that it didn't happen. Refreshing.

 

[Modern Growl]

I think he was expecting a more typical web forum response when you bring one builder's products into another builder's fan club thread, especially as a comparison, and even more especially when it's not favorable.

Somehow some people take it like a personal affront if you don't like the same things they do... like it's a criticism of their choices... forgetting the most important fact... we are not all the same people, and we DO have different prefs. Be a pretty damn boring world if that wasn't the case, too.

Nice that it didn't happen. Refreshing.

I see. I was hoping to just give my personal impressions on the LG - as I too was once apart of the "club" if you will.

It's interesting and good/informative that a good handful of us hear things the same way - and when multiple individuals chime in with the same thoughts on instrument(s) - but give the "positive" or "negative" if you will - like Ken said in the other thread - any potential buyers get good, unbiased reviews.

 

[narud]

Nice that it didn't happen. Refreshing.

musta been since i wasnt reviewing anything although my reviews at times consist of things like "i think alain caron's tone sounds like butt".

 

[lowfreq1]

...The Pino was the entire package though... tone, weight, feel, everything. Amazing, amazing bass, and I've personally never played another Fender P (other than some VERY old ones) like it.

Get one !!
They're amazing, the best bass I ever have owned/played !!
It's so crazy good!

 

[ajwolfcale]

Man, I'm definitely planning on getting a KBP5! While jimmy was in town, I tried one out with a gorgeous Brazilian rosewood board. The feel of it was amazing and the sound was very aggressive and articulate. I believe he said he wired that pickup a little differently than the normal ones. I'm in love with my 81009 from him and if I can get a KBP, I think it would be pretty difficult to move away from a P bass ever again.

 

[KJung]

Just for the record - I was comparing the LG to my Nordy which of course has Nordstrand pickups.

I'm actually not crazy about stock MIA Fender pickups. A bit tooooo bright for me. I would always have to roll the tone 1/3-1/2 down.

For the Fender I now have for sale - I put Lindy Fralin in it, which have a more punchy mid emphesis and warm character. Nordstrand NJ4 Single are similar. More of a complex and punchy upper mid - while the ultra bright high's are tamed a bit. But yea... the stock Fender pickups can be uber bright. Too bright for me.

+1 As you point out above, great discussion. The main point is that all these pickups and brands (including Fender!) have their own interpretation of, in the case of our discussion, what most people call the '60's J thing'. Lots of variation.

I too find many of the Fender newer executions as being on the very bright and aggressive side of things, and the A-C LG at the other end of the continuum (smooth, creamy, relaxed), with the Nordy kind of 'splitting the difference'. All sound good to me in their own way.

Fun to talk about this stuff again. As Peter posted, I have ZERO J GAS, and haven't from almost the day I got the LM (since that produces the 'sound in my head' when I personally think of 'J tone' effortlessly). So, not much to say any more. I've sold every other J I've owned, but the LM always stays!

I'm sure many feel the same way about their LG's, or Nordy classics, or Sadowsky's or whatever. All wonderful interpretations of a classic tone!

And.... interesting on all the Pino comments. Good to know I'm not nuts. When I played one (it was 'on the wall' at Eddie's Guitars in St. Louis), I just thought I was going to be playing another decent Fender P. I had no idea it would be one of the finest instruments I've ever had in my hand. If I have any use for a 4 string at this point, I'd buy one in a minute. Just haven't really gigged a 4 string since the early-mid 80's. I just wouldn't use it enough to justify the $4K!

I tell you what though, if you can deal with the 'relic' thing, and are a 4 string player, there is not another P that is better, and the price is in line with the other boutiques. Amazing instrument.

 

[Modern Growl]

Get one !!
They're amazing, the best bass I ever have owned/played !!
It's so crazy good!

I must ask - whats is so good about it? Looking at it - its just an Alder/Rosewood P bass.

I know the custom shop has top pics on wood selection - but I honestly don't see how this can be leaps & bounds better then any other pro build alder/rosewood P of similar specs...

EDIT: I will say - hate it or not, there is something special about the Custom Shop Relics. They give you this "feeling" when playing one - like its truly a 50/60 year old bass. I briefly owned a Fender Custom Shop Jazz 64' Relic - it did have a certain "magic" to it... but when I seperated myself from the very cool relic job - it was simply just a great build Fender Jazz.

The CS does hand wind the pickups going into these relics - and they do use ultra light weight wood (I had a full size Jazz that weighed 8.44lbs and it was crazy resonant).

I truly think a lot of the mojo with these is the relic. It's impressive to play/feel in person.

 

[RS]

I must ask - whats is so good about it? Looking at it - its just an Alder/Rosewood P bass.

I know the custom shop has top pics on wood selection - but I honestly don't see how this can be leaps & bounds better then any other pro build alder/rosewood P of similar specs...

EDIT: I will say - hate it or not, there is something special about the Custom Shop Relics. They give you this "feeling" when playing one - like its truly a 50/60 year old bass. I briefly owned a Fender Custom Shop Jazz 64' Relic - it did have a certain "magic" to it... but when I seperated myself from the very cool relic job - it was simply just a great build Fender Jazz.

The CS does hand wind the pickups going into these relics - and they do use ultra light weight wood (I had a full size Jazz that weighed 8.44lbs and it was crazy resonant).

I truly think a lot of the mojo with these is the relic. It's impressive to play/feel in person.

I had a Masterbuilt and played several other CS jazzes - no of them sounded very special to me. No better than any American Vintage Reissue. Allevas are consistently the best old jazz basses sound IME.

 

[KJung]

I had a Masterbuilt and played several other CS jazzes - no of them sounded very special to me. No better than any American Vintage Reissue. Allevas are consistently the best old jazz basses sound IME.

Yeah, unfortunately, it has been reported by many of the Fender guys that the Pino really is a special case (i.e., that the other CS P models, while nice, are not of the same vibe). Again, I guess it is the whole package.... pickup winding, wood choice, neck profile, relicing, etc. Amazing, amazing P Bass.

The first thing I thought when I played that $4K selling price Pino was....'OK, I'll just order up the same exact bass with no relicing (other then a nice neck 'wear in') and otherwise identical specs'. So, basically a non-reliced, non Pino model for, I would assume $3K. No dice.

 

[Modern Growl]

Yeah, unfortunately, it has been reported by many of the Fender guys that the Pino really is a special case (i.e., that the other CS P models, while nice, are not of the same vibe). Again, I guess it is the whole package.... pickup winding, wood choice, neck profile, relicing, etc. Amazing, amazing P Bass.

The first thing I thought when I played that $4K selling price Pino was....'OK, I'll just order up the same exact bass with no relicing (other then a nice neck 'wear in') and otherwise identical specs'. So, basically a non-reliced, non Pino model for, I would assume $3K. No dice.

I honestly think this was just a case of a really really good Fender. Sometimes a very special Fender comes a long and can blow you away. I bet if you did order what you wanted for $3K - it would come in and wouldn't sound identical. If THAT specific Pino blew you away - I'd get it.

 

[KJung]

I honestly think this was just a case of a really really good Fender. Sometimes a very special Fender comes a long and can blow you away. I bet if you did order what you wanted for $3K - it would come in and wouldn't sound identical. If THAT specific Pino blew you away - I'd get it.

At first, I just assumed maybe it was a 'good one', as you suggest. But reading the Pino threads (and comments on this thread above, but guys who are familiar with the A-C's, Nordstrands, etc.), there does seem to be something 'special' going on with that particular build and spec. Many comparisons of the Pino to other 'similar' Custom Shop builds in the Pino threads.

Anyway, back to the A-C's. For a 5 string J or P bass, it is either Alleva-Coppolo or Nordstrand for me... period

 

[MixBass]

Last bit on the Pino. I'm fortunate to have 2, flats and rounds, as I think both are very potent voices in the right spot. I've probably played another 4 and each has been stellar. They are very even and balanced throughout the neck tonewise and play and feel fantastic. The same reason I dig Jimmys. For whatever reason they feel/sound better to me than the normal CS P's of which I've had also. The relic thing: there seem to be 2 versions, the lighter relic is pretty tame, especially vs. the version w/the M carved in the back. Funny, I bumped one on a gig and the initial thought was, damn$*#@, but I had to laugh about scraping a relic.
Anyhow, Jimmys P is the only other one that hits me as strong as the Pino.