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Club Alleva Coppolo (part 2)

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#124
NickyBass said:
Mini LM5 review.....

It came today!!! I've been playing it all day and a few things stood out to me.

First, the specs.

-Burst over ash body.
-No guard.
-Maple neck and fingerboard,
-AC preamp with AC pickups.
-5 string.
-70's pickup spacing.

(No pics yet. But I thought you guys might let it slide if I give a review.)

And before we get on with the review...a little story. In college I bought a nice upright. An 1890 Tyroleon bass from Charles Fambrough. (As an aside, my bass has been on a few McCoy Tyner records.) I got a good deal on it because it needed pretty extensive repairs, which I knew going into it. It sounded great, but the top would eventually need to be removed to fix the bass bar. (Taking off the top on an upright is usually a no-no unless absolutely neccisary, since it changes the tone, but this one really needed it.)

When I got it back it still sounded great. Over time though, the tone really 'opened' up and it became mellow and full again. A few years later, it sounds mature and has 'my sound' in it. It may sound like some mystical mumbo jumbo, but I really feel that it sounds like 'me' more than any other bass. I sound similiar on different uprights, but there is part of me in that old Tyroleon.

What's the point of this story? Well, I've never really felt that way about an electric, but I feel that this LM5 will start to resonate 'me' the more I play it. Like a nice upright. It sounds KILLER right now, and I firmly believe that it will open up the more I play it. I can't wait.


The woods are understated, yet gorgeous. The grain on the body is phenominal. I can tell that there was a lot of thought put into wood selection.

The tone is very very reminiscent of a vintage Jazz, but it definitely has a charactor that dances the line between old school thump and bell like clarity. The preamp is interesting. It is very powerful, yet it doesn't change the basic charactor of the bass. That's a good thing. It's hard to describe. It always sounds like an AC. Some preamps do many things 'just ok,' but this one does the AC tone frontwards, backward, up, down and every which way -- and does it very well. I'm usually a passive guy-who sometimes flips into active mode, but this preamp sounds so natural, true and pure that I may find myself stocking up on 9 volts.

The construction is top notch. I haven't gone over it with a fine tooth, but it feels solid.


Speaking of feel.....It is so easy to play. It feels 'right' in my hands. It reacts nicely to minute changes in my technique. I need to do a set up on it so that I can dig in a bit more, but setups are so personal. It came from the shop with a nice pro setup, but I'm going to give it a few tweaks to make it mine.The action is a bit low for my tastes right now. I need to pick up one of those teeny allen wrenches to adjust the bridge. It is sporting a BadA$s right now, but there is a chance that I will try to get a stock bridge. I am going to give it a shot with the BA though.

So far, this bass has been a nice surprise. I definitely had expectations, and it has met and surpassed them.

More to come.....
Click to expand...

Very cool! And regarding the set-up, Ken's rule is that it's MUCH easier to raise the action on a bass set up to play great with low action, but not so easy to go the other way around. Having a bass arrive with low action and no buzzes is a dream come true. Raising the saddles and/or putting a little more relief in the neck is an easy adjustment. Going the other way (from high to low) can be a hassle!

The only thing I changed on mine when it came was lowering the D and G string just a touch so that the string height radius more closely matched the board radius (which is my preference). I never did like the G string sitting so much higher off the neck than the D and A with a low radius board like the A-C. Very minor deal there.
 
#126
Got a new Pic from Jimmy today


004.jpg




AJ
 
#129
Here are a few pics of my Standard 4 (Essentially an LG4)

3TS Alder body
Dalbergia Negra Board
Alleva Preamp and PUPS
awesome fretwork (even better than my LG5 that Mike got!!!)
and to top it all off Nitrocellulose Lacquer shot by an absolute MASTER who painted for Fender for over 50 years!!! And it definitely shows in these pics and in person! The headstock is shot with the Nitro as is the neck. I usually don't like Nitro on a neck but this one is SWEET!!

You really have to see this in person to really appreciate just how unbelievable it is!! I am VERY happy that I let Jimmy talk me into the color. I originally ordered a Vintage White but Jimmy talked me into the 3TS. Both my '62 and '67 were bursts and neither of them were in the same category as this one. The person who painted this has got it down to a science. DON'T HESITATE!!

475e8490.jpg
[/IMG]

46bc3def.jpg
[/IMG]

f8fddd1c.jpg
[/IMG]

05cbce42.jpg
[/IMG]

Peace,

T
 
#130
turnuptheBASS said:
Its old growth honduran rosewood.....MAN i wish i could see that board upclose...:rolleyes:
Click to expand...


Sry guys, I've been out of the loop since I was going to deploy to Iraq this weekend, but then the plug got pulled about 12 hours before I was going to step on the plane! Anyways, here is a picture of the Honduran Rosewood on my LG5...which was the next Honduran Board out the store after Mike's (as far as I know). It's a subtle red under normal light, but man it POPS under a flashbulb.

Myspace.jpg
AC2.jpg

ACLG53.jpg
AC5.jpg


It's Lovely!
 
#131
TOMMIX,
I'm FLABBERGASTED MAN!
I've never had a Burst hit me below the belt before. OUCH. BEAUTIFUL.
The dark dark Negra, wispy tort., and black edges make that look like some sort of evil, futuristic, vintage, knight rider bass.
05cbce42.jpg
[/IMG]

Jesus Man, Super Nice One!

Matt
 
#132
i told ya that SB is the shhazzizle:D just needs some dents and to be beat on some.... :rollno: let me borrow it for a month and i will relic it for you... hahah.. im real rough on mine sorry to say.
tommixx she is a beauty..
tommixx said:
Here are a few pics of my Standard 4 (Essentially an LG4)

3TS Alder body
Dalbergia Negra Board
Alleva Preamp and PUPS
awesome fretwork (even better than my LG5 that Mike got!!!)
and to top it all off Nitrocellulose Lacquer shot by an absolute MASTER who painted for Fender for over 50 years!!! And it definitely shows in these pics and in person! The headstock is shot with the Nitro as is the neck. I usually don't like Nitro on a neck but this one is SWEET!!

You really have to see this in person to really appreciate just how unbelievable it is!! I am VERY happy that I let Jimmy talk me into the color. I originally ordered a Vintage White but Jimmy talked me into the 3TS. Both my '62 and '67 were bursts and neither of them were in the same category as this one. The person who painted this has got it down to a science. DON'T HESITATE!!

475e8490.jpg
[/IMG]

46bc3def.jpg
[/IMG]

f8fddd1c.jpg
[/IMG]

05cbce42.jpg
[/IMG]

Peace,

T
Click to expand...
 
#134
svtb15 said:
yeah the old bevel burst trick.. haha.. that one is a beauty.. i at least got to touch that bass.. it was from NAMM 2008
Click to expand...

Oh man it is so much sweeter than I thought it would be. I was really into the idea when I first saw you talking about it but I had no idea it would set the finish off so nicely. I love the way it brings the black burst on the outside of the body and the negra board together in such a classy way!! I feel really lucky to have her and I really appreciate you turning me onto Jimmy and the crew! I can't wait to record with her. We are getting ready to start a project of our own and this should figure very prominently on it.

Thanks for the kind words guys! I wish each of you could get a turn playing her, but I will just have to try and play her enough for all of you.

:D

Peace,

T
 
#135
Tommixx, that looks amazing . Congrats. Its the 4 string version of mine exactly.....I do like the dark Dalbergia alot too.

Are the frets his smaller ones that he uses on the 5s or are they more medium size?
 
#136
basses55 said:
Tommixx, that looks amazing . Congrats. Its the 4 string version of mine exactly.....I do like the dark Dalbergia alot too.

Are the frets his smaller ones that he uses on the 5s or are they more medium size?
Click to expand...

Thanks! Yours is a beauty too! I can't tell you how many times I looked at the picture trying to imagine what mine was going to look like! LOL!

Mine has the Vintage Frets and the fret job is perfect. You can tell he put a lot of time in every single detail. Play yours in good health!

:bassist:


Peace,

T
 
#138
best wishes with that beauty.. I need to pool some cash and get one just like it... The dalbergia is such a real vintage thing.. its unreal... .. the thing that freaked me out the first time i saw the style sunburst that you now have is that when i looked at it , i thought it was a vintage fender until i looked at the headstock...
it has that same opaque yellow in the middle that goes to the red then the perfect black edge.. but the opaque yellow is where its at.. wait a year or two and it will really be nuts.... as you know..
That burst looks even better in person from what i always see,, and it looks great in a picture to..
you are so lucky .. best wishes with that baby...

PS what Camera did you use??



tommixx said:
Oh man it is so much sweeter than I thought it would be. I was really into the idea when I first saw you talking about it but I had no idea it would set the finish off so nicely. I love the way it brings the black burst on the outside of the body and the negra board together in such a classy way!! I feel really lucky to have her and I really appreciate you turning me onto Jimmy and the crew! I can't wait to record with her. We are getting ready to start a project of our own and this should figure very prominently on it.

Thanks for the kind words guys! I wish each of you could get a turn playing her, but I will just have to try and play her enough for all of you.

:D

Peace,

T
Click to expand...
 
#139
svtb15 said:
best wishes with that beauty.. I need to pool some cash and get one just like it... The dalbergia is such a real vintage thing.. its unreal... .. the thing that freaked me out the first time i saw the style sunburst that you now have is that when i looked at it , i thought it was a vintage fender until i looked at the headstock...
it has that same opaque yellow in the middle that goes to the red then the perfect black edge.. but the opaque yellow is where its at.. wait a year or two and it will really be nuts.... as you know..
That burst looks even better in person from what i always see,, and it looks great in a picture to..
you are so lucky .. best wishes with that baby...

PS what Camera did you use??
Click to expand...

I thought the same thing when I opened the case. I have to say though that there is a depth to the color that just jumps more than my old Fenders. The guy really knows his stuff and you get the feeling that he is a true artist with Nitro!

Believe it or not the camera is a pretty cheap Kodak that my neighbor has (I lost ANOTHER friggin cable for mine :rollno:). I took the pic over on his porch with his camera. I REALLY suck as a photographer too so it is more a testament to the bass that it turned out as good as it did. I am going to try and get some more pics in a day or 2 and I will post those for comparison when I get them.

I feel really blessed that I wound up with this bass. I very nearly missed it. I ordered this exact bass initially (it even has my name on it!!) I got impatient and bought the LG5 and was floored by it. I just couldn't wait for mine to be built so I bought the Modern 4 and it was a killer bass! I started to think I might miss something special after talking to Jimmy about his ideas for the ultimate 60's Fender. I called Jimmy and told him that I really wanted to stick to my plan (and get THE ultimate 60's jazz) and he was so cool about it. He understood immediately and said no problem, just send back the Modern and he would finish the Standard for me. I was in a panic because he was taking it to NAMM and the deal we agreed was he might have a buyer for it as part of the set he did. As long as it was still available, it was mine! Meanwhile he had begun building another one for me just in case this one sold....Thankfully it worked out that I got this one!!!!

:hyper:

The upside to that is that there just happens to be another one being made right now!!! I don't know if that one is spoken for but somebody should call him and snag it if not....HINT! The Dalbergia is very expensive so don't have a stroke when you hear the price! I PROMISE you it is worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY!!! Good Luck...

:bassist:

Peace,

T
 
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