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I am more of a J guy obviously, but man, with a Coppolo passive 4 string P, along with my LG and LM, I'd have every possibly Fender-type classic tone you would ever need.
Plus... I just want one
With cash funds in place, this is all the justification you need.Plus... I just want one
Not sure you'll ever get around the need for an Output transformer that goes hand-in-hand with an "all tube" head. (and those transformers are heavy beasts typically) Hybrid heads seem to be the magic answer for a tube head sans weight. But I have yet to hear a lightweight hybrid that really rocked my world. It always comes down to trade offs.
Speaking of which, I inquired about one of the AC basses on Brians site. Just can't pony up the coinage. Have no trade offs to yield right now. Love that CAR LM5 though. I'll bet it smokes.
I've got my LM5 order in with Jimmy which will probably be ready sometime in November. It sure is hard looking at that CAR LM5 just sitting on the wall begging to be played.
As nice as it is, CAR would not be my first color choice anyway. So there's a little comfort, at least for me. But it does look might fine. The white pearl PG and maple FB look great with the CAR finish on the body.
You can be sure that will never, ever, happen!However, if that CAR LM is there much longer, I might be in BIG trouble. You can't have too much skanky 70's funk in the house IMO.
However, if that CAR LM is there much longer, I might be in BIG trouble. You can't have too much skanky 70's funk in the house IMO.
thats money better spent. you aint playin' no p bass!
thats money better spent. you aint playin' no p bass!
You are definitely correct there!
I don't know Ken---have you heard the Reeves yet?
Never gonna happen
Man, that CAR LM on the Low Down site is a beautiful bass
Yeah man, if I had the money...Never gonna happen
Man, that CAR LM on the Low Down site is a beautiful bass
Question for the AC and Sadowsky owners.
How do the maple fb's and RW fb's compare between the two on AC basses? (taking into account the AC pre and such)
Here's were I'm going with this.
I had a Sadowsky MV5 with VTC. I sold it after about 3 months. It was SO BRIGHT that I couldn't stand it. Even with the VTC rolled off quite a bit, it still had a super bright sound, kinda clanky.
I now have had a RV5 for some years now, and love the sound. (even though I still back off the VTC a touch)
Are the differences between the AC's the same? Or is it more of a subtle difference? I guess, how "smooth" does the maple fb AC sound?
THANKS
How do the maple fb's and RW fb's compare between the two on AC basses? (taking into account the AC pre and such)
Here's were I'm going with this.
I had a Sadowsky MV5 with VTC. I sold it after about 3 months. It was SO BRIGHT that I couldn't stand it. Even with the VTC rolled off quite a bit, it still had a super bright sound, kinda clanky.
I now have had a RV5 for some years now, and love the sound. (even though I still back off the VTC a touch)
Are the differences between the AC's the same? Or is it more of a subtle difference? I guess, how "smooth" does the maple fb AC sound?
THANKS
My AC is WAY smoother than my Sadowsky RV5 was. The Sadowsky was nice, no doubt about it, but I could never get that full, fat J Bass sound... it always sounded very 'goosed', with lots of emphasis on the lows and highs and not nearly enough mids (even with the preamp set flat). I guess that's a byproduct of the modified DiMarzio Ultra Jazzes that Roger Sadowsky uses for his hum-cancelling pickups.
My AC, on the other hand, feels much more organic. The notes don't fly off the fingerboard the way they did on the Sadowsky, but I vastly prefer the more organic route. Don't get me wrong, it's still an extremely punchy bass, but it just feels like a complete bass, whereas I felt like the Sadowsky was defined just by the pickups and preamp.
Not that Sadowskys aren't excellent basses, but for me, it's AC all the way.
My AC, on the other hand, feels much more organic. The notes don't fly off the fingerboard the way they did on the Sadowsky, but I vastly prefer the more organic route. Don't get me wrong, it's still an extremely punchy bass, but it just feels like a complete bass, whereas I felt like the Sadowsky was defined just by the pickups and preamp.
Not that Sadowskys aren't excellent basses, but for me, it's AC all the way.
The AC LM models sound pretty close (to my ear) to a mid to late 70's passive Fender J Bass. The Sadowsky ash/maples, even with single coils, sound MUCH brighter, aggressive and 'active'. Very different IMO.
The AC models are among the most 'Fendery' sounding of boutique J's. The Sadowsky models are among the least 'Fendery' to my ear.
My AC LG is also much darker, warmer and more subtle sounding than the alder/RW Sadowsky I had... so the differences carry over to both models (alder/RW 60's and ash/maple 70's).
That being said, that ash/maple 70's type J tone is still quite upper mid present and aggressive, but the AC does it in a much more grindy, organic way like the older Fenders, versus the 'zing and sizzle' of the Sadowsky model.
Using the VTC type control on both the ash/maple Sadowsky and Alleva, I feel I can get them to sound pretty darn close to the alder/RW models (although, again, not to each other... the AC's sound totally different from the Sadowsky basses). However, I don't have any luck going the other way. You can soften that aggressive upper mid and treble response of an ash/maple J with a VTC pretty nicely, but there's no way to dial it in (IME) to a more 60's spec'd instrument.
IMO and IME!
Edit: I have that clip up of the LG and LM through a relatively transparent amp posted earlier in this thread, so you can hear the general tone and difference between the two pretty well (although they both had relatively new SS roundwounds, so they are both quite bright. I have nickels on my LG now, and it purrs!).
Nicely said Ken!! I also agree that Nickels are just perfect on an Alder/Rosewood bass. Classic strings for a classic sound.
Where are the clips you mentioned?
This clip has been floating around for a while, but here it is again.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
The LM (first part of the clip) is a pretty accurate representation of what I hear playing live with that bass. Per the above post, I've 'softened and growled up' the LG a bit currently by replacing the Hi Beams with Lo Rider Nickels. So, that bass sounds a bit different now than what you hear in the second part of the clip.
K
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