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Club Alleva Coppolo (Part 7)

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#841
KJung said:
If you dig that 60's thing, the LG is just wonderful (pure personal taste there... that has never really been my tone goal)...
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Yeah, of course, but in my case, very interestingly, somehow it kinda' worked out despite my typical orientation more towards what you also like best in a J.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, as most folks know around here, especially Ken, I'm normally NOT that much of a 60's J bass guy. I'm generally more of a 70's J or modern soapbar bass kinda' guy. I haven't yet really figured out exactly what it is, but there's just something magical about the LG that really speaks to me in a big way. It's really great too, because I've been trying to cover that sound genre for a long time in my stable, but could never get a bass I was happy with due to my general tonal orientation... until the AC came my way. MAN I love that bass. No, this isn't me saying I think it sounds like a 70's J. This is me saying there's something in its tonal profile that speaks to me despite the 60's J character.
 
#843
Vic said:
Yeah, of course, but in my case, very interestingly, somehow it kinda' worked out despite my typical orientation more towards what you also like best in a J.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, as most folks know around here, especially Ken, I'm normally NOT that much of a 60's J bass guy. I'm generally more of a 70's J or modern soapbar bass kinda' guy. I haven't yet really figured out exactly what it is, but there's just something magical about the LG that really speaks to me in a big way. It's really great too, because I've been trying to cover that sound genre for a long time in my stable, but could never get a bass I was happy with due to my general tonal orientation... until the AC came my way. MAN I love that bass. No, this isn't me saying I think it sounds like a 70's J. This is me saying there's something in its tonal profile that speaks to me despite the 60's J character.
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+1 But, you haven't gigged an LM:smug: Seriously though, they all sound great, and are just different flavors of great. I am just very sensitive to that 'J Grind' that seems to only happen for me with a maple board.
 
#844
Sterling_Bass said:
Ken, your new bass looks amazing. I think that is the nicest red finish I have seen on a bass. Congratulations.
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Thanks! It really is a beautiful instrument. It reminds me a bit of the look of my previously owned Celinder Cobalt Blue Update, which had that very 'shiny', primary body color, and the 'glossy' neck. The tone isn't really that similar (the RA has much more mid punch, and a much more organic top end than the uber huge, wide and sizzly Update), but it has a similar 'feel in the hand' which I like!
 
#846
Ryan Mohr said:
So, is the '70s spacing a moot point compared to the maple fingergoard and body weight?
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These types of discussions get circular very quickly. It's almost impossible to parse out the individual impact of all these design components IMO. For example, my ash/maple Sadowsky with single coils and 60's pickup position just grinds and snorts like a beast. Does it sound exactly like a 70's jazz... no, not even close, but it's general 'tonality' is more in that 'aggressive grindy, bright' sort of J tone that many of us associate loosely with a '70's J tone'.

It all works together, but IMO and IME, that maple fretboard SEEMS to be the driving force, along with single coil pickups, to getting, again a generaly aggressive tone that was popular with J Bass guys in the mid to late 70's on a lot of those classic funk recordings.

Pure IMO.... no way I know of to scientifically prove that, since even basses identically spec'd sound a bit different. I had two Celinder Updates spec'd exactly the same. One was warm, relatively mid present and upper mid growly. The other had a HUGE low end, massive sizzle up top (The Marcus Miller 'on steroids' thing), and a bit of scoop in the mid mids. They were again spec'd identically, and were within a pound of one another. Go figure!
 
#849
KJung said:
I guess, from previous posts, that LM was not representative of the typical LM. It's a shame that bass was what you had to base your purchase decision on (from other posts by those who played that particular LM).
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Right... that's the big question... because either we hear those basses differently, or there was something odd about that particular one. The problem is, *ahem* there's a certain party with a reportedly better representative of the LM product that I just can't seem to get a gtg going with for a long time now... ;) so I can't tell for sure which is the case. :)
 
#850
KJung said:
I guess, from previous posts, that LM was not representative of the typical LM. It's a shame that bass was what you had to base your purchase decision on (from other posts by those who played that particular LM).
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other than the heavy ones, id say that bass he gigged wasnt that different than the typical LM. it was a good bass and sounded ALOT like my old hotwire funky77 jazz 5 when i had aeros and a jretro in it.
 
#851
narud said:
other than the heavy ones, id say that bass he gigged wasnt that different than the typical LM. it was a good bass and sounded ALOT like my old hotwire funky77 jazz 5 when i had aeros and a jretro in it.
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I would actually be surprised if it was a 'bad one', so that makes sense. However, a few who played that bass considered it not representative of other LM's they've played, so who knows.

But...I hate the sound of those J Retro's, even when set flat, so that might support others comments that the particular bass Vic had was somewhat of a differently voiced one. Mine sounds NOTHING like a bass with Aero's and a J Retro (as you could hopefully hear from the clip I put up.

That being said, if an LG really speaks to a player, it would be unlikely that an LM would IMO. They sound and feel/play/react quite differently from each other, as you know. So, Vic seems to have made the right choice for his tone needs.

Edit: You might really dig this RA. It's on the heavy side (maybe 10.5 pounds) and in A/Bing with my LG, it has a lot of the character of the LG, but with more brightness and grind up top, and a 'quicker' feel... more bounce. There is a LOT of heft to each note with the RA. It's pretty nice, and is less 'upper mid bright' than my LM, but still has that sizzle and aggressiion that I miss a bit with the LG. Pretty cool 'transitional' tone between the two 'classic' J bass tones.
 
#852
KJung said:
I would actually be surprised if it was a 'bad one', so that makes sense. However, a few who played that bass considered it not representative of other LM's they've played, so who knows.

But...I hate the sound of those J Retro's, even when set flat, so that might support others comments that the particular bass Vic had was somewhat of a differently voiced one. Mine sounds NOTHING like a bass with Aero's and a J Retro (as you could hopefully hear from the clip I put up.
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ive mentioned this before, but the retro really depends on what kind of pickups are matched with it. ive matched it with humcancelling pickups and it was death. a set of nordstrands and it sounded just as pure of a pre as anything else out there. when you used the retro did you have the bass turned all the way down? i know when i first started using it i made the mistake of thinking the center detent was flat.

i spent hours with that bass vic had at the shop along with many others and i wouldnt say it was atypically voiced at all. it had the sound of jimmy's electronics with that airy 9 pound ash. im sure that bass made someone very happy. i think the only other comment that was made on it was that the neck profile felt a little bit different but nothing to do with tone.
 
#853
narud said:
ive mentioned this before, but the retro really depends on what kind of pickups are matched with it. ive matched it with humcancelling pickups and it was death. a set of nordstrands and it sounded just as pure of a pre as anything else out there. when you used the retro did you have the bass turned all the way down? i know when i first started using it i made the mistake of thinking the center detent was flat.

i spent hours with that bass vic had at the shop along with many others and i wouldnt say it was atypically voiced at all. it had the sound of jimmy's electronics with that airy 9 pound ash. im sure that bass made someone very happy. i think the only other comment that was made on it was that the neck profile felt a little bit different but nothing to do with tone.
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I've only played the J Retro with a bunch of DJ's and JO Skylines that came through the LDS shop. They always sounded very 'active' with that preamp to me. That pre seemed to have a built in EQ, especially in the upper treble region.

Yeah, that tone probably just isn't Vic's thing, since he had a chance to try it.

I edited my previous post. Have you played any of the RA's? It's an interesting tone... kind of like an LG on steroids. It doesn't have that classic upper mid treble thing that the LM has (and that I associate with the more classic 'funk' sort of recordings of late 70's J's), but it really has some meat to the notes, and much more upper mid growl and grind than my LG. Pretty cool, and a dream for those who like a more old school 'worn in nickel roundwound' type grindy, bright but not sizzly tone.
 
#854
KJung said:
I've only played the J Retro with a bunch of DJ's and JO Skylines that came through the LDS shop. They always sounded very 'active' with that preamp to me. That pre seemed to have a built in EQ, especially in the upper treble region.

Yeah, that tone probably just isn't Vic's thing, since he had a chance to try it.

I edited my previous post. Have you played any of the RA's? It's an interesting tone... kind of like an LG on steroids. It doesn't have that classic upper mid treble thing that the LM has (and that I associate with the more classic 'funk' sort of recordings of late 70's J's), but it really has some meat to the notes, and much more upper mid growl and grind than my LG. Pretty cool, and a dream for those who like a more old school 'worn in nickel roundwound' type grindy, bright but not sizzly tone.
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there was some ra's around at namm but i didnt pick one up because in fender land, thats my least favorite tone. an old student of mine had a 72 with a maple board and an alder body and we a/b'd with my 78 and i hated his bass.:D
 
#855
narud said:
there was some ra's around at namm but i didnt pick one up because in fender land, thats my least favorite tone. an old student of mine had a 72 with a maple board and an alder body and we a/b'd with my 78 and i hated his bass.:D
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Interesting. I don't remember if I ever played a maple board J from that era, although I must have, since I really started gigging a lot around 74 (I was a Ric guy all through the 70's...even back then, I was in love with the bright grind!), so there must have been a lot of them around. I remember most having RW boards though, and didn't really see a lot of maple board J's until the late 70's, from what I remember.

Yes, it is a different tone, and the LM speaks to me a bit more, but I like it quite a bit... unusual mix of warm, smooth, but grindy and bright all at the same time.
 
#856
KJung said:
I would actually be surprised if it was a 'bad one', so that makes sense. However, a few who played that bass considered it not representative of other LM's they've played, so who knows.
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Exactly. This is also what kinda' "haunts" me about that one, but narud makes strong points since he played it a bunch. Still, I'm very much looking forward to the day I finally get to check yours out. :)
 
#857
knowing that my LG5 has a somewhat brighter old growth honrudan board, it is kind of frustrating not knowing an exact apples to apples when you guys shop talk the LGs.

BTW a while back I dogged Jimmy's nickel strings but I've made an attempt to go back to them instead of high beams knowing that the LM when she arrives in a few months will be nicely dressed in Hi Beams. I'm digging Jimmy's nickels now!
 
#858
peterpalmieri said:
knowing that my LG5 has a somewhat brighter old growth honrudan board, it is kind of frustrating not knowing an exact apples to apples when you guys shop talk the LGs.

BTW a while back I dogged Jimmy's nickel strings but I've made an attempt to go back to them instead of high beams knowing that the LM when she arrives in a few months will be nicely dressed in Hi Beams. I'm digging Jimmy's nickels now!
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FWIW, I think my LG might possibly be a little on the brighter side of LG's too. Not like an LM at all of course, but maybe more going on up high than you might normally expect from this formula.
 
#860
Dave Hill said:
Nice AC trio KJung...that RA is frigging hot. I some how envy your collection even though I don't think I would want/need it.(?) Heavier alder/maple Fenders have been some of my favs.
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Thanks!

I learned long ago that wanting and needing are two very different things:D Wanting usually wins out over needing!

The alder/maple Fender type thing is new to me (really new, since I though I was buying an LM:eek:). I'm digging it at the moment, and I too find that it really pops visually.
 
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