Club Alleva Coppolo (Part 9)

[MikeXbass]

Here's an honest serious question..
Before I became an AC owner..I had never played one..
I took the recommendation of someone whom I trust and look up to a great deal..
When I first played my LG5 with DN fretboard..i was blown away..!
IMO, best jazz bass i've ever owned..

Having said that.. To all of you that own LGs and LMs..
Is there enough sonic difference to purchase an LM..
The one I am interested in is Ash/maple neck LM..

Lookin forward to hearing you alls thoughts and opinions..
Mike

 

[LiF]

Having said that.. To all of you that own LGs and LMs..
Is there enough sonic difference to purchase an LM..
The one I am interested in is Ash/maple neck LM..

Lookin forward to hearing you alls thoughts and opinions..
Mike

I own an LG5. I played one before I bought it when I visited Jimmy in New York. I also tried an LM5. It does sound noticeably different. A very nice bass. If you can afford it then get both.

 

[MikeXbass]

KJung.. Vic.....any thoughts?

 

[esoxhntr]

The LM is a very different bass Mike - would have been drop-dead awesome on that clip you posted the other day, total funk machine!

 

[esoxhntr]

I'm assuming the vintage bridge you're talking about is Jimmy's custom bent plate?

Of course it is. Why else would I be posting about it?

 

[Vic]

Of course it is. Why else would I be posting about it?

Just making sure. He didn't always have that bridge, and I don't know how far your history goes back.

 

[Vic]

KJung.. Vic.....any thoughts?

LG = 60's tone genre, LM=70's tone genre. Pretty different animals, but both incredible instruments.

 

[MikeXbass]

So u think its WORTH the $$$$ to get one...?

im practically selling everything i dont use..HAHA..since i do studio stuff the thought of buying something COMPLETELY different, soundwise...for cleaner pop stuff..but then again..my sound is my sound..if im playing pop..i want it to sound like me..if im doin rock, funk, latin etc etc...still want to sound like me..

just wanna make sure im making a smart move...im gonna check out his basses next month...but one came up...obviously after NAMM ill have a better assesment..just lookin for personal experience..

THANKS LiF and Esoxhntr! AND VIC!

 

[svtb15]

I did a change out on bridges way back in maybe Part 1 .. or perhaps earlier in another thread about Allevas.. IIRC my conclusions were similar to what esoxhntr describes sonically.... my p5 has a bentplate and DN RW board which does a good job of doing what it does. I will have to find that post and repost it .. someday..
My LPB LG5 and Inca silver LG5 had the regular hipshot style..
I dont favor any one over the other anymore..
But i do like the fast release on the hipshot over the bentplate.. Im sure there will be an updated bentlpate in the future..

Have you actually swapped bridges from one to the other on the same bass? Just curious.

 

[esoxhntr]

Hey Kirk - I'm guessing Poodah - or your KPB5 - through that Reddi is magical.

 

[svtb15]

You are a REDDI owner now too.. Congrats!! Wondering how those track that you did come out?
They (the reddi) does work well with jimmys basses... Those guys (Jimmy and Pete Montessi from reddi) should team up and make something electronic together..

The REDDI has made my life easier... especially on IEM gigs.. for my needs it is just what the doctor ordered... Others mileage may vary...

Poudah had a set of early 80s EMGs in it for an experiment this past summer... At first i really dug the EMGs alot.. They do sound great. and they have lots of clarity..

I could bring the pups right up to the strings, to have a ramp to play off of and that added speed.. too bad i dont require that on any gigs..
The increase in output with the EMGs was nice to overdrive an amp.. but i dont need that on any gigs either...

So a few weeks ago i went back to the Alleva P pups that were in there and im staying with them.. I could sell any of my basses but the Poudah is staying.. And the kbp5 is starting to grow on me too... The reddi has a nice warm clarity to it, and together IMO they compliment each other in a great way.

 

[KJung]

The LM is a very different bass Mike -

+1

Also, I never tried Jimmy's bent plate, so am quite surprised it made such a difference. I've never noticed much difference at all (a little.... MUCH less than, for example, changing brands of strings) swapping bridges on basses.

It does make sense that those who are going for the 'ultra 60's' sort of old school thing would get that bridge, especially for the look. If it 'softens' the tone a touch and reacts more like the old Fender bridges, I guess that would also be a bonus!

There is a certain beauty to having the hipshot though. As Kirk says, quick release, solid, no slipping of the saddles, etc., etc., etc. However, as I posted earlier, if I was totally tricking out a bass to vibe a 64 J or something, and had massive dollars to spend, I would choose that bridge in a minute. On an LM or RA, never.

 

[KJung]

KJung.. Vic.....any thoughts?

As said above, it's the classic 60's versus 70's thing, with the LG being more warm, growly, and smooth up top, and more burpy and punchy when favoring the bridge pickup (due to the bridge pickup being a touch farther from the bridge), and the LM being bigger down low, wider in general, more aggressive and grindy in the upper mids, and having a brighter, extended top end and a bit more of a feel of 'bounce off the neck' when slapping due to the maple board and I assume the denser ash body.

The LG's (IMO and IME) crave nickel roundwounds, and the LM's are all about stainless steel! IMO, the differences pretty much slap you in the face on the little clips I put up a while back.... you can hear the bigger low end and the aggressive upper mids and treble of the LM, versus the warmer, more mid voiced and more polite top end of the LG (especially in the clip with the nickels on it).

I like them both for what they are. Is it really worth having both?.... probably not unless you are swimming in cash. Most have a clear tonal preference between the 60's and 70's type vibe. I love my LG and constantly play it at home. My LM sees 90%+ of my gigging, but I'm playing primarily dance gigs with tunes spanning the 70's to 90's for the most part. If I was playing a country gig or an alt rock gig, it would be the LG all the way. Of course, if you can play in general, all this really doesn't matter, and is just icing on the cake anyway!

 

[mothra2]

The LM is a very different bass Mike - would have been drop-dead awesome on that clip you posted the other day, total funk machine!

+1...very different. Heard your clip...killer LG tone there...you won't get quite that woolly beast mid groan out of it that you are getting now, but it will slice and dice with serious grind. If I were on the fence and Jimmy had that LM natural up for grabs it would be a done deal, but ONLY if I were looking for a complimentary set of tones. One does not replace the other IMO, as others have posted.

 

[KJung]

Hey guys! I'm hitting the road tomorrow morning through the end of the year. Happy New Year, and have good New Year's Eve gigs. I'll have the LM wumpin' and funkin' through the RH450/AE410 at the Intercontinental Hotel on the Plaza in Kansas City (fun place to gig... fancy schmancy.... and it will be a very good band!).

Where are you guys going to be gigging (if you are) on New Year's Eve?

I'll be back on-line in the New Year.

Let's hope the gigging scene picks up a bit next year. My 2009 gigging schedule was the worst since I started playing 30+ years ago.

 

[Chef]

LM v LG:

While not an AC, I did try a nice higher end 70's spec'd JJ this year. Its beautiful CAOJ finish and maple board caught my eye, and in I lust; all this despite knowing that I'm a 60's J kinda guy. I thought "moving that one pickup 1/2" can't be that different."

Well, it really was, and I didn't like it even a little bit, sonically. The bridge pickup didn't have the same depth and bark. The neck pickup sounded different as well...since the neck pickup is in the same place, I guess I have to attribute that difference to the body and neck woods.

I was lucky enough to immediately find another TB'er with the reverse dilemma: had a 60's spec'd bass he wasnt' happy with, so all ended well...

But, they really are fairly different things, and not so very interchangeable.

 

[Vic]

+1

Also, I never tried Jimmy's bent plate, so am quite surprised it made such a difference. I've never noticed much difference at all (a little.... MUCH less than, for example, changing brands of strings) swapping bridges on basses...

To be honest, this did come as a surprise to me as well.

I haven't swapped bridges on the same bass, but I've played "similar" basses with each (tho I know that's not nearly as good of a test case), and they sounded pretty close in the tonal behaviors being described here regarding what changes.

Main thing that surprises me about this is Jimmy's bent plate is significantly beefier than a truly traditional one, so it has a lot more mass to it. Jimmy did this intentionally for tonal benefits not unlike those of a more modern bridge like the Hipshot (tho I'll obviously stop short of saying "the same").

Anyway, esoxhntr should definitely know best, having done so many direct swaps, but it still comes as a surprise to me the diff was that significant noting Jimmy's beefier bent plate design.

 

[jij04002]

Hey guys! I'm hitting the road tomorrow morning through the end of the year. Happy New Year, and have good New Year's Eve gigs. I'll have the LM wumpin' and funkin' through the RH450/AE410 at the Intercontinental Hotel on the Plaza in Kansas City (fun place to gig... fancy schmancy.... and it will be a very good band!).

Where are you guys going to be gigging (if you are) on New Year's Eve?

I'll be back on-line in the New Year.

Let's hope the gigging scene picks up a bit next year. My 2009 gigging schedule was the worst since I started playing 30+ years ago.

Hey man, good luck to you as well! I won't be gigging on New Year's Eve, but have a gig the following Sunday eve, so it's kind of close.

This brings me to the question...Not being able to listen to all of you AC owners sound clips/vids/etc., I was wondering what type of music you all mainly play/gig.

I play alternative/experimental rock in my band, but grew up playing anything from rock to funk to jazz and was supposed to minor in jazz performance in college until my a-hole engineering counselor told me it would be a bad idea (why I listened I have no idea).

Just wondering...

Ian

 

[KJung]

Hey man, good luck to you as well! I won't be gigging on New Year's Eve, but have a gig the following Sunday eve, so it's kind of close.

This brings me to the question...Not being able to listen to all of you AC owners sound clips/vids/etc., I was wondering what type of music you all mainly play/gig.

I play alternative/experimental rock in my band, but grew up playing anything from rock to funk to jazz and was supposed to minor in jazz performance in college until my a-hole engineering counselor told me it would be a bad idea (why I listened I have no idea).

Just wondering...

Ian

Have a good one! I'm a typical feelance guy. Everything from small club jazz type work (although more 'cocktail jazz/Real Book type stuff than anything cutting edge or burning), to mostly the corporate/casual type pop/funk dance thing at this point. Also, sub work for a few club bands doing 'pop/rock'.

I also occasionally go into a club in a power trio type format (Robben Ford type vibe, etc.) that I REALLY enjoy a lot.

 

[vision]

This brings me to the question...Not being able to listen to all of you AC owners sound clips/vids/etc., I was wondering what type of music you all mainly play/gig.

I'm a future A-C owner since my bass is on order, but I'll chime in. I mostly play modern gospel (around 10-15 gigs a month doing that) I also do around 4-5 gigs a month playing jazz (from traditional to funk/fusion) and R&B/soul/hip-hop.