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Club Alleva Coppolo (Part IV)

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#263
tommixx said:
OK... so heres the verdict! I got her right as the driver was pulling off, I took her out of the case and have been at it ever since about 10 oclock! This could easily be the last 4 string I ever NEED to buy, Seriously. I know I will inevitably GAS for other things but this is IT in a 4 string "Vintage" Jazz...PERIOD! I know this may sound strange but I am actually really glad that things have worked out the way they have. I thought the other 3TS was the best bass I could possibly ever have but I am not so sure anymore. This one is every bit as good and even better for me in some ways, and I LOVE the MOP Inlays instead of the clay dots!! it is a bit lighter and it seems voiced just a bit higher which gives a really clear voice. The other 3 Tone was really ballsy (as is this one) but this one has a clarity and definition to it that I don't recall in the other one. This one is definitely more even across the board and across the strings, in fact I think this is THE most even sounding bass I have ever heard in my life, even more so than the LG 5 I had! My right hand technique will never be the same. I can play this bass with a much lighter touch and I have more fluidity than anything else I have laid my hands on. I agree with the above statement (and my own previously) about it being alive. This one is actually even more alive than the last one. The board wood is darker and richer in the Dalbergia and I have to wonder if it has more density or something. The Body wood on this bass is different too. I took the Pickguard off to check out the Truss route and there are some character lines in this wood that would seem to indicate that the wood was EXTREMELY dry when it was finished and painted. This is a very good thing to me and I think it may be the reason that the tone seems a bit clearer than the other one. I have been playing nearly nonstop for well over 4 hours and I still don't want to put her down. I took the time to put on a set of Vintage Dunlops, restring it with a new set of Sadowsky Nickels, and reset the intonation after I changed the strings and it is simply amazing! I have already chosen Shangri-La as the name for her and I can't wait to take her out to a rehearsal I have tonight and then another one tomorrow night. I was SERIOUSLY thinking of getting Jimmy to make me a KPB-4 and another LG5 but I don't even know if I would play them at all! I have a Sadowsky P that I have been in love with lately but this thing is going to slay them all. I can not encourage anyone who has not had the privilege enough to try one of Jimmy's basses! I know the Dalbergia is expensive and I know it is getting really low in his stock but you simply have to experience this once in your life if you are at all serious about wanting the absolute best "Vintage" styled instrument you can buy at any price. I think Jimmy is definitely in a class all by himself! There are many really good builders out there and there are a number of really great builders out there. Jimmy is definitely one of the greatest in my experience and I can truly appreciate what he is doing with these instruments. I have played a lot of basses in my day but I feel VERY blessed to have found this one. I have no regrets now about the loss of my first 3 Tone, I was REALLY nervous while I was waiting for this one because I honestly did not expect it to live up to my memory of the other one. I am VERY happy to say that not only did it live up to the other one, but has exceeded all expectations considerably. Thanks Jimmy! I appreciate all the love you put into your work bro, if you get any kind of satisfaction out of knowing you are killing it, then bro I am telling you, you are killing it, YOU are the sh*t! Much love to you!!!

Peace,

T
Click to expand...

Congrats Tom
You've got a great axe there.
I'm super psyched that this one surpasses the 3TS for you.
Sounds like life has turned a bad event into a blessing for you, huh?
Enjoy Shangri-La.

P.S. The inlays on your axe are celluloid, not MOP. That is exact to mid 60's stock. (64-early 66) Jimmy gets the inlays from the same German company as Fender did back then.
 
#264
biggreddbass said:
P.S. The inlays on your axe are celluloid, not MOP. That is exact to mid 60's stock. (64-early 66) Jimmy gets the inlays from the same German company as Fender did back then.
Click to expand...
Wow. That's amazing. Jimmy's dedication to reproducing that vibe down to the very last detail. Unreal.
 
#265
biggreddbass said:
Congrats Tom
You've got a great axe there.
I'm super psyched that this one surpasses the 3TS for you.
Sounds like life has turned a bad event into a blessing for you, huh?
Enjoy Shangri-La.

P.S. The inlays on your axe are celluloid, not MOP. That is exact to mid 60's stock. (64-early 66) Jimmy gets the inlays from the same German company as Fender did back then.
Click to expand...

When Jimmy told me this during my build, I was blown away! As Vic says below, Jimmy really goes the extra mile in reproducing a very 'era specific' bass.

Vic said:
Wow. That's amazing. Jimmy's dedication to reproducing that vibe down to the very last detail. Unreal.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear about your new bass! It really is a great experience when one plays an Alleva for the first time. I was smiling for sure!

Also glad to hear about your bass, Tom! That's an awesome write-up.
 
#266
biggreddbass said:
Congrats Tom
You've got a great axe there.
I'm super psyched that this one surpasses the 3TS for you.
Sounds like life has turned a bad event into a blessing for you, huh?
Enjoy Shangri-La.

P.S. The inlays on your axe are celluloid, not MOP. That is exact to mid 60's stock. (64-early 66) Jimmy gets the inlays from the same German company as Fender did back then.
Click to expand...

Wow...That is even better! I figured they were MOP because I didn't think you could still get the original celluloid type inlays anymore! Yeah, I look at like it was meant to be. Andrew got a great bass in my other 3TS and I got the bass I was meant to have. By the way I forgot to mention that the receipt says "Last available bass made in NYC". I feel like the luckiest man alive! Thanks I really appreciate you letting me know about the inlays, that makes it even more special if that is possible!

Peace,

T
 
#267
tommixx said:
Wow...That is even better! I figured they were MOP because I didn't think you could still get the original celluloid type inlays anymore! Yeah, I look at like it was meant to be. Andrew got a great bass in my other 3TS and I got the bass I was meant to have. By the way I forgot to mention that the receipt says "Last available bass made in NYC". I feel like the luckiest man alive! Thanks I really appreciate you letting me know about the inlays, that makes it even more special if that is possible!

Peace,

T
Click to expand...

Very cool how things worked out for you, Tom........Jimmy's attention to detail seems to be unmatched at the moment...........every day I spend on this thread I realize how special these basses really are........It's good to see guys like TB vets like Vic and Tony getting a crack at them as well as our new Aussie members representing down under......HiFi....I always liked that KBP..congrats...play it in good health.... Let's keep the pics and the and reviews coming guys......MORE SOUND BITES.....:bassist:
 
#268
KJung said:
+1 That kind of says it all. Amazing, ain't it:smug: Wait until you experience that preamp. It's almost like having a 'sound the same but bigger' control!
Click to expand...

A ha! Those were the words I was looking for! Spot on.

I got to play T's new 3TS 4 banger while at Jimmy's shop and there was really something special about that bass. Beautiful tone. I know what he means in that his right hand technique will change.

Good stuff...
 
#269
Vic said:
Just unbagged the DN/orange LG. OMFGOSH!! If the plugged tone is ANYTHING like the unplugged tone (and you know it is), I'm in DEEP DOO DOO!! :eek:
Click to expand...

Oh yeah...THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!


This one got misrouted by UPS and ended up taking a short tour through Canada on the way here, so Jimmy was a little concerned about the extra "truck time" (as was I), but it got here in fine shape. That'll make some folks feel better knowing. :)
Click to expand...

At least it wasn't long enough for this bass to end up with an accent on the other side. Gotta love UPS.
 
#270
XavidmanX said:
A ha! Those were the words I was looking for! Spot on.

I got to play T's new 3TS 4 banger while at Jimmy's shop and there was really something special about that bass. Beautiful tone. I know what he means in that his right hand technique will change.

Good stuff...
Click to expand...

She is still amazing me even now...I can play this bass with about half the effort I have ever played anything else. My hands love it and my ears love it!

Here are some pics as promised:

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Trying to show some of the cracks from the wood drying. I love the character of the finish on this bass. She has some really nice graining as well.

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The Dalbergia is simply beautiful and is darker than my last one. A VERY rich chocolate hue to it. I don't know if the darkness means anything or not but this one feels even more "alive" to me than the other one did. It is enough for me to prove that the Dalbergia is really something special and I am very lucky to have it!

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Check out the Celluloid!! This is much better than the clay for me!

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So far I am totally in love (aren't I always??!!) I am off to rehearsal with a 9 piece horn band so I should have a pretty good idea how she is going to work after that...details to follow!

Peace,

T
 
#272
Ok, my turn... first, pics...

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#276
Ken, I like it. Ok, you can stop reading now. :p :D

For everybody except Ken... ;)

Of course when I first played it at work the unplugged tone was great. "Vibrant" would be a great word to use for it. I pretty much couldn't concentrate much on work the rest of the afternoon, but oh well.

I have some really important stuff I gotta' work on tonight so I couldn't do a bunch of amps and cabs and such, so I just plugged it into my GB Shuttle 3.0 10T combo and played along with some mp3 tracks. That should be about the "worst" it'll sound. I'm still amazed at the tone. I agree with the comments about the EQ. I was using the PTC most, and bass boost if I solo'd the bridge, which, btw, is VERY usable without too much EQ. Tons of burp, but not overly thin. The neck pickup is huge and woody sounding. In short, even through that tiny little cube this bass ruled.

I can't wait for Friday when I put this bad boy in a mix and start playing literally everything from rock to funk to disco. I also have a small worship combo to play on Sunday. I also can't wait to see what that LM sounds like.

The neck profile feels GREAT. It's a joy to play. It weighs in about 9.3 pounds. That's normally just a tad on the heavy side for my taste, but as others have said, somehow, strapped on, you don't feel it as much. I wonder if that full size body does something to improve the center of balance on a strap. Dunno, but it works.

Yeah, I'm in big trouble... I think I just dropped a few large. Ouch. :)

(jk Ken, you know I luvya man :))
 
#277
Vic said:
Ken, I like it. Ok, you can stop reading now. :p :D

For everybody except Ken... ;)

Of course when I first played it at work the unplugged tone was great. "Vibrant" would be a great word to use for it. I pretty much couldn't concentrate much on work the rest of the afternoon, but oh well.

I have some really important stuff I gotta' work on tonight so I couldn't do a bunch of amps and cabs and such, so I just plugged it into my GB Shuttle 3.0 10T combo and played along with some mp3 tracks. That should be about the "worst" it'll sound. I'm still amazed at the tone. I agree with the comments about the EQ. I was using the PTC most, and bass boost if I solo'd the bridge, which, btw, is VERY usable without too much EQ. Tons of burp, but not overly thin. The neck pickup is huge and woody sounding. In short, even through that tiny little cube this bass ruled.

I can't wait for Friday when I put this bad boy in a mix and start playing literally everything from rock to funk to disco. I also have a small worship combo to play on Sunday. I also can't wait to see what that LM sounds like.

The neck profile feels GREAT. It's a joy to play. It weighs in about 9.3 pounds. That's normally just a tad on the heavy side for my taste, but as others have said, somehow, strapped on, you don't feel it as much. I wonder if that full size body does something to improve the center of balance on a strap. Dunno, but it works.

Yeah, I'm in big trouble... I think I just dropped a few large. Ouch. :)

(jk Ken, you know I luvya man :))
Click to expand...


:D Very cool. You know, even with the 1000 posts about how these play and sound, it's always good to hear more!!! Wait until you play it through a real amp:p:D
 
#278
Awesome looking basses Boys. Between seeing the basses that you all have from Jimmy, playing my first one last week - and still buzzing from it a week later - and just dealing with Jimmy, I almost feel like selling everything and just ordering another 2 Coppolos!! I'll hold off until I get my first one - I know Ive been saying that for a long time but due to a few complications with the build Ive had to wait this extra bit of time.. I know it'll be worth it but!

Tommix, amazing grain and finish on that 3TS and Vic... I think you've just made my mind up for me with the colour of that LG-5 of yours.. They're just both stunning looking instruments!
 
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