Club Alleva Coppolo (Part IV)

[KJung]

That's interesting I frequent the NYC area shops that stock vintage instruments and my JO4 is almost as close as I've come to the 62 - 64s that I love. I can't say the same for the other JOs I've played through just the one I have.

The JO5 has Lakland PUs and sounds very harsh depending on the rig I use. That being said on louder funky gigs I use my SA410 and Glock head and it kills, although I kringe playing it at home through a Focus and NL210.

Not sure any of that makes much sense.

I've only played the 5 string ash/maple skylines with Fralins, and those are not my thing (personal taste there).

 

[BASSKADET]

What case is that? I would like to buy one of those!

What case are you refering to?

 

[Ace Of Bass]

Hey guys I am not in the AC club an honestly I am not sure if I should be or not, so I am looking for some help.

I am a big fan of the early 60s jazz basses and am so in love with my Lakland USA JO4, it serves me well and continues too, BTW it's passive with Fralins alder/Rosewood.

In the past year or so I have been wanting to get myself the perfect 5 string to match my JO and replace my SR5 which I long grew far apart from (since sold). Living in NY I started by going to Sadowsky, then Jimmy when he was in the city, Rudy's and The Groove Shoppe (now closed). I tried just about everything I could get my hands on. What I didn't find was a 5 string bass I was really in love with.

Then came a decent paying gig for a few months and I needed a 5 for it, so I wound up picking up one of the new Fender 5 strings. It's decent but not Ideal. Then I bought from a fellow TBer a USA JO5 and it is pretty awesome, the only problem is the 35" scale again is something I'm not in love with although I can deal with it, otherwise a perfect bass.

So this naturally leads me to an LG5 34" scale 5 string with that early 60s tone. What has really held me back is that I hesitate to buy new without playing it first as I take a big hit on the back end of the "trial period" and a long wait time. Secondly when Jimmy was in NYC and I went to the shop I wasn't in love with the basses, at least the ones he had at the time that I was able to play they were ok but not what I was hoping for in terms of the perfect feel and tone. NO LG5 around at the time BTW...

What do you guys think?

I think you should try an actual LG-5 before you buy.....it's quite a bit different than any other A-C......I know the odds are really against you but that's one very expensive mistake you could be making......... if you didn't dig the feel and tone, then you might not dig an LG-5........I put it up against a '62 someone was selling in Philly and we both agreed that it sounded the LG could have been made in the same factory a week later..............it gets the vibe that is the 60s to me, but to you it could be something different..........you seem to like your Lakland....maybe an Alder/Rosewood JO5 with custom wound Fralins (maybe if he took a peak at a set out of yours, he could get close enough for you.......I heard that this has been done......)...?

 

[Vic]

What case are you refering to?

The rigid case in your post with the picture of the 4 string AC in it.

 

[flash99]

Theres obviously some scumbag out there with my bass and I'm out of pocket. But I've also realised that there are some very good people out there who have gone out of their way to help me. I just wanted to say thanks.

Mat

Mat,

I'm going to alert all the stores in NYC just in case. I have other pictures if you want them and I can identify some "under the hood" things about that bass if it ever becomes necessary. I hope it's located - I'm pissed - that was a great bass.

 

[Tendollarcat]

Mat,

I'm going to alert all the stores in NYC just in case. I have other pictures if you want them and I can identify some "under the hood" things about that bass if it ever becomes necessary. I hope it's located - I'm pissed - that was a great bass.

Thanks Matt,

I appreciate you keeping an eye out for it. It's a fantastic bass. Easily the best neck I have ever played. The B0011 serial number makes it immediately identifiable and I'm still hopeful it will show up. If it gets found and then comes down to a dispute on who owns it, I'll definitely get in touch with you.

It was pretty hard to convey to the shipping company that they hadn't just lost "some guitar". The manager of the company contacted me today to discuss lodging a compensation claim and thats been done although they have the hide to say there are "no guarantees" they will pay me. Even if that gets approved and I get cash back, it's a pretty hollow result.

Mat

 

[MichiBass]

The rigid case in your post with the picture of the 4 string AC in it.

Yes, this case :

 

[BASSKADET]

Yes, this case :

I didn't get this case when I bought the bass. I got Jimmy's standard gig bag.
But Simon told me That it is a Road Runner Polyfoam case. There're $60 at GC

 

[KJung]

I think you should try an actual LG-5 before you buy.....it's quite a bit different than any other A-C......

+1 I misread his original post and thought that he had played one and really didn't dig it. While I don't hear a massive amount of difference between my LM5 and the LG5 that Mikebass had for a while, the LG5 was just a touch fatter down low, and a little less aggressive in the upper mids, which you would expect given the pickup placement and wood differences. However, it surely was not night and day, and they both sounded like nice vintage Fenders, with my LM being just a touch brighter and punchier, and the LG being just a touch warmer, fatter, and smoother up top.

 

[peterpalmieri]

+1 I misread his original post and thought that he had played one and really didn't dig it. While I don't hear a massive amount of difference between my LM5 and the LG5 that Mikebass had for a while, the LG5 was just a touch fatter down low, and a little less aggressive in the upper mids, which you would expect given the pickup placement and wood differences. However, it surely was not night and day, and they both sounded like nice vintage Fenders, with my LM being just a touch brighter and punchier, and the LG being just a touch warmer, fatter, and smoother up top.

At the time I went into his shop he had two 4 sting j basses and an older used P.

Anyone on long Island around tha I could try out your LG5?

 

[KJung]

At the time I went into his shop he had two 4 sting j basses and an older used P.

Anyone on long Island around tha I could try out your LG5?

What model were the 4 strings? If they have rosewood boards, they were most likely the LG model, and should sound pretty much identical to the LG5 you are considering. I guess the 4 string models are called 'standard 4s' or something like that, but I think they are basically '4 string LG5's'.

 

[tommixx]

What model were the 4 strings? If they have rosewood boards, they were most likely the LG model, and should sound pretty much identical to the LG5 you are considering. I guess the 4 string models are called 'standard 4s' or something like that, but I think they are basically '4 string LG5's'.

You are correct sir! The Maple Boarded 4 I think was called a Modern 4...

Peace,

T

 

[peterpalmieri]

You are correct sir! The Maple Boarded 4 I think was called a Modern 4...

Peace,

T

They were maple boards, I don't remember the model off hand. I am really an alder rosewood kind of guy.

To be clear I didn't dislike them at all I just wasn't blown away at the time. Keep in mind he had a small I think Aguilar set up in the store front at the time nothing else.

Thanks for your thoughts guys.

And Ken BTW if I could get a 34" scale 5 string USA JO I would probably go that route. There doesn't seem to be a ton of choice in the 34" 5 string j bass market. At least from my research on a more vintage tone type instrument.

 

[KJung]

They were maple boards, I don't remember the model off hand. I am really an alder rosewood kind of guy.

To be clear I didn't dislike them at all I just wasn't blown away at the time. Keep in mind he had a small I think Aguilar set up in the store front at the time nothing else.

Thanks for your thoughts guys.

And Ken BTW if I could get a 34" scale 5 string USA JO I would probably go that route. There doesn't seem to be a ton of choice in the 34" 5 string j bass market. At least from my research on a more vintage tone type instrument.

+1 One of the reasons I dig the Alleva's and Sadowsky basses so much. I hope you get a chance to try an LG5. I'll tell you what, they sound so much like a passive, old Fender it's amazing. I don't know what he does with that preamp, but it's about as subtle as anything I ever heard. It's more like having a passive bass that happens to have some tone controls versus what most would consider an 'active' bass tone.

 

[Vic]

+1 I misread his original post and thought that he had played one and really didn't dig it. While I don't hear a massive amount of difference between my LM5 and the LG5 that Mikebass had for a while, the LG5 was just a touch fatter down low, and a little less aggressive in the upper mids, which you would expect given the pickup placement and wood differences. However, it surely was not night and day, and they both sounded like nice vintage Fenders, with my LM being just a touch brighter and punchier, and the LG being just a touch warmer, fatter, and smoother up top.

+1

I also want to emphasize "not night and day". I directly compared a DN board'd (alder body) LG5 to a maple board'd (ash body) LM5 and the difference was subtle... more-so than I expected even.

While I did notice a little more in the upper mids like Ken says, and ironically, while I typically also prefer that myself, I didn't hear the diffs between the basses as a positive for the LM, such as; "the LM is like an LG but with more aggressive mids". To my ears, it felt more like a negative from the LG to the LM such as; "the LM is like an LG, but missing something in the low end" (IMHO!!). This is the exact opposite of the way I predicted I'd feel about them before playing them.

Here's the weird part... normally I don't go as much for the more vintage/older J tones, but there's just something really special about the way Jimmy has "perfected" that tone genre that absolutely compelled me to get one. It'll very likely be the only bass I own in its tone class, and I'll probably play it more than I normally would a bass in that tone class. They're just great basses.

Thing is, take this with a BIG grain of salt. I've only played ONE of each kind of bass, and I believe Jimmy's basses have a relatively high degree of individuality, so even within a specific model, there could be some noticeable variance... i.e. it's entirely possible Ken's LM could be different enough to yield other results with me.

 

[KJung]

+1

I also want to emphasize "not night and day". I directly compared a DN board'd (alder body) LG5 to a maple board'd (ash body) LM5 and the difference was subtle... more-so than I expected even.

While I did notice a little more in the upper mids like Ken says, and ironically, while I typically also prefer that myself, I didn't hear the diffs between the basses as a positive for the LM, such as; "the LM is like an LG but with more aggressive mids". To my ears, it felt more like a negative from the LG to the LM such as; "the LM is like an LG, but missing something in the low end" (IMHO!!). This is the exact opposite of the way I predicted I'd feel about them before playing them.

Thing is, take this with a BIG grain of salt. I've only played ONE of each kind of bass, and I believe Jimmy's basses have a relatively high degree of individuality, so even within a specific model, there could be some noticeable variance... i.e. it's entirely possible Ken's LM could be different enough to yield other results with me.

I would agree with this in general. While I just love that upper mid growl of my LM, which I didn't really hear in the LG, I do typically roll in about 20% on the bass boost. My LM with that slight bass boost resulted in a similar low end to Mikebass's old LG set totally flat.

I could be VERY happy with an LG (and use my Sadowsky RV and MV's pretty much interchangeably). There is a difference though, but I love them all

 

[CelinderMotoMan]

Anyone interested in trading their 4 string AC for my Celinder Update 4? It"s the only Geddy Lee Celinder in existance.
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Celinder pickups, Celinder preamp, 34" scale. To my knowledge the only black block/binding that Chris has ever done (if not it"s at least the first). I may send it to Austin Bass Traders to sale, I thought I 'd put feelers out here first.

 

[DrGroovenstein]

Not really the right thread for feelers, try the For Sale forum.

 

[Andy Brown]

Only about 3 more months til LG-5 time!

 

[Vic]

Only about 3 more months til LG-5 time!

Hey, that might be true for me too!