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I find the preferences for bent plate bridges fairly interesting. It's the only part on my AC that I dislike. I wanted a bass that pulls off vintage warmth and tone and I have the ultimate PBass version of that - theres no doubt about that. The bass itself and all other hardware is phenomenal.
The bridge is obviously authentic and I totally understand Jimmys thinking on having it on his basses. But in my opinion, it's modelled on the part most commonly replaced on Fender basses due to it being a bit cheap and crappy
I'm in the process of putting on a Badass II bridge. I'll let you know how it goes.
If yours is a 5 string, I'll trade you my stock hipshot bridge!
svtb15
Inactive
- Mar 22, 2004
- 13,004
- 4,741
- Disclosures
- I play it all. Whatever works for the gig. Q+
Thank you Bernie.. I am real proud of this baby...and i love to show jimmys work off.. he does some real nice work..
My Alleva P5 slightly worn in.With Dalbergia Negra fingerboard / Poly Piano Black alder body / Bent Plate bridge... today
WOW!
svtb15
Inactive
- Mar 22, 2004
- 13,004
- 4,741
- Disclosures
- I play it all. Whatever works for the gig. Q+
I wrote Jimmy about it, about what a nice piece of wood he selected for me.. to me the Dalbergia sounds slightly warmer.. yet it is more focused...at least in this one instance compared to my Indian board.... you would almost think being warmer would mean less focused.. but this is focused and think it works well on the P..... I did say it is warm but that doesn't mean it is not bright.... becasue it is bright too.. Bright and warm too?? Good Bright not clacky bright....that is what it seems to me...Im not as good as others are here in describing the slight differences... Tommixx is pretty good at it as well as Kjung
More than the sound is the way it feels. I really like the way it feels.. it is tighter grained than the Indian RW on my other bass.. so it feels a little smoother.. others may feel differently .. They are both great.. in fact i love the way the indian works on the LG. but the Dalbergia is just a treat...
I think sound is so subjective as is feel. .but if i like the way something feels, it really makes me play more and it inspires me... it mean more to me,even more than if it sounds great....the DB feels real nice and sound great too...
More than the sound is the way it feels. I really like the way it feels.. it is tighter grained than the Indian RW on my other bass.. so it feels a little smoother.. others may feel differently .. They are both great.. in fact i love the way the indian works on the LG. but the Dalbergia is just a treat...
I think sound is so subjective as is feel. .but if i like the way something feels, it really makes me play more and it inspires me... it mean more to me,even more than if it sounds great....the DB feels real nice and sound great too...
+1 all around! Kirk you really got it! I feel the same way. The Dalbergia is a very intangible thing to me. I do not know the best way to describe it myself but I totally agree that it is a "feel" thing for me to. There is a "life" to every note that comes off the Dalbergia. You are also right about the brightness. There is a clarity and a brightness that is not harsh or clacky at all. I find that even with the onboard all the way up it never gets over the top and it never gets brash. I have the same thing with my Sadowsky outboard which I find to be a little more brittle at the extreme boost level. The Sadowsky outboard sounds very smooth at all levels and adds a modern touch to the Alleva that is very nice and not so subtle sounding to me. I have found the Dalbergia boarded Alleva to be much easier to "play" than any other bass I have ever owned. My right hand does not need to work nearly as hard as it does on anything else I play. My left hand does need to work a bit harder because the bass responds instantly and completely to EVERY SINGLE movement that I make with my hands. To me this is a good thing. When I slide notes or play ghost notes or a harmonic they jump off the board. I don't have to work as hard to get them to come out with authority. I LOVE how this bass tracks. VERY even and it requires NO compression at all live and I find that I use much less compression recorded and only then because recorded music has gotten to the point where there are NO dynamics left....
I really don't think that anyone who has not played one of these boards could ever really read between the lines here and get a sense of what it is really like to play a bass like these. I have wrestled and wrestled with the fact that there are no more of these to be had and I would hate to think that this is the case. I have put mine up for sale and then taken it down and put it back up several times now. I honestly don't know of ANYBODY who is making ANYTHING even close to what Jimmy is doing. I mean that sincerely. I have a great deal of respect for a number of other builders out there especially Roger Sadowsky and Dan Lakin but I have said it before and I will say it again, Jimmy is in a class by himself doing what he is doing. I know several builders who agree with this statement and have said so publicly and privately to me. I honestly can not describe the differences between this bass with Dalbergia and one without in a tangible, measurable way. I have had 4 Allevas, 2 with Dalbergia and both of the Dalbergia boarded basses were this way. That only tells me that it HAS to be something to the Dalbergia itself that makes the difference...How or why or what makes the difference I can't really say. I just KNOW there is a big difference...
After I wrote this I cancelled my For Sale thread on my 3TS....that should be testament enough for some....I said it myself, there are no more of these to be had...I know Jimmy was trying to source some more Dalbergia but I am not going to count on another one. I have the one I have and I won't chance not having one if I can help it.
Peace,
T
It's a 4 string but thanks anyway
The different bridge is also just a bit of an experiment. I'd suggest most players have individual preferences for even the highest of high end instruments.I'm not trying to suggest Jimmy hasn't messed around with bridge configurations and made his decision accordingly. I may even try a Hipshot option too. If it turns out that the original works best for me, I'll be sure to say so. I realise that the stock hardware config of ACs is loved and adored here - otherwise we'd all have very little to talk about.
I cannot conceive of anything that coUld be more detrimental to my financial well-being than a trip to NAMM. I can't understand how you guys do it, I'd be a gibbering, drooling wreck from beginning to end. Thank goodness my job precludes me from ever going.
ALLEVACOPPOHOLICS RULE!!!
Right, that's my thinking as well, but seeing has this is serial number 12, Jimmy has innovated since then and might have different recommendations now than he did then.
Probably the best thing to do is to contact him directly... if I can let that color grow on me a bit more!
Hey Tom, the Tom Barney bass only has 4 control knobs.
It either has an Aguilar preamp or Jimmy's pre without a
passive tone control. Thought you might want to bring that
up if you talk to Jimmy about it.
Man...you gotta have the PTC!!
Dan
Wow this is just a beautiful bass!Woohoo! Way over 4,000 posts dedicated to how great Jimmy's basses are. Let's keep it going!
Hey Tom, the Tom Barney bass only has 4 control knobs.
It either has an Aguilar preamp or Jimmy's pre without a
passive tone control. Thought you might want to bring that
up if you talk to Jimmy about it.
Man...you gotta have the PTC!!
Dan
This bass was built before the PTC was available.
It has a Coppolo preamp.
And ... sounds really freakin' good !!!
My Alleva P5 slightly worn in.With Dalbergia Negra fingerboard / Poly Piano Black alder body / Bent Plate bridge... today
That P Bass is the first (OK, maybe the second) P Bass that makes Ken want a P Bass
That P Bass is the first (OK, maybe the second) P Bass that makes Ken want a P Bass
Does this one help?
Dan K.
hi everyone,
right now, I got a chance to get a A-C kbp4. It comes with the Indian Rosewood baord and Alder body.
but when I come across the last few pages, you guys said the Dalbergia Negra fingerboard is much better.
so, is it worth to get the indian rosewood board kbp4? does the indian rosewood sound bad when compare to Dalbergia Negra?
I know the best way to answer my qustion is to try out the bass, but no chance for me to do so....
I need comments from all of you guys, you guys are experienced
am I need to mention what styles I play? rock and blues most of the time
right now, I got a chance to get a A-C kbp4. It comes with the Indian Rosewood baord and Alder body.
but when I come across the last few pages, you guys said the Dalbergia Negra fingerboard is much better.
so, is it worth to get the indian rosewood board kbp4? does the indian rosewood sound bad when compare to Dalbergia Negra?
I know the best way to answer my qustion is to try out the bass, but no chance for me to do so....
I need comments from all of you guys, you guys are experienced
am I need to mention what styles I play?
rock and blues most of the timehi everyone,
right now, I got a chance to get a A-C kbp4. It comes with the Indian Rosewood baord and Alder body.
but when I come across the last few pages, you guys said the Dalbergia Negra fingerboard is much better.
so, is it worth to get the indian rosewood board kbp4? does the indian rosewood sound bad when compare to Dalbergia Negra?
I know the best way to answer my qustion is to try out the bass, but no chance for me to do so....
I need comments from all of you guys, you guys are experienced
am I need to mention what styles I play?
The standard Indian board is fantastic. The DN boards, if even available any more, will cost you massive dollars as an upgrade. While that board might sound a little different than the wonderful stock Indian RW board (which I have on my LG), it's the rare person who will hear it as $1,500 different
. And, that huge upgrade will make it VERY difficult to sell the bass without taking a huge loss, if it ends up being not for you.As always, I'm not saying the DN boards are not worth it, especially if you are really, really interested in the most vintage vibe you can get. But, for most of us, the Indian board will be better than any RW board you've experienced on a new bass IMO and IME!
The Indian RW boards that Jimmy uses are among the best looking (and sounding if my LG is any guide) that I've heard.
IMO!
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