Club Alleva Coppolo (Part V)

[svtb15]

You know.. honestly i was thinking the same thing minutes after i swapped out for the new pickup,,,
I really mean that...
Thank you Ken...

That P Bass is the first (OK, maybe the second) P Bass that makes Ken want a P Bass

 

[svtb15]

Do you have Flats on yours? if so which ones?
BTW.. very pretty bass!!

Does this one help?

Dan K.

 

[narud]

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!

im with you on this one. im a picky mf'r and even without knowing the price difference of the dn board, i preferred the sound of the bass i played with the indian board (andrews bass vs tommixx's bass)

 

[svtb15]

exactly. +1

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!

 

[esoxhntr]

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

!

Agreed 100%. After having had a KPB5 with DN board, and having played basses55's LG5 with the DN board, my take is that there is a bit more of a difference in feel than in sound. You won't notice much of a difference either way, but only very picky ears will hear a sonic difference, and if you play mostly live it won't really matter. Don't let the Indian Rosewood neck stop you from buying an Alleva Coppolo - I have three (all great instruments) and not one has DN.

 

[mothra2]

im with you on this one. im a picky mf'r and even without knowing the price difference of the dn board, i preferred the sound of the bass i played with the indian board (andrews bass vs tommixx's bass)

Interesting, could you expound upon that impression with any details you might recall?

 

[Andrew Jones]

Before that comparison comes forth I'd like to say.......



I think the main reason why my white bass sounds so good is the body. Jimmy told me it was built from a piece of alder that was "very old and dry" before it got misplaced and forgotten about on the BOTTOM of the wood pile.It was found when Jimmy was packing up the shop.I don't know what kind of time span that is but I assume many years.


Now of course it's just one piece of the puzzle. I do think that bass has the character of Indian rosewood. I also want to say that Indian in general sounds great and looks spectacular,I'm just saying that when Jimmy was telling me about how great this bass was,that was where his story centered,the body.


Please though I'd love to read the details about the comparison.

 

[Bernie Connors]

Wow this is just a beautiful bass!

Thanks!! Just one of a bunch of amazing basses in these threads.

 

[narud]

Before that comparison comes forth I'd like to say.......



I think the main reason why my white bass sounds so good is the body. Jimmy told me it was built from a piece of alder that was "very old and dry" before it got misplaced and forgotten about on the BOTTOM of the wood pile.It was found when Jimmy was packing up the shop.I don't know what kind of time span that is but I assume many years.


Now of course it's just one piece of the puzzle. I do think that bass has the character of Indian rosewood. I also want to say that Indian in general sounds great and looks spectacular,I'm just saying that when Jimmy was telling me about how great this bass was,that was where his story centered,the body.


Please though I'd love to read the details about the comparison.

the white one just sounded more alive to me. i took my own rig in there so that i would be more comfortable assessing what i was hearing. im used to what my own slab board 62 sounds like and before that bass i owned a 65 and a 66. the 65 shared the same tonal qualities of the 62. very similar. the 66 was a bit more aggressive with hotter pickups. the low mids were bigger in that bass.

the white one reminded me more of my fender than the sunburst. it was my favorite bass of his i played in the shop that day. so, imo a dn board isnt necessarily going to get you into pre-cbsville and therefor isnt something id ever pay the upcharge for.

 

[FunkMasterJono]

My take on it and bare in mind Ive only had a short time with an Indian RW LG on a gig. And the big but - Im not in the same league as most of the guys here! So I dont know if Im right or completely wrong.

The Indian is brighter and for me is how a really really top end Jazz should sound these days. Thats a without seeming stereotypical and offensive, its how a Jazz Bass should always sound to my ears. Its bright, lively yet still maintaining a hell of a lot of depth within that bass.

The DN is a completely different beast. As has been already said, it just feels different. Softer and more forgiving on the fretting hand. It just sounds old! Its just a darker and warmer sound than anything Ive ever played before yet its still incredibly focused and has an underlying brightness to it. My EQ is now turned off on my Pre, my live soundie runs my channel flat. I dont know if thats an accurate description of it but I love the bass.

I think the main thing is, any of the boards that Jimmy offers on any of the basses he builds are going to sound incredible and this thread is probably a testament to how people feel about his basses.
It all depends on what your chasing and how much your wanting to spend but you wont be disappointed on any option you choose. My reasoning behind getting DN was simple - I just wanted a similar bass to Paul Turners but its pretty much a case of too much money, not enough sense or talent!!

 

[biggreddbass]

Hey Mitch ...
I went back to the shop & played you bass today.
All I can say is ... I like it ... I like it.
I did, however, determine today that overall, I am not a huge fan of the RA5's. The alder with 70's spacing vibe just doesn't move me as much as I thought it would. This explains why I was so unhappy with the RA5 that Jimmy made for me in the fall.
I also played a natural ash/rosewood 70's spacing that just knocked me out.
It was pretty heavy ... maybe 10 or 11 lbs, but DAMN ... that bass sounded great ...
For those KPB4 fans, today is the day that Jimmy assembled the first ever maple board P4. It is trans white and has the Jamerson set of Labella Flats. I'm not a maple board fan, but that bass is smokin'!!!
AND ... it sounds sooooo old already.
That's all for today Copolohoics

 

[Dan Knowlton]

so, is it worth to get the indian rosewood board kbp4?

I have a KPB-5 and a LG-5 with a non-dalbergia boards and they just kill - DON"T WORRY! IT WILL SOUND GREAT - MINE DOES (well, at least as well as my poor playing lets them!).

Dan K.

 

[Dan Knowlton]

Do you have Flats on yours? if so which ones?
BTW.. very pretty bass!!

Yep, TI flats - they just sound soooooooooo (you get the idea) good!

Dan K.

 

[tommixx]

My take on it and bare in mind Ive only had a short time with an Indian RW LG on a gig. And the big but - Im not in the same league as most of the guys here! So I dont know if Im right or completely wrong.

The Indian is brighter and for me is how a really really top end Jazz should sound these days. Thats a without seeming stereotypical and offensive, its how a Jazz Bass should always sound to my ears. Its bright, lively yet still maintaining a hell of a lot of depth within that bass.

The DN is a completely different beast. As has been already said, it just feels different. Softer and more forgiving on the fretting hand. It just sounds old! Its just a darker and warmer sound than anything Ive ever played before yet its still incredibly focused and has an underlying brightness to it. My EQ is now turned off on my Pre, my live soundie runs my channel flat. I dont know if thats an accurate description of it but I love the bass.

I think the main thing is, any of the boards that Jimmy offers on any of the basses he builds are going to sound incredible and this thread is probably a testament to how people feel about his basses.
It all depends on what your chasing and how much your wanting to spend but you wont be disappointed on any option you choose. My reasoning behind getting DN was simple - I just wanted a similar bass to Paul Turners but its pretty much a case of too much money, not enough sense or talent!!

I think this pretty much nails it as I see it to. The Indian is a bit more percussive which will make it seem more alive and it is definitely a bit brighter and not as warm. The Dalbergia feels and sounds softer. It is a bit darker and more full overall where the Indian is very even but more resonant with the tone (off the neck) sounding a bit more higher focused than the Dalbergia. To me the Dalbergia responds quicker to anything you do with your hands (left or right) and the notes just leap off the bass. The Indian note does not bloom quite as fast but the attack of the note is very crisp and snappy. Keep in mind that this is close listening to the fretboard itself. Listening to the 2 basses plugged in the sound differences become much more convoluted and the rest of the bass comes into the equation as well as the Preamp and electronics. Ultimately I could (and do!) love either one but the Dalbergia has a better "feel" to me and the added warmth is a plus for me as well. I like the slap sound of the Indian better because it does snap better and it has considerably more natural bite when popped....Hope that helps!

Peace,

T

 

[Bernie Connors]

Hey Mitch ...
I went back to the shop & played you bass today.
All I can say is ... I like it ... I like it.
I did, however, determine today that overall, I am not a huge fan of the RA5's. The alder with 70's spacing vibe just doesn't move me as much as I thought it would. This explains why I was so unhappy with the RA5 that Jimmy made for me in the fall.
I also played a natural ash/rosewood 70's spacing that just knocked me out.
It was pretty heavy ... maybe 10 or 11 lbs, but DAMN ... that bass sounded great ...
For those KPB4 fans, today is the day that Jimmy assembled the first ever maple board P4. It is trans white and has the Jamerson set of Labella Flats. I'm not a maple board fan, but that bass is smokin'!!!
AND ... it sounds sooooo old already.
That's all for today Copolohoics

Ash/Maple, I'm assuming? I've been wondering for awhile if Jimmy would do that. Very cool!

 

[Andrew Jones]

I even asked...not long ago about a P bass that looked like the 57.

2 tone burst,maple, gold pick guard I wanted a 1.5 nut though.



Aj

 

[peterpalmieri]

I wonder if anyone can characterize the Honduran rosewood and place it in context with DN, Indian and Brazilian...

 

[narud]

I wonder if anyone can characterize the Honduran rosewood and place it in context with DN, Indian and Brazilian...

dn is brazillian.

 

[peterpalmieri]

dn is brazillian.

Sure but.....what Jimmy is/was selling as DN by many accounts is different from what other builders refer to as Brazilian, correct?

In any case there has been a nice discussion of Brazilian/DN and Indian, Honduran was left out of the discussion. I purchased my A-C preowned but the original order was for Old Growth Honduran which was an upcharge from the standard Indian board. I'm just curious where it fits in.

 

[KJung]

Sure but.....what Jimmy is/was selling as DN by many accounts is different from what other builders refer to as Brazilian, correct?

In any case there has been a nice discussion of Brazilian/DN and Indian, Honduran was left out of the discussion. I purchased my A-C preowned but the original order was for Old Growth Honduran which was an upcharge from the standard Indian board. I'm just curious where it fits in.

I think the huge upcharge for the Brazilian (DN) is that it is true Brazilian RW that was cut long ago (before the ban and lack of availability). I guess, according to the Fender experts on this thread, it's what was used in the earliest Fenders, and hence is the most 'accurate' true 'pre CBS' type thing if you are a fanatic about that.

I have seen the Brazilian RW that Carey Nordstrand uses, and it is simply amazing also. My understanding is that there is now some 'real' Brazilian RW available again, and it comes from old stumps that are being harvested. I think his upcharge was $100!

I played the bass you have (as you know), and the Honduran looks, feels, and as far as I can tell, sounds similar to the Indian RW I have on my bass. It feels hard and has a nice, quick but warm tone, with plenty of top end. The Brazilian I had on my Nordy and the Madagascar (don't quite know where that fits it... it's very red in color) I have on my Sadowksy RV both felt oilier, softer, and had more of a give to the feel, and maybe a touch softer attack (based on a small sample). I have never played the DN though.