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Club Alleva Coppolo (Part V)

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#962
I have a question about the 1600s.

I get the LMs, they are true to Fender 60s basses (alder, rosewood, 60s pickup positions). I get the LGs too, they are true to Fender 70s basses (ash, maple, 70s pickup positions).

But the 1600s... are 1600 modern Js instead of Vintage oriented?

I ask that because the 1600s have the exotic tops, but mostly because they have 70s positioning when their woods are more closely associated with 60s (alder + rosewood).

Does that mean that tonally they aren't targeted at being vintage as well?

I've been listening to recordings made with Jason's (BiggReddBass) "Heartbreaker" 1600, and it sounds wonderful. It is hard for me to place though. It's slap tone sounds ash + maple to me, and to other bass players I've had listen to it, but finger style, it sounds like a warmer, somewhat pillowy 70s bass to me.

Then again, I don't trust my ears anymore because I've had hearing loss in the upper frequencies in my old age!

Do I have the 1600s pegged right? If not, please straighten me out. What else should I know?
 
#964
1600 are totally vintage sounding with fancy tops and up charge fret boards..70's position gives her more punch and cutting mids when the bridge is soloed...
My LG with DN has a slap sound closer to maple than my 1600 which is more typical alder-rosewood...
 
#965
Andrew Jones said:
Lunp the 4 strings and five string pairs together IE LM5 and Modern are kinda a pair with unintuitive names.

Same goes for LG5 and standard 4
Click to expand...
So are you saying that an LM5 is the 5 string version of the "Modern 4", and the LG5 is the 5 string version of the "Standard 4"?

If so then you are 100% correct, that is not intuitive naming, but if that's what is going on, then at least I get the product line now.

After all, there is no such thing as a "Modern 5" or an LM4, is there?

And there is no such thing as a "Standard 5" or an LG4.

I see. So, to summarize it in another way:

60s Vibe (alder + rosewood + 60s positions):
__ Standard 4
__ LG-5

70s Vibe (ash + maple + 70s positions):
__ Modern 4
__ LM-5

70-72 Vibe (alder + maple + 70s positions?):
__ RA4
__ RA5

Hybrid 60s & 70s, still with vintage vibe (alder + rosewood + 70s positions):
__ 1600

Pbass vibe:
__ KB-4
__ KB-5
 
#968
jonno1707 said:
RA4 and 5's are not departures they are focused on the early 70's Alder/maple Fenders...
Click to expand...
Right, I just read that. Thanks. I'll edit that post to reflect this. Thanks again.

So, does THIS demystify and correctly summarize the Alleva Coppolo "product positioning"?

60s Vibe (alder + rosewood + 60s positions):
__ [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
__ [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

70s Vibe (ash + maple + 70s positions):
__ Invalid Link Removed
__ [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

70-72 Vibe (alder + maple + 70s positions?):
__ [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
__ [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Hybrid 60s & 70s Vibe, tweaked vintage tone with a boutique look (alder + rosewood + 70s positions):
__ [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Pbass vibe:
__ [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
__ [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Are they going to split this club thread again before we get a NAMM report?
 
#969
That looks pretty good as far as I can tell. Something along those lines would be nice when the next chapter opens so anyone new can see it.

I went through a similar process, hopefully Jimmy's new website will demystify for the average guy a little better...
 
#970
peterpalmieri said:
That looks pretty good as far as I can tell. Something along those lines would be nice when the next chapter opens so anyone new can see it.

I went through a similar process, hopefully Jimmy's new website will demystify for the average guy a little better...
Click to expand...
Right. I'll repost it in the next chapter.

I cannot overstate how important understanding this has been.

More than once I've decided to pass on an Alleva Coppolo, not wanting to make an expensive mistake... but now I can see which bass should hit which target.

Phew!
 
#971
Tom7 said:
Right. I'll repost it in the next chapter.

I cannot overstate how important understanding this has been.

More than once I've decided to pass on an Alleva Coppolo, not wanting to make an expensive mistake... but now I can see which bass should hit which target.

Phew!
Click to expand...

Of course!

Now I'll throw a wrench in the works, my LG5 which was originally built for Tommix and seems to have been played by a dozen guys on TB including the outspoken Mikebass and Kjung...

Well my bass has a honduran rosewood fingerboard (Dalbergia Stevensonii I believe) and it somehow sits halfway between a 60s and 70s in the tone department. It is an incredible instrument but it does defy conventional wisdom.
 
#973
Actually he teamed up with steve jobs and has developed the New iBass.. with a click wheel in the center of the body.. By rotating the wheel with your finger and holding the play button, you get to sound the note. it also is wireless so you can get bass videos from youtube and it plays mp3s..
:smug:


Tom7 said:
You're close. The REAL reason Jimmy moved to California was so he could be closer to Apple and license their new manufacturing technology. Now, instead of building a bass out of several different components, Alleva Coppolo has the capability of stamping an entire product out of a single brick of aluminum.

Not only will the new one piece aluminum basses never require truss rod adjustments, but they will keep your food fresh for days. :p
Click to expand...
 
#975
peterpalmieri said:
Of course!

Now I'll throw a wrench in the works, my LG5 which was originally built for Tommix and seems to have been played by a dozen guys on TB including the outspoken Mikebass and Kjung...

Well my bass has a honduran rosewood fingerboard (Dalbergia Stevensonii I believe) and it somehow sits halfway between a 60s and 70s in the tone department. It is an incredible instrument but it does defy conventional wisdom.
Click to expand...
I believe it.

As hard as excellence is to attain, consistency is impossible.

On a different (but related) topic, I've heard recordings of two different 1600s now, and am struck by their differences. One is an edgier 60s in fingerstyle tone, while the other strikes me as a softer 70s.

Before I heard these recordings I was philosophically conflicted by 1600s... they seemed to defeat the very purpose of Alleva Coppolo basses: to be era true vintage basses.

But hearing a couple of 1600s has changed my mind. What intrigues me most about them might be that the right set of circumstances could theoretically produce a very versatile vintage bass.
 
#976
Tom7 said:
I believe it.

As hard as excellence is to attain, consistency is impossible.

On a different (but related) topic, I've heard recordings of two different 1600s now, and am struck by their differences. One is an edgier 60s in fingerstyle tone, while the other strikes me as a softer 70s.

Before I heard these recordings I was philosophically conflicted by 1600s... they seemed to defeat the very purpose of Alleva Coppolo basses: to be era true vintage basses.

But hearing a couple of 1600s has changed my mind. What intrigues me most about them might be that the right set of circumstances could theoretically produce a very versatile vintage bass.
Click to expand...


I thought the 1600 was just an Alleva with a fancy top. I would guess if you spec a 1600 with an alder body and RW board, it would sound like an LG (or an LG with the pickups in 70's position, or whatever). There aren't many players nor luthiers who feel a thin top wood veneer impacts the tone.

I'm with you though, as beautiful as they are, they just don't really fit in with the 'vintage' vibe that Jimmy is going for. I would not spend the extra money to get that AAAA cap on a bass designed and manufactured to be as close to a 'vintage' bass as one could get. Just IMO there!
 
#980
peterpalmieri said:
Come on Tom spill the beans, you've been hovering for a while now, which way are you leaning? You gonna buy one of the used ones up in the classifieds or order new? What are your preferences?

We're all waiting.....:D
Click to expand...
[Laughing!]

While it would probably be smarter if I waited until I saw what new things NAMM has to offer, that's not what I'm waiting for.

I was serious when I wrote earlier that not understanding the whole Alleva Coppolo pecking order was stopping me from buying so I didn't make an expensive mistake.

Now that I FINALLY feel like I have a grasp on that, I feel like I am starting over.

It is FAR more likely I'd get a used from classifieds than new though... safe investment at those prices.
 
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