Club Alleva Coppolo (Part VI)

[svtb15]

Dont forget some baseball bats are made from hard ash.. so that combo doesn't seem so far fetched when i think about stability.

. i bet it would work nice for a neck.. just never tried one yet.

I can't imagine the neck would be quite as stable as a good maple neck though????

 

[KJung]

Dont forget some baseball bats are made from hard ash.. so that combo doesn't seem so far fetched when i think about stability.

. i bet it would work nice for a neck.. just never tried one yet.

I had an ash neck MTD for a while. No stability issues. I can't quite come to terms with it on a J Bass though, especially on one of Jimmy's basses, since he seems to be all about capturing the vintage vibe.

The ash necks I've played did have a pronounced mid impact, especially in the upper mids. I can't imagine wanting more upper mids than on an traditional LM, but I guess there are some that do. I guess if it sounds good, it sounds good!

One thing for sure, that deep grain of the ash really makes the neck feel different. You can really feel the ridges and grooves in the back of the neck. It didn't bother me at all, but was kind of 'different'!

 

[mothra2]

Dont forget some baseball bats are made from hard ash.. so that combo doesn't seem so far fetched when i think about stability.

. i bet it would work nice for a neck.. just never tried one yet.

No...I never suggested far fetched or that ash was soft, just softer than hard maple (which bats are made of also).

 

[narud]

I had an ash neck MTD for a while. No stability issues. I can't quite come to terms with it on a J Bass though, especially on one of Jimmy's basses, since he seems to be all about capturing the vintage vibe.

The ash necks I've played did have a pronounced mid impact, especially in the upper mids. I can't imagine wanting more upper mids than on an traditional LM, but I guess there are some that do. I guess if it sounds good, it sounds good!

One thing for sure, that deep grain of the ash really makes the neck feel different. You can really feel the ridges and grooves in the back of the neck. It didn't bother me at all, but was kind of 'different'!

i played the red ash neck lm through my rig last time i was there. i didnt hear anything that was that radically different from any other lm. what contributed most to the tone imo was the fact that it was a light ash body. the bass was in the 9 pound range i would imagine and sounded much airier and blossoming than the 11 pound transwhite lm he had.

 

[narud]

No...I never suggested far fetched or that ash was soft, just softer than hard maple (which bats are made of also).

jimmy did mention something about ash having soft spots which can be problematic when bolting it to the body. he said he was lucky though and didnt have any on the two ash neck basses.

 

[Bernie Connors]

There's no pic in this thread yet but i've ordered a 4 string version of the NAMM Rootbeer LM.

Now THAT I'm looking forward to seeing! I absolutely love that color!

 

[svtb15]

yeah but some people actually like Alembics.. just joking folks.

Not you though or anyone else in this thread from their profiles.....

I can't imagine wanting more upper mids than on an traditional LM, but I guess there are some that do. I guess if it sounds good, it sounds good!

 

[svtb15]

Oh cool..Im sorry... and i just learned something. .I never know some bats were made from Maple.. .Thank you for that info....

you know, i dont even know if Jimmy is using Hard ash to be honest..there are a few types of ash....I just assumed that it was hard heavy northern ash......

Jason would know that one for sure....

No...I never suggested far fetched or that ash was soft, just softer than hard maple (which bats are made of also).

 

[mothra2]

Oh cool..Im sorry... and i just learned something. .I never know some bats were made from Maple.. .Thank you for that info....

you know, i dont even know if Jimmy is using Hard ash to be honest..there are a few types of ash....I just assumed that it was hard heavy northern ash......

Jason would know that one for sure....

I'm not sure, I hear ref to swamp ash a lot for basses, but I don't know where that falls within the ash family for hardness either.
Interesting build concept though, nonetheless.

 

[svtb15]

I am not a wood expert. .there are guys here that are.. but I have a sadowsky that has a body made of swamp ash.. it is very light... i mean very light.. it is resonant and where the finish on the body has worn through the wood feels soft..
i dont think you would make a neck of swamp ash.... but jason or Jimmy may come in here and let is know..

I'm not sure, I hear ref to swamp ash a lot for basses, but I don't know where that falls within the ash family for hardness either.
Interesting build concept though, nonetheless.

 

[esmtll]

Hi y'all. Not an AC owner (wish I was so often like looking around here) but thought I might comment:

Most ash, both Swamp (Green, Black, Red, just about everything but..) and White (the kind used for baseball bats) are sold and distributed in the common market as "White Ash". Northern Ash is rarely seen since it's so gosh-darn heavy and therefore quite dull. I would suspect that luthiers are a bit more picky about their product and will, rightly so, use and advertise "Swamp" when it is beneficial to do so (such as in 'heavy' basses). Swamp is much lighter because it is rather heterogenous. Lighter, more porous wood sits between the harder grain (those lovely, transparent-finish beautes). Most 50s Fenders that are made of "Ash" use Swamp ash, even if they don't specifically say so--mostly because it was cheaper than both maple and mahogany (it IS one of the most common trees in the Eastern US).

So while it is true that baseball bats and guitars are both made of ash, they're made of two different kinds of ash with two slightly different sets of characteristics--weight being the primary and most important difference. I think, as it seems most of you do, it rather odd to make a neck out of ash (swamp or white) but it's certainly possible from a wood standpoint. Though as svtb15 points out it could be kind of soft. I guess maple and mahogany have just become the standards, for whatever reason, be it aesthetics, feel, ease of cutting (much more shaping, obviously with a neck than in a body) or some other partially arbitrary reason.

 

[KJung]

Hey guys. Just for the heck of it, here are pictures of my favorite rig pairings with my LM and LG. I've been using 410's almost exclusively now for 15 years. However, something about the vintage, organic vibe of these Alleva's just seems to cry out for 12 cabs.

The TecAmp rig is the one I used to record the clips posted earlier on this thread, and the uber clean, tight tone of that rig, and the bit of upper mid growl and glassy top end (if you want it) just does that LM 70's thing almost perfectly to my ear. And, the ridiculously light weight of the s212 (the s212 with Puma head weighs about the same as a single Aguilar DB112!), along with that cool Puma mini rack bag make this about the most schlep worthy rig I've owned that is capable of large, loud gigs I dig the 'retro/modern' look also, with the tolex, the chrome, etc.

The more organic, warm, chewier, fatter low end and mid mids of the Thunderfunk/DB112 stack, along with the more 'relaxed' top end of that rig really takes the LG into 60's vintage territory. And... the Monster Green Tolex looks pretty nice with the old school Surf Green Nitro IMO, and the old school Aguilar script/logo fits the vibe nicely also!

 

[DrGroovenstein]

Awesome!

 

[Tom7]

Hey guys. Just for the heck of it, here are pictures of my favorite rig pairings with my LM and LG. I've been using 410's almost exclusively now for 15 years. However, something about the vintage, organic vibe of these Alleva's just seems to cry out for 12 cabs.

The TecAmp rig is the one I used to record the clips posted earlier on this thread, and the uber clean, tight tone of that rig, and the bit of upper mid growl and glassy top end (if you want it) just does that LM 70's thing almost perfectly to my ear. And, the ridiculously light weight of the s212 (the s212 with Puma head weighs about the same as a single Aguilar DB112!), along with that cool Puma mini rack bag make this about the most schlep worthy rig I've owned that is capable of large, loud gigs I dig the 'retro/modern' look also, with the tolex, the chrome, etc.

The more organic, warm, chewier, fatter low end and mid mids of the Thunderfunk/DB112 stack, along with the more 'relaxed' top end of that rig really takes the LG into 60's vintage territory. And... the Monster Green Tolex looks pretty nice with the old school Surf Green Nitro IMO, and the old school Aguilar script/logo fits the vibe nicely also!

What a good idea, Ken: photos of rigs that match the basses best. Cool.

 

[Wilbyman]

Soylent green, it's made of people.

 

[KJung]

Soylent green, it's made of people.

Soylent green is..... PEEEEEEPUUUUUUL!

Actually, I do wonder what is in that organic nitro finish

 

[puff father]

Hey guys. Just for the heck of it, here are pictures of my favorite rig pairings with my LM and LG. I've been using 410's almost exclusively now for 15 years. However, something about the vintage, organic vibe of these Alleva's just seems to cry out for 12 cabs.

The TecAmp rig is the one I used to record the clips posted earlier on this thread, and the uber clean, tight tone of that rig, and the bit of upper mid growl and glassy top end (if you want it) just does that LM 70's thing almost perfectly to my ear. And, the ridiculously light weight of the s212 (the s212 with Puma head weighs about the same as a single Aguilar DB112!), along with that cool Puma mini rack bag make this about the most schlep worthy rig I've owned that is capable of large, loud gigs I dig the 'retro/modern' look also, with the tolex, the chrome, etc.

The more organic, warm, chewier, fatter low end and mid mids of the Thunderfunk/DB112 stack, along with the more 'relaxed' top end of that rig really takes the LG into 60's vintage territory. And... the Monster Green Tolex looks pretty nice with the old school Surf Green Nitro IMO, and the old school Aguilar script/logo fits the vibe nicely also!

Those rigs look fabulous! So do the basses you're playing through them!

 

[Orlan]

Awesome!

Agreed!!!

Awesome look on those rigs, Ken!

I like every pic of your green Alleva so much (and also the gold one)... Just make the waiting for mine more exciting

 

[GRoberts]

That Aguilar DB stack just loooks SOOOO coool. How does it sound with the Mesa M6? I'll bet that would look cool and sound great too. Although, I realize the TF has a completely different tonal vibe going on where the M6 Carbine is rather 'clean' in its presentation.

Cool Rigs Ken. Cool Basses Ken. You're cool too.

 

[Figjam]

That green alleva is absolutely beautiful. I wish my fender jazz was that color.