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Club Alleva Coppolo

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#226
Here's A question to all the owners and soon-to-be owners:.......Do you have a name for your A-C bass? What is it and why? I have a name for mine already.Lucy. It was my Mom's nickname. She bought me my first bass when I was a kid and she sold her car just so I could go to Berklee. Just a few of the many awesome things she did for me.... I dedicate all my playing to her........
 
#232
Roscoe5 said:
Can someone describe the tone and feel of an AC-5 compared to some basses I am familiar with such as Sadowsky MV5's, Celinder Update, Nordstrand Nordy's? They sure look sweet and I like the glowing feedback everyone seems to give Jimmy.

I am also intrigued since high profile players like Paul Turner are using AC basses.

PS: If Ken is giving his AC more playing time than his mind blowing Celinder, that also speaks volumes!
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I guess you love the vintage sound too.
KJung has alot more experiences with the basses you stated.
But............. I would like to speak my mind that is somewhat related to it. It seems the word vintage has a few meanings to it. Its like everything relative to instruments goes around like the big handle of a clock. You start at 12 and as the big handle turns so does the instrument with better woods, neck design, electronics, scale length, bright switches, sub bottom switches, instrument weight, exotic woods, Instruments made not using wood, exotic designs, exotic shapes, exotic colors, number of strings, etc etc and then the big handle hits 12 again and alot of bassist are looking for that vintage sound. They will say I want the big fat sound of the vintage fenders or gibsons or even ampeg. Only thing is the little handle is on one oclock, so therefore it will never be exactly the same. Why is it that so many want that vintage tone and sound? That big fat sound of the vintage fenders or gibson or even ampeg?
Roger Sadowsky really had it going on. In the big studio days of the 70's and early 80's as a bass/guitar tech and one of the best creates a Bass that has all the mordern electronics and makes a vintage/modern bass. hmmm Vintage/Modern.
Well maybe a tweeked fender, ...... or a new type of fender,..............Hey, A FENDER ON STEROIDS. Wasn't that what many were saying? Not a bad thing. Not a bad thing at all. I have a NYC Sadowsky with single coiled PU's and it sounds great. Really does. Is its a mordern take on a fender. Or is it a tweeked fender? Or is that the same? Im not sure anymore because vintage right now is big. And Roger knew what he was doing at a time when players like Marcus (making his 70's fender active) and Will Lee needed. Roger carries on his tradition to today and to me he is pretty successful at it.
Now we have Jimmy Coppolo. To me I suggest Jimmy move his shop in the old fender factory and continue making his basses. You think Im kidding but im not. It would be a good sales point and he is really got it on with the word vintage. Can't say enough how vintage it is.
But what is really vintage. Keep in mind Fender had no idea before starting that alder or maple would produce different sounds. What theory created a 34 inch scale? So much that even today its a standard length, at least to 4 strings and most 5's. I don't know. But to me it sounds great.
I think both Jimmy and Roger understand what the vintage sound means. Although they are both different in alot of ways they are close in others. I knew Jimmy when he was at 1600 Broadway. Did a fret job on my MusicMan that is incredible. Although he never mentioned it to me but I think his 1600 series bass is out of respect to Roger who also had his shop there before moving to Brooklyn. Both basses are incredible, Rogers being a mordern take on a vintage sound and Jimmys making a vintage sound in a modern world.
So what is vintage?
 
#236
Sean Baumann said:
Oh man, what to order what to order. LG or LM. I know neither will be exactly like my Sadowsky, but I also want it to be different enough.
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Either one will be very, very different from your Sadowsky, so I wouldn't sweat it too much:) Obviously the alder/RW with 60's pickup placement of the LG will be a little more mellow and fat, and the ash/maple with 70's position of the LM will have a little more bite, but the LM has nothing to do with modern tone or 'Marcus active sizzle'... it's very warm and organic also.

Since you went the ash/maple route on the Sadowsky, it seems the LG might be the ticket if you want to get as far into that 'passive vintage' type tone as you can get, versus the much more updated, active, modern Sadowsky vibe.
 
#238
Sean Baumann said:
Yeah good idea. Hrm wish I could play an LG and LM to hear the difference for myself. Granted, my sadowsky is swamp ash and the AC is hard ash right?
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Correct, but that's not the defining difference. The pre and pickups are a totally different vibe from the Sadowsky. Again, the Sadowsky sounds like a Sadowsky, the LM (I have not played the LG) sounds like the 'best Fender ever' IMO... both great but very, very different. Compared to the Sadowsky J with standard humbucking pickups, much more warmth, growl, grit and grind, and not as much deep low end or modern treble response.

The one Sadowsky J I've played with Nord single coils moved a little closer to the A-C/'true vintage' sort of vibe, but not much... still more 'Sadowsky' than 'Fenderish' to my ear (it sounded GREAT, though!).

Also, as a warning, that 10" radius on the A-C feels REALLY different from the 12" on the Sadowsky.
 
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