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Dream Bass Let-Down

#141
While I’ve never had the itch with Alembics, I’m sure that this being surprisingly underwhelmed by an instrument happens a lot more in this direction than the other way round (of course, as most of us don’t start out on alembic or other top-dollar brands). I’m sure it would happen to me, it happened to me with Ric and even EBMM Sting Rays.

The comparably high price tag (at least alembic) and hard-to-come-byness makes them objects of desire that hang kind of high up on the tree, and once you’re there you realise- well.

Plus, they are kind of special, and stray more or less from the workhorse-jack-of-all-trades thing of Fender P and J.

Best
Sidecar
 
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#142
Eilif said:
In that case it's worth a stop to Chicago Music Exchange if you're ever near Chicago. Still alot of standard Fender's and Gibson's of course but there's so many instruments there that you otherwise would likely only see on Talkbass. It's the only place I've ever seen 5 or more Rickenbacker basses on one wall.
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Yes it sounds amazing, but Chicago is quite a drive from Phoenix :) We're the 6th biggest city in the US but at least as far as I know, all we bass players here have where we can try stuff are small corners of overpriced budget-quality gear at GC and Sam Ash. Sorry in advance for taking this thread seriously off-topic
 
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#144
I had an Alembic for a year-ish or so back in the 90's...same situation, i thought it played like butter but the tone wasn't what I was after at the time, so i sold it. I went on to a Stingray(it was the 90s) 4strg/3-band i bought in 96, it was my #1 for a while back then...but i've never really settled fully on the "Stingray" tone and hardly play it these days. I play on a P or a J most of the time now:)
 
#146
Kevin Teed said:
(First-off I want to state that this has nothing to do with the instrument. It's strictly a personal "feeling".)

Ever since I was a kid seeing pictures of Jones or Entwistle with their Alembics, I considered their basses the absolute tops. Then when they came out with the Distillate, I'd thought that would be the perfect dream bass. They seemed smaller and simpler. I remember my brother bringing the new guitar player mags home with the ads in there and just drooling over them. Unfortunately, the local guitar shops have always been pretty lacking in quality inventory and I'd never been able to actually try one out. Fast-forward 35 years and I finally had the opportunity to take the plunge. The one with the right wood, scale and nut width came up at a time I actually could afford to buy it. It looks, plays and sounds really good ... But ... It doesn't do a thing for me. I've been a Fender and Rickenbacker guy all my life and this just feels too different. I've been playing it every day for a month and I just can't get used to it. I've really tried, but I'm coming to the realization that it's probably just not for me.
Has anyone else gone through something like this?

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First off, have to say.....big difference between buying an Alembic and buying an Alembic made for you.

After that, sometimes its just not right.

I've purchased cars I've dreamed about and the "experience" wasn't what I was hoping for. Sometimes a mod or two will take care of things and that is expected, but major surgery is not.

I love Alembics and I have two but neither of them won me over in the first three months, one took about a year and that was the one that was custom.

Someone mentioned "stiff" and "cold" I'd second that, but can't define. My signal chain ended up being modified and my cabinet configuration changed. The pickups stayed the same, on board electrics were added.

I think, a nebulous term for me, that previous basses had found me making modifications to signal chain and amplification. Why a different bass would be any different really should not surprise me?
 
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#147
Kevin Teed said:
(First-off I want to state that this has nothing to do with the instrument. It's strictly a personal "feeling".)

Ever since I was a kid seeing pictures of Jones or Entwistle with their Alembics, I considered their basses the absolute tops. Then when they came out with the Distillate, I'd thought that would be the perfect dream bass. They seemed smaller and simpler. I remember my brother bringing the new guitar player mags home with the ads in there and just drooling over them. Unfortunately, the local guitar shops have always been pretty lacking in quality inventory and I'd never been able to actually try one out. Fast-forward 35 years and I finally had the opportunity to take the plunge. The one with the right wood, scale and nut width came up at a time I actually could afford to buy it. It looks, plays and sounds really good ... But ... It doesn't do a thing for me. I've been a Fender and Rickenbacker guy all my life and this just feels too different. I've been playing it every day for a month and I just can't get used to it. I've really tried, but I'm coming to the realization that it's probably just not for me.
Has anyone else gone through something like this?

View attachment 3451363
Click to expand...
Same thing happened to me but back in the 70s. I went up to Guitar Center, Hollywood with $1500 in my pocket and I pulled down a couple of the Alembic basses. They just weren’t for me so I made a decision there that my dream bass wasn’t really what I wanted.
 
#149
7A05CB34-1A1A-4C28-B766-E85ADF9CF945.jpeg
I have owned the standard Stingray and swapped for this Classic a couple of years ago. Far slimmer neck profile on these and they have a gloss varnish on the neck too which aids playability.

secondbestcody said:
I wanted a USA Stingray Classic for a few years and finally found a USA SUB Stingray for a decent price. Brought it home and played it but it never sat right with me. It could have been the painted neck, or the string spacing or both. After playing P’s for years I’ve just gotten used to them. Aesthetically, the Stingray is great. Tone wise, also great. For me, playability, not so great. Maybe I need to try one with a SLO neck, idk.
Click to expand...
 
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#150
Lepparda said:
View attachment 3452289 I have owned the standard Stingray and swapped for this Classic a couple of years ago. Far slimmer neck profile on these and they have a gloss varnish on the neck too which aids playability.
Click to expand...

I love the 2 band EQ Stingrays. The less knobs the better. I hated the painted neck on my SUB and I feel like the string spacing was weird. It felt way different from my P’s. If I can find a classic for a good deal I’ll give it another shot.
 
#151
Eilif said:
I remember when the local GC I worked at brought in 2 Alembics (A high end of some sort and a Burner)..
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Are you sure those were Alembics, and not Ken Smiths (KS)? I've never heard of an Alembic Burner, but I do know of the KS Burner.
FollowMeDown said:
I keep thinking that if someone opened a used bass store and filled it only with the kind of enthusiast/pro basses and gear that everyone here is clearly interested in, but that most local places such as GC for some reason never carry, they would make a killing, (at least here in AZ and probably most other states except CA).
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Maybe not all used but there is Bass Central (a must-go-to store. :thumbsup:)

FollowMeDown said:
Yes it sounds amazing, but Chicago is quite a drive from Phoenix :) We're the 6th biggest city in the US but at least as far as I know, all we bass players here have where we can try stuff are small corners of overpriced budget-quality gear at GC and Sam Ash. Sorry in advance for taking this thread seriously off-topic
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You guys did used to have The Bass Place. I bought my first Rick Turner there. Great bass, but I should have bought the Wal Mk II that I also checked out. Both were the same price. Cheap, by today's pricing.
 
#152
Alembics with filter systems are an acquired taste. I bought one 25 years ago from a guy who didn't feel it was for him. After playing it for a bit he said to me "see, I could never make it sound like that" and I realized that the same bass in a different players hands can sound totally different. On that note, I like a very clean sound most of the time but if I want a more aggressive tone I use my Stingray.
 
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#153
dave hope said:
I had the same experience in the late 70s. Having never seen one in person, I order an Alembic from the factory. On the day of its arrival, I pulled it out of the case and maybe played it 5 minutes.
I disliked it the moment I touched it. It had a lousy feel and my arms were not long enough to reach the first fret. I then put it back in the case and under my bed, never to be played by me again. I later gave it away. Expensive lesson.
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+1
I purchased mine in 1979 (point model). The ergonomics of that bass are indeed terrible (or maybe my arms are just too short). It was also very heavy.
Cool sounding electronics though (quite a bummer carrying the blue power supply around though).
 
#156
dave hope said:
I had the same experience in the late 70s. Having never seen one in person, I order an Alembic from the factory. On the day of its arrival, I pulled it out of the case and maybe played it 5 minutes.
I disliked it the moment I touched it. It had a lousy feel and my arms were not long enough to reach the first fret. I then put it back in the case and under my bed, never to be played by me again. I later gave it away. Expensive lesson.
Click to expand...
If you have any other basses that you plan to give away, give me a shout.
 
#157
Kevin Teed said:
(First-off I want to state that this has nothing to do with the instrument. It's strictly a personal "feeling".)

Ever since I was a kid seeing pictures of Jones or Entwistle with their Alembics, I considered their basses the absolute tops. Then when they came out with the Distillate, I'd thought that would be the perfect dream bass. They seemed smaller and simpler. I remember my brother bringing the new guitar player mags home with the ads in there and just drooling over them. Unfortunately, the local guitar shops have always been pretty lacking in quality inventory and I'd never been able to actually try one out. Fast-forward 35 years and I finally had the opportunity to take the plunge. The one with the right wood, scale and nut width came up at a time I actually could afford to buy it. It looks, plays and sounds really good ... But ... It doesn't do a thing for me. I've been a Fender and Rickenbacker guy all my life and this just feels too different. I've been playing it every day for a month and I just can't get used to it. I've really tried, but I'm coming to the realization that it's probably just not for me.
Has anyone else gone through something like this?

View attachment 3451363
Click to expand...
I had the same problem with a beautiful Rickenbacker. It did what Ricks do, and I liked the unbelievably clear tone I could get with a pick but I just didn’t enjoy playing it. Went back to my Fenders. Tried a few Gibson’s and Guilds but nothing felt as good as my J or P-basses. It’s been 30 years and I’ve never looked back.
 
#159
To truly realize a dream you have to pursue it, often once we get closer to our dreams the target changes. I have had this same issue with a few basses, after living with them i realized that they are not what i thought they would be and you have to let them back out into the pasture so others can chase their dream. You are on the right path to finding your dream instrument, only your target is changing because you are closer to that dream.
 

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