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Most complex bass?

ElBajista

ElBajista

Dec 13, 2005
2,507
10
New Mexico
www.livejournal.com
#1
After reading through the threads all about different makes/models of basses, as well as the threads pertaining to the number of strings, I came up with an interesting idea: A thread dedicated to pictures and descriptions of obscure or modded basses with incredible amounts of onboard controls.

I'll start:

I recently found a modded Alembic on Ebay that was fitted with not only onboard EQ and switches for pickup/wiring options, but also someone managed to cram in the guts of an entire chorus pedal. I wish I had a picture, as this bass must have had literally 10-12 knobs and switches.

Speaking of mass-manufactured basses, I would say that a Bongo with HH/piezo pickups is somewhat complex, with the 7 or so knobs.

I'm sure that someone can top those.
 
#7
ElBajista said:
any ideas what those controls do?
Click to expand...

In the Grateful Dead movie(i think, not 100% sure its this one) phil lesh goes into some detail of what the bass can do. I think each string can be assigned to a different speaker. But i know it can do alot more than that. Heres a closer shot of the Guild Starfire off of alembics website [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#16
Linas said:
In the Grateful Dead movie(i think, not 100% sure its this one) phil lesh goes into some detail of what the bass can do. I think each string can be assigned to a different speaker. But i know it can do alot more than that. Heres a closer shot of the Guild Starfire off of alembics website [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...


O_O and i have a hard time figuring out an ibanez RD500. thats way more knobs than i would ever possibly need

phil lesh is way too good at bass.
 
#19
Digging into memory, and into Phil's book (excellent, by the way), the description he gives in the GD movie is that with that array of knobs he can route each string individually, change where each string's signal goes, switch from quadrophonic to stereo to mono and back, and also use the onboard preamp which, from his description, is something very similar to an Alembic SF-2 Superfilter. Come to think of it, its not the Guild Starfire that he's playing in the movie, its the Alembec Osage Orange bass pictured here: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v371/Hammon/hist_Phil.jpg. He had a really nice sound in that film, if he was a little soft for parts.
 

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