I've found that the Epiphone Jack Casady bass is very transparent in articulating technique. Also, Alembic basses have super sensitive pickups, you can't get away with jack on those basses.
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Most unforgiving bass guitar?
- Thread starter Usidore T Blue
- Start date
I think it's mostly due to the pickup design. Leo found out that the responsiveness was blowing speakers, so he moved to the familiar staggered magnets. I thought it was a bit of a myth but the notes are a little more immediate, so I have to get the string pressed down a fraction of a second earlier to avoid clams. It is a little more unforgiving.
That's interesting... I bought an '86 Kubicki a few years ago but didn't really play it much until I got into an 80's band where it was the obvious choice. I really bonded with the bass then. It's a nice clear sound, for sure. I'm certain if you *had* to play it for a while you'd grow to love it!
The fat guy from Penn and Teller is a bass player. I saw a skit from the Montreal comedy festival where he's playing walking bass lines wirelessly on a Kubicki while explaining how the other guy is doing the illusions. It was pretty cool, and he knows how to play. Might be on YouTube, I haven't looked.
My goal has always been to have an unforgiving/revealing rig that would not give me any excuse for sounding bad. I play Dingwall basses (which bring a bright, clear tonal palette) into a Reeves Custom 225 into a pair of MAS 110 Bodai cabs. Lets you hear everything you do. It'll make you cringe if you're off, but sounds so glorious when you're on it. It does force me to play better... 
It's "Penn and Teller slight of hand" on YouTube. Poor video quality though.
I LOVE That bass, for the very same reason (I'll admit I'm kind of a show-off)!
I've sold it decades ago, but my Steinberger L2 was one heck of a rude awakening. It pinpointed - with a brutal accuracy - every flaw in my technique at the time. I've never come across another bass that was as unforgiving, and I've owned and/or played most basses mentioned in this thread.
Penn plays upright bass with a pianist accompanying before every show they do in Vegas.
Enviably fine playing. Your solo from 3 minutes is fantastic. That flurry from 3'50 to 4'04" is just fantastic.
You play any Flamenco-style guitar? You seem to have that kind of feel...
Thanks for the kind words. Actually I studied fingerstyle folk guitar as a young lad, and that follows me to this day. My plucking technique tends to be more "up" rather than "across" which changes the sound somewhat.
Part of that little bit though is directly out of studying modes with Ant Wellington
Thanks for the kind words. Actually I studied fingerstyle folk guitar as a young lad, and that follows me to this day. My plucking technique tends to be more "up" rather than "across" which changes the sound somewhat.
Part of that little bit though is directly out of studying modes with Ant Wellington
That REALLY is a well done piece. Very tasteful! Makes me realize how far I have to go.
Charles
This one seems like it would put up a pretty good fight:
Same experience with a Kramer Stagemaster..View attachment 3306984 View attachment 3306985 Yeah, my Alembic is not a bass that rewards sloppy playing - at all. But, this Kramer 450B? Trying to play that thing cleanly makes the Alembic seem easy. Those Kramer-wound pick ups aren't just hot; they're radioactive...I swear, those things can hear you breathe; you will get away with nothing. Everything you do will come right out of your rig - loud and clear. And the fact that it's a neck diving fool, is no help at all...
EGCs must be even worse under this point of view, I never tried one unfortunately but they also put this on their website:
"These guitars will make you sound great if you know what your doing or they will make you sound horrible if you do not."
For many years, my main bass was a German Warwick Katana. It does have remarkable clarity. The sound is so transparent that it took distortion and effects very easily. I never felt like it revealed flaws in my technique, though.Any "German" Warwick.. Very unforgiving when mistakes happen..
I've played lots of axes with lots of pickups in my time, but nothing else is even close: I owned two (non-Series) Alembics, and it was quite obvious from jump street that these things were absolutely not going to give me a break as they will let you hear everything your hands are doing. The good part is it made me a far better player technique-wise; I had to play well to sound good, and this is entirely separate from the amp involved. Granted, a big, lumpy old-school amp/cab would rock with them, but be a little more forgiving. Play one through modern amps into two or three-way cabs, well . . . . . . . . . you better have your ducks in a row. They are extremely neutral pickups, and the typical Alembic tone circuit is some sort of filter, so think studio monitors instead of great home speakers.
And yet they are magnificent. Listen to the straight to disc (thru Massenburg preamps) recording, 'James Taylor Live', and the straight to direct box (he uses no amp on stage typically) tone of Jimmy Johnson and his Series Two five-string. Of course, it's a master player at work, but his tone is big and clear, without that tinny so-called 'grand piano' tone others talk about. It's WAY better than that.
And yet they are magnificent. Listen to the straight to disc (thru Massenburg preamps) recording, 'James Taylor Live', and the straight to direct box (he uses no amp on stage typically) tone of Jimmy Johnson and his Series Two five-string. Of course, it's a master player at work, but his tone is big and clear, without that tinny so-called 'grand piano' tone others talk about. It's WAY better than that.
3D printed body parts are already happening. Look out world! I just hope I'm around long enough to see where we go with this incredible technology. Instrument building is surely going to be dramatically affected.
