I don’t know for sure if the video of him with the Ric 4000 was taken down, but I can’t find it anymore. Just looking today, I found videos as far back as 1973 where he is playing an Alembic. I think the Rickenbacker video must be from 1973 or 1972.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Stanley Clarke Playing Sadowsky
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
I don’t know for sure if the video of him with the Ric 4000 was taken down, but I can’t find it anymore. Just looking today, I found videos as far back as 1973 where he is playing an Alembic. I think the Rickenbacker video must be from 1973 or 1972.
The video that I'm thinking of is definitely unavailable now. Went digging and found an old post on another forum where I linked it - my original post is from 2008! I quote a 1980 Guitar Player article, so thought it would be good to repost here:
GP: By the time you did "Where Have I Known You Before", you were playing string bass only a small part of the time. (This was released 7/1974)
SC: . . . and that's when I got turned onto the Alembic bass. I met Rick Turner when we were playing at the Boarding House in SF, and in a nice way he told me, "Look, you really play well, but your sound is atrocious" He told me to try the bass he had with him; I think it was one of the first alembic basses. So I tried it out and it was great. And I haven't changed since.
. . . it was about $1,200, but by that time I was making a bit of money, so the burden wasn't too bad. It was more culture shock, I think, because I was used to paying $400 for a bass. It had gold-plated hardware, a curly maple neck, great design, fancy pickups and a fancy cord. I didn't know what any of that meant, but it sounded the end! And that night on the gig, it was like a new bass player had been born. I could suddenly play anything I heard in my head. The problem with the Gibson bass was that I'd hear things and try to play them and my fingers would go along but the right sound wouldn't come out . . .
So was the Gibson AFTER the Rickenbacker?!! And I guess I should say - I have mixed feelings about seeing him with the Sadowsky. What version is it? I'm not that well-versed in those basses, my 5-string PJ Metro Express is my only foray into that world...
Last edited:
He is playing a Modern. It has two humbuckers and 24 frets. That makes it at least a little similar to an Alembic.
Last edited:
So nothing like my Metro Express?
JK, that's great info.And actually, I only ever got to see him play an Alembic bass once. In the '80s I was a high school student in Tokyo - access to lots of great records, got to see some amazing shows, but not Stanley Clarke. And that wouldn't happen until I moved to Oakland years later in 2010s and saw him at Yoshi's a few times. The first time, he came out with the Alembic and was going nuts - and the string popped out of the bridge! After the song ended, he never picked it up again, played the rest of the show on upright. I saw him several times again over the years, at Yoshi's and in Berkeley, but never saw him pick up an electric bass again! So at least he's playing electric again! Dang! His upright playing is incredible of course, but it was his electric playing that really grabbed me. Oh well, I can't complain, he even signed my bass! Maybe this is a message to get back to playing that bass...
I saw and got to meet Stanley Clarke about 13 years ago when he played in St. Louis with Hiromi. Super nice guy and an absolute beast (and much larger than I was expecting).
Anywho, it's still weird to see him play anything but an Alembic.
Anywho, it's still weird to see him play anything but an Alembic.
Ok then my memory served me well. I thought I read that somewhere in Bassplayer magazine or heard it talked about in a video interview. Thanks!
I have seen Clarke three times, but never saw him on acoustic. I met him in person and managed to really piss him off. He looked like he wanted to kick my butt (at least he didn’t challenge to a bass off!)
To make a long story short, he took a liking to oldest daughter, who was about three at the time. He reached out to her, and dumb me thought he wanted to shake my hand. When I grabbed his hand, he looked like he wanted to kick my @$$ and I felt dumb as a rock.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
That is a claim to fame right there.
He played short scale Alembics in the 70s if I remember right. I wanted one at the time because of him. It didn't happen. And I sure am not Stanley Clarke.
Last edited:
When I saw him in ‘04 he was playing upright all night except for School Days, he picked up an electric but it wasn’t his Alembic or the later Spellbinder have no idea what it was, during the song he screwed up one part and some jerk yelled out “ go back to school “ the only blemish on a awesome night.So nothing like my Metro Express?
And actually, I only ever got to see him play an Alembic bass once. In the '80s I was a high school student in Tokyo - access to lots of great records, got to see some amazing shows, but not Stanley Clarke. And that wouldn't happen until I moved to Oakland years later in 2010s and saw him at Yoshi's a few times. The first time, he came out with the Alembic and was going nuts - and the string popped out of the bridge! After the song ended, he never picked it up again, played the rest of the show on upright. I saw him several times again over the years, at Yoshi's and in Berkeley, but never saw him pick up an electric bass again! So at least he's playing electric again! Dang! His upright playing is incredible of course, but it was his electric playing that really grabbed me. Oh well, I can't complain, he even signed my bass! Maybe this is a message to get back to playing that bass...
That was a good insult!
I saw Stanley live a couple of months ago, probably 3/5 on upright and 2/5 on Alembic. Sadowskys are great, but I really get why he’d lean on Alembic based upon its sound in context. But, he’s the man. Whatever he’s playing, I’m in.
Is anyone worried it'll sound bad in Stanley's hands? ... Maybe it's the simplicity of the Fender bass that has always endured and always been a draw and it's certainly the reason Roger found ways to improve it. ... After years of seeing him with Gibson basses, I never understood why, and Alembic, maybe Stanley finally said "Why fight it, give me one of those."
Always a snappy dresser!
Stanley Clarke has the talent - Kramer has the instrument - as does Gibson (?) - but Alembic has the magic! And yet - Spellbinder, Sadowsky - ultimately - Stanley Clarke has the talent!
Do you think the Warwick website will never not be a pile of trash?
Do you think the Warwick website will never not be a pile of trash?
Warwick and Sadowsky are a part of the same company, Framus right?
Do you think the Warwick website will never not be a pile of trash?
I haven't been on a paint forum, but I've been on bicycle, fountain pen, and headphone forums, and people are just as passionate about the minute details of their tools there as anywhere else.
I'd say you haven't lived until you've witnessed a heated argument over the proper way to smooth the finish on the tapering slit down the middle of a fountain pen nib, but realistically speaking you probably have.
