This is why Louis Johnson ended up with a Stingray!

[tbrannon]

I've never heard an alembic with a tone I would call "fat." Granted, I haven't played any but because of what I've heard from them it doesn't matter much to me.

I can get downright filthy with my Alembics...the filter system lets you roll off as much top end as you want.

I think what you're used to hearing is that top end piano like tone from Alembics- and lots of guys go for that sound, because you really can't match it with any other bass out there.

Put a set of flats on an Alembic and roll the filter down and favor the neck pickup and it gets funky in a hurry.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Apparently they also had a Gibson endorsement.

That never seemed to do Gibson any good.

I remember seeing Jermaine with an SG stlye bass before he got his Jazz.

 

[tbrannon]

All I'm saying is that drawing the conclusion that LJ went to the Ray because the Alembic couldn't cut it is not consistent with my experience.

This ain't too shabby:

YouTube - Lee Ritenour - RIT Special - RIO FUNK

Love this clip- and you gotta listen till the end- Phil Perry does what I've never really heard another male vocalist do- he kills Rock Steady. Aretha would be proud.

 

[TMart99]

YouTube - The Brothers Johnson - I'll Be Good To You 1976

I know the mix may not have been great, but that Alembic was not cutting it!

Check out how much better this Music Man suits him: YouTube - Brothers Johnson - Get The Funk Outta Ma Face

I don't believe any definitive conclusions can be reached, as a result of this video, the performance and it's audio mix ; which favors or benefits the Stingray over the Alembic.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I don't believe any definitive conclusions can be reached, as a result of this video, the performance and it's audio mix ; which favors or benefits the Stingray over the Alembic.

I don't know if you read the whole thread or not, but the point is that the Stingray really gave LJ his sound.

 

[The Mouse]

I don't know if you read the whole thread or not, but the point is that the Stingray really gave LJ his sound.

You're not wrong Doc.. He's lovin' that Stingray..

 

[bucephylus]

At the point I traded the Ray, I was really into Alphonso Johnson, loved his work especially Spellbound".

+1

Of course the way I got the Ray was a learning experience too. I couldn't figure out why that store was willing to trade for it straight up with the old Fender I had at the time. It kind of looked like Verdine's Telecaster at the time but with a different pickup and and a couple of other minor differences. It was a 1954 P Bass.



Those two moves no longer sting as much as they used to and I definitely learned something from both.

Quite a tale. I think a lot of us back then did similar things; and part of it, at least for me, was that a player just didn't have more than one bass. Stuff happened. Guess we learn as we go...

 

[Brad Johnson]

+1


Quite a tale. I think a lot of us back then did similar things; and part of it, at least for me, was that a player just didn't have more than one bass. Stuff happened. Guess we learn as we go...

Agreed. It would've been absurd to even imagine I would've ended up with as much gear as I have now, short of me being filthy rich. Two basses was a stretch back then.

 

[TMart99]

I don't know if you read the whole thread or not, but the point is that the Stingray really gave LJ his sound.

I was responding and addressing your original comments, in your thread starting post.

Those videos aren't proof of anything.

 

[bucephylus]

Dr. Cheese's post was intended to point out how well the Ray fits LJ's sound. He wasn't trying to communicate anything about the basses. You can agree or disagree. I agree that the Ray was a fit for LJ.

 

[malthumb]

Well, I'll come at this thread from a couple different angles. As someone who decided to play bass after going to a Brothers Johnson concert and as someone who owns two Alembic Series basses ( a 1 and a 2) as well as two pre-Ernie Ball Music Man Sabres. I have on more than one occasion gotten my Series II lost in the tone mix. It's not because the bass isn't capable, it was because the guy doing the EQ (me) was clueless. The bass has so much range you can dial it from twang to thunder with just a couple tweaks of your right hand. In that video, Louis obviously had it biased towards twang. His pops were crisp, but his bottom end was getting lost.

The tone he had on the Stingray clip was vintage Louis. But so is the tone he gets WHENEVER I've heard him play Strawberry Letter 23. And I've heard him play it live with an Alembic, a Stingray, and a Treker.

As sweet as my Sabres are, especially the 1980, they cannot handle the range of my Alembics, especially the Series II. In all honesty, that bass probably doesn't really even sou d like what most people think the "Alembic tone" is. I've had 6 Alembics over the years, including an older Series II. None of the others sound similar to the this one.

Back to Louis.....over time, he appeared to gravitate to whomever he could work out a good endorsement deal with. After Alembic he went to Music Man, then G&L, then he was playing some headless bass that I can't identify then Treker. Don't know what he plays these days.

And Jermaine????? Remember this album?

 

[TMart99]

Dr. Cheese's post was intended to point out how well the Ray fits LJ's sound. He wasn't trying to communicate anything about the basses. You can agree or disagree. I agree that the Ray was a fit for LJ.

That's fine. But he tried to use the v ideos as evidence or proof and I disagree. No biggie.

 

[john grey]

malthumb said a great deal.... Large numbers of instruments in a band used to be called "heavy mix" bands because of the need (the demand) for a talented studio board man; a real mixer to make the band sound clean. Live, you can hear some guys stepping on others. This happens a lot with brass. Brothers Johnson second example here (1977) was an excellent example of that.

 

[bucephylus]

That's fine. But he tried to use the v ideos as evidence or proof and I disagree. No biggie.

Agreed that the videos weren't the best vehicle.

 

[jdthebassman]

i like them both i have a 76 series1 and a 77 stingray,different sound but just as funky.

 

[king_biscuit]

All I'm saying is that drawing the conclusion that LJ went to the Ray because the Alembic couldn't cut it is not consistent with my experience.

This ain't too shabby:

YouTube - Lee Ritenour - RIT Special - RIO FUNK

That tone and Jimmy are both killing! That's the best sounding Alembic I've ever heard!!

 

[mikeswals]

Don't know what he plays these days.

The recent youtubes and pics of him, seems he's gone back to using his old Sabre again.

 

[tdizzle]

It's all in the fro, bro....it's all in the fro !!

Now, that's what I'm talkin' about!

 

[tdizzle]

I know this is synced, but he is playing a Gibson Ripper/Grabber. That seems COMPLETELY wrong!

YouTube - Strawberry Letter 23

 

[hands5]

YouTube - The Brothers Johnson - I'll Be Good To You 1976

I know the mix may not have been great, but that Alembic was not cutting it!

Check out how much better this Music Man suits him: YouTube - Brothers Johnson - Get The Funk Outta Ma Face

I feel ya Doc,but you have to remember I"ll be Good To You/Get the Funk outta Ma Face were On The Look Out For # 1 lp which Louis was using a Precision and I actually got to see this tour and @ that time he was playing a Blonde Ash Precision and when They played Get The Funk Outta My Face Louis switched to Guitar and George played Bass. A Jazz Bass @ that.
I started seeing Louis use a Tobbacco Sunburst Ray on the Blam tour ( which he kicked ass !)
The Light up the Night Tour I saw him use a Ray and a Sabre