The Last Bass Outpost

Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: barend on July 10, 2009, 05:51:58 AM

Title: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: barend on July 10, 2009, 05:51:58 AM: Jules site shows a picture of Stanley Clarke holding a G-3.
http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/G3_players.php

Does anyone know on which recorded songs or albums he actually played the G-3? or was he holding it just for the picture?
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: uwe on July 10, 2009, 06:33:41 AM: (http://www.flyguitars.com/graphics/stanleyclarkeG3.jpg)

To me this looks like a cut and paste job! I'm not saying that Stanley wasn't involved with the G-3 (its snap and treble bite must have certainly appealed to him), but this pic looks "constructed" as if they hadn't had a pic of him playing or holding a G-3 at the time.

Uwe
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: barend on July 10, 2009, 06:36:00 AM: Did they have Photoshop in those days?
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: Chris P. on July 10, 2009, 06:36:50 AM: The picture looks genuine to me.
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: uwe on July 10, 2009, 06:38:31 AM: I think the hands look weird and Stanley is more in focus than the bass is. Also, the lower side of the bass looks cut off, the scratchplate of a G-3 is not that close to the edge of the bass. But I'm not a specialist with these things. Doesn't George manipulate pics like that for a living? :mrgreen:
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: Chris P. on July 10, 2009, 06:55:03 AM: Don't you manipulate people for a living?
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: Barklessdog on July 10, 2009, 06:58:48 AM: Bahhhh hah hah!!!
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: Freuds_Cat on July 10, 2009, 07:07:45 AM: snigger :mrgreen:
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: Dave W on July 10, 2009, 07:12:05 AM: Whether or not he was actually holding a G-3, that image has been doctored.
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: uwe on July 10, 2009, 07:14:47 AM: Quote from: Chris P. on July 10, 2009, 06:55:03 AM
Don't you manipulate people for a living?

I'm a member of the second-oldest profession in the world, some respect please!
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: Freuds_Cat on July 10, 2009, 07:16:59 AM: I do believe the first profession is expert at human manipulation as well ;)
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: uwe on July 10, 2009, 07:24:42 AM: We're all filling needs.
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: Freuds_Cat on July 10, 2009, 07:29:05 AM: ;)
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: barend on July 10, 2009, 07:33:25 AM: Stanley's afro was also much bigger on those those. So it must be manipulated :)

I think the picture is just cut off at the edges or so.

So which songs was did he play with it? if any.
Did he actualy play on in public? What is the Gibson/Clarke story?
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: patman on July 10, 2009, 07:36:30 AM: Seems like I remember him plaing an EB3 on earlier Chick Corea records
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: uwe on July 10, 2009, 08:08:17 AM: Well, the G-3 connection of Stanley inspired at least this Dutch collector to buy a G-3 at the time.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://members.ziggo.nl/owvamst/gibsong3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://members.ziggo.nl/owvamst/gallery.html&usg=__5HTgSxtvQWMdtXKKLzayFt6nxn0=&h=350&w=250&sz=26&hl=de&start=6&um=1&tbnid=zZKgn61JZZmk3M:&tbnh=120&tbnw=86&prev=/images%3Fq%3DStanley%2BClarke%2BGibson%26hl%3Dde%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-US%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

Interesting G-3 btw with gold hardware, schaller bridge and not a maple board plus extra toggle, most likely all of it modified.

(http://members.ziggo.nl/owvamst/gibsong3.jpg)
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: gearHed289 on July 10, 2009, 08:23:55 AM: I have an old Gibson brochure from '77 that shows Stanley with a G-3. I know he was playing an EB-2(D?) before the Alembics.
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: Chris P. on July 10, 2009, 08:43:27 AM: The Ricky 3000 of that guy is modded too, so this G3 will be modded also. Nice how he doesn't translate 'parelmoer' . Mother of Pearl.
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: OldManC on July 10, 2009, 09:25:33 AM: (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/gcarlston/players/stanleyclarkewithV.jpg)

I knew that photo was fake! I found the original here. I guess they thought the V was a little too radical for him.
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: eb2 on July 10, 2009, 09:38:19 AM: I think the Afro was bigger. Much bigger.

In his Guitar Player interview in the late 70s they recounted his first use of an Alembic. He had been playing an EB-2, which may have been a 2D, and the Alembic rep who saw him live told him how it sounded like "shit" and he should try out an Alembic. Stanley seems to have agreed somewhat, as he seems to have kept the Gibson but did switch to the Alembic. And much like the shift in bass tone that graced Led Zep discs after JPJ got his Alembic, Stanley marched headlong into nasal clanky-clank land. I am no fan of fusion, but even so, I wish the guy had kept a Gibson around for at least some of his recordings. So, maybe he did have a G3, as it is possible the fine folks at Norlin must have read the article and thought maybe they could win him back with a freebie. But I don't think there is much real evidence of him playing one. And that pic doesn't look real.
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: OldManC on July 10, 2009, 09:53:01 AM: Quote from: eb2 on July 10, 2009, 09:38:19 AM
I think the Afro was bigger. Much bigger.

You mean like this?

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/gcarlston/players/stanleyclarkefro.jpg)

:mrgreen:
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: hieronymous on July 10, 2009, 10:10:17 AM: This is the only photographic evidence that I have ever seen of Stan playing an EB-2, or any Gibson for that matter:

(http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/5919/stanleyeb2detyc1.jpg)

(This came from the pictures in the booklet of the recent RTF compilation, The Anthology)
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: barend on July 10, 2009, 11:18:12 AM: Quote from: OldManC on July 10, 2009, 09:53:01 AM
You mean like this?

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/gcarlston/players/stanleyclarkefro.jpg)

:mrgreen:

:mrgreen: great picture! Stanley with a flying V, hilarious,

I am quit a big Stanley Clarke fan. Especially his Return to Forever stuff and his first three solo records.
I like his Alembic tone.
Don't the like the later piccolo freaks outs.

I think the G-3 with the pickup switch in the first position (bridge and middle pickup) sounds rather Clarkish to me.
That's the position of the pickup switch I always use.
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: Hornisse on July 10, 2009, 11:33:05 AM: That is a great photo with the V! :mrgreen: This photo was circulated around the same time.

(http://i26.tinypic.com/2vv9vn8.jpg)

Looks more realistic, although I doubt that Louis used a Grabber on any recordings. He is more know for using the Alembics and Music Man basses. (although he is photographed with a P bass on their first LP)
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: gearHed289 on July 10, 2009, 11:52:16 AM: There's a youtube vid of Stanley with the EB-2, but I can't find it now. It did sound like poop. Just not the right axe for his technique.
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: eb2 on July 10, 2009, 12:50:53 PM: I heard him play an upright and was much happier with the end result. Needless to say my copy of School Days went to the used record shop a week after it was opened. I learned my lesson, and avoided the hype on later bass geniuses, like when everyone was jumping up and down for that Jamaalama Takameema, or whatever his name was.
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: barend on July 10, 2009, 12:56:57 PM: I think I saw that EB-2 clip too once. Would like to see it again but I can't find it.

The EB-2 is just not suited for slapping because the pickup is so close to the neck. Slapping wasn't even invented when these basses came out. That's the main reason for selling my EB-3 and switching to a Precision again. I want to be able to execute all techniques when I play.

This clip shows him playing a Rickenbacker with only one pickup, solo staring at 3:20:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQzMulHaW4s
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: Highlander on July 10, 2009, 02:25:14 PM: The second oldest profession...? Surely negotiation came first, Uwe... ;)
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: Chris P. on July 11, 2009, 01:26:12 AM: A big ;D to this whole thread:)
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: Denis on July 13, 2009, 07:33:02 PM: Great video! Look at that cool NCSU t-shirt Bill is wearing. ;D
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: uwe on July 14, 2009, 03:54:47 AM: I told you, in the Russia of the thirties, George could have done valuable work touching up all those pics that should no longer show Comrade Trotzki (before he had that unfortunate accident with the ice pick).
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: Denis on July 14, 2009, 04:56:38 AM: The Stranglers did a cool song in which they mentioned Trotsky: I think it was called "No More Heroes".
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: uwe on July 14, 2009, 05:08:02 AM: True.

"... he got an ice pick in his head ...".
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: Dave W on July 14, 2009, 06:54:44 AM: Let's not forget the 80s L.A. punk/pop band Trotsky Icepick.
Title: Re: Stanley Clarke with G-3
Post by: Highlander on July 14, 2009, 10:46:38 AM: (http://rlv.zcache.com/trotsky_icepick_tshirt-p2358075530213621793yg7_400.jpg)
America is even stranger than I thought... :mrgreen: