Grateful Dead Music Forum

I recently have changed some things in my rig. I just traded for a 1980 Rick Turner Model 1 bass which I am loving. It is a 32" scale which I like and the harmonics just fly off the neck.
Really gets a great 70s era Phil tone IMO.

I also recently acquired a Mesa Prodigy bass head with 4 KT88s. I really like it. I was using a class D powered SWR head before and this just has so much more dynamics and headroom.
I recently used both together on an outdoor gig and a friend recorded some video. I am using a SWR 410 and 115.

sound quality is ok. you can hear the bass pretty good in this Music Never Stopped jam. gtr mixes are a little off.
Check it out, let me know what you think.

https://youtu.be/iqmuIlFlhIw?t=7m32s

Nice! I had to listen on my headphones to hear the bass, laptop speakers don't cut it. You guys sounds great!

Thanks man! Yeah, headphones help for sure. I am digging this bass!

That's great! I have an M-1 as well and love it. Actually I guess technically it's an M-2 since the original owner and builder, Larry Robinson (the fabulous inlay artist) had Rick Turner add a second pickup many years ago.

Good clip, thanks for sharing.

Mine has a second pickup added as well. But Rick didn't do it. It is an EMG j pickup in the bridge pos. The mod looks so clean the guy I got it from thought it was original but Rick said it wasn't because I asked him. It sounds great though so I am cool with it.

moonliner wrote:That's great! I have an M-1 as well and love it. Actually I guess technically it's an M-2 since the original owner and builder, Larry Robinson (the fabulous inlay artist) had Rick Turner add a second pickup many years ago.

Wait, you have what?! You are a deep and mysterious man.

It's cool that you have an M-1/2, but even cooler that it was Larry Robinson's!

I love these basses. A friend of mine 30 years ago had one and it just always sounded really good. As someone with small hands, it also felt great. I'd would love to get a 32" bass. Preferably Alembic, but this would do.

Great tone from that Model 1!

Hey Brandon, Your bass sounds great (no surprise there!) and the band is fantastic. Very nice playing.

Edwin, as you probably know, I'm fascinated with Alembic's early history, so when I saw Larry was selling his Turner M1 I had to get it. It was a stretch financially, but I couldn't resist. It's an amazing sounding bass and is so easy to play.

thanks guys, I love this Model 1. I am all about RT basses these days. He is building me a 4 string Renaissance right now that should be ready in about a month.
my Ritter, which I still love, is gathering dust unfortunately.

The model 1 just does it for me tonally more than most modern basses I play. I think the 32" scale and flatwounds are part of it but it just has so much thump and warm midrange.

Brandon Bowlds wrote:
The model 1 just does it for me tonally more than most modern basses I play. I think the 32" scale and flatwounds are part of it but it just has so much thump and warm midrange.

I feel exactly the same way about my Alembicized Starfire!