I have a DVD of Level 42 live and am curious if anyone knows what type of basses he is playing in that concert. They don't look like Alembics. They are headless & look like they have graphite necks. I also have a DVD of Mark King live and those basses don't look like Alembic's either. All of these basses have front & side L.E.D.'s I was wondering why he's not playing any Alembics in these concerts

I think you'll find it's a Status King Bass, made my Status Graphite here in the UK. Have a look at www.status-graphite.com
 
They're excellent basses, although I sold my original all graphite one 14 years ago and have never looked back....

I think you'll find it's a Status King Bass, made by Status Graphite here in the UK. Have a look at www.status-graphite.com
 
They're excellent basses, although I sold my original all graphite Status 14 years ago and have never looked back....

Oops sorry for the multiple post...  
 
Ben

mrben
Thanks for the replay. I checked the website and thats exactly what he was playing. So Mark King & John Entwistle both played Status basses. I guess they must be quality instruments but I'll stay with my Alembic's. Do you know if Mark still plays his Alembics or has retired them and just plays the Status basses?

Publicly, it looks like he's playing the Status these days. When Level 42 first appeared in the early 80s he was much associated with Jaydee basses, made in the Midlands in England. I think his official Alembic period was quite short lived. I'd take a Alembic over a Jaydee without even thinking about it but Status basses are pretty good....
 
Ben

I'll take an Alembic over anything I've ever played so far. Thanks
Willie

Mark King actually played Alembic from 1988 until 1994 (the band's split up) and during a solo tour in 2000.
 
A few of the reasons why he switched from Alembic to Status is that he was looking for a lighter, smaller and more compact bass. He's experimented with other basses as well (GB-Basses and Fender), but these didn't meet his requirements.
 
Today he uses the Status basses on tours, but I'm pretty sure he still has his Alembics, which he's used on numerous recordings.
 
Duncan

Take a look at the official www.level42.com website. It has a section on all the basses he ever played and about the whys and whynots. Quite interesting to read.
 
It seems the headless aspect of his current Status model was one of the reasons why he didn't just get an Alembic short scale. I am sure the lack of headstock helps a lot in terms of balance on a small body. And of course a graphite neck keeps an instrument almost maintanance free, quite an issue in life situations. From what I heard (or read) Mark also worked very closely together with Status on the electronics, so he can have very direct control over the sound he needs. I believe the vast possibilities of the Alembic Series electronics can be quite overwhelming for many people.  
 
Hartmut

I own an Alembic MK sig, a Jaydee GA24 and a Status Kingbass and can vouch that they're all equally wonderful instruments, although very different in character. The Jaydee is definitely the least 'hi-fi', with quite a raw sound, but very gutsy - a lot of grunt and growl, rather like a Stingray, I find. A real 'plug and play' instrument - not a great range of sounds so not much point in fiddling around with the controls, but as long as that's the sound you're after, it's great. And very nice to look at - obviously influenced by the Alembic shape. The neck on mine's a bit 'whippy' though - the slightest temperature change and you need to get your allen keys out again. That's why my Jaydee lives in the studio now.
 
The Status Kingbass has a very hi-fi sound, rather like the Alembic, but with a bit more 'zing' (if that's possible) and less woody warmth (well, the neck's graphite, after all). Great range of sounds, though - you've got bass, treble and sweepable mid controls, and the mid can either be scooped out, flat or boosted with a three-way switch. Very easy to dial in a great sound very quickly. Great fun to play, too - beautiful action and feel, and so portable. My only grumble is that it lacks the Jaydee's mid-range grunt and can therefore tend to get a bit lost in a live mix.
 
The Alembic, as you know, has 'the' sound - you can get the grunt and the hi-fi, and in terms of woodworking and craftsmanship, it can't be beaten. But as Hartmut said, the tone controls can be baffling, and it's never a case of being able to plug in and play - I need to tune the bass to the rig and the room each time - worth it in the long run of course, but if you don't get a sound check or you're just jumping into a jam session, it's not the bass to use. And it's so bloody big and heavy. For this reason I find myself opting for the Status for the three-hour gigs . . .
 
All great instruments, though, and I wouldn't want to be without any one of them.
 
Karl
www.harambeuk.com

So now I know what kind of bass he's playing I have another question. What does he put around his thumb and is it to keep his thumb from getting worn down to the bone because of the way he plays or is it to get a different sound than what you get with a bare thumb?

Gaffa tape, IIRC. In US lingo: duct tape.

It's actually Gaffer Tape (a gaffer is a lighting technician in a film production, using the tape to secure cables to a stage).
 
Willie, what you said, MK originally used the tape for protecting his thumb from injuries, but I believe it also adds some weight to the thumb which is a welcome side effect for MK's ultrafast slapping style.
 
In interviews he said that the sound is better without the tape, so he would use it in concerts only, not necessarily for recording. Of course only MK himself knows what's really true...

Hartmut, sure that's the official version. It's pronounced 'gaffa', and most Dutch technicians pronounce it like that, with the first 'a' like in 'car', and the second 'a' like in 'have'. And sure enough the southern technicians use a soft g at the start, the northern ones a hard G .

Thanks for the responses. I wouldn't want to get the glue from the tape on my bass or strings.  I guess he can afford new strings though. I figured it might be to protect his thumb from the beating it must take considering the way he plays. Thanks again.  Willie