When we first introduced Stanley to our short scale Series I bass in 1973 it was love at first sight, sound and feel. It has become Stanley's trademark go-to bass ever since. Since a Series I bass isn't in everyone's budget, we created the Signature models to get players close to the Series I experience without breaking the bank.
We created the Signature basses with the same scale length and from the same templates as Stan's personal basses. Even though the electronics are simpler than the Series I bass Stan performs and records with, one item that Stanley insisted on for his Signature bass was separate filters and Q-switches for each pickup. The ability to tailor the tone of each pickup individually opens up a wide spectrum of available tones. A small rotation of our filter controls can make your Signature Deluxe sound like an entirely different bass.
There have been quite a number of top woods in Stan's Alembic bass collection. He's had basses in Bird's-Eye Maple, Vermilion, Ebony, Coco Bolo and most recently in Buckeye Burl. The Stanley Clarke Signature Deluxe comes standard with Coco Bolo top and back laminates, which are an extra charge on most other instruments we make.
Many are surprised to learn that the Stanley Clarke Signature Deluxe bass features a short scale length. Despite the fact that Stan is a tall man with large hands, he plays a short scale bass. It doesn't hurt that shorter strings are more flexible than longer ones. The frets are naturally closer together compared to a long scale, which makes the bass incredibly comfortable - and fast - to play. It just feels "right.".
Early examples of the Stanley Clarke Deluxe bass had the classic taper fingerboard. We've been making these in our narrow taper fingerboard since about 2008. Of course, you're free to order the neck with any dimensions you choose since we are a truly custom shop, and we do not charge extra for this service.
