Top 5Has said they use
Avid
Pro Tools“I mix down to Pro Tools because that's the format in all the film houses when they're mixing and dubbing.”
Said in Stanley Clarke: "The bass is a very important instrument in film" (Guitar World), April 2020
Photo: Andreas Lawen, Fotandi (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Stanley Clarke. Every item links to its public source.
18 items · Last checked What bass does Stanley Clarke play?
Stanley Clarke has said he played his Alembic Stanley Clarke Signature bass and the Spellcaster short-scale bass, with Ampeg cabinets, EBS pedals and an EBS MicroBass for upright. He has said he writes film music in Logic and mixes to Pro Tools, and used a Fender Rumble on a soundtrack.
Top 5
Where to start with Stanley Clarke's gear.
01
02
Alembic
Stanley Clarke Signature bass
Top 5SponsoredHas said they use
“I've been playing Alembic all my life”
Said in Stanley Clarke: "I built a new bass that looks like a Stratocaster; Fender is going to release it" (MusicRadar), October 2018
No store page for this one.
03
Alembic
Signature bass 5dB boost switch
Top 5Has said they use
“there's a little switch that they put in, real close to the five-pin input. It gives it a quick boost of 5dB, I think.”
Said in Stanley Clarke: "I built a new bass that looks like a Stratocaster; Fender is going to release it" (MusicRadar), October 2018
No store page for this one.
04
Alembic
Alembic basses on tour
Top 5Seen using
Alembic
Alembic basses on tourSeen in Rig Rundown - Stanley Clarke (Premier Guitar), July 2011
No store page for this one.
05
Alembic
Two Alembic basses tuned EADG and ADGC
Top 5Has said they use
“I used two Alembic basses on the soundtrack. One is tuned EADG and the other is ADGC. I also use them live.”
Said in Stanley Clarke: "The bass is a very important instrument in film" (Guitar World), April 2020
No store page for this one.
What basses Stanley Clarke uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Basses
Alembic
Stanley Clarke Signature bass
SponsoredHas said they use
“I've been playing Alembic all my life”
Said in Stanley Clarke: "I built a new bass that looks like a Stratocaster; Fender is going to release it" (MusicRadar), October 2018
No store page for this one.
Alembic
Signature bass 5dB boost switch
Has said they use
“there's a little switch that they put in, real close to the five-pin input. It gives it a quick boost of 5dB, I think.”
Said in Stanley Clarke: "I built a new bass that looks like a Stratocaster; Fender is going to release it" (MusicRadar), October 2018
No store page for this one.
Alembic
Alembic basses on tour
Seen using
Alembic
Alembic basses on tourSeen in Rig Rundown - Stanley Clarke (Premier Guitar), July 2011
No store page for this one.
Alembic
Two Alembic basses tuned EADG and ADGC
Has said they use
“I used two Alembic basses on the soundtrack. One is tuned EADG and the other is ADGC. I also use them live.”
Said in Stanley Clarke: "The bass is a very important instrument in film" (Guitar World), April 2020
No store page for this one.
Alembic
Original Alembic bass (1970s)
Has said they use
“I played my old Alembic bass on it. There were only 10 of them made at the time.”
Said in Interview: bass legend Stanley Clarke on his early solo albums (MusicRadar), March 2012
No store page for this one.
Oneonta Guitar
Spellcaster short-scale bass
SponsoredHas said they use
Oneonta Guitar
Spellcaster short-scale bassSaid in Stanley Clarke unveils his Strat-inspired Spellcaster short-scale bass (MusicRadar), February 2021
No store page for this one.
Jean Auray
Acoustic bass by luthier Jean AuraySeen in Stanley Clarke: "The bass is a very important instrument in film" (Guitar World), April 2020
No store page for this one.
Carl Thompson
Piccolo bass
Seen using
Carl Thompson
Piccolo bassSeen in Why Stanley Clarke got rid of his bass guitar collection (Guitar World), March 2025
No store page for this one.
Amps
Ampeg
Bass amps on tour
Seen using
Ampeg
Bass amps on tourSeen in Rig Rundown - Stanley Clarke (Premier Guitar), July 2011
No store page for this one.
Ampeg
Bass cabinets
Has said they use
Ampeg
Bass cabinets“I like their cabs because they have a warmer, fatter sound, and the Alembic bass likes that.”
Said in Stanley Clarke: "I built a new bass that looks like a Stratocaster; Fender is going to release it" (MusicRadar), October 2018
No store page for this one.
Warwick
Bass cabinets
Has said they use
Warwick
Bass cabinetsSaid in Stanley Clarke: "I built a new bass that looks like a Stratocaster; Fender is going to release it" (MusicRadar), October 2018
No store page for this one.
Fender
Rumble bass amp
Has said they use
Fender
Rumble bass amp“It's a great amp, a little tiny amp that weighs just a couple of pounds.”
Said in Stanley Clarke: "The bass is a very important instrument in film" (Guitar World), April 2020
No store page for this one.
Effects
EBS
Bass pedals
Has said they use
EBS
Bass pedals“I've been using EBS pedals for a long time, and I love them.”
Said in Stanley Clarke: "I built a new bass that looks like a Stratocaster; Fender is going to release it" (MusicRadar), October 2018
No store page for this one.
EBS
MicroBass preamp and DI
Has said they use
“it's the secret of my live acoustic bass sound. It handles everything - it's an EQ, a direct box, a preamp.”
Said in Stanley Clarke: "I built a new bass that looks like a Stratocaster; Fender is going to release it" (MusicRadar), October 2018
No store page for this one.
EBS
Stanley Clarke Signature Acoustic Preamp
SponsoredSeen using
Seen in EBS Stanley Clarke Signature (Sound On Sound), April 2021
No store page for this one.
Upright bass
Seen in EBS Stanley Clarke Signature (Sound On Sound), April 2021
No store page for this one.
Studio
Apple
Logic
Has said they use
Apple
Logic“Nothing is set in stone in Logic, and that's handy for a film composer because you can move everything around.”
Said in Stanley Clarke: "The bass is a very important instrument in film" (Guitar World), April 2020
Has said they use
Avid
Pro Tools“I mix down to Pro Tools because that's the format in all the film houses when they're mixing and dubbing.”
Said in Stanley Clarke: "The bass is a very important instrument in film" (Guitar World), April 2020
Questions
About Stanley Clarke's gear.
What bass does Stanley Clarke use?
He has said he has played Alembic all his life, and Alembic makes his Stanley Clarke Signature model with a 5dB boost switch. He also designed the Spellcaster short-scale bass with Tom Lieber.
What amp does Stanley Clarke use?
He told MusicRadar in 2018 that he played Ampeg because backline everywhere has it, and that he likes Warwick cabinets in LA. For the Halston soundtrack he used a Fender Rumble.
What pedals does Stanley Clarke use?
He has said he has used EBS pedals for a long time, and calls the EBS MicroBass the secret of his live acoustic bass sound. EBS also makes his signature acoustic preamp.
What DAW does Stanley Clarke use?
He has said he writes film scores in Logic and mixes down to Pro Tools, the format the film houses use for mixing and dubbing.
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SC
Stanley Clarke
About this guide · Last checked
Stanley Clarke is the American bassist and composer known for Return to Forever, School Days and decades of film scores. This guide covers his Alembic basses, amps, EBS pedals and scoring setup from Premier Guitar, MusicRadar, Guitar World and Sound On Sound.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Stanley Clarke didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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