This bass showed up on a FB group "Series 1 1976 #287" . has a built in Phase Shifter. That's the 5th knob and the 2 extra toggles, you can apply to either pickups individually or both at once. The knob controls the Tempo of the effect.
Sounds interesting.
Wow, that is some serious commitment to an effect!
I wouldn't have much use for a phasing effect onboard a bass, but if there were a way to add some subtle chorus effect from the source instrument, I'd be in on that. My outboard is an 'always on' effect anyway, especially for fretless. Admittedly I have no idea how practical it would be to install, or if it would work in a similar way.
It's just so easy in this day and time to source and use an outboard bass-specific effect box than I'm imagining it was in 1976. Pretty wild that Alembic did this. Never seen another.
Made me think of this
There was a time (and I'm glad it's past...) when banjo players found it in vogue to use phaser pedals. I could be wrong, but Pete Wernick of Hot Rize may have started this phaser-craze. He was probably the best known anyway. My Dad jumped on that bandwagon too, and part of my duties as soundguy for their band was to know when to punch in his effect. (now howya' like them apples... the sound crew even operates your pedals?) Anyway, I got the idea one night to prank their mandolin player, and switched the banjo mic input with his. Closest I got to getting fired from that gig.
This Becvar bass would be perfect for installed phasers!
Bill, tgo