Two more cyllindrical variations:  
 
The bottom of the wells would be flat and parallel to the back of the bass. We made these over the original bowls, so there's a little vestige of them left.  
 
(Message edited by mica on June 30, 2004)

 
Medium sized version.  
 
The thicker bridge block will be routed into the bottom soon. That will be handrouted - what you see routed already was done on the CNC.

hi mica
 
well now we're cooking with fusion power!  this is exactly the look i had in mind (bob, paul tbo told me that you're sailing in the pacific right now, but if you're around, does this look what you imagined?)
 
mica, are the possible diameters of the wells constrained to be the same size as the tools used to make them, or can they be any diameter?  my gut feeling is that the perfect look would be somewhere between the large mockup and the medium-sized version.  please let me know
 
i'd appreciate any comments by club members
 
 
best regards
 
 
marc

Marc, Bob is definitely not around right now; his boat started on Tuesday and currently leads its division.  It may be a couple weeks before he is back.  See this thread for info and links:
https://club.alembicguitars.com/Images/449/10880.html?1088673031

Marc,
 
I hope you weren't waiting on me - after all, this is your bass, right?
 
I like this approach a lot. I hadn't gotten as far in my thinking, but since the knobs presumably come out perpendicular to the back, the base of the wells should be similarly so, as Mica et. al. came up with. Nice.
 
The first one is way too wide, the second is a little bit tight looking, so I'd go about 1/3 from small to large - but I think anything in between would be great.
 
Hope this instrument is closer to you than it was a few weeks ago.
-Bob

I'm so sorry I didn't get these pictures posted sooner for you, Marc. This sample has been ready for close to a month now, and finally your bass is at a stage where it's not moving forward until we get this part settled. So here's the latest samples;  

 

  Let me know if we're close to the mark on one of these so I can stop being the reason your bass isn't moving. Mike is really chomping a the bit to do the cuts on the real thing.

hi mica
 
no worries on the inevitable passage of time.  i've had a lot to keep me busy
 
the first image looks like the earlier 'medium sized version'.  the second image is exactly what i was hoping for.  if you agree that the scale of the carvings will work with the overall aesthetics of the bass, then please ask mike to proceed.  if not, please tell me
 
thanks
 
best regards
 
 
marc

Marc ...yes of course you're a busy man!! How did the Belgian beer and snack -day went?? Or ...did not happened yet??
 
Paul the bad one

Just gave Mike the go-ahead on the knob carvings (a bunch of us are working late). Those samples are done very quickly (and some are done over previous examples), the finished product will of course be much smoother than the test pieces. Will keep you posted as more interesting things happen.

Here's how the knob carvings came out:

  And a little closer:

 Sometimes I think the instruments are the byproduct and what we really make here is dust.   This week you're bass will be preset - that's levelling and fretting, and getting the hardware slotted. While it's back in spray getting the rest of the finish applied, Chris will buff out the hardware and we'll send that to the plater. This will be the first job from the new black plater, so let's hope it goes smoothly.

Darn lucky you put that simple between   (how do you call these ). This is NOT simple ...by no means at all!
Quite amazing!!!
 
Paul the bad one

Can't wait to see it. It's gonna be absolutely one-of-a-kind!!!
 
But... which Alembic isn't?... ;-)

Here's the inlay in process:

 The red stuff is a marking fluid. Once it dries, you can scribe a very fine line in it.   Mike's now done with the inlay:

  and up close:

  Here's how it works: you take off the inlay plate with carefully placed mounting screws (nice black one will be here soon for the white side):

  And you get to the brass plate:

 The screws are angled to get the clearance to mount the master volume control. Then the inlay plate mounts to this brass plate for the decorative finish. You won't need to access this hardly ever, so we didn't think the two-tier plate would be a problem.  Hope you like it!

hi mica
 
'like' doesn't quite express it
 
it's beautiful, and beautifully made, and the mechanical design is terrific
 
thank you mike!
 
 
best regards
 
 
marc

hi again mica
 
i just noticed:  the screws are angled to get the clearance to mount the master volume control
 
the master volume control
 
i thought we were putting the pickup selector on the lower horn, as on the old series basses.  the master volume was going to be to the left of the bridge volume, closest to the baby's butt (your proposed 'style 2' with the master volume added on)
 
wasn't that was the layout we agreed to?
 
please let me know
 
 
thanks
 
 
marc