Paul, you don't know me but I've been following this thread for about a month.  Your expressions of gratitude and appreciation, especially today, whether it is for your wonderful new bass or for the fullness of your life, is a great Christmas present to me.
 
And tomorrow (or the next day) I'll be taking my 'new' Essence out of the case too.  
 
Best wishes to Mica and Susan and family, you've certainly brought a lot of joy into thousands of people's lives, a great gift of music and art.  The Source of all this goodness seems to be standing right behind you and it is beaming out into private music rooms and out from performances stages all over the world - what a great gift you've been given, thank you for passing it on.
 
And I'm not drinking anything but coffee this morning, playing Roller Skates
 
Michael

Paul,
 
Enjoy your family, the day and that bass.  Your post above brought a smile to my face early this morning.
 
Toby

Merry Christmas to all,
Thanks Art, Bill, Toby, and especially nice words from you Michael.
It's kind of like I don't know how to act in here now that I recieved my instrument. And by the way Michael, congradulations on your Essence. I hope that it meets all of your expectations and then some!
 
I barely got a chance to play mine last night and had to come work at the store today after having a fun time opening presents this morning.
 
I can tell you though that the bass is absolutley beautiful. With the blue laser lights on the front and side fret markers, it is absolutely gorgeous! And the action is perfect so far.  
 
SSSssooo, I am happy right now!
 
That's about all I have for now. I will inform you tonite or tomorrow when I dig in a little more.
 
I hope you are all having a very Merry Christmas!
 
Thanks again for keeping in touch with me and giving me support.
 
Alooooooooooooha, Paul M

Hey Paul, how ya doin' witcha new toy...?
 
Pretty overwhelming, huh?  It's okay, you'll have a lifetime together.
 
Listen to the voice of experience here, for just a second.
 
Since you previously indicated you WERE NOT familiar with the filter/Q system, let me just cover the bases and make sure you know something about the filters.
 
To really hear what they do and understand their practical effect on the sound, first use the pickup selector and select the individual pickups;
Then, set your CVQs up 1/2way or more and trill/hammer-on with your fretting hand (RIGHT hand -in your LEFT-handed case) while rolling the filter from one extreme to the other.
 
Pick one of the middle frets on the middle string as your reference.  Trill, say the 11th and 12th frets of your A string with your fretting hand while turning the filter for whichever pickup you're using with the plucking and (LEFT in your case).
 
This'll REALLY let you hear what the filter and Q do.
 
It's quick and easy.
 
Maybe you already know this... you probably do... but just in case, try it, I wanted to make sure.  Cause doing this helps your brain/ear understand how the filter & Q work, and how to use 'em!!!
 
Congrats again, Paul, and best wishes!
 
(Edited to change/correct we're to WERE NOT.)
 
(Message edited by the 8 string king on December 27, 2007)
 
(Message edited by the 8 string king on December 28, 2007)

Thanks Mark very much for taking the time to coach me.
It's amazing how fast it comes. It's not at all as confusing as I thought it was going to be. Within a half hour I already have the knob pattern down pat. You just get use to which knobs do what. I know alot of people look at all those knobs on a Series II and think geeze how are going to remember what the heck is going on. But it's nothing like that. Basically you just isolate a section which is each pick-up and then you know exactly which ones to touch to dial in a tone. The thing is that there is so much possiblities of tones that it's endless. It's so so so amazing.
 
The body is so firm. It's just so beautiful.
 
I have to admit, at first I was really kind of bumbed because I didn't have much time when I recieved it and it's been raining here solid for weeks and my amps are out in my kind of simi open carport so I didn't want to bring it out in all of this humidity. Then I got a horrible cold on Christmas Eve/morning and have been sick ever since so I just didn't have the adrineline to play.
 
Plus what I started to mention is that I requested the action be set low and by the time it got here the strings were almost touching the frets. The were banging on them when I played and I didn't want to attempt to adjust it without get talked through with Base. But tonite I am feeling better and I just looked at it for a while and a great kit comes with it with all the tools so I took a chance at just raising the bridge since the neck is PERFECT. It has that (and I mean just a hair of a little bend where it's supposed to) and so I knew I didn't want to go to the truss rods. So I got the little allen wrench that is for the bridge and that's all it took. MAN, I mean I am so happy just to have the option of that adjustment. And I mean this bass is so solid that when you turn those allens to raise/lower the bridge it works perfect. It's not like some cheaper basses where you turn those and there is a whole bunch of stress and the thing bends. This thing is unbeleivable. You just turn the allens and that bridge just goes up and down ever so smmoooootth with no tension. Is all I had to do each time is retune whenever I change it a little.
 
Oh Mark, not to be insensitive but honestly with these Series there is absolutely NO NEED for tone controls because you literally have total tonal control with these adjustments. As somebody said is what you do is just set your amps (plural because I am running two amps for the stereo effect) to the basic sound range that you want and then you do all the adjustments on your bass. These controls go from fat lows (neck Pick-up)and then you can turn the filter and all of a sudden you are having these metallic crisp highs out of that pick-up or you blend to your bridge pick-up and find your crisp high's in there or bring it down and blend. It's just ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES!!! Who was it that talked about how I would soon be experiencing those Wah effects. Ya those come with the variable CVQ's. They are kind of like little wah wah knobs. Especially the bridge pick-up q (CVQ). Amazing!!!
 
Hey Mica and family, thanks for the Christmas Card in my Owners package. I just found that tonite but really the late-night (I mean literally 11:30 or so pm) call from your whole family the night that it arrived Christmas Eve was WAY over the top with LOVE. You guys are GREAT!
 
I'll throw one thing in here just so that people that are just tuning in to this site don't think that maybe I work for the company as a sales person. My little switch for my seperation of lasers/side lites doesn't work. I know that this is appropriate to say here because it's something that later on I can open up the back, trace out the wires and have you folks or Ron walk me through on the phone to rectify so NO WORRIES! I mean you guys were pumping out product to make Christmas good for many customers that I am not worried about such a little thing.
 
You can tell this thing has pumped up the Love that was missing in me for a while now so I'll cutt'er short so that you can get a chance to read this. LOL.
 
Happy Holidays to all, and those of you waiting, don't give up now. IT'S WORTH THE WAIT!!!
 
Many Aloha's to all, Goodnite, Love Pauly

Paul, Sorry I missed the blessed event. There has been so much going on in my life lately that I haven't had much time to stay in contact with the extended Alembic family. Your new baby looks just fantastic. I'm saving a photo of it in my Alembic collection file.You make me want to have another one built! (my wife would kill me!)It's cool to know that the Raging Bass has a cousin in another part of the world. I'm curious to know how well it holds up in the humid climate of the islands as opposed to where I am in the very dry climate of Utah. If I ever make it to Hawaii, I'd love to look you up. Peace and many years of joy. Mike

Hi Paul,
First - Your bass is totally awesome!
Second - I have been following this thread and some of the others you've posted in, and found out you got a bunch of AccuGroove cabs.
Third - I finally got my own El Whappo last year and am totally blown away.
Now - Please tell me how you like the sound of your beautiful bass played through AccuGrooves in STEREO!!!
It's gotta be beyond words!
Kris

Alright Paul- I see you've been back and have posted in Bill's brown bass thread.
 
A full report on Mele Aloha is in order my friend....
 
Hope all is well on your end and that those accugroove cabs and the Series II are making friends.
 
Toby

Aloha Friends,
 
Unfortunately I have to sell MeleAloha at this time. It will be posted talkbass.com classifieds.
 
Aloha, Paul

Can you post a link to the sale?  Thanks.

Very sorry to hear that Paul.  If it was right handed, I would be all over it.  Hope all is well other than this!
 
Cheers,
Todd

Thanks Todd,
 
Yes, the sale in now on at ebay.com
To sad to write anything right now.
 
Laters, Paul

Lefty7 in England is going to be the new owner of Mele Aloha!!!
Just as soon as his money clears Paypal and we figure out how Fedex is going to give it a First Class seat. Haha!!
I'm sad, Paul

I wish I was ambidextrous, for that bass would be mine point blank... It's got those blue lights like my little friend...
 
Peace, and Love
 
Hal-