Alembic Guitars Club
Connecting => Swap Shop and Wish Lists => Seen on craigslist, eBay, and elsewhere => Topic started by: xlrogue6 on September 18, 2009, 09:19:41 AM
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For those with interest, and a budget...
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/msg/1380541264.html (http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/msg/1380541264.html)
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Very Cool
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If that's legit, I wonder if Bill P will show interest?
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You guys know me too well. I just saw this thread and grabbed the phone. The seller said that there was something wrong with part of the electronics, so one of the pre-amps has been bypassed, but he's not sure exactly how. He says the pickups and electronics are original. He's owned the guitar since '78. He doesn't know if he has a power supply. I'm meeting him tonight. I'll be bringing a blue box, a 5-pin chord, a small portable amp, and likely some cash. I'll keep you all posted. This is exciting!
Bill, tgo
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I couldn't think of a better home for her,
best wishes Bill
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Very exciting! Good luck Bill!
The pictures are larger than they appear on the linked page. If you right click on the picture and save to your desktop, you can open it at its original size.
Very interesting logo. I remember one like it being posted by Mica before, but I can't remember how it's done. It kinda looks like a decal, but also kinda looks inlaid.
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I remember the first time this came up for sale ... good luck in bringing her home tonight!
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Bill,
good luck on this and I hope to see some pics in here soon... :-)
Oliver (Spyderman)
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I had a feeling Bill would be all over this when I posted the link. Good luck!
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wow what a guitar.. to me it looks at least 500 years old, really medieval!! ;-) good luck!
(Message edited by chrisalembic on September 18, 2009)
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A really nice match for Keavin's #12.
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Bill
I knew right from the start that this Guitar had your name on it !
Good luck and joy to you regarding it's new potential home!
Wolf__
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I couldn't think of a better home for her
I can - but my wife & the mortgage compny would probably disagree. Grab it, Bill! He's still throwing around the spurious Garcia connection, but at least he's gotten sane on the price since his last attempt.
Peter
ps - and you ever want to sell it at a time when I'm actually employed......
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No wonder why you're excited Bill, this looks like a once in a lifetime opportunity. I hope you get it !
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I can report that Old #10 is no longer available on craigslist. YIPPEEEE!!!!! This is a VERY cool guitar. It certainly needs some TLC, both cosmetically (a good cleaning and brass polishing), and internally. It will have to go back to Ron for an operation. Currently it's wired so that both pickups go through one volume only. The second volume and both filters are disconnected, as well as the 5-pin jack. Even so, it's a real beauty with major mojo. I'll post some pics shortly.
Bill, tgo
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Congratulations Bill.
Looking forward to the pictures....
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Very Nice!!
That's great that she is going to be brought back to life at the mothership.
...looking forward to pics too, especially once she's been refurbished and you are sharing her sounds with some lucky audience.
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I stayed up waiting to hear the news. Congrats!!!
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Somebody has her on eBay. Just FYI. Congratulations, and pictures pictures pictures!
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I imagine that the (previous)owner will pull the auction.
(first auction I've seen with the stipulation that the buyer pays listing fees).
...I'm glad she's safe with Bill
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Congratulations!!
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Congrats Bill!!! If you passed on it I was considering calling him. Like you said~ MAJOR mojo!
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Congratulations Bill! Glad to know that it is where it will be cared for at another level and making a trip back to it's original roots. Looking forward to those pictures too.
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Bill, many congrats on another Alembic treasure.
We want to see: Pics,Pics,Pics.......
Oliver (Spyderman)
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Let me add my voice as well in congratulations, Bill. I'm sure you'll take excellent care of #10.
Mike
p.s. like Oliver said....
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Great news Bill, congrats !
You can be officially called Mr Serialnumber 10
I hope Mica takes nice shots of her and puts them on some kind of shocase in the new website.
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Now you must change your user name!
(Message edited by serialnumber12 on September 19, 2009)
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Alright Bill!
It'd be cool to get #10 (Bill), #12 (Keavin) and #16 Michael all together for an Alembic Gathering. Need to find a central location, Hmmmmm let's see, San Fransico, Chicago and New Orleans.........Looks like Dallas would be IDEAL!...
Tell me when and I'll make the plans.
OO
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Bill-------
Sincere congratulations from Scotland!!!
I'm jealous, ..and I don't even play guitar!
George
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Good morning everyone. Well, I woke up this morning and had to go downstairs to the living room to see if #10 was actually sitting on the stand, or if it was all a dream. I can report it's still there. And George, I'm jealous of myself! I can't believe this historic guitar is under my roof! Looking at it in the daylight, it really is a VERY interesting instrument. It's actually a little primitive or crude compared even to my '76 Series I. It has no Q switches, but seems have the pre-amp trim pots sticking up through the pickguard. There is a mini two pole throw switch next to the 5-pin jack which, at present, doesn't do anything. The switch has a locking thingee on it. It is locked in position until you pull up a tiny spring-loaded outside sleeve on the toggle. Then you can move it to the other position, let go of the sleeve and it locks in that position. The pickups are not centered under the strings. They are significantly shifted to the treble side. I don't know if there was an electronic reason for this, or it's just beginner guitar building. The pickups are surrounded by obviously hand-carved wooden pickup rings - not symmetrical, but clearly made specifically for this guitar. The logo is very unusual. I've only seen one other Alembic with a logo like this - also a very early one, seen here (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8385). I spoke with Mica yesterday, and she told me she believes there were only around 20 Alembics that have this type of logo. By the way, does anyone know of the first 10 Alembics, how many were basses and how many were guitars?
I'm on the fence regarding restoration. I guess I've seen too many episodes of Antiques Roadshow (your tiffany lamp is worth $5000, but if you hadn't polished it it would have been worth $75,000). Should I polish all the brass or leave it tarnished? Refinish? All questions I'll be pondering over the next few days. Suggestions and recommendations are very welcome. I think I'll probably bring it up to the mothership and talk to Susan, Mica, and Ron before I do anything. And I promise pictures sometime this weekend.
I have to remember to breath.
Bill, tgo
(Message edited by lbpesq on September 19, 2009)
(Message edited by lbpesq on September 19, 2009)
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Bill,
That locking thingee that you are talking about is supposed to be the stereo/mono switch. Also, those trim pots sticking up adjust the gain for the P5-1 preamps inside. There is also probably 2 hum cancellers inside the instrument, one for each channel.
Great score! My favorite Alembic electronics by the way. They are passive, but definately interactive with each other. I am still finding sounds on my 72 based on levels, tone settings and where my plucking hand is. To me those instruments worked best in stereo through an F2B
Michael
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Sounds like a really interesting piece of history there in your living room! CONGRATS!
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Cool! Congrats with a great purchase, Bill. Very interesting to see some of these instruments that were the spark that set the flame many aeons ago. Please post as many pictures as you wish, as soon as your hands have stopped trembling from the excitement!
Wilfred
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Michael:
Thanks for the info on the stereo/mono switch. I suspected that might be its purpose. I'm a little confused, though, about your comment that these were passive. Mine has a battery compartment for two 9 volts, like a Series I, and a 5-pin jack. Doesn't this translate to active rather than passive?
Bill, tgo
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I'm on the fence regarding restoration. I guess I've seen too many episodes of Antiques Roadshow
I used to watch it, too - then I saw their musical instrument expert date a Les Paul as a '53 because '52s had unbound fingerboards & '54s had humbuckers, and say the value was increased by the presence of the original package of LP & Princeton amp. So don't base it them . My vote would be repair & clean, but don't restore; what the antique bike guys call rustoration. And allow me to register my extreme envy - congrats.
Of course, you know we're all waiting for the family portrait.
Peter
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I would have been shocked if this hadn't ended up with you, Bill. Congrats, and good luck!
Personally, I'd care for it without doing a restoration for that special mojo, unless leaving it as is would lead to deterioration. The electronics would be the hard part. How does one preserve the originals yet make it playable? I can't believe it would be easy to find period components to replace what's in there. The expense of replacing the whole lot to preserve the originals would be steep and might change the vibe as well.
I'm sure you'll consult with the family and make the best decisions, though. Again, best of luck with that special guitar!
-bob
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congrats Bill...
I say at least go for an electronics restoration and getting the electronics working the way they should.
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Getting the electronics in better order is a MUST ... I wanna play this thing! Anyway, here's the "before" pics. At some point, after a visit to Santa Rosa, "after" pics will be posted. Bill, tgo
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/70578.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/70579.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/70580.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/70581.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/70582.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/70583.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/70584.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/70585.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/70586.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/70587.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/70588.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/70589.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/70590.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/70591.jpg)
(Message edited by davehouck on September 19, 2009)
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That's a real one of a kind. Congrats on acquiring such a unique instrument. I look forward to seeing the restoration pic's.
Keith
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One more that I left out: the control panel.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/70596.jpg)
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Bill,
What I meant by passive is that there are no filters. The 5-pin is to power the twin onboard preamps and to split the signal for stereo. The controls work as they would on a passive instrument, just tone only.
Michael
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Oh, man, that is just so incredibly hip! But what's the design on what I assume is the battery cover? And how's it applied? Sticker? Enamel? Can we get a close-up of that?
Peter
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Great pics! And very interesting guitar! I'm looking forward to hearing what Mica, Susan, and Ron have to say.
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so electronics update it will be... and will you let the mothership fix that big hole in the body too?? ;-) but seriously, what a great guitar that is!!
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does anyone know of the first 10 Alembics, how many were basses and how many were guitars?
Well, between Val's post in this thread (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=4220) and the evidence you just presented us with, it seems that 1 & 8 were basses & 2, 3, 6, & 10 were guitars. Anyone know about 4, 5, 7, and/or 9? Michael? Mica?
Peter
ps - And by the way, what number became Wolf?
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The sticker on the battery cover is just a sticker of a dog that the previous owner applied. I will most likely remove it when I unpack the box with the goo gone in it. (Still in the process of moving into the new digs. I'm working a little on the basement studio today).
By the way, the guitar is quite unusual in that it has a 25 scale and has 27 frets. I can almost see Rick Turner carving away in a cloud of sweet smoke. hehehehe
Bill, tgo
(Message edited by lbpesq on September 19, 2009)
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Very nice, congrats!
Good to see this piece of Alembic history back in a cloud of sweet smoke again :-)
Thanx for the great pics!
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Bill,
the more I look at it the more I must say: this has really massive Alembic Mojo!
I am happy that you had the chance to get it and that it stays within the forum and was not sold to the HRC like No.2
Oliver (Spyderman)
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Well,
I for one love the patina on the brass, and I think it lends character. If the excess grunge can be removed without damaging it, I would probably choose that route. Congratulations Bill, I'm glad it's owned by a club member so we can all drool over it!
Oh well a touch of grey, kinda suits you anyway . . .
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The sticker is from the Lucky Labradore Brewery in Portland, Oregon. I thought I had seen this sticker before, and went searching. Very early sticker for this company, so it was probably put on in the early 90's. I love this guitar. I thought of picking it up myself, but got poo-poo'd by my lovely lady. I believe the expression was What! another one? I am very happy for you, Bill. I can't wait to see it restored!
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It was Spanish Peaks Brewery. Black Dog Ale
I put it on there in memory of my dog and the collar on the dog says Chug which was my nick name.
Here is # 10 in action-Golden Gate Park 1997
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_HlbOMastM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_HlbOMastM)
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Hi Andrew; welcome to the board! Nice video; and the guitar sounds great!
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BILL ,
That Guitar sounds really GOOD!
You too have been blessed by the experience of
The transitive nightfall of diamonds'
A GIFT FROM THE UNIVERSE ___________________
I am very happy for you .
Wolf __
(Message edited by sonicus on September 22, 2009)
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My bad. I am looking at the sticker, and the only difference is the collar. Same background, everything. I wonder, but wouldn't be suprised, if there was a little hanky-panky going on here.. Again, not to hijack the thread, love this axe!
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And Shoji thinks his tailpiece is off center.....
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Hi Bill,
I must honestly say, I too am happy for you.
Deep down inside my heart, I was hoping you would
win this guitar, and you did.
Ten, is a magic and important number...
1. 10 Fingers on Humanoids
2. Base 10 for the metric system
3. 1 and 0 is the binary logic of computers
4. 10 years = a decade
5. 10 = A perfect score
6. The 10 Commandments (Of GOD)
7. Blackjack, the Ten, Jack, Queen and King are all worth 10 points.
8. 10 bowling pins knocked down is a Strike!
9. 10 legs on a Crab
10. The 10th Alembic ever made... would become yours...
P.S.
I would clean all the original parts; restore electrical back to its original opulence; store it in a vacuum chamber
Enjoy!
(Message edited by toma_hawk01 on September 22, 2009)
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Hal, you are definitely the most entertaining guy on the site. I too would restore the man's fine, but then I would play the piss out of it. These axe's are made to play, not just look at. I do both! Bless the third spirit of the Toma_hawk! I felt it last night, and have blisters to prove it.
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Bill, there's a hole in your guitar!! Wow - congrats - that is beautiful!