Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: happy_face on October 30, 2008, 11:17:48 AM

Title: AlembRick
Post by: happy_face on October 30, 2008, 11:17:48 AM

Finally finished installing Activators with Q Switch into a Rickenbacker 4001 v64. Sounds great with a versatile set of tones. All-around A+

Title: AlembRick
Post by: briant on October 30, 2008, 01:25:40 PM

What are you doing with the pickups/electronics you removed?

Title: AlembRick
Post by: bluplirst on October 30, 2008, 03:17:54 PM

Nobody is going to believe you until you post pics! (hint, hint)

Title: AlembRick
Post by: happy_face on October 30, 2008, 07:11:00 PM

What are you doing with the pickups/electronics you removed?
 
Ahh, just tossed 'em in the garbage.  ;)    
 
NOT. I bought the bass stripped of pickups, pots & wiring.
 
(Message edited by happy_face on October 30, 2008)

Title: AlembRick
Post by: jacko on October 31, 2008, 05:02:02 AM

Has it all fitted in the normal cavity and what about the rick'o'sound feature?  
I've been thinking about this for my rick loaded precision..
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/57951.jpg)
 
Graeme

Title: AlembRick
Post by: happy_face on October 31, 2008, 05:53:05 AM

Graeme,
 
It was not a pure drop-in. Perhaps because it was a C64? I'd be curious if others had any routing to do. As well, the jack had to be mounted on the pickguard.  
 
Hopefully someone with experience on a regular 4001 or 4003 could speak to it.
 
Sine it had no wiring at all, no Ric-o-sound. Never thought of it! Not sure if the S models ever had it.  
 
(Message edited by happy_face on October 31, 2008)

Title: AlembRick
Post by: benson_murrensun on October 31, 2008, 10:46:54 AM

Jacko, that Ric-loaded P-Bass is FINE-looking! Are you dissatisfied with the sound?

Title: AlembRick
Post by: hieronymous on October 31, 2008, 11:00:13 AM

happy_face, glad you finally got it up and running! It was hard to fit the Activators in my Telecaster Bass as well - the pickguard was bulging up a little bit so I had the luthier route the control cavity a bit deeper. The funny thing with the Tele is, in a way it's Ric-O-Sound only, since I had the original humbucker wired separately with its own output. And actually, now that I think of it, he used a jack plate from a Rickenfaker!
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/57967.jpg)
 
Looking forward to sound clips, pics, whatever ya got!
 
Oh yeah, RE: S models - as far as I know, most S model basses were mono, but there are always exceptions!

Title: AlembRick
Post by: happy_face on October 31, 2008, 12:01:08 PM

Yes Hieronymous, it took a while. Your Tele bass looks righteous!

Title: AlembRick
Post by: pauldo on November 04, 2008, 05:51:13 PM

hmmm intriguing.
I think I have some old Dimarzio 'P-bass' pickups laying around..... may be I can stick them in my bastard fretless? Right in front of the EMG's?(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/58082.jpg)

Title: AlembRick
Post by: eligilam on November 11, 2008, 08:23:02 AM

I love this thread.  What is it about jacked-up Frankenstein basses that is so appealing?  Pauldo's wins the prize so far...

Title: AlembRick
Post by: pauldo on November 12, 2008, 04:45:01 PM

Thank you Will - for me it's the yin and yang factor. I own a beautiful Distillate and it is balanced by this monstrousity - it's ugly, it's HEAVY and it has the face that only a bassist could love. :-)  The brass rods are the longest thumb rest ever, the images in black are wood burned into the surface. A shot of the back shows that it has an honest to god Intel 486 chip in it, you can also cleary see where I modified the lower bout for easier access up high on the neck. On the top of the upper bout is one of our cat's old collars - the black leather with studs was very appropriate for this instrument. Of course more wood burning and some gouges that occured when Dan Huber got at it,,,, but that is another story for another day.  peace!  
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/58493.jpg)
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/58494.jpg)
  (Message edited by davehouck on November 19, 2008)

Title: AlembRick
Post by: elwoodblue on November 12, 2008, 05:54:13 PM

...Love the cat collar!!
I didn't notice that before.Nice lower horn shaping too.
peace

Title: AlembRick
Post by: happy_face on December 14, 2008, 06:34:55 PM

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/59308.jpg)
  Finally got around to taking some snaphots.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/59309.jpg)
 Snapshots - now there's a time warp!!

Title: AlembRick
Post by: hieronymous on December 14, 2008, 07:00:38 PM

Alright - looks great! I'd be interested to know about the bottom part of the pickguard - keeping the battery in there?

Title: AlembRick
Post by: happy_face on December 15, 2008, 06:23:05 AM

That's it. We did it that way so that there is less chance of abuse to the pots & wiring when it comes time to change the battery.

Title: AlembRick
Post by: tmoney61092 on December 15, 2008, 12:58:10 PM

wow, that was a good idea to put Alembics in a Rickenbacker, how is the sound compared to the original?

Title: AlembRick
Post by: happy_face on December 15, 2008, 06:11:36 PM

You can get a good clangy sound, pretty close to the standard Rick. Actually, quite a few variations of said sound. Plus a pretty wide tone palette away from that. Really quite versatile.

Title: AlembRick
Post by: tmoney61092 on December 15, 2008, 06:44:02 PM

how much did this upgrade cost you?
 
~Taylor

Title: AlembRick
Post by: happy_face on December 15, 2008, 07:02:20 PM

The pickups are for sale at your Alembic dealer for around $1000 for the set.

Title: AlembRick
Post by: jacko on December 16, 2008, 12:37:30 AM

I've just had my guitarist (electronics engineer by trade) replace the worn out and broken pots in my fenderbacker (see above) and the transformation is amazing. She's not been played since I went to 5 strings in 1996 so everything was pretty corroded. He's left the original rick pups and switch though so 'that' tone is still there. I'm going to have to work out some songs I can use her for in our set so she doesn't get neglected again. ?25 (aboout $15) for the parts and he did the labour for a beer. Looks like I've just saved $1000 ;-)
 
Graeme

Title: AlembRick
Post by: georgie_boy on December 16, 2008, 04:11:39 AM

Nice bass graeme!

Title: AlembRick
Post by: jacko on December 16, 2008, 04:15:42 AM

I'll bring her along to the next get together George.
 
Graeme