Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: mica on October 01, 2008, 07:38:27 PM

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: mica on October 01, 2008, 07:38:27 PM

The  Featured Custom (http://www.alembic.com/info/fc_karma.html) for October is alive and well.  
 

(http://alembic.com/club/messages/393/56908.jpg)
 
 
We love you, Dave!

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: 57basstra on October 01, 2008, 08:15:03 PM

Wow! Congrats and happy playing, Dave! That is one beautiful instrument.

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: rrozzie on October 01, 2008, 08:17:59 PM

Yes; a fantastically beautiful instrument..... and I know we are all wondering.....at what cost did this happen?

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: FC Bass on October 01, 2008, 08:27:45 PM

Allrighty then! Looks awesome, congrats Dave!

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: dlbydgtl on October 01, 2008, 08:49:59 PM

Wow! What else can be said... amazing.  Beautiful bass.  
John

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: lidon2001 on October 01, 2008, 09:27:04 PM

Very nice Dave!  And a very good eye to turn the wood around - great move!
 
T

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: LMiwa on October 01, 2008, 10:05:35 PM

Incredibly beautiful bass Dave!
 
Well deserved and appropriately named for all the good karma you spread here - enjoy...
 
Loch

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: bsee on October 01, 2008, 10:07:27 PM

Hey Dave, great bass!  Well ordered.

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: adriaan on October 01, 2008, 10:29:35 PM

Dave, you sly fox! Keeping us in the dark all the time ...
 
Congrats!
 
Love the features.

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: elwoodblue on October 01, 2008, 10:31:31 PM

Stunning Instrument Dave...hoping to see a pic of you with Karma.
 
Congratulations!

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: kimberly on October 02, 2008, 12:56:39 AM

Awesome!  
 
Congratulations David!  
 
Very Best Regards,
 
Kimberly  

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: senmen on October 02, 2008, 02:19:14 AM

Wow Dave,
this is a beauty.......
Congrats!
 
Oliver (Spyderman)

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: keith_h on October 02, 2008, 04:11:58 AM

Congratulations Dave. Susan had mentioned to me a while back that they were building a custom for you. It's good to see the beautiful results.  
 
Keith

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: jacko on October 02, 2008, 04:39:33 AM

Congratulations Dave, that is simply stunning. And well done keeping it such a good secret. There's no way I'd have been able to contain myself if I had an instrument like that in the pipeline.
 
Graeme

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: dadabass2001 on October 02, 2008, 05:34:46 AM

Congrats Dave,
A truely great looking instrument. I bet she sounds beautiful.
Mike

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: artswork99 on October 02, 2008, 05:36:56 AM

Congratulations Dave.  
Karma is a beautiful instrument!  I appreciate the fact that I have had the pleasure of meeting Karma earlier than today.  Enjoy your new bass for many years to come.
Play it Healthy!
Art

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: 2400wattman on October 02, 2008, 07:24:49 AM

Superb Dave! It's absolutely gorgeous, enjoy and treasure it.

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: lbpesq on October 02, 2008, 07:31:46 AM

Dave:
 
Suuuuuuhhhwwweeeeeeetttt!!!!!  Absolutely gorgeous!  If it sounds even half as good as it looks, it must play amazingly.  May you enjoy it for many years to come as the two of you make beautiful music together.  
 
Bill, tgo

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: 811952 on October 02, 2008, 07:32:53 AM

Beautiful bass, Dave!

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: funkyjazzjunky on October 02, 2008, 07:36:33 AM

Congratulations Dave
 
That is a unique and exquisite work of art

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: David Houck on October 02, 2008, 07:41:27 AM

My sincere thanks to Mica and Susan and all the folks at Alembic; and to all of you guys and gals as well.
 
She played her first gig last night; first time out of the house, first time with a band.  It was a joyous experience!

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: daveski on October 02, 2008, 08:33:20 AM

Fantastic

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: kenbass4 on October 02, 2008, 09:04:38 AM

Dave,
 
It was truly Karmac that your bass was chosen as the Featured Custom. Your presence on the forum has always been the calming voice in the (fortunately) infrequent storm. Play her well, and often!!
 
Ken (TEO)

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: speicky on October 02, 2008, 10:51:04 AM

what a stunning beauty, Dave, congratulations ! good to see that my annual member fee was spent so wisely  
 
here's wishing you and Karma a long and strong relationship,
 
your friend Christian

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: alembic76407 on October 02, 2008, 11:46:04 AM

I don't like it,   too many string
 
 
 
just kidding Dave,    what a sweet bass
 
Sir David

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: alemberic on October 02, 2008, 12:02:31 PM

Absolutely magnificent bass!  Congratulations, Dave.  I'm sure you and Karma will create even more positive karma as you share its beautiful voice with others through your music.  
 
I second Adriaan and Graeme--quite a coup keeping something like this a secret!  
 
Enjoy--
 
Eric

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: 3rd_ray on October 02, 2008, 12:17:04 PM

Congratulations Dave! That's one beautiful 6-string.
 
Mike

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: tbrannon on October 02, 2008, 01:23:09 PM

Very sneaky Dave!!  
 
Beautiful bass- I'm looking forward to hearing some clips once you have some available.
 
Enjoy~
Toby

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: kungfusheriff on October 02, 2008, 01:46:09 PM

Welcome to the Wide Fingerboard Alembic club. ;) Play her in good health, at the end of a wide strap, and with your spine as straight as a ruler. Trust me.

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: hydrargyrum on October 02, 2008, 01:50:10 PM

A very beautiful instrument.  I love the balance K's.  Play it in good health, and may you reap the good karma you spread here on the forum in pleasant melodies.

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: spliffy on October 02, 2008, 01:56:43 PM

Good on ya mate! a fine instrument.
Too many strings though!  
Use her in good health.
 
Al

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: jedisan on October 02, 2008, 04:49:19 PM

Lord a gotions!! whatever that means...
 
Dave, your new bass is perhaps the best I have ever seen come out of Santa Rosa. Congratulations! I would expect everytime you pick this beast up, a little sly grin come across your face. And I do mean everytime.
 
Well done!!

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: jalevinemd on October 02, 2008, 05:12:22 PM

Congrats...Dave. Love that neck!

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: keurosix on October 02, 2008, 09:09:34 PM

Wow Dave, what a beauty!
Is it a 34 scale? Standard B E A D G C tuning?
Tell me how does the low B sound with the neck woods selected? 2 Ebony lams should make a difference. Red side LEDs? Please post a pic with you playing her - It would make all of our days!
Here's to spreading more of your good Karma!
Kris

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: rraymond on October 02, 2008, 10:02:29 PM

Wow! Beautiful bass Dave. Congrats!

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: georgie_boy on October 03, 2008, 04:21:27 AM

Have to agree with all of the above David!
 
Enjoy her.
 
George

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: bassman10096 on October 03, 2008, 04:34:40 AM

Wow Dave.  That's beautiful!!
 
Bill

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: bigyouth on October 03, 2008, 07:59:23 AM

F?li?itation Dave
great Serie 2beautifull bass.
it's my dream  
a bientot

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: terryc on October 03, 2008, 08:00:36 AM

Bloody hell Dave you kept that one quiet!!!!!!
So you are playing solos now as well as keeping the groove going.
That is an beautiful bass and  congratulations on the new ownership
The omega is absolutley outstanding!!
Envy envy envy!!!!

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: tomhug on October 03, 2008, 09:48:17 AM

You know in the old fashioned cartoons when the guy sees a hot broad and his jaw drops to the floor, and his tongue hangs out, and his eyes pop out of his head, and steam comes out of his ears, and he's momentarily struck motionless with a dumb expression on his face . . . well you get what I am saying.
 
Enjoy your karma Dave (pun intended!)

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: crgaston on October 03, 2008, 10:04:26 AM

Wow! That's absoloutely gorgeous!!!  What a top!

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: David Houck on October 03, 2008, 10:17:23 AM

Thank you again to everyone!
Merci tout !
Arigatou!
Danke zu allen!
 
Yes, it's 34 and B to C.
 
About the B string, two things.  First, for me, I found that I really needed to pay attention to my technique; that I needed to learn how to play a B string.  Second, in the course of listening to the low freqencies, I only recently found that there was a problem with my preamp.  This really slowed me down as I was unable to clearly hear the low frequencies.  Playing through a different preamp while the other is being repaired, my progress in articulating the B is rapidly improving.
 
Oh, and yes, red LED's.
 
And yes, I've been trying to pay attention to where my spine is.  One interesting thing from the gig Thursday Wednesday night; I seem to have bruised a rib.  Not yet sure what to do about that.
 
(Message edited by davehouck on October 03, 2008)

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: altgrendel on October 03, 2008, 10:23:40 AM

I really like making the truss rod plate from a piece of the neck.  
 
One of those small details that makes a difference.

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: Bradley Young on October 03, 2008, 01:46:43 PM

Dave,
 
Since we have similar basses, I'd definitely suggest a 4 strap, suede backed.  I suspect you already have this covered.
 
It wasn't clear whether you bruised the rib from playing or discovered it by playing the bass.
 
I'm guessing your bass is at least marginally lighter than mine (less ebony/vermillion, more mahogany), but the weight can really be mitigated by where the bass sits: try moving it up/down (shorten or lengthen strap) and try to make sure that the tummy contour actually sits over your tummy.  It seems to press on my ribs less that way.
 
When playing seated, I've found that the least stressful position to play in is more like a classical guitar: the lower bout between my legs, and the neck pointing skyward (1 o'clock or steeper).  This also works standing (I find myself starting like this sitting, and then standing), although I occasionally get some odd looks.  Not recommended without straplocks.
 
Mahogany in the neck was one of the items I thought about but didn't happen, and now I'm thinking c'est la vie.  Beautiful bass.
 
Bradley

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: alembaddict on October 03, 2008, 01:50:12 PM

Eh, nothing special... I have one just like it laying around collecting dust somewhere...

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: David Houck on October 03, 2008, 02:06:05 PM

Bradley, my current theory is that the soreness came from playing the gig.  And yes, I'm thinking I'll have to look into changing the strap length; but then of course changing strap length effects left and right hand alignment, so it will take some thought.

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: lbpesq on October 03, 2008, 04:25:55 PM

or you can just get a guitar!  hehehehe
 
Bill, that's why I'm, tgo

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: David Houck on October 03, 2008, 04:58:55 PM

Bill, I just don't think I could get the same tone out of those little strings, even with the cosmic microwave background setting on the SF-2 set to stun.

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: richbass939 on October 04, 2008, 08:39:45 AM

Dave, congrats on a very beautiful bass.  My heart jumped a bit when I read that it is yours.  I can't think of a person more deserving of something at that level.
Rich

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: jakebass on October 04, 2008, 12:14:33 PM

Now thats a beautiful top!! and back and neck and...... you get the picture.
Dave, it's deserved.
Jake

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: kilowatt on October 04, 2008, 01:13:54 PM

Dave,
Your new bass is simply amazing! I love the wood combinations you chose. It looks like a six string cousin to my five string. Best of luck with your new beauty.
 
Regards,
Pete

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: eastcoastepic on October 04, 2008, 07:12:45 PM

Heartfelt congratulations, therapist, er, uh, moder Dave!!! I picked up my first 6 a year ago (only a Peavey, but nice!), and I hope you have as much fun with her as I have had with mine.  
Wishing you two a life of beautiful music,
Chris.

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: malthumb on October 06, 2008, 07:01:10 PM

WOW!  If I ever see another bonus year, I may have to order one o' them with one less string.
 
I couldn't have dreamt a nicer bass!
 
Peace,
 
James

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: kmh364 on October 10, 2008, 04:40:36 AM

Very nice, Dave!  
 
Play it in good health!
 
Enjoy,
 
Kevin

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: precarius on October 10, 2008, 04:48:36 AM

Dave- BEAUTIFUL bass. Can I have one of your Series basses now?
Mike

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: new2alembic on October 10, 2008, 07:48:11 AM

Hello Dave:
Congratulations on a beautiful bass.  It has already been stated...but I will reiterate it.  This great instrument was created for a great guy!  Thanks for all the help you provide us.  Play it healthy!
 
Carl

Title: October Featured Custom (aka :COTM)
Post by: deburgh on October 15, 2008, 10:30:51 AM

Absolutely stunning Dave, a classic!
 
Todd