Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: oddmetersam on June 25, 2014, 04:23:19 PM

Title: 5 Years Ago, Today
Post by: oddmetersam on June 25, 2014, 04:23:19 PM
June 25, 2009
 
Five years ago today Michael Jackson died. It's also the day I took delivery of Mary, my Mark King Signature Deluxe, at the factory. It seems like only yesterday....
 

(http://alembic.com/club/messages/449/194238.jpg)
 
 
More about Mary here:  http://www.alembic.com/info/fc_maryswish.html (http://www.alembic.com/info/fc_maryswish.html)
Title: 5 Years Ago, Today
Post by: rustyg61 on June 25, 2014, 07:09:59 PM
Sam, I have been admiring your beautiful bass for years, but never knew the story of how you got it until now. What a wonderful tribute to your loving mother! I'm sure she smiles every time you play your bass! Happy birthday Mary!
Title: 5 Years Ago, Today
Post by: David Houck on June 25, 2014, 07:11:26 PM
I love that bass!
Title: 5 Years Ago, Today
Post by: moongerm on June 25, 2014, 07:23:34 PM
Many blessings! Touching story and a beautiful bass!
Title: 5 Years Ago, Today
Post by: oddmetersam on June 25, 2014, 09:24:38 PM
Rusty, Dave and Brian
 
Thanks for the kind words, guys!
 
Rusty, I saw your bass while at the mini-gathering and I purposefully DID NOT photograph it because you need to see it in the flesh --er, wood -- for yourself.  You are a lucky man, indeed!
 
Dave, it was a pleasure meeting you in person a few years ago at our gathering. And you made my bass sing in ways that I cannot.
 
Brian, OMG! I remember Piktor's Metamorphosis when it first came out in 1976 (I'm 59). Thanks to you, I'm listening to it now and it still KILLS! I will definitely check out your band. Double thanks.
Title: 5 Years Ago, Today
Post by: rustyg61 on June 25, 2014, 10:05:23 PM
Glad you like my bass Sam! We are flying out next week to see it in the wood! Mica sent me pictures of the new inlays this week & they look great! I can't wait to see them in person!
Title: 5 Years Ago, Today
Post by: oddmetersam on June 25, 2014, 11:35:39 PM
Well, Rusty, your bass has so many well thought-out features that it makes for a great synergistic whole. I told Mica I think knobby headstocks are a really elegant, under-the-radar touch. The inlays are the icing on the cake. You might want to sit down and have a little talk with your other basses, though, just to nip any possible sibling rivalry in the bud cuz' they might be more than a little jealous.
 
And between you and Jazzyvee's arsenal, I'm becoming more and more enamored with the Europa shape....
Title: 5 Years Ago, Today
Post by: rustyg61 on June 26, 2014, 12:53:10 AM
Thanks Sam! I have loved the Knobby headstock ever since the first time I saw one! I like the old school look of them. I wasn't sure how it would look on a Europa, but I love it!
 
My biggest fear when I commissioned the Europa build was that I wouldn't want to play my SCSD after getting it, & the more I see the progress on the Europa build, the more that fear is amplified!
 
Jazzyvee is responsible for me falling in love with the Europa body. When I saw his blonde Series II, I instantly loved it! He sent me a video of you playing it at the last Gathering & the tone is incredible!
Title: 5 Years Ago, Today
Post by: pauldo on June 26, 2014, 03:15:14 AM
Sam, now knowing the history of Mary has elevated her beauty.
Very nice,
Title: 5 Years Ago, Today
Post by: oddmetersam on June 26, 2014, 03:33:17 AM
Rusty, the knobby headstock is sublime! It imparts a middle earth/wizard's sceptre vibe and streamlines the whole shape of the bass in a very unique way. I love the medieval look of Bill's elongated 12-string headstock.
 
That blonde Europa played like a dream and since I never use a strap, it balanced perfectly when I was sitting down....
 
I only own one Alembic, so I can't really speak to whether or not one might wind up being neglected. I guess to keep things fresh you could experiment with altered tunings and/or flat-wounds on the SCSD, but since these basses have different woods and electronics I imagine they'll naturally sound different enough that they can't really be redundant (how can any Alembic be redundant?).
Title: 5 Years Ago, Today
Post by: oddmetersam on June 26, 2014, 03:38:01 AM
Thanks, Paul!
Title: 5 Years Ago, Today
Post by: moongerm on June 26, 2014, 09:26:34 AM
Pleasure to meet you Sam!
Title: 5 Years Ago, Today
Post by: rustyg61 on June 26, 2014, 04:56:27 PM
Sam, are you saying that Gandalf would have played a Knobby? LOL! I could see that!
 
Jazzyvee also told me that the Europa is well balanced, so that is good.
 
My SCSD is a short scale 4 string & the Europa will be a long scale 5 string so 2 very different basses. I'm hoping to share equal time with them once I get comfortable playing the 5 string.
Title: 5 Years Ago, Today
Post by: mario_farufyno on June 27, 2014, 06:48:41 AM
I'm being repetitive, but each Alembic I saw today is taking my breath away...