Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: lidon2001 on December 21, 2007, 01:32:45 PM

Title: Why the change?
Post by: lidon2001 on December 21, 2007, 01:32:45 PM

From this:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/46869.jpg)
 (Roman Conqueror)  To this:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/46870.jpg)
  The accent laminate on BTC tops now stop at the neck, when previously it was as in the first pic, full with the top.  I know I would have been upset if my accent laminate stopped at the neck on my custom amboyna bass.  I also know 8SK ordered his that way to stop at the neck, but it seems after his all were made in that fashion.    Why the change?

Title: Why the change?
Post by: mica on December 21, 2007, 01:50:27 PM

There's of course lots of changes over the years. This is just one more of them. There are some folks that would be upset if the accent laminates scraped away more of the Ebony neck laminates, it just depends. 8SK wasn't the first one done like this, but the change wasn't long before his.  
 
It's just one more thing to specify now.

Title: Why the change?
Post by: lidon2001 on December 21, 2007, 02:04:48 PM

Thanks Mica - putting it on my list for my next one!  ;)  
 
And what about Jeff's question on his softened saddles?  Now standard or request?

Title: Why the change?
Post by: mica on December 21, 2007, 02:14:52 PM

Request only at this time.

Title: Why the change?
Post by: 811952 on December 23, 2007, 03:13:00 PM

As with any highly-custom instrument, there have always been many subtle variations between instruments that are considered the same.  I think, though, that having the immediacy of the Factory to Customer threads available has eliminated a small portion of the builders' option(s) to do small touches a little bit differently on each instrument.  Back in '81 I played an Alembic Series I LS bass that had accent laminates running parallel/adjacent to the neck.  I didn't otherwise like the bass, which was vermillion I think, but the accent laminates looked cool.  I recall they were about a quarter of an inch wide, between the neck and the body wings, and is the only Alembic bass I've yet seen with this subtle and unique feature...
 
John

Title: Why the change?
Post by: the_8_string_king on December 24, 2007, 01:54:26 PM

It's interesting.  I'd asked Mica about having the accent lams stop when they hit the neck -with my new (custom 6-string Balance K Signature Deluxe) bass.
 
At that time, she said that they COULD do it, but indicated that it would or might be more difficult -at which point I withdrew the request, as I didn't have fundage to offer in connection with the request and any additional time/labor/money.
 
I wasn't clear on why it was or would be more difficult.  It seems to me like it would be easier; but I'm not a woodworker, and am ignorant of the technical issues involved.
 
I made the request for two reasons: first, as Mica said, I didn't want any more of the neck (and the Ebony neck laminate) shaved down -other than what was necessary for the BTC on each side; and also, I've seen a few rare cases where the pinstripes don't line up perfectly, and this bothers the heck out of me.  Interestingly, one of them is the Roman Conqueror featured above... you can see the pinstripes don't quite line up.  Another is the Coco Bolo Fantasy.
 
I think having the pinstripes and/or accent lams stop at the neck looks just as good or better than having them go all the way to the center... and it eliminates the possibility of them not lining up perfectly.  Of course, this is obviously a subjective judgement/preference, and we all know beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
 
Anyway, it came as a total surprise when my new 6-string came with this feature, and I like it.  The only VERY minor disappointment was that I'd have preferred a thicker Maple accent laminate to the thin one... IF I'd known it was going to come that way... I specified 2 thin pinstrips just to specifically minimize the additional amount of neck that was shaved down.  Since this was not applicable, I'd have preferred a wider Maple accent laminate to the thin Maple pinstripe.  But this is an exceedingly minor snivel... the bass is way too awesome to whine about this... the fact is it's awesome, and looks awesome.
 
That said, I am a little curious about the reasoning for the shift/change.  Mica had indicated that doing it this way was more difficult... and the fact that it now seems to be standard makes me think that either that was incorrect (no disrespect intended) or that some new technique has been developed that makes it easier to do this way.  It seems unlikely Alembic would be shifting to this way of doing things as it's new standard policy if it were actually more difficult.
 
I'd be interested in knowing the thinking that led to this change in policy/construction.

Title: Why the change?
Post by: edwin on December 24, 2007, 11:11:50 PM

Sorry, duplicate post.
 
(Message edited by edwin on December 24, 2007)

Title: Why the change?
Post by: edwin on December 24, 2007, 11:12:25 PM

Heck, I just wish that my '78 Series I had any pinstripes at all!
 
Edwin

Title: Why the change?
Post by: dela217 on December 25, 2007, 06:36:38 AM

Edwin - Yours should have some between the fingerboard and neck.  Something else that has changed over ther years.

Title: Why the change?
Post by: bsee on December 25, 2007, 10:24:27 AM

Ahh, the good old days of the sacrificial sliver of walnut.

Title: Why the change?
Post by: the_mule on December 25, 2007, 11:45:34 AM

Yeah, makes a great story to introduce people to the high standard of Alembic!
 
Wilfred

Title: Why the change?
Post by: edwin on December 25, 2007, 05:59:57 PM

HM, I don't recall that. I'll look at it when it finally comes back from the mother ship getting its refinish. I can't wait!
 
 
Edwin

Title: Why the change?
Post by: 811952 on January 11, 2008, 06:06:42 AM

The bass I mentioned above is Rory's, and it's for sale!  
 
http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/47514.html?1200058936 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=14729)
 
John