Alembic Guitars Club
Connecting => Swap Shop and Wish Lists => For Sale & Trade => Topic started by: Mondozer on June 13, 2016, 04:07:29 PM
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I'm going to sell my Alembic. I'll post on eBay and craigslist to see how much, but posting here first in case anyone in the know wants first dibs. It's a rare guitar.
Alembic Guitar #72-03 Custom made for Jerry Garcia
In 1973-4 I worked for Rick Turner selling instruments and equipment for the Alembic retail store (In the Sept. Rolling Stone article, my hands adjusting the Rose Petal Guitar and I’m upper left of the staff photo). At that time, the old Pacific High recording studio at 60 Otis St. in San Francisco housed all of Alembic’s offices and shops, except Rick’s woodworking shop in Cotati.
Just before I started work, Jerry Garcia returned this guitar to Alembic. It was the only 6-string for sale in the store before Rick built the LD Heater model in 1974.
I took Alembic guitars and basses for visiting musicians to demo to various venues, including the Boarding House, where I gave Stanley Clark his first experience with an Alembic bass.
All this to say I received this guitar, per my arrangement with Rick, as partial compensation for my work at Alembic and for bringing Stanley into the fold.
At my request, Rick installed the original electronics in my 12-string Rickenbacker (an unbelievable sound) and put hot-rodded Humbuckers and a Bixby on SN 03. Several years later, my needs changed. Rion Dudley, a luthier in Seattle, built a new pick guard for the Alembic and I reinstalled the original pickups, hum-canceller and electronics. I thought red Allen & Bradley knobs were slicker than the Alembic black ones. Easy hard to change.
When the original electronics went into the Rickenbacker, George Mundy replaced the two Q-switches with two potentiometers so that I could fine-tune each circuit to remove feedback. This solved a slight problem with Ron’s design: after a period, feedback would creep into the circuits at max treble. Fixing it required de-stringing, removing pick guard and electronics assembly, adjusting the trim pots, reassembly and restringing. Big PITB even if you knew how to do it. No further modification to the circuits.
The guitar is 100% functional. Rick did the engraving. It has 27 frets (to G an octave above the high G on the first string). Internal truss rods, Grovers, 16-oz brass bridge. I have the blue 25-ft stereo cord (in case you want to run with AA’s), the Alembic power supply and the black 25-ft 5-pin cord. Neck is incredibly strait and true. Frets are like new. No scratches or dings on the finish. Other than the work mentioned it is completely original.
Don’t forget the Jerry Garcia pixie dust.
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Now that is what I call a great looking guitar.
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Wow! That's an amazing piece of Alembic history.
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Mondozer:
I'd love to speak with you about your guitar. Among other instruments, I'm the current custodian of 72-10. You can email me through my profile.
Bill, the guitar one
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That has your name all over it Bill ;)
slawie
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This instrument is just dripping with history. I can't think of a better owner than Bill.
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This one made my morning!
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good to see the twin to my 72-12 bass.
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Body shape is similar (if not identical) to 72-01.
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Hot damn!!! Hoping Bill gets this one.
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Very kool !
Wolf
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Just wow! Gorgeous instrument, and great piece of Alembic history!
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Go for it, Bill. What's another ten years working, between friends?
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Hello again.
Apologies if you expressed an interest in this guitar previously. I was distracted by family and unable to respond.
However, this instrument is still available.
Please contact me if you're interested.
Kind regards.
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I hadn't noticed the stippling around the top edge before... much like on the Osage Orange bass.