Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: Eric1616 on November 16, 2019, 02:00:47 PM

Title: My Alembicized Rickenbacker 4003s!
Post by: Eric1616 on November 16, 2019, 02:00:47 PM
My newest addition and my fourth Alembicized instrument (already have a P-Bass, Jazz Bass, and Strat).  I’m going to fathom a guess that this is the bass of its kind.  I’ve always wanted a Rickenbacker.  Love the look of it.  But want it to sound, well, like my Alembic.  Hence this project. 

This bass started off as a new 4003s Jetglo Pearlstar - a limited model that has a gold sparkle added to the jetglo black, with gold sparkle pickguard and trussrod cover and maple fretboard.  I had Alembic make me a set of Activators to fit the bass, along with volume-pan-filter controls with a 3-way Q switch - thanks to Will Gunn for making that happen.  (The depth of the electronics required routing the control cavity to make it deeper, and it was close.  But in the end it all worked out fine.). I cut down a Rickenbacker “treble bezel” to surround the bridge pickup.  I used Alembic hat control knobs.  I painted the chrome pickup bezel matte black and replaced the tuners and bridge with black hipshots.  Finally, I added black Schaller S straplocks.  I wish the pickups had the gold-foil imprinting, but whatcha gonna do.

This bass now looks — and sounds — great!

(https://i.ibb.co/RPvg5Px/FA715134-BCB9-4006-B847-C912316-ACA29.jpg) (https://ibb.co/82Kmh2W)
(https://i.ibb.co/4j5QRNz/B8-B8-B401-E642-4116-ADAC-0893-E25-DD4-A2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/D7SqfKh)
(https://i.ibb.co/b7W3yS5/C9-D95412-9-E1-D-4814-97-BE-49-C8-CB587-A1-B.jpg) (https://ibb.co/wY0Lb9h)
upload image (https://imgbb.com/upload)
Title: Re: My Alembicized Rickenbacker 4003s!
Post by: hieronymous on November 16, 2019, 03:39:25 PM
Saw your Facebook post - glad you posted here too! Sweet upgrade to a sweet bass!
Title: Re: My Alembicized Rickenbacker 4003s!
Post by: pauldo on November 16, 2019, 03:59:33 PM
That really looks nice!
Title: Re: My Alembicized Rickenbacker 4003s!
Post by: sonicus on November 19, 2019, 09:35:56 AM
Very cool . I very much like this upgrade in concept and workmanship .
Title: Re: My Alembicized Rickenbacker 4003s!
Post by: mario_farufyno on November 20, 2019, 03:26:29 AM
Show us all the family, please.
Title: Re: My Alembicized Rickenbacker 4003s!
Post by: ducatidoc on November 20, 2019, 08:14:08 AM
I have 2 4003 s from the early ‘90’s.  I’d be quite interested in hearing a playing sample of that set up. I’m guessing it’s very similar to a Europa ?
Title: Re: My Alembicized Rickenbacker 4003s!
Post by: peoplechipper on November 21, 2019, 01:17:08 AM
I have a 4003s and I really dig it-wish they had the sparkle finish when I bought mine! I keep thinking of alembicizing it but I seem to have hit my tone without mods so I'll just beat on it as is...Tony