Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: mica on March 28, 2020, 05:52:31 PM

Title: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: mica on March 28, 2020, 05:52:31 PM
OK, so some of the stuff I show on this thread I knew we had. I might not have known where all of it was, and there were a few hidden treasures for sure. Some things I'll be putting in our store, some I'll just share pictures of.

The first stuff I'm going to share are old brochures. If you know us, you know we are good at saving everything. I have a couple hundred or so sets of these brochures: 2000 bass, 1989 basses and guitars, 1980s basses and guitars, 1997 Rackmount. I'll get some better images when I put them in the webstore (prob ~30 bucks), but for now you'll know they will be available shortly.
I've got piles of used bass and guitar electronics to sort through, a variety of backplates in various conditions, and a bunch of other stuff for people that like to do restorations and their own builds. I'll add these as I get the time to paw through them.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: lbpesq on March 28, 2020, 05:58:46 PM
Cool!   I’ve often said one never realizes how much one accumulates until it all has to be moved!   Looking forward to seeing the new old stuff.

Bill, tgo
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: elwoodblue on March 28, 2020, 06:32:31 PM
Very exciting...I'll stay tuned in  :D
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: edwin on March 28, 2020, 11:51:33 PM
Ooh! There are some random electronics I could use.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: Tbrannon 2 on March 28, 2020, 11:58:21 PM
Ooooh.  Random Electronics.  As in random pickups and wiring harnesses and pots?
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: sonicus on March 29, 2020, 05:21:59 AM
I look forward  to the various items of electronics , hardware and other items to be revealed :)
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: rv_bass on March 29, 2020, 10:05:10 AM
Must have been fun looking through everything, a time capsule.  Any interesting artwork or long-forgotten designs? :)
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: gtrguy on March 29, 2020, 10:46:03 AM
I am still looking for some old style Molex pickup connectors!
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: mica on March 29, 2020, 11:13:29 AM
I am still looking for some old style Molex pickup connectors!
Molex hasn't changed anything except the color. If you mean the coaxial connectors, we still have those for restoration projects and we make adapters to go either from Molex to coaxial or vice versa.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: jazzyvee on March 29, 2020, 11:28:13 AM
What about some of those Kit guitars you did a while back. Did you find any more of those gems in the move?
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: senmen on March 29, 2020, 11:31:53 AM
Or maybe an old Spyder for JE that never got finished?!

Oliver (Spyderman)
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: mica on March 29, 2020, 12:22:51 PM
Must have been fun looking through everything, a time capsule.  Any interesting artwork or long-forgotten designs? :)

It was fun, I just wish I had a little more time while I was handling everything. Lots of scans i wish I could have made, but that's a project for another day. Not really found, but revisited many abandoned projects - some I may wind up offering for adoption to finish up, others I don't have any idea why we kept them!
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: mica on March 29, 2020, 12:23:28 PM
What about some of those Kit guitars you did a while back. Did you find any more of those gems in the move?

Didn't find any more, but there's still 6 or 7 bodies I believe.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: mica on March 29, 2020, 12:26:14 PM
Ooooh.  Random Electronics.  As in random pickups and wiring harnesses and pots?

Yeah. Like random Activator parts from test projects, but I don't need to keep 25 of one thing for future testing. Some are truly used parts, where we may have done a rare warranty exchange, then later repaired the original, and what do we need with a used harness?

In the pickups area, there's a few really weird ones, like some clown-vomit splash type in cream, red, and black. No trapezoids, the few I have are reserved for the archives.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: mica on March 29, 2020, 12:26:55 PM
Or maybe an old Spyder for JE that never got finished?!

None of those - we finished every order we got from him.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: lbpesq on March 29, 2020, 01:21:24 PM
Ah, yes!  The old Clown Vomit pickups!  Old harnesses!   Abandoned projects!  Kit bodies!  Something tells me this is going to be a popular project, at least among us Alembic fanatics.  ;)


Bill, tgo
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: edwin on March 29, 2020, 04:37:40 PM
Ooooh.  Random Electronics.  As in random pickups and wiring harnesses and pots?

Yeah. Like random Activator parts from test projects, but I don't need to keep 25 of one thing for future testing. Some are truly used parts, where we may have done a rare warranty exchange, then later repaired the original, and what do we need with a used harness?

In the pickups area, there's a few really weird ones, like some clown-vomit splash type in cream, red, and black. No trapezoids, the few I have are reserved for the archives.

Do you still have my trapezoids in rectangular shells?
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: gtrguy on March 29, 2020, 08:06:19 PM
I need the old style pickup connecters, like the 3 in this pic, and the other ends, for an Alembic restoration. The pickups I have had their wires cut.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: mica on March 29, 2020, 11:49:47 PM
Those are the coaxial connectors. Send me an email and we'll se about getting you some ends for the pickups that you can splice on.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: gtrguy on March 30, 2020, 09:59:57 AM
Email on the way!!! Thanks so much!!!
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: mica on April 02, 2020, 10:22:12 AM
Well, another thing I found was a small stash of posters we printed in the 1980s, plus a poster version of the well known Stanley Clarke and EV ad in poster form.

I didn't count all of them, but I have between 1-40 of each one of these. I only found one of Rudy, so I'm keeping it for our gallery, but I'll be able to share some of the rest in our online store shortly. The one that is the second most rare in my collection is the Edwin poster.




Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: edwardofhuncote on April 02, 2020, 01:09:36 PM
Rudy's hair-do just made my day.  ;D  I missed the window for a decent haircut before the shutdown, so... hey, I've already got the Alembic part squared away!
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: sonicus on April 02, 2020, 01:54:31 PM
Cool stuff !  Several years ago an Aria bass crossed my path that had Alembic Activators installed . I was told that the previous owner had good reason to believe that Rudy Sarzo was responsible for that installation and that he once may have owned it. That instrument has neck through construction . It appears to look similar to the instrument in the poster.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: mica on April 02, 2020, 02:06:55 PM
Cool stuff !  Several years ago an Aria bass crossed my path that had Alembic Activators installed . I was told that the previous owner had good reason to believe that Rudy Sarzo was responsible for that installation and that he once may have owned it. That instrument has neck through construction . It appears to look similar to the instrument in the poster.

We sold Aria Activator systems for their Rudy Sarzo Signature models.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: sonicus on April 02, 2020, 02:52:56 PM
That instrument seems very decent and somewhat Alembic inspired  and the playability is good .
It was very forthcoming and nice for Alembic to help with the pickups and electronics :)

Did Rudy purchase any actual Alembic basses ? :) 
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: cntrabssn on April 02, 2020, 10:37:41 PM
Wow...

I might have been at the show where Stanley was photographed with the EV rig. Was it a UC Berkeley Jazz Festival at the Greek Theater?
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: mica on April 03, 2020, 10:40:18 AM
I'm not sure where that photo was taken, Nate. These posters we purchased from EV all those years ago, we didn't print them. But it sure does look like the Greek!
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: edwardofhuncote on April 03, 2020, 10:56:29 AM
One of the 3 basses in the Stanley/EV ad appears to be an Alembic, but is missing its logo and doesn't have the pearl oval inlays one would expect.  ???
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: mica on April 03, 2020, 11:03:39 AM
I think that's a Carl Thompson bass.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: edwardofhuncote on April 03, 2020, 11:25:50 AM
I think that's a Carl Thompson bass.

Confirmed. ;)  Gotta' get up early to get one past you!
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: rv_bass on April 04, 2020, 10:11:02 AM
Mica, did you find any of these strap buttons?  I really love these!








Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: mica on April 04, 2020, 12:22:52 PM
Mica, did you find any of these strap buttons?  I really love these!

No, those are much older than our previous couple of moves. But I have seen some new ones being made, I just can't recall the manufacturer at the moment.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: rv_bass on April 04, 2020, 12:38:46 PM
Thanks, Mica, I’ll poke around for them :)
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: StephenR on April 04, 2020, 12:59:45 PM
I have the same strap buttons on my 78 Series bass and really like them.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: KR on April 04, 2020, 06:01:13 PM
RV and Mica, Here they are now made by Kluson.

https://www.kluson.com/kluson-california-custom-strap-button-set-of-2-details.html
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: rv_bass on April 04, 2020, 06:42:48 PM
Thanks, KR, just ordered some!
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: mica on April 04, 2020, 07:17:15 PM
RV and Mica, Here they are now made by Kluson.

Thanks! When I was replying I was trying to search for th em, and I knew there was a K and a U in the name but I couldn't make it into Kluson LOL!
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: pauldo on April 04, 2020, 10:29:00 PM
What material are those made of? 
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: KR on April 04, 2020, 10:46:32 PM
Metal, but not brass. I have purchased them and used them.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: pauldo on April 04, 2020, 11:40:01 PM
Thinking if there is some downtime in the machine shop that those could be a fun project to make. 
Rob’s picture looks like the “head” is slightly larger than ‘normal’ buttons.

Rob/ Stephen if either of you are handy with a micrometer or vernier it would be appreciated if you could e-mail some dimensions my way.  Currently I have Straplock buttons on my Distillate, somewhere I have the originals laying around and could dimension those and then play around with increasing the head size.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: rv_bass on April 05, 2020, 02:53:42 PM
Pauldo, [size=78%]I don’t have any calipers, but the attached photos might help![/size]





Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: StephenR on April 05, 2020, 05:06:22 PM
I don't have a micrometer either and had to look up what a vernier was despite being pretty sure I didn't have one. Are you going to try and make strap buttons out of brass?
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: pauldo on April 05, 2020, 05:33:53 PM
I don't have a micrometer either and had to look up what a vernier was despite being pretty sure I didn't have one. Are you going to try and make strap buttons out of brass?

That is what I was thinking, we also have some ‘standard’ 1018 steel, although the brass should hold up well if one is not using a ‘straplock’ type system where it has contact with something hard. 

Maybe make some prototypes out of aluminum for checking fit.

The key here is ‘downtime in the machine shop’, currently one of the machinists is out because he is in the high risk category.  So we are pretty busy right now, but “government jobs” usually get snuck in here and there.   ;)


Rob thanks for the pics, that will give me a good ballpark.  My current strap locks are about 3mm smaller on the head part.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: mica on April 07, 2020, 10:29:28 AM
I put some of the posters in our store:
Stanley (https://alembic.stores.yahoo.net/vipostcl.html)
Stanley EV (https://alembic.stores.yahoo.net/vipostclev.html)
Mark King #1 (https://alembic.stores.yahoo.net/vipomaki1.html)
Mark King #2 (https://alembic.stores.yahoo.net/vipomaki2.html)
Bunny Brunel (https://alembic.stores.yahoo.net/vipobubr.html)
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: fmm on April 07, 2020, 02:06:54 PM
Mark King # 1 appears to be missing the price
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: mica on April 07, 2020, 02:27:44 PM
Thanks!
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: mica on April 07, 2020, 06:24:12 PM
I have a few odd plates like this chrome plated 2-battery cover for a Series I/II. It's may not fit any existing instrument as they are hand fit, so are things like this something anyone would want to get for a different project?
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: edwin on April 07, 2020, 06:34:05 PM
I have a few odd plates like this chrome plated 2-battery cover for a Series I/II. It's may not fit any existing instrument as they are hand fit, so are things like this something anyone would want to get for a different project?

If you have any one battery covers, I'd probably be interested. I routed my strat for my blaster battery to insert a battery box, but they are cheap and crappy and fell apart, so now the battery is in there with a heavy duty plug and a strip of gaff tape holding it on.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: jazzyvee on April 08, 2020, 02:04:17 AM
Hi Edwin I had to put a battery in my strat when I fitted alembic electronics in though I took the easy option of just turning the input jack socket upside down and the battery fits inside perfectly. No loss of wood and slightly less aesthetic.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: edwin on April 08, 2020, 09:39:36 AM
Hi Edwin I had to put a battery in my strat when I fitted alembic electronics in though I took the easy option of just turning the input jack socket upside down and the battery fits inside perfectly. No loss of wood and slightly less aesthetic.

Oops! A little late for that!
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: sonicus on April 08, 2020, 09:43:54 AM
Edwin , did you use a template for the battery route ? 
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: edwin on April 08, 2020, 09:46:36 AM
Edwin , did you use a template for the battery route ? 

Yes. It was for one of the standard battery boxes in the late 90s.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: sonicus on April 08, 2020, 09:55:45 AM
Cool . You could still make a nice cover for it with insert screws perhaps  :)  . 
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: edwin on April 08, 2020, 09:59:39 AM
Cool . You could still make a nice cover for it with insert screws perhaps  :)  . 

That's exactly what I'm thinking. OTOH, I don't play this strat all that much. It sounds really nice, but I find the neck to be way too thin, front to back. These days my 1956 ES140T gets a lot more playing time. It doesn't hurt that it's a short scale, which makes it easier for my small hands.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: lbpesq on April 08, 2020, 10:54:51 AM
I found my original strap buttons from my ‘77 Series I 12 String LSG.  Dimensions posted here:

http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=25378.msg254944#new

Biil, tgo
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: keith_h on April 08, 2020, 02:16:50 PM
I have a few odd plates like this chrome plated 2-battery cover for a Series I/II. It's may not fit any existing instrument as they are hand fit, so are things like this something anyone would want to get for a different project?

I'd be interested in something like that to replace the beat up plastic battery cover on my Jazz Bass. I need to dig it out to see what the dimensions are as it was so long ago I don't remember what size I made the cover.
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: paulman on May 02, 2020, 06:02:52 AM
Did you find any Kit guitar peices?  I've been drooling over that since the one was for sales in the shop!  ;)
Title: Re: Some Things I Found When We Moved
Post by: mica on May 04, 2020, 09:40:13 AM
N
Did you find any Kit guitar peices?  I've been drooling over that since the one was for sales in the shop!  ;)

Not any extra ones - I still have I think 6 or 7 bodies, just haven't had the time to work them into guitars yet, you know, customers come first! I do have an _almost_ completed Kit guitar in spray now.