Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: Rondog on June 26, 2020, 09:59:19 AM

Title: Good shops in the UK for general servicing & repairs?
Post by: Rondog on June 26, 2020, 09:59:19 AM

Hi,

Does anyone have any recommendations for good shops in the UK to do general servicing and repairs on Alembics.
For example, re-fretting & setup (experience with with Alembic bridges)?

Thanks in advance

Title: Re: Good shops in the UK for general servicing & repairs?
Post by: jazzyvee on June 26, 2020, 10:38:21 AM

I don't know any with specific knowledge of alembics but I have taken mine to Jaydee Custom Guitars albeit for inlays to be done but he is a top notch builder and their bridge has some similarities to the alembic bridge so I would expect he would not have much trouble sorting things out. He also did a refret  on one of my strats.
https://www.jaydeecustomguitars.co.uk/contact.html (https://www.jaydeecustomguitars.co.uk/contact.html)


Also another top end builder  you could try is Rob Williams guitars. I had one of his guitars and took it back to him for service and some upgrades. https://robwilliamsguitars.co.uk/contact/ (https://robwilliamsguitars.co.uk/contact/)

You could also try Martin Simms at https://www.sims.guitars/ (https://www.sims.guitars/)
Marcus, who used to work at Bass direct is now working there and he is a big alembic fan so you could also give him a call and have a chat.
A member of this forum Terry has had LED's retro fitted to his MK Signature deluxe bass. 


I personally wouldn't trust my bass to any music store in my area.

Title: Re: Good shops in the UK for general servicing & repairs?
Post by: adriaan on June 26, 2020, 10:55:00 AM

Also, unlike your run-of-the-mill instruments out there, Alembics are actually built to be eminently adjustable by the player - just grab a set of correct sized tools and read up on Joey's Post On Setting Up Your Bass (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=311).


Ah - and welcome to the Club!

Title: Re: Good shops in the UK for general servicing & repairs?
Post by: Rondog on June 27, 2020, 01:28:41 AM

Thanks Adriaan. I started playing bass as a teenager and have adjusted and fixed every bass I've had since then (a long time ago). It probably makes no sense, but faced with the prospect of the Alembic bridge and dual truss rods I feel daunted.

Title: Re: Good shops in the UK for general servicing & repairs?
Post by: Rondog on June 27, 2020, 01:31:21 AM

Thanks Jazzyvee, those are some really useful recommendations.

Title: Re: Good shops in the UK for general servicing & repairs?
Post by: Clarky on June 27, 2020, 02:16:22 AM

If you are in or near London, the most praised shop is the Bass Gallery in Camden. Martin, who runs it, is a highly accomplished luthier who makes the premium Sei brand of basses.

Title: Re: Good shops in the UK for general servicing & repairs?
Post by: Rondog on June 27, 2020, 03:03:06 AM

Thanks Clarky, that's a good option that I hadn't though of. I've bought stuff from them before but I didn't know much about their servicing.

Title: Re: Good shops in the UK for general servicing & repairs?
Post by: lozbass2 on July 02, 2020, 01:20:22 AM

I too would recommend the Gallery in London. They’ve worked on a number of Alembic basses for me (indeed they have an SII now for a re-shoot and set-up). Martin and John are superb luthiers and understand the physics, electronics and artistry of the basses well. They’re really the only UK based luthiers that I’d fully trust with any really detailed work on an Alembic