Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: mica on October 12, 2020, 02:13:44 PM
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On October 9th we delivered our first Alembic Element acoustic guitar. This first run is 8 pieces, and this first one has a lovely Flame Koa back and sides with a Bearclaw Sitka Spruce top. There are several custom options on this Koa guitar.
Some of the highlights of this guitar:
top: Sitka Spruce, Bearclaw figure
back and sides: Flame Koa
binding: Coco Bolo
purfling: abalone
rosette: abalone
bridge: Ebony
saddle and nut: Tusq
neck: Mahogany, Purpleheart, and Maple
scale: 25.4"
fingerboard: Ebony
fingerboard binding: Bird's-eye Maple
frets: EVO
inlays: silver bound abalone
custom inlays: initials in golden mother of pearl, simple stealie in acrylic and silver
headstock front: Ebony
logo: sterling silver inlaid with mother of pearl and abalone with abalone rays
finish: lacquer
I could go on and on about the tone, but I will try and keep it short. Very even across all strings and frets. Full and clear low end, with lovely highs that are crystalline but not harsh in anyway. Strumming isn't muddy at all. Fingerpicking is distinct with excellent attack. Play it soft or play it loud, excellent projection. Low action and very easy to play!
The other woods we're using in this first run are: Quilted Maple, African Blackwood (sold), Indian Rosewood, Coco Bolo (x2), and Ziricote (x2). The next boxes going together are the Quilted Maple, African Blackwood, and one of the Coco Bolo, so stay tuned!
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News always comes to the Alembic Club first, but I'm off to announce to Instagram and Facebookland!!
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Wow,
So pretty and inviting.
I'm pinching myself...nope not dreaming :D :D
Kudos for taking on another first of sorts...it's amazing!!
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[high-five] :D
I can hardly wait to play one!
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Very nice! just saw your posts on Instagram. Beautiful guitar (and I like the point and tailpiece shape!). :)
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Absolutely gorgeous guitar!
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I think it was in 2012 when I visited Alembic that I saw a not so fancy prototype of this guitar or something similar to it. When I asked Mica, her response was what you would expect out of someone from the Alembic family. Understated and focused on perfecting the instrument before even thinking about selling it. I think her words were something like, “we still have some kinks to work out.” And now it’s here. This is the first time in a long while that I really wished I was competent enough a guitarist to make the purchase of one of these beauties something I could justify.
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I got to play a prototype several years ago. A very very sweet acoustic it was! The one above is gorgeous. I’d love to see it in the flesh/wood!
Bill, tgo
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I'm sure I saw a prototype in early 2012 when I visited the factory to collect my bass.
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Raises the obvious (to me at least) question: can an ABG be far behind ?
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I bet it sounds as good as it looks. 8) Beautiful!
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Beautiful guitar!
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That looks beautiful. I wish you great success in a new market segment... and I hope I get to play one soon.
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I'm working on getting a nice video demo going with a few local guitar players so you get a chance to hear it. All I can do is strum and it's not much of a demo. We are now open to two visitors at a time, so if you happen to be in our area you'll be able to try out the Indian Rosewood version of this guitar.
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Oh my goodness, I'm in love!
What's the size, Mica? If you could give it roughly in Martin nomenclature, that would be cool. Or as upper-bout/waist/lower-bout in inches. Or bring it to my house and leave beside my guitars so I can compare if & when I get out of here......(I promise I'll bring to you when I come to CA for one of my granddaughters' weddings!)
Now I'm going to go calculate how many liquor stores I need to hit for a RW, CB, or Ziricote version.
Peter
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A long scale jumbo body Bass version would be interesting :) Like a Guild B50 long scale . I would love that .
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This is a mini-jumbo size-wise, Peter.
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Oh geez, that's amazing Mica!
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Thanks, Mica.
Peter
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Peter,
The Element is similar in size to a Gibson small jumbo, but with Martin forward X bracing. The design has many innovations that address age old structural issues with acoustic guitars. The bracing is taller, yet narrower which allows for better support for the top, but less interference with resonance. Special attention was given to the bracing near the soundhole. Since many guitars tend to collapse or fold inward in this area as they age, the back of the X braces are heavier and the top has an increased radius to keep this area of the top from deforming. The top has a 25 foot radius as opposed to the standard Martin 50 foot radius. This not only keeps the top from bellying at the bridge by creating opposite force against the string pull, but it allows the fingerboard to join the body at the 14th fret with no kink or 14th fret hump like every Martin ever made has. This design also allows for ultra low string action. The neck angle in relation to the bridge saddle are also maximized by allowing for a taller saddle which increases the break angle of the strings. By increasing the string break angle behind the saddle and down to the bridge pins, it creates more pressure on the saddle which has a huge effect on the guitar's tone and volume. It also has a very noticable effect on the clarity of the low notes and their sustain. The other advantage is the guitar will likely not need a neck reset in your lifetime, or possibly multiple lifetimes. The combination of the arched top and the tall saddle pretty much assure this. The back of the Element has a radius of 16 feet, and is once again designed for strength, but also to focus the sound reflection back toward the sound hole. There are a myriad of little details like the use of purple heart and maple laminated back strip and side bracing that decrease the chances of cracks to the back and sides. The mahogany neck with the maple and purple heart laminates are stable and resonant, but also allow for a strong anchor point for the innovative bolt on neck system that incorporates a solid brass shaft into the tenon for outstanding strength with only a single bolt. When I designed this guitar, it was to produce an Alembic caliber acoustic that took guitar design one step farther, and eliminated the flaws in design that other luthiers have failed to address. The Element does this while still looking beautiful and unique like an Alembic should.
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Mica,
very very nice!!
My greetings to the family.
Oliver (Spyderman)
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Mica,
are there any of the Elements already available at dealers?
Greetz
Oliver (Spyderman)
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Do you have price range for these yet? I didn’t see anything on the website.
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Alembic Element Acoustic Guitar Tutorial-Trevor Lindsey