Alembic Guitars Club
Connecting => Swap Shop and Wish Lists => Seen on craigslist, eBay, and elsewhere => Topic started by: xlrogue6 on February 01, 2021, 10:01:42 AM
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Saw this on one of the Alembic FB groups.http://www.musicgoround.com/product/40051-S000093540/used-alembic-1981-msb-i-8-string-bass-series-1-bass-guitar (http://www.musicgoround.com/product/40051-S000093540/used-alembic-1981-msb-i-8-string-bass-series-1-bass-guitar)
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Yikes!
not a bad price. if i hadn't just bought a new bass yadda yadda yadda...
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Saw that one too. Alembic 8-string is still one of the only things I wish I could get but I'll let someone else grab it! ;D
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The tailpiece is kinda' similar to the one they recently made for Rob's Alembicized Starfire.
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Oh My God!
That's my dream bass.
I would not sleep for weeks, right now
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i just had a chunk of money drop outta the sky, land in my lap and start wiggling. it said to me - ya know, that 8-string looks like it's still for sale. You've already got 2 top-of-the-line instruments in your bass corner and you need a third one like you need another hole in your head. BUT - it's got 8 strings and it looks really cool and at least it's listed by a semi-reputable dealer as opposed to some flake on ebay or whatever.
so my question is, should i decide to pursue this quixotic foolish adventure:
i play fingerstyle almost exclusively. I notice that the strings on this one are eE aA dD gG. is this setup conducive to fingerstyle playing?
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i play fingerstyle almost exclusively. I notice that the strings on this one are eE aA dD gG. is this setup conducive to fingerstyle playing?
It's very very uncomfortable. 8-stringers are intended to be played with a pick.
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It's very very uncomfortable. 8-stringers are intended to be played with a pick.
ok, thanks - i was kinda hoping that wasn't the case.
my last 8-string bass was a spyder (once owned by the venerable senmen, i lost it in a divorce, yadda, yadda, yadda) and it was strung Ee Aa Dd Gg. I played it fingerstyle and it played just like a 4-string but sounded like something else entirely. I was sorta hoping to relive those glory days, but alas...
oh well, maybe i'll just have to be sensible with my $
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It's very very uncomfortable. 8-stringers are intended to be played with a pick.
While comfort level will vary from player to player, I do agree that playing multi-course basses with anything but a pick is kind of counterproductive. You don't really get the full effect.
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When I had an 8 string I played it mostly with fingers. As long as you pull across the pair it works fine IMHO. I found that in most contexts the 8 string took up too much sonic real estate, to my ear anyway. YMMV.
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John McVie only needed... ah, nevermind. :-X ;D
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I found that in most contexts the 8 string took up too much sonic real estate,
well for me, that's the raison d'etre for an 8-string. i could pretty much push everyone else off the stage when i played mine. holy crap, what a monster that bass was!
but narcissism aside, i really liked the sound of it. ah well...
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Guys,
yes, you are right.
This string setup is mainly suitable for playing with a pick.
If you try play fingerstyle on this setup (octave/bass) you definitely loose a big
part of the octave harmonics.
For finger style the opposite, today more often used reverse setup (bass/octave ),
is much more convenient as you first hit the octave string first with your
plucking finger and develop the full harmonics.
My experience.
Greetz
Oliver (Spyderman)
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I have an 8-string Spyder and Rickenbacker (fundamental over octave) and an 8-string Zon with the opposite (octave over fundamental) With fingerstyle plucking, I find the Zon more satisfying / mellow. With the Spyder......cranked up Entwhistle-style...woah!...ler 'er Rip!
The Rickenbacker......meh....
I've never been a good picker....I'll have to revisit this soon to compare. One bass that has slipped by me was a 12-string Waterstone. That Really needs a pick to bring out the sound.
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Here is an example of a series 8 string.
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This sure looks like the 8 I bought used at the Hollywood guitar center back around 1986-7, had it a couple years and then sold it(like an idiot!)
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had it a couple years and then sold it(like an idiot!)
i'd need add another room to the house to hold all the basses that have passed through my hands that i've said this about.
looks like it's still for sale. still trying to resist the siren call. got a tax refund, (another) covid-19 check and all kinds of well-paying side work coming up in the next coupla months. Hmmmm....hot tub or 8-string bass that i really don't need? decisions, decisions...
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You know you'll hate yourself if you don't. ;D
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I used to say that if I ever needed a 8 string Bass I could simply use an octave up pedal... not at all, this is totally different beast (and, what a monster)!
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I used to say that if I ever needed a 8 string Bass I could simply use an octave up pedal... not at all, this is totally different beast (and, what a monster)!
Yeah, quite different than a pedal. 8 strings have a certain quality to them. I've owned 3, currently a Ric 4003S/8 that is a simply amazing instrument.
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I used to say that if I ever needed a 8 string Bass I could simply use an octave up pedal... not at all, this is totally different beast (and, what a monster)!
Yeah, quite different than a pedal. 8 strings have a certain quality to them. I've owned 3, currently a Ric 4003S/8 that is a simply amazing instrument.
My Rickenbacker 8-string helps keep my GAS in check whenever an Alembic 8-string comes up for sale - maybe the only thing!
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There is something so cool in this alongated head...
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Well, friends...I went to check her out and she followed me home. Excellent condition, one owner, from 1981. Apparently it had been sitting on the rack at Chuck Levin's near DC for a few years and then was sold to the previous owner in 1983. He clearly babied it. I've always wanted an early 80s Series bass and this is a gorgeous specimen. Everything appears in great shape.
Only thing that seems a little odd is that the brass block has a 2 different sized holes which allows the nut on the underside of the bridge on the G string side to be lowered all the way. Seems odd so I started a thread on the Troubleshooting page to get some insight.
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Wow, congratulations, that’s a cool bass! :)
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Interesting; the earlier channel-type bridge seen on an '81. I suppose to accomodate the paired courses of strings and intonate separately. Or possibly just for more clearance? Maybe just an old-stock bridge assembly, couldn't be too many 8-strings laying around. Hard to say.
Congratulations & Compliments. I have a 1980 Series bass that came through Chuck Levin's place, though second-hand in the early 90's. Cool place!
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sure glad that someone else picked this up. i was seriously considering doing something foolish with my descretionary funds and if it had sat around much longer i would've made a play for it.
but it wouldn't have stopped with the bass. next I'd need a stereo pre-amp. then a stereo power amp. and then... 🤯
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Here she is, playing "Nobody's Fault But Mine":
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Wow, that sounds really cool! :)
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Oh man, if I hadn't enough basses to dream about...