Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: Bantar on July 04, 2021, 01:10:35 PM
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Sorry if this was asked before, but is it possible to have separate tone controls and Q switches per pickup on an Essence?
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Bantar, Anniversary electronics would fit that description and should be able to fit in an Essence I would think.
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Jeff, not by a loooooooong chance are you Jeff Scott in Ohio? (I'm guessing no, just coincidental name - he would probably know this...)
Like Rob says Anniversary electronics will get you there, but man... I don't know if you can stuff all that into an Essence model or not. On the other hand, if we're talking about the Essence you recently began restoring, it was already routed up for some AXY's on top, and you were looking at some finish work too. Yeah man, go all-in... rout the box out and make them fit. Nows the time. You'll have the baddest Essence on planet Earth. (Well, not quite, Will Gunn beat you to that one, but you'd still be a standout)
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Sorry, I am not that person in Ohio. And I'm not looking to route at all if possible, just noodling in my head for the moment. I'm a little bit to far down the restoration road to road to change course much... And I'm pretty happy with where I am at the moment. Thanks for all the input.
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Beautifull Essence.
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I upgraded this bass from Essence to Signature electronics: https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8594.0
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Is there a place I can go to see what the options are for wiring and such? I'm not 100% clear on what anniversary or signature electronics are. Oh, and stunning bass FC, damn! Got any full frontal pics?
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is the electronic on the Rogue upgradable as well?
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Your Essence restoration is looking great! The FAQ sections here are a good place to get a feel for what the different electronics packages do.
*The Jeff Scott in Ohio had a Koa Exploiter, with Spoiler electronics many years ago. I know he lurks on this place, but I thought he may have established a profile. He would really like where you're headed!
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Of course the FAQ section would have the info! So if I read it right, the addition of a second filter and Q switch would get me to signature configuration? And is it safe to assume there is a simple modular way to add the 2nd filter? And
WRT a pan pot vs separate volumes, I prefer 2 volumes but could live with a pan if it's more in line with available options.
Thanks again for the discussion and pointers!
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I'm not sure, but I don't think it's possible to simply add a second Filter/Q to Essence controls. You could replace the Essence circuit you have with a Signature set though, if you could somehow figure out how to fit it in there. You might want to seek Mica's advice about that one... if it's do-able, she can fix you up, or at least give you solid advice on what will work.
If you are looking for a good upgrade to what you have there, It is for sure possible to add a rotary Bass and Treble boost/cut function to Essence controls. That's what our buddy FC did with his Orion here; https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8798.0 (https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8798.0) but kinda' in reverse. His bass came with the Bass and Treble rotary controls, and he added a Filter/Q. We call this an East-Meets-West conversion. (I like that setup so well that I ordered it on my Custom fretless)
*crazy as it sounds, my Custom was built on an Essence chassis, so-to-speak.
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Cool idea, Greg.
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Jeff and I spoke this afternoon, but I figured I'd add here for posterity. It is possible to squeeze an additional filter in an Essence bass, but unless you undercut the plate to get the controls farther apart, the spacing will be a little wonky. You cannot use the original pan/volume harness. That needs to be replaced with the 2-volume Anniversary circuit or the Signature pan/volume as Greg suggested. Hard to imagine the Q switches coming along of a ride in there - that would be a dense forest of controls indeed.
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What a great person are to talk to Mica! Much appreciated! You could be bar tender at the Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) bar! 😂. I don't really think going to a whole different circuit is right for me and this nomad of an Essence. When I was 14 years old (in the 70's or so) I hacked my Japanese EB-3 copy with true Gibson mud buckers, a pan pot, a phase reverse switch, and a wah pedal circuit. It actually had surprisingly similar tones! I later subbed in a homemade phase shift control with an op amp. I'm thinking I could add passive volume and tone controls ahead of the Alembic electronics and get the effect I want without butchering or cutting wires, and in a completely reversible manner. Thoughts? Ideas? Flames?
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Mica's the best. (Did you notice how she made it feel like it had been yours all along?)
Thanks for restoring that Essence. We were hoping someone would fix it up.
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Yes! She even called me back with additional thoughts after "asking her dad" a question. Exceptional service built on a product of exceptional quality. Hopefully my gold replacement tuners got ordered ok ;D
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Just my 2 cents - I would just add a Q switch to the existing circuit and enjoy!
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Great minds think alike gearhead! Adding the Q switch was the first thing I did, even before the refinish, the frets, and fixing the pickup polarity issue! 🤣.
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I know it's not on the bass but you could an SF-2 in your signal chain which would give you all the goodness and sonic flexibility you could wish for.