Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: glickmpb on July 19, 2021, 07:32:53 AM
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All,
I actually signed up on this board because I have sent multiple emails to Alembic regarding service and never received any response. I find it utterly comical that a company like
Alembic has this cheesy site, considering how much they charge for their basses. Honestly, I find it embarrassing. I bought my Alembic Epic 4 string about 25 years ago and this is
how they support their products? Wow...
So, I wanted to have my bass adjusted by lowering the action and I want it done properly. I dont want to bring it into a store with a "guitar tech" of 3 years. Does anyone have any
idea where I could take it to make sure it is properly adjusted? I live in the Chicagoland area.
Thank you in advance :)
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Fat Cat in Elgin or Third Coast in Chicago and Palatine.
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First, Alembic is a small company with people wearing multiple hats that receives a flood of email so it can take time to see responses. If you need to contact them your best bet is to call them on the phone. If you had started here on the forum you would have found many members could have gotten you the information you needed pretty quickly.
As to the site, I like that they haven't gone in for all the useless graphics and video. I go to websites for information not to be wow'ed by how creative the web designer is and I say this from someone who spent 10 years as one of my company' representatives to the Internet Engineering Task Force and WWW (the groups that design the various parts of the Internet and World Wide Web).
As to your problem. Many of us do our own setups as it is pretty straight forward.There is a post in the Must Read section of the board where one of our members Joey walks through the steps to do a basic setting of the relief and action. It has helped many members learn how to do their own and can be found here: https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=311.0 (https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=311.0) .
We have a number of members who are in or from the Chicago area. When I lived there I used Gene Liberty out in Sheridan for all of my instrument setup and repair needs. I haven't lived there for years and do my own setups now so I don't know if he still takes in this type of work or is strictly building instruments. I also know of Rick Cremer in Aurora. He did all of the work for the guitarists in an old band of mine. If I still lived there I would be comfortable using either of them.
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Keith,
Let me start by saying that I appreciate your reply. All information is always good. However....
There is ZERO excuse for a company that makes high end basses to have such a cheesy website and problems with support. I had called the support number
numerous times and it goes to VM. I had emailed the company years ago and never got a response. I literally sent another or email or two a few months ago.
As for the site... It looks old, antiquated and like a 10 year old put it together for a school project. In this modern day, you live and die by presence on the Internet
and this is the best they can come up with?? As I said, I would be embarrassed if I owned the company selling expensive instruments and this was my website.
As to my problem... I have been a bass player for 30 years and have seen people routinely screw up their instruments for numerous reasons. The truss rod may
need adjustment and they botch it, they turn screws for various reasons and botch it, they completely throw the bridge out of wack, etc... The reason why I wanted
someone from Alembic to do it, or a seasoned pro, is because I want it done right. My bass is about 25 years old, so it probably does need some adjustment.
Mind you, Im a systems engineer and have a real estate business. I am excellent with my hands but there are always reasons why you take things to a specialist.
Im not stupid...
I live in the Northern suburbs, so I would need someone relatively close to me to do the work.
Thanks for your input.
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Hi Paul,
I don’t know why you didn’t receive the two email responses I made you about your Epic bass, so I’ll post them here for your convenience. I was actually home sick when I answered these l, and hadn’t realized in the second reply that I had already answered you - I wasn’t checking.
As for our website, please don’t worry about us - we have working on a new one, but crafting our customers basses and guitars is a higher priority.
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Mica,
Thank you very much for your reply. As a systems engineer, I am EXTREMELY computer literate and never received your email. Its not a biggie but searching for some
support has covered a few years - literally. Im really glad you guys are redesigning your website because it gives credence to my opinions.
I understand I can work on my own bass, but I want to make sure it properly done because I had an issue with another bass years ago where it was adjusted and they
screwed it up.
Sincerely,
Paul
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Also, now that I know you are in the Chicago area, a trusted friend of mine recommends the Chicago Fretworks. Hope this helps!
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There is ZERO excuse for a company that makes high end basses to have such a cheesy website and problems with support.
As for the site... It looks old, antiquated and like a 10 year old put it together for a school project. In this modern day, you live and die by presence on the Internet
and this is the best they can come up with?? As I said, I would be embarrassed if I owned the company selling expensive instruments and this was my website.
1. I like this site.
2. I like cheese.
3. I have always been exceedingly impressed by my experiences with Alembic's customer support. One just has to be patient and wait their turn.
Bill, tgo
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I also admire the "ad-free" website here. Nothing more distracting and annoying than those popups and inane Ads.
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I also admire the "ad-free" website here. Nothing more distracting and annoying than those popups and inane Ads.
Same… these old eyes get lost with multi-media flashing blipping and whirring….
Paul (born, raised, and living in Wisconsin = I love cheese).
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I have quite a few Alembics and have owned quite a few more. Once you try to adjust your own instrument I can tell you it is an amazingly easy and simple process. Just this evening I did a neck adjustment on a White Vector 5 with Sig electronics, This time to raise the action.2 tools, screwdriver and wrench, Voila! Done in just a few short minutes. The adjustable nut gives you even more options.
The culture here is different. The energy is different and once you "get it" , you will have access to a wealth of great info and support. I have trusted these fine people for almost 4 decades and have ordered my most sophisticated bass yet, paid in full and when I get it, I get it. I was impatient with my 1st custom but have since learned patience and trust.
I hope your bass turns out adjusted to your liking and I hope you try to do it yourself in the future.Don't forget the lemon oil!
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I must concur with the last 4 posts in re the website; the onliest problem with it is the lack of a "Like" button.
As to your problem:
First, "Chicagland" can be used to describe a fairly large swath of suburban sprawl; narrow it down for us & we can do better at recommending someone close (though if he's at all reachable for you, Mica's guy is.....well, recommended by Mica! Can't go wrong there).
Second, 30 years and you don't know how to do your own set-ups? Dude! Follow the advise above & read Joey's set-up guide. Doing your own not only saves money, it's fun. And you have the advantage of Joey's post; I learned by being too young & stoned to realize I couldn't do it - so I did it. And hundreds (if not thousands - I was a roadie in my youth) since. Good luck.
Peter
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Peter touched on a very valuable point.
Paul, you seemed to have ignore Tom’s (gearhed289) initial reply that gave two clear options within an hours drive and decided being abrasive would work better.
Try this: https://weedmaps.com/dispensaries/rise-mundelein?filter%5Bmatch%5D=Indica
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fwiw I really like the web site, it feels salt of the earth and authentic.
But then what do I know - I just work for one of the largest websites on the internet ;D
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i would be sorely disappointed if this web site was "modernized". this is one of the few places on the interweb that i can go and not be bombarded with pop-ups, ads or have my browsing tracked and entered into some database somewhere (ok - maybe that last part happens wherever you go and whatever ya do, but i digress...) and the next thing i know i'm getting "special offers" in my inbox.
ya sound like yer wound kinda tight. sage advice is given above - or as john prine used to say "Ah, but fortunately I have the key to escape reality". try it - ya might like it!
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As a co-author of California’s Prop 215, (the initiative that started it all), I can attest to the wisdom of the advice suggested above by brothers Pauldo and BeenDown139 (a John Prine reference is ALWAYS appreciated). Chill, mellow, stop and smell the roses ... and some other fine plants!
Then read Joey’s post and give it a try. Mikey likes it!
Bill, tgo
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Hey glick-just the fact that all these great people here responded to your ‘issue’ should tell you something. This is not one of those companies that mass produces their instruments and if you contact them you’d be lucky to get a reply. I, too, own a ‘95 epic and whenever I had an issue the first place I went to was this cheesy website. The responses I received from all the wonderful people here helped me solve every one of those issues. When I finally decided to attempt adjusting my bass it was the easiest thing I ever did. I had more problems hanging a picture.
My advice to you would be to take the time to get familiar with the site and the people here. There’s a wealth of knowledge to be gained by keeping an open mind.
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Ditto. With a small company there are trades-offs. You might wait longer but the product you eventually get is not only made to perfection but with a degree of love, care, and pride that you just aren't going to get from a mass producer of instruments.
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I'd posit that the Alembic HQ is a small family business, with certainly less than 2 dozen people there on a given day; plus they're dodging COVID and the fires in Northern California, so their attendance is kinda spotty right now.
I'd also say that IF you're ever going to learn to adjust your bass, Alembics are some of the easiest, with the adjustable nut, a one piece bridge already cast to follow the fingerboard radius, and adjusting the pickups is even easier than most. I taught myself to understand and maintain my own axes, as most of us do.
Essentially, you get your neck relief right, then adjust your bridge for the string heights over the last fret, then adjust your pickup heights to suit. I'm as ham-fisted as they come, yet even I figured out how to do it. I'm no tech, and my post covers good-shape axes that don't need real fretwork or other professional jobs, and Alembics also tend to not need one often with the stronger full-length laminated neck, and the 1/4" ebony fingerboard is a great extra-strength stiffener to that neck. But all basses vary, wood moves over time, and if you think it could be better, that's your call.
If it's something you'd rather 'outsource', find someone QUALIFIED, and if Mica suggests Chicago Fretworks, you can take that to the bank.
All the Best,
JW
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Forgot: Here's a couple basics on how to approach this.
Here's the first of a series with John Carruthers, an LA based tech-to-the-stars, and instrument designer and builder. He walks you through the process over some short succeeding, videos, but though he's using a Precision Bass here to work on, the process is the same. Carruthers was part of the American Design Team that drew up the original BB, SG, and SA basses and guitars for Yamaha, one of many projects he was a big part of.
And also a step-by-step from Fender themselves: The clearances they quote, and the method they use applies to Alembics and any other bass, and this gives a list of the handful of basic tools and the process, step by step. You can fine-tune the quoted figures to suit.
https://fendercustomersupport.microsoftcrmportals.com/en-us/knowledgebase/article/KA-01903
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I think it speaks volumes about the kind of people that frequent this site. A guy comes on with an attitude, thinks he has all the answers and then has the stones to ask for help. And what happens? Even the owner of the company steps up to lend a hand. I’m sorry but this thing has really pissed me off. I don’t know too many people who would take the time to help someone who comes off like a total a-hole and then expects to be taken care of.
Again I apologize to all for my reaction to this issue. It’s just something I would never, ever do myself. I don’t like it when people who have helped me get this kind disrespect.
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After a really looooong, aggravatin' day of makin' water fit to drink for this little mountain hamlet, I sez to She-Who-Wears-The-Pink-Floppy-Hat on our evenin' tag-up call... I'd really like to just gripe fer a minit, iffn' that'd be okay with you. Sure, she sez. Me too. I dun had it up to here myself. You wanna' go first, or you want me to? I heard the distinct sound of a bottle-top being popped, and clatter to the counter. Well, go 'head boy... whutcha' got?
I wasn't 100% sure where 'here' was she was up to, but I had a good enough idea her thing was going to top mine, and more importantly I knew neither one of us was going to fix a dadgum thing for the other. The rest of that conversation was about knowing somebody heard you, and cared enough to try.
Mica already took care of this guy, and the rest of you tried to as well. We all know the Wickershams and think of them as family, and they are hard to get on the phone sometimes, and we know why. Not everyone does. I hope the feller got his Epic straightened out. I'd have been glad to help if I were closer. I hope he's figured out how this relationship thing works. Good bunch to be pals with here.
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:)
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So I am here just north of you in Kenosha, WI. There is a world famous luthier here that specializes in gear of the stars. Eric Clapton, Tom Peterson to name a couple. He is an actual master luthier. His name is Tim Connelly. He does amazing work and has been working on my gear for 25 years. Please send me a message or PM or whatever on this forum and I will happily give you his number. Call talk to him and decide for yourself
Edit - I guess I do not see any way to message people on this forum (I am a newbie here).. Tim's number is 262-705-3988. Please let him know that Paul gave you his number. He has worked on no less than 40 of my basses and guitars
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Edit - I guess I do not see any way to message people on this forum (I am a newbie here)..
Hi Paul,
While there is no personal message function here per se, if you see a small envelope icon beneath a members icon you can click on that and send them a private email. It goes out through the club server, your email address will not be revealed unless there is a back and forth response. Not everyone engages this function when they sign up but it is available to all.
Stephen
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Edit - I guess I do not see any way to message people on this forum (I am a newbie here)..
Hi Paul,
While there is no personal message function here per se, if you see a small envelope icon beneath a members icon you can click on that and send them a private email. It goes out through the club server, your email address will not be revealed unless there is a back and forth response. Not everyone engages this function when they sign up but it is available to all.
Stephen
Thanks! That is helpful. The OP does not have an email and doesn't seem to have posted here in a bit