Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: Mlazarus on August 20, 2023, 01:12:12 AM
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Can you recognize all of these players? I know you recognize the basses! Having the Alembics were a
huge trend in the 70's. I'm always proud to play them. I'm on my second one since 98'
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Another one.
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It looks like THE zebrawood on the Marvin Isley bass. I wonder what is going on with that tailpiece. Reflection? I remember that Go For Your Guns album.
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Alphonso Johnson had a series short scale alembic when i saw him on bass with Santana in the early 80’s
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John “Marmaduke” Dawson (New Riders of the Purple Sage) played a long scale Series 1 guitar, as did Carlos Alomar (David Bowie’s band).
Bill, tgo
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I remember Alphonzo Johnson. I like the Louis Johnson pictures up top where he is playing the Omega series 1.
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LOOK WHO I FOUND!
JIMMY JOHNSON! Nice 5 string Omega Jimmy!
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Another Jimmy Johnson. Great picture. Look at the finger spread. Do you remember what you were doing Jimmy?
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Funny! I joined the team in 1975 so I guess I qualify for the timeframe, just not the famous part.
No idea what I was trying to play in that 2nd picture - looks like an almost low-C together with a G on the D-string. But that doesn't make much sense so it may just be a captured moment of weirdness. :D
Stanley is still playing the heck out of his Alembics but I've often wondered how much Louis Johnson used his and what recordings they might be on. Of course he would use it for the album cover - you don't pose with a Yugo you use a Rolls Royce for that!
Jimmy J
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Louis Jonson played the Brothers Johnson hit "Strawberry letter 23" with that Alembic series 1 omega. Listen to the song on youtube.
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John McVie played a few nice Alembic basses back then. These were the two that shaped my ideas of bass.
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John Entwistle played Alembic series 1 basses.
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Parliament/Funkadelic went big into Alembics in 1978. Bassist "Skeet" Curtis played (I think) 2 different small body / short scale Series 1s in '78 alone:
(https://i.ibb.co/6mGBRVQ/42295541de2c5cbf2bf94f932d65f246.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/KwsK2Rw/0044006333021-1024x1024-2x-cropped.jpg)
Lead guitarist Michael Hampton played a Series 1 guitar in '78-'79, and in some appearances after that:
(https://i.ibb.co/hdWMNm9/125309131-4044212725594344-6335036829131264966-n-small.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/1qWHZyG/ab150c86a9bddd7df314bf33e77499c3-includes-National-Panasonic-5410-B-boombox.jpg)
Their 1978 live show was my very first VHS bootleg as a 17-year-old back in the 90s, and you MIGHT say it had some influence on my instrument collection years down the line... ::)
(https://i.ibb.co/mvB5dcd/PXL-20230821-161817256-EDIT.jpg)
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Louis Jonson played the Brothers Johnson hit "Strawberry letter 23" with that Alembic series 1 omega. Listen to the song on youtube.
I don't know how to break it to you but most of the videos of those guys playing that song were not actually live performances. (WHAT?!!) Instruments not plugged-in can be a clue. ;) But I did find one 1976 Midnight Special performance of "I'll Be Good To You" - which I'm pretty sure was live - where Louis plays the Alembic. Nice snappy top end to the bass tone too. He used the 1/4" jack with a straight plug. HAHA!! It seemed like every time I saw a picture of him he was playing a different bass so I'd still be curious to know if he used his Alembic on any of the albums.
P.Funk, Entwistle and McVee were all amazing Alembic players. Also Mark King for a while in the 80's. Great individual voices from all these folks.
Jimmy J
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Its funny you mention how players perform on stage without being plugged in. For one thing, as one can
Imagine, the producers want them to have the "Album" sound" 2. They don't have to worry about screwing up the notes and perhaps because some of them are probably drunk or too high to perform the way they are expected to. Ha ha. Could be a reason. Not to mention, the crowd usually
won't notice if their hands and fingers don't line up with the notes and frettboard position. Only a real musician would notice if they are faking it, but damn, if you are going to fake the real sound, you can atleast make sure you put your hands in the right position and " try to be honest. I watched Louis Johnson online once playing " Stomp" as he was playing i noticed he was dancing more and flapping his hand on the frett board, but his frettboard fingers weren't moving in sinc. Ha ha. It's all show once they get on stage. Why waist your valuable chops!? Save your chops and skills for the serious studio recordings. On stage. Just party for the nieve crowd. Lol.
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Jermaine Jackson
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Jermaine's looks more like a 74' Series 1, because the top horn is shaped a little different than the newer series 1s
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I think Burt Sugerman's Midnight Special was advertised as a show where bands played only live.
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Allman Brother's David Goldflies
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So, why get mad at Milli Vanilli? I still enjoyed their performances because they were so well synced and had moves.
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Didn’t Tiran Porter late of the Doobie Brothers play Alembics at one time? I seem to remember someone posting a photo of him with one a number of years ago.
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Tiran Porter. What is the model of that Alembic?
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Tiran Porter's Alembic was most likely a 1973, but had no serial number. (that bass ^ is not it...) Here is a thread with pictures of his early Alembic Series bass-
https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8341.msg96791#msg96791
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Not quite 70s anymore but early 80s, Robert Gordon with GSH:
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😎
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Nice! I like gil scott Heron. Nice Alembic.
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I can't see the headstock that well, but Tiran's bass in the picture should be his custom Kenneth Lawrence. Many years ago, I saw that bass at a shop (in Saratoga, CA long since closed) when it was being serviced.
If you're interested in other examples of Louis Johnson on an Alembic, check out "Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow", "Dance With Me" and "Jolanta" from Earl Klugh's "Finger Paintings" album.
I thought I'd a some more players to the list:
- John Paul Jones: He had a beautiful 4-string Series bass that you can see him playing in videos from the 1979 Knebworth show.
- Andy West (Dixie Dregs): Check out the "Freefall" album and Montreux Jazz Festival performance.
- Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake & Palmer): You can hear his 8-string Scorpion on "Fanfare For The Common Man". He played a 4-string Series I and a Series I guitar as well, which I think you can see in videos on line (try the Montreal concert shows). My love of all things Scorpion came from seeing him on TV hen I was a kid.
- Wyzard (Wizzard) of Mother's Finest: Check him out on "Mother Factor" and "Mother's Finest Live"
- Nathaniel Phillips (Pleasure) - One of my favorites, check out the "Get To The Feeling" album, especially the tune "No Matter What"
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John paul Jones had type of bass the Doobie brothers play played.
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Paul Agnew Nazareth,https://www.nazarethdirect.co.uk/website/
Norman Watt-Roy Ian Dury and the Blockheads. https://www.theblockheads.com/category/biographies/
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Norman Watt-Roy is playing his Fender Jazz.
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https://www.pinterest.jp/pin/496099715184928764/
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Just because it's there... ;)
https://club.alembic.com/index.php?board=676.0
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Here is a clip with Wyzard playing an Alembic with Mother's Finest.
Yes Jimmy they are unplugged but I've had the opportunity to see Wyzard play it live. Though I don't know if he ever used it on any recordings. ;)
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Late '70s-early '80s, Willie had 2 bass players, one of whom played an Alembic. Don't know the model, and I'm not sure if if it was Bee Spears or Chris Ethridge, but since pretty every pic of Chris from then shows a Fender, I'm guessing Bee.
Peter
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:)