Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Swap Shop and Wish Lists => Seen on craigslist, eBay, and elsewhere => Topic started by: Yarr on March 20, 2024, 05:12:50 PM

Title: Fernandes FAB/FAG doubleneck
Post by: Yarr on March 20, 2024, 05:12:50 PM
Stubled upon this beast for sale on a Russian classifieds site, never even knew those exist.

Not that it's a terribly good price or a blindingly good idea to go after, considering the location, but still, here it is (https://www.avito.ru/vladivostok/muzykalnye_instrumenty/fernandes_fab_fag_alembic_dvoynaya_gitara_3980425789).

Judging by the tape labels, I think it's this very same bass from this thread on Tokai forums (https://www.tokaiforum.com/threads/insane-thru-neck-double-neck-fernandes.26202/), original ebay listing is long dead, but it has better pics and a longer description including some flaws (that may or may not have been fixed since then).

Title: Re: Fernandes FAB/FAG doubleneck
Post by: gtrguy on March 20, 2024, 06:35:41 PM
My back hurts just looking at it, but I still like it!
Title: Re: Fernandes FAB/FAG doubleneck
Post by: hieronymous on March 20, 2024, 06:38:34 PM
Thanks for posting that! I'm a fan of doublenecks - even have one myself - this looks very cool! What's with that paper (?) on the necks? Fun visiting that site you found with the old listing!
Title: Re: Fernandes FAB/FAG doubleneck
Post by: Yarr on March 20, 2024, 07:12:57 PM
Thanks for posting that! I'm a fan of doublenecks - even have one myself - this looks very cool! What's with that paper (?) on the necks? Fun visiting that site you found with the old listing!

Enjoy! The newspaper is probably just packaging to protect the frets? I got no other ideas. The writing on it is definitely hieroglyphic, so looks like it was used by original seller back then. So annoying to see it still there. And the controls cheat sheet as well.

My back hurts just looking at it, but I still like it!

There's a headless graphite Status Mark King coming, to balance this behemoth out.
Title: Re: Fernandes FAB/FAG doubleneck
Post by: gearhed289 on March 21, 2024, 08:11:21 AM
That looks really cool, but I promised myself not to buy another double neck unless the guitar is on top. I had a Steinberger for a while (guitar on bottom). I had recently acquired a set of original Moog Taurus pedals and had this fantasy that I would learn a bunch of old Genesis, but that never materialized and I sold it. There's a Shergold 12/4 on Reverb that's been tempting me.
Title: Re: Fernandes FAB/FAG doubleneck
Post by: Yarr on March 21, 2024, 09:19:38 AM
That looks really cool, but I promised myself not to buy another double neck unless the guitar is on top. I had a Steinberger for a while (guitar on bottom). I had recently acquired a set of original Moog Taurus pedals and had this fantasy that I would learn a bunch of old Genesis, but that never materialized and I sold it. There's a Shergold 12/4 on Reverb that's been tempting me.

Yea, I feel you, bass and guitar are already ergonomically ghoulish istruments as is, and this layout looks nerly prohibitive for the fingerstyle bassist. That Shergold looks neat, I'm honestly still in awe of the string trees on the thing, didn't see those before. I never saw myself using a doubleneck since I observed Steve Howe just using a stand mount for the second guitar, and that was even before spinal issues, but they are suck a sight to behold when done right! There's a very nice 1970s Hoyer (https://www.kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/vintage-double-neck-gitarre-von-hoyer-12-string-und-4er-bass/2699444764-74-5608) in Germany right now, if you'd prefer being tempted with a fairly cheaper thing.
Title: Re: Fernandes FAB/FAG doubleneck
Post by: lbpesq on March 21, 2024, 09:42:54 AM
Here’s my 6/12 Doubleneck:

Bill, tgo


(http://club.alembic.com/blob:https://club.alembic.com/0c405947-1e95-408c-bd7a-e3b3e98acf8d)
Title: Re: Fernandes FAB/FAG doubleneck
Post by: gtrguy on March 21, 2024, 10:12:06 AM
Hoyers are so interesting.
Title: Re: Fernandes FAB/FAG doubleneck
Post by: gearhed289 on March 22, 2024, 07:00:53 AM
That's a beauty Bill!

I know the name Hoyer, but I'm not familiar with them at all. Looks decent at least.
Title: Re: Fernandes FAB/FAG doubleneck
Post by: gtrguy on April 17, 2024, 09:32:36 AM
Bill, I am working on one like yours now. I am going to use it for Tom Petty songs in a cover band after swapping out the pickups.
Title: Re: Fernandes FAB/FAG doubleneck
Post by: lbpesq on April 17, 2024, 11:18:45 AM
Yup, David, same guitar.  Cort, (and their more rare sister label "Targa"), made some really sweet Alembic-like instruments back in the day.  Does yours have the onboard preamp between the bridges?  Mine has the switch and LED, but no preamp.  (I believe they came with and without).  Someday when I have the time I plan on building a Blaster and mounting it there.

Bill, tgo
Title: Re: Fernandes FAB/FAG doubleneck
Post by: gtrguy on April 17, 2024, 04:24:37 PM
No, it was extensively rewired and I have yet to trace it out. No case either. If you know what the wiring was supposed to be or any more info I would love to hear it.
Title: Re: Fernandes FAB/FAG doubleneck
Post by: lbpesq on April 18, 2024, 01:27:08 AM
I should have time this weekend to crack mine open and take some pics if you think that would help.   I suspect it's stock, or close to it.   

Bill, tgo
Title: Re: Fernandes FAB/FAG doubleneck
Post by: gtrguy on April 18, 2024, 09:40:41 AM
I would be eternally grateful. I pulled the pickups on mine yesterday. One original and 3 aftermarket. It's one huge goose to work on and it has miles of well done non-stock wiring.
Title: Re: Fernandes FAB/FAG doubleneck
Post by: gtrguy on April 18, 2024, 07:10:20 PM
BTW, I want to share an extremely helpful trick to use when stringing a double neck (or any electric guitar). Especially a Cort, which has a poor design where both string ball ends share the same through-the-body back side ferrule.

To help get the 2nd string in, (this is also an especially handy trick when reusing old strings on any electric guitar) insert the straight end (may be bent some if reusing the string) of the string into the plastic spray tube pulled from a can of WD40 or something similar. A hemostat is a handy tool here to help the inserting and some close up glasses or eye ware if you are older like me. Then you can push the tube up through the ferrule from the back of the guitar and carefully grab it from the front above the bridge and tug the string up and out.

The hemostat is also useful in inserting the string into the tuner.
Title: Re: Fernandes FAB/FAG doubleneck
Post by: gtrguy on May 05, 2024, 06:07:15 PM
Bill, is that a Lado I also see in your photo?