Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: chuckc on April 18, 2005, 05:03:59 PM

Title: Semi Acoustic Alembic
Post by: chuckc on April 18, 2005, 05:03:59 PM

Hi All, Is anyone aware of Alembic ever making a semi acoustic bass with functional f holes??? I was watching an older video of TOTO and the bass player, Mike Poccaro seemed to be playing what appeared to be a semi-acoustic Alembic. It was shapped similarly to a Stanley CLarke model but was bound front and back and was noticably thicker than a standard SC model. In addition it seemed to have functional f holes top and botton. Couldn't get a realy good look in the video but the inlay work and pickups looked like Alembics.  I have not seen anything remotely resembling this configuration in any of the showcase/custom listings or in any discussion threads.  Anone have any info on this bass. Guess my curiousity has gotten the better of me on this one,. Thanx

Title: Semi Acoustic Alembic
Post by: serialnumber12 on April 19, 2005, 05:08:53 AM

Ive seen that bass and i was thinking the same thing!,,,maybe mica or susan (or dave Hauk)might know more about this bass, but the oval inlays says alembic & the headstock.
 
(Message edited by Serialnumber12 on April 19, 2005)

Title: Semi Acoustic Alembic
Post by: David Houck on April 19, 2005, 06:51:05 AM

I looked around on the net last night but couldn't find anything.  A video capture would be nice.  Anybody know someone with a copy of the video?

Title: Semi Acoustic Alembic
Post by: trekster on April 19, 2005, 06:55:39 AM

FWIW..the video is for the song Africa, from the Toto IV album.  When I saw it long ago I thought too that it was an Alembic, but I also thought it sported EMG pickups (since this was around 1982-3, I wonder who put thier logo on thier pickups first -- EMG or Alembic?  Hmmmm....)
 
--T

Title: Semi Acoustic Alembic
Post by: effclef on April 19, 2005, 07:11:40 AM

Could it have been one of the Alembic-modified Guild Starfires similar to:
 
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/1801.html?1040358995 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8985)
 
EffClef

Title: Semi Acoustic Alembic
Post by: chuckc on April 19, 2005, 07:23:59 AM

Well based on my observations, having seen this video several times, the body is considerably smaller with very sharp, pointy cut aways.  Again it looks as if somebody made a semi acoustic SC model.  The only other thought was maybe a one-off Rick Turner model without the rotating pickups.

Title: Semi Acoustic Alembic
Post by: room037 on April 19, 2005, 07:30:01 AM

Hi,
I keep this pict in my PC.
I think, it was on eBay.
It looks just like Ricky !
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/17829.jpg)

Title: Semi Acoustic Alembic
Post by: adriaan on April 19, 2005, 07:37:23 AM

From http://www.toto99.com/encyclopedia/index.html (http://www.toto99.com/encyclopedia/index.html) - under VIDEOS: More moody, obscure and emotional, like the song it portrayed, was the conceptual video for 'Africa'. The band played modified instruments on a stage resembling a large book.
 
So it may well have been an Alembic, but modified for the occasion!

Title: Semi Acoustic Alembic
Post by: chuckc on April 19, 2005, 07:56:35 AM

Ummmm, not sure I would take that modified statement too literally. More like they used some period pieces, primarily some African percussion, to highlight the overall feel of the video. I have a difficult time believing that the instrument being played was modified for the video since it was only visible for a short period of time and if it was modified I'm not sure what the point of the modification would have been.  It didn't seem to affect or enhance the general gist of the video at all.  But what do I know???

Title: Semi Acoustic Alembic
Post by: trekster on April 19, 2005, 08:06:07 AM

Ok, question -- is that Mike Poccaro in the video, or David Hungate, who actually recorded it?  While the Africa bass is still a mystery, I know that the bass used in the Rosanna video (same album) was definitely an white Ibanez Roadstar.  Maybe Ibanez made something semi-acoustic during that time period (late 82-early 83).
 
--T, grasping at straws

Title: Semi Acoustic Alembic
Post by: chuckc on April 19, 2005, 08:24:12 AM

I think this was the first video and album for Mike with Toto, David Hungate had left to become a Nashville session bassist afer their 3rd album

Title: Semi Acoustic Alembic
Post by: jagerphan84 on April 19, 2005, 08:30:02 AM

According to Allmusic, the album Toto IV was released in 1982, and Mike joined in 1984.

Title: Semi Acoustic Alembic
Post by: chuckc on April 19, 2005, 08:33:33 AM

Ugh, sorry, David left after Toto IV. It appears Mike was first credited on the FAHRENHEIT album........Sounds kinda funny talking about albums since a large majority of players have never owned albums to the degree us old timers have. Still have my collection of 1200 albums that I listen to regularly....but I digress.....

Title: Semi Acoustic Alembic
Post by: David Houck on April 19, 2005, 08:34:17 AM

According to the site that Adriaan cited, Hungate left right after the album was recorded and Porcaro did the videos and tour for the album.

Title: Semi Acoustic Alembic
Post by: xlrogue6 on April 19, 2005, 08:47:46 AM

Way back when I worked at Alembic, there was a 335 style SI bass that once belonged to Robert Kool Bell lurking around the shop.
 
(Message edited by xlrogue6 on April 19, 2005)

Title: Semi Acoustic Alembic
Post by: chuckc on April 19, 2005, 09:21:49 AM

For those who have not seen the video or the bass, the best way to describe it is to take the picture of the Alembic shown above, bind the front and back, make it a 2 p/u configuration, and change the wood to what I can only gather is either walnut or perhaps a dark mahogany. The neck appears to be ebony with oval mop inlays. Additionally there doesn't seem to be any contouring of the body either fore or aft, just a sort of slab look to it.