Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: FC Bass on September 29, 2007, 04:14:34 PM

Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: FC Bass on September 29, 2007, 04:14:34 PM: I've spend some time with a scanner today and scanned some catalogues I recently got :-) Click on the pages to see the full size version. I Think this is the '83 catalogue:
[img">http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/44552.jpg[/img]
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: FC Bass on September 29, 2007, 04:20:28 PM; I think this is the '84 catalogue:
[img">http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/44565.jpg[/img">

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/44567.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/44571.jpg)
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: FC Bass on September 29, 2007, 04:34:31 PM: 90's catalogue:
[img">http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/44585.jpg[/img">

[img">http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/44587.jpg[/img]

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/44591.jpg)
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: FC Bass on September 29, 2007, 04:56:17 PM; 2000 catalogue:
[img">http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/44613.jpg[/img">

[img">http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/44615.jpg[/img">

[img">http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/44617.jpg[/img]

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/44621.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/44625.jpg)
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: FC Bass on September 29, 2007, 05:01:41 PM; Activator ad:
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: the_8_string_king on September 29, 2007, 05:05:09 PM: Thanks for sharing, pretty cool seeing those older catalogues! I actually have the next two sitting in my music room... I don't know how to do what you did... but I appreciate your sharing these old catalogues.

They give a glimpse of Alembic times past. Interesting seeing the subject to availability next to the Bocate and Coco Bolo...
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: FC Bass on September 29, 2007, 05:29:17 PM: Your welcome!

I wouldn't reccomend trying this at home, It takes some time ...
Make 2 versions of all pictures and upload the big versions on a server, then paste all urls into `newurl {URL, text description} tags
Then upload the smaller versions on the board and paste all `popjpeg {44631,} tags in with the right link... (as the text description)

Funny to see the change in the Alembic script on the front page of the '83 and '84 catalogue (the L)
and I must say that I like the black '83 Spoiler (http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/44633.jpg)
Also the first Alembic I've seen with a Maple fretboard (4th page of the '84 catalogue)

(Message edited by fc_spoiler on September 30, 2007)
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: bracheen on October 01, 2007, 03:20:10 AM: Hey that's my bass! Thanks Flip.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/44689.jpg)
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: bracheen on October 01, 2007, 03:21:35 AM: Oops, no it isn't. I didnt' count the strings, sorry
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: artswork99 on October 01, 2007, 06:07:01 AM: Sweet... Nice catalogues and scans! Thanks!
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: 811952 on October 01, 2007, 06:27:22 AM: I spent some quality time with that Long Scale Series I in Vermillion from the '83 catalog, back in '82. Wonderful instrument.

John
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: terryc on October 01, 2007, 08:08:50 AM: The comment that Stanley made about rubbing the neck and the sound is hear through your amp, during tacet passages I have to turn the vol almost off or the drummer throws sticks at me!
I cannot recall having to do that with a passive bass.
I own the 90's and 2000's books, has there been a new issue 'cos if there is then I shall have to send for one
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: jacko on October 02, 2007, 04:27:32 AM: The 2000 is the one I have. There have been some new body styles snce then so maybe an updated catalogue is round the corner (hint).

graeme
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: bassman10096 on October 02, 2007, 05:10:01 AM: Great stuff. It's always nice seeing how styles, woods, etc change over the years.
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: spose on October 02, 2007, 06:17:19 AM: I didn't like those half shots of the series basses back then, change is good
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: senmen on October 02, 2007, 07:40:15 AM: Dear All, plse find attached to alternative pages of the 90?catalog, as there were at least two different versions of the catalog available. The Europa page was published instead of the Signature Series page; the Essence instead of the Persuader. Oliver (Spyderman)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/44710.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/44711.jpg)
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: FC Bass on October 02, 2007, 07:55:04 AM: Thanx!
Haven't seen these ever, could that be Jason Newsted's 10 string Europa?
Very cool!
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: funkyjazzjunky on October 02, 2007, 08:13:10 AM: I wish I had those. Thank you for sharing
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: bassman10096 on October 02, 2007, 08:24:07 AM: You know, another cool thing about the really old catalogues is seeing basses that today, would look like old soldiers, looking bright and shiny new.
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: tkotmk42 on October 02, 2007, 08:38:52 AM: Great thread!!! Thank you for all the scans!

As a young college student, I drooled over the 90's catalogue for a long time before I finally got my first Alembic (sold my '89 240SX for it).

Since catalogue came up... how about posters?
Nice people at Alembic sent me a poster of Mark King when I was in college, you can see it on background on picture I posted below.
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/37599.html?1174095411 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8739)
(in the back, very fuzzy... can you see?)

I know there are 2 versions of posters for both Mark and Stanley. I've seen one with black background/frame, and one with white. Each had different pose by Mark/Stanley, but I only had the black version.

Does anyone have any picture of them??

I would gladly pay money for re-issue of these posters... Unfortunately the copy I had was lost when I was moving back and from Japan.

Man... I'm Alembic-less right now, and it's starting to get a toll on me....

Takeo
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: lbpesq on October 02, 2007, 09:52:53 AM: Takeo:

Is that you and your twin sister? The resemblance is uncanny! hehehehe

Bill, tgo
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: edmouk on October 02, 2007, 10:59:30 AM: I've recently found again some catalaogues of the followings :
- Epic
- Classico
- F-2B, F-1X & SF-2 rackmount systems

I'll do the scans and attach them here very soon.
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: apdavis on October 02, 2007, 12:34:43 PM: I am under the impression that the 10 string custom series II on the Europa page was/is Jason Newstead's
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: the_8_string_king on October 02, 2007, 09:35:03 PM: It's true. Mica herself told me so -along with the interesting trivia that he had/has extremely acidic sweat which wreaked havoc with electronics! It was almost comical when she said it... she almost couldn't phrase it as a complete sentence... it was some thing like you can't believe what his sweat does to the electronics... or some such thing!
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: terryc on October 08, 2007, 05:33:35 AM: Looking at the 83 & 84 catalogues, did the variable Q control appear on Alembics in 84 as it is absent on the 83 catalogue.
And from a historical point, why was the variable Q developed, was it requested by someone or was it a evolutionary development by Ron W?
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: FC Bass on October 08, 2007, 07:53:31 AM: On the History page of the main Alembic site it says the series I & II were first produced in '71.
Keavin's number 12 also has the series II package I think...

(Message edited by fc_spoiler on October 08, 2007)
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: serialnumber12 on October 08, 2007, 08:02:50 AM: Actually the CVQ appeard in the very beginning of alembic, mine's (#12) has CVQ's on it as well as many of the early 70's old alembics, i beleive ron developed the 3 position Q as an option to the CVQ thus creating a seriesI/II & adding more tonal flexability & adding custom additions such as 5 peice neck & LED's standard.
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: terryc on October 08, 2007, 08:12:23 AM: But the vari-Q isn't on the old PF-5 circuit boards, it must have been a developmental addition in the 80's..can Mica or others can clarify this?
Maybe the difference in Series I & II was the construction??
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: terryc on October 08, 2007, 08:14:46 AM: oops..serialnumber12..you got there before me
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: the_mule on October 25, 2007, 11:17:55 AM: I'm 99% sure that the birdseye maple Series I shortscale in the 1983 catalogue is my bass: http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/10532.html?1193334745 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8389)

Wilfred
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: mica on October 25, 2007, 02:08:02 PM: The CVQ appeared among the earliest instruments, we'd been installing them on other maker's instruments for at least a year before producing our own instruments.

The first Series I and II basses and guitars weren't called anything - we didn't have any model names. They were Standard basses and guitars. The model names weren't around until the mid 70's. But we talk about controls with CVQs as Series II even if they were made before the name distinction.
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: glocke on October 31, 2007, 03:59:14 AM: thanks for the post. I vaguely remember being in high school in the 80's and drooling over Alembic catalogs. At that time I never thought Id be able to own one....
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: adriaan on October 31, 2007, 04:25:55 AM: Glocke, not sure what the going price was for an Alembic

catalogue back in those days. Wouldn't they have been free hand-outs?
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: glocke on October 31, 2007, 04:57:22 AM: Dont know if they were freebies or not, as I was not the original owner. I had been a fan of alembic thanks to the Grateful Dead, and obtained the catalog from an older musician friend who shared similar musical interests....
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: FC Bass on October 31, 2007, 08:30:36 AM: I've also got the (European) price lists. The prices are roughly todays second hand prices.
Title: Alembic catalogues
Post by: adriaan on October 31, 2007, 09:09:13 AM: I bought my Epic in 1994, when the exchange rate was good at about $1.50 for DFL 1. The importer managed to keep the price just below the psychological border of DFL 3000, plus I got a 10% discount from the shop (no case, no tools, no buildsheet) so I paid DFL 2700.

We went to euros in 2002, so that price would now be about EUR 1100 - not counting (1) the everchanging exchange rate to the USD, (2) 13 years of 2 to 4% inflation, and (3) the 10% that we lost when our guilders were converted into euros (as Gerrit Zalm acknowledged after his retirement).

You can probably find a used Epic for EUR 1100 around here. But a new one will cost the same amount in EUR as the MSRP in USD - prices starting at about 3500 - or DFL 7700 in old money. In short, an Epic now costs nearly three times as much as 13 years ago.

(Message edited by adriaan on October 31, 2007)