Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Dreaming... for now => Topic started by: garth4664 on June 21, 2009, 08:43:49 AM
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Had a dream last night - Series 1, with a dragon wing esque lower horn, balance k omega body but with the string anchor as an alembic cloud and below in the omega cut out a brass alembic dream-catcher. Did my best below to illustrate this bass design, I think it needs to be built. Thoughts guys?(http://club.alembic.com/Images/402/66509.jpg)
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Looks nice...
The cloud tailpiece is a great idea...I like how the strings look like rays emerging from it.
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i like the body shape alot, not crazy about the dream catcher though but it's still cool, great idea/dream,i could see it as a COTM if it were made
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That's actually pretty sweet. The horns maintain that Alembic vibe very nicely...
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Thanks guys, yep I agree that it is probably better to leave out the dream catcher and leave is as implied in the omega shape.
here is the bass again as an outline if anyone can colour in the white space with more realistic wood.
Cheers Garth(http://club.alembic.com/Images/402/66514.jpg)
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i do love the shape alot, any ideas on what kinds of wood would go best with it?
~Taylor Watterson
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I have a 70s coco bolo series 1 which is magnificent sounding but really heavy, so I was thinking mostly mahogony neck, with maple and thin ebony stringers and probably a quilted maple top...anyone else know the right woods to use if you want a series 1 on the lighter side?
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Wow, the cloud tail piece seems so obvious after seeing it. How is it that it has not been done before?
The Omega is very cool both ways. Nice design.
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Garth,
cool.
The cloud and Alembic tail is great.
Oliver (Spyderman)
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this is really great!!!! very alembic, and that tailpiece is so cool!!
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Figured out how to put in the wood... open to other suggestions though. To everyone on the forum, please feel free to use these ideas for your own customs, my only condition is that you send me high res photos of anything that gets built. Cheers Garth(http://club.alembic.com/Images/402/66519.jpg)
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Garth,
I would like it to have the end closed and to have the Alembic sign
laid in beneath the cloud tail....
Oliver (Spyderman)
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Hello Oliver, you read my mind - was just working on that...(http://club.alembic.com/Images/402/66524.jpg)
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And bookmatched to centre(http://club.alembic.com/Images/402/66527.jpg)
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Garth, that is so gorgeous.
Simply WOW......
Oliver (Spyderman)
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Got to thinking that the strings to the cloud need a puppet master to control them - what do you think of this as a headstock inlay?(http://club.alembic.com/Images/402/66532.jpg)
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OK one more for today...
Cheers, Garth(http://club.alembic.com/Images/402/66535.jpg)
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I LOVE IT!!!! it would truly be awesome to get that made
~Taylor Watterson
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That last picture is great. I love the shape of the body, the tail is freakin' awesome. The onlt thing I would change is the puppet master hand in some shade of pearl.
OO
Again the bridge with the point and logo beneath,,,if I had seen this before ....
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Garth,
Very cool! It's reminding me of Keavin's #12, which has it's logo below the bridge. Great ideas, I hope they're attainable. On my monitor it appears you have greenish pickups and knobs. Is that your choice, or just a colorspace/monitor anomaly?
Mike
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I LOVE this concept!!!!!!
Get it built..NOW!
George
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Just freakin' brilliant, Garth! Bouts, tail, puppetmaster - it's all incredible. I second Georgie (and Olie - shades of pearl for the hand for sure.)
Peter
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Thanks for all the really nice comments, I must admit that I am now addicted to thinking about this custom - to the point where I am loosing sleep... One more to add for today, I think that the headstock shape of this version suits the body a lot more, and the wood is closer to what I would want, but now probably have to re-think the headstock inlay. Hmmm...
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/402/66558.jpg)
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Garth,
well I must admit that this looks way better than the one with the other headstock......
A cool and classic masterpiece....
Oliver (Spyderman)
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Headstock inlay(http://club.alembic.com/Images/402/66564.jpg)
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It's getting better all the time...you have a knack for design.
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Thanks elwoodblue, kind of wish I could stop thinking about this bass now...
I would really love to put in a custom order for this but having a little trouble justifying the 15K US + it would cost to build it.
Anyway, I'm thinking classic ovals on the fret board but this may not live up to the other inlay work so it would be great to hear some suggestions.
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I'd leave it blank; keep the continuity from fingers to cloud.
Peter
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FRETLESS! With blues side LEDS!
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Olie, totally agree with you fretless would look best but no matter how many times I play donna-lee while wearing a sweatband i've got to come to the realisation that I'm not Jaco. Still haven't forgiven myself for defretting my last bass...
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Olie, totally agree with you fretless would look best but no matter how many times I play donna-lee while wearing a sweatband i've got to come to the realisation that I'm not Jaco. Still haven't forgiven myself for defretting my last bass (not an alembic thank god)...
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i like Olie's idea alot, you are amazing at designing on computer, what program are you using?
~Taylor Watterson
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Believe it or not I'm using a combination of microsoft word and paint. Paint is good for splashing the solid colour, word is good for selecting clear colours so that i can overlay the parts. This is probably the slowest way to design a bass, but is pretty satisfying. BTW word is also useful for trimming down the size of the pics so they can be posted here...
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Garth,
As someone who had started this journey...
I can honestly say, this is a fantastic, and very personal voyage you are embarking.
As you sail forward from the dock, the waters are always calm and tranquil, but as with any journey filled with adventure, you will find many things challenging.
Your bass is unique, even Regal like... something of pure Royalty.
I will be watching your develop and refinements as the days go by... I look forward to seeing your creation progress to eventually enter the halls of Alembic - Factory to Customer thread.
I hope you the very best, and I wish you a safe return with your wonderful treasure -- enjoy the ride!
Hal-
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Cocobolo(http://club.alembic.com/Images/402/66586.jpg)
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This must be about the best Custom idea I've seen IMHO !!!!
Just LOVE it!!
George
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I'll be honest, I'm not keen on the headstock inlay. But then, it's not my bass design.
Love the body though.
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Garth, I think that the bass will look cooler without inlays. It will leave the neck clear, so that when you look at the headstock inlay, you can follow the strings all the way to wherever you like. Or perhaps something puppet-related, that would give you bass a more dark/mysterious look.
That is one amazing design you've created... I really want to see it built. Congratulations
Greg
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Just one other thing, how about instead of doing the Alembic sign in real colours, why don't you try it in a sort of outline way, perhaps out of some gold-platted material? Do you get the picture? Just like the normal Alembic headstock inlays, only bigger...
I think that would give it a more dream-catcher sort of look.
Greg
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Yeah I love the look, it's a very stylish design. I wonder how bulbous the body would end up being as it looks probably the same length as the small standard body but with a more voluptious bottom.
I wouldn't say the pointy bottomed alembics are amongst my favourites but this one looks great and changing to that knobly headstock is better.
Jazzyvee
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Hm, that knobby peghead would indeed look nice without the tuner ears sticking out. Perhaps the mothership would consider using the peghead and bridge/tail-piece design of those 1980s Japanese bolt-on Alembics?
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... double post ...
(Message edited by adriaan on June 23, 2009)
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so when are you putting your order in for this??? ;-)
~Taylor Watterson
P.S.- that cocobolo looks AMAZING
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man its just beautiful.. very unique, elegant design... if you cant get it build now, maybe alembic could build their next showroom bass like this.. how about burl maple top, walnut body, maple/ebony neck, chrome hardware, etc... i am starting to dream now too ;-)
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That bass is voluptuously feminine. I would slightly remove the pointed bottom (round it off) to look like this... to couture the Alembic emblem...
I hope you didn't mind...
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/402/66607.jpg)
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Your bass looks like newly budded Rose. It is truly beautiful. It almost pulls a tear from my eyes thinking of my mother and the roses she loved...
Sorry about getting emotional but I see something wonderful here.
(Message edited by hendixclarke on June 23, 2009)
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Garth,
again me.
To say it simple: you created a classic!
We should open the FTC thread soooooon..........
Oliver (Spyderman)
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Wow, what a response. Hal, the rounded point is pretty cool thanks for the suggestion. Oliver, not sure when I will be able to afford to put in an order for this, but its probably best to wait at least until the design/woods/inlays stop changing in my head. Ordering an instrument is so much harder than buying one, since you don't just have to decide if you want it, but also how you want it. Think I need some professional advise and some quotes/costs on the options...almost time to call Mica I think.
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Go for it!!!
We're all waiting on this one.
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You are very welcome Garth. I wish you well on this project. Let us know who things go, it will be interesting to know what Mica says.
I hope to see this bass enter the Factory to Customer thread!
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Reminds me of the B. C. Rich eagle.
This is a good thing. I really liked those basses.
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Very cool. I like it.
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It does look kinda like an Eagle bass.
Cool bass, but am I to understand the cloud is positioned on top of the bridge? That's gonna be pointy.
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it IS the birdge, pretty funky concept
~Taylor Watterson
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The cloud is the tailpiece; the bridge is the brass colored thing between the cloud and the pickup.
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oops, sorry for the mess up, thanks for the fix dave
~Taylor Watterson
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Ah, I get it.
So is this gonna get built???
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we can only hope that there will be a FTC thread on this one
~Taylor Watterson
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Keep the point on the body!!
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Keep us hanging in anticipation...
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I agree with George... keep the point! I think it provides a better looking balance for the body. Awesome design!
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Hello guys,
Sorry for the delay,just got back from inner mongolia believe it or not. probably should have detailed the bridge so that it was clearer but yes the cloud is the tailpiece, it will be drilled for the strings from the end of the bass (no slots) and will be screwed to the wood from the back of the bass so that there are no screws visable at the front. Also I am thinking that it might be nice to retain the omega shape on the body as per the earlier sketches. I will work up a few additional drawings and post them some time this week showing some of the more detailed ideas... Cheers, Garth
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Remove the point (whispering...)
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How many Alembics have points... what... 90%.
Dare to be different... stand from the crowd and be the count of number 1.
It's cool to me either way Garth, its your bass my man, it's your bass bro.
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(http://club.alembic.com/Images/402/67538.jpg)
Here is a spalted example - this is closer to what I want I think...
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tailpiece/string anchor(http://club.alembic.com/Images/402/67550.jpg)
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so you are going with the omega cut out then?
~Taylor Watterson
P.S.- looks AWESOME
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oh, and what about the hand inlay on the headstock?
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Hello Taylor,
Yep, I'm thinking at this stage that I will go with the omega, as my 78 series 1 has a point, and the omega makes the body look a little better proportioned (possibly also a tiny bit lighter). Also I'm thinking that I will make the cloud string anchor myself, might even make an alternative one for my 78 as a test trial.
I'm actually thinking that I would like to make a few of the bits of hardware and send them to the mothership for them to make the bass around. That way I can make them exactly as I would like them.
Cheers,
Garth
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I just think that headstock Inlay may be too much. I would stick with Hendrixclarke idea just discarding the headstock inlay to favour the ingenuous logo/tailpiece (I think this tailpiece idea is so great, you shouldn't distract eyes with nothing more).
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While I am dreaming - I've been checking out the moog guitar and can't help but think that those electronics would be perfect for an alembic bass. Wonder if I could buy one of the guitars as a donor for alembic to rebuild bass pickups and put the elecs into a series type bass...
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Some minor changes - I think it does need the point and the lower inlay, and I must admit it looks better without the headstock inlay. I have also slimmed the hips a little - looking better now I think...(http://club.alembic.com/Images/402/69055.jpg)
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one more pic(http://club.alembic.com/Images/402/69058.jpg)
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The point goes well with your design. Everything else has points (headstock, horns...), so it feels proportioned.
Somehow, most of the custom basses made by Alembic that I see, have the Omega cut. Keeping the point will add, if I may, a nice vintage, classic Alembic characteristic, in such a modern, different bass.
But hey, that is only the way I see it!
Greg
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Thanks greg - I think the point now works so much better now that the hips are a little slimmer. Also would really like to see the alembic logo as a bigger inlay with lots of stunning abalone shell. On the downside I just noticed that prices have gone up since this thread started...doh.
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That logo is going to be something so special... It will definitely become a reference for Alembic. But hey, it is going to cost you A LOT. If an inlayed logo on the headstock will run you about a thousand bucks... Imagine a huge big brother!!
But please, do it!!!!
Greg
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I agree!!
Just one thing I'd do...............I'd move the front pickup just a little closer to the neck.....as they did in the old ones!
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Totally agree mate, if this gets built I will put it as far toward the bass end of the body as possible - no point in having the two pickups sound the same. On another note an email has been sent to sales for a quote...gulp.
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Garth, this bass is totally different and balance. My eyes are drawn to the bridge. I would consider open slots on the bridge, for quick string changes.
(Message edited by toma_hawk01 on August 23, 2009)
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Hello Hal,
You are absolutely right that slots would be more practical, but it is possible that the cloud would get lost with the strings running over it.
I think the best way to check would be to do an experiment with the cloud and no slots on my 78 and see if this is actually possible or a reasonable compromise. The slots could be another option. Interestingly enough, have found that I never snap strings on my Series 1, think it may be due to the good bridge set up and the 32 inch scale which doesn't have the tension of a 34. All my other basses are 34, but somehow they seem too long and too tight now...
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Got a quote from Susan, looks like I will have to save for a while and possibly wait for a good exchange rate, but on the positive she had some great ideas for the inlay. For anyone watching this thread the cloud tailpeice is not particularly expensive but Greg was correct w.r.t. the logo.
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This is just an idea:
You could make a flip top cloud over the tail piece, like a hinge at one side with some kind of lock at the other end. You could open it to get the strings off and click it back when re-stringing is done. Like those hair staple (I don't know how do you call it in english - I'm talking about the plastic piece girls uses to wrap their hair beihind the head in a half pony tail...).
That way you could get the best of both worlds.
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This is just an idea:
You could make a flip top cloud over the tail piece, like a hinge at one side with some kind of lock at the other end. You could open it to get the strings off and click it back when re-stringing is done. Like those hair staple (I don't know how do you call it in english - I'm talking about the plastic piece girls uses to hold their hair behind the head in a half pony tail...).
That way you could get the best of both worlds.
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The shape has me thinking BC Rich Eagle. I love those basses, so I find this a really cool design.
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I found out, its called Hair Clip or Hair Clamp...
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Sounds like a barrette to me, Mario (not just for girls, though - I used to use a metal one on my ponytail).
Peter
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I still love the puppet-master inlay, Garth (but not enough to have you send me Susan's bill for it ). The current version looks sweet even without it - the slimmer hips are good. Were it mine, I'd think about losing the 1/4 input & sidemounting the 5-pin to give the logo more room.
Peter
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Hi All. I fell in love with this design so much that I had to build it! I've contacted Garth and he was happy to see the result, so I thought I'd post some images for you. It's certainly NOT an Alembic and has a very home made quality, but it was the best I could do and I hope you like it :-)
You can see a quick video of the build (I did have some help and ordered the neck, but the main build was done in my apartment in Copenhagen without the aid of a workshop) on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhyVKDIoLRk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhyVKDIoLRk)
(http://alembic.com/club/messages/402/82884.jpg)
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Steve,
Welcome to the forum. Nicely done with a nice video memory. Enjoy the fruits of your labor and Play it Healthy!
Art
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Well done !
Garth did a great job with the design,
...it's an unexpected surprise to see her in 3D.
What kind of pickups did you use?
Kris
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Thank you ;-) The pickups are 5-string soapbar humbuckers that I found on eBay UK (?35 for the pair including postage). Don't know much else about them, but they make a great sound!
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where'd you order the neck from?
~Taylor
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Steve, I think it is amazing that you managed to build this in your apartment. You are a legend mate.
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Cheers! I ordered the neck from a guy called Hu Song Li (hsongsong) that I found on eBay who was selling several custom made basses and guitars and mentioned that he did most types of custom work. I sent him the specs and he charged me $158 (US) including shipping for the completed neck, which has a great feel to it. The only downside was that he said it would take about 18 days and it took nearly four months. Well worth the wait, though!
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Hello Steve,
Just watched the Youtube clip - I am in Malaysia on business. I can't watch youtube in China - it is far too difficult for the government to regulate.
Nice playing on the original tracks. I hope that I get the chance to visit Copenhagen later this year and meet you in person.
I'll keep you posted. Kindest regards, Garth
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Many thanks and looking forward to meeting you!