Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Dreaming... for now => Topic started by: happy_face on April 29, 2008, 07:22:01 AM
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I've searched the board and looked at the website, but I am still confused - Does Alembic still offer pickups for Rickenbacker basses and, if so, at what cost? Thanks!
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Hi Franklin; welcome to the board! The pickups page (http://www.alembic.com/prod/pickups.html) states that there is a Rickenbacker neck shape and a Rickenbacker bridge shape. The price list page (http://www.alembic.com/prod/prices.html#ACTIVATORS) suggests that two pickups, volume, pan, and filter would be $1,050. So, with that information as a guideline, I think you could call Alembic, confirm the price and availability, and place your order.
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Thanks. Not so complicated....
I did hear talk that they were no longer available. Guess i have to pick up the phone.
(Message edited by happy_face on April 29, 2008)
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If I recall adequately, I think there are a few other members here that have Rics with Alembic activators.
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Hey happy_face - you're also at the 'Pit, aren't you? I haven't been there much lately but I used to be.
I keep contemplating putting Activators in one of my Rics. I had also heard that they were no longer available, but when I spoke to Mica at the recent gathering in Northern California I think she said that you can still get them. I'm still kicking myself for not bidding high enough on the mapleglo 4001/3 (forget which) that was up on eBay a couple of years ago (I think it was nicknamed the Alemric or something like that), and I passed on a set a few months ago - I just like the way Ric pickups sound as-is!
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I second Harry's thoughts on an activated Ric. I have a '73 Mapleglow 4001 that, while quirky, just has that great Ric snarl about it that changing the pickups would, in my mind, take the soul out of the bass. However, it is your bass, and if you're thinking of changing pickups, Alembic would be the ONLY choice for that!
Ken
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Hello there Hieronymous. Nice to see a familiar face! I certainly remember your moniker from the Pit. That venue seems to be whithering away.
Absolutely agree with you and Ken abot the Ric sound. I have a 4003s I'll never alter. But i'm thinking about converting another - not cause I don't like the like sound, but because I really love the Ric neck profile. I'd like to marry the Alembic sound with the Ric neck.
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An alternative would be to order an Alembic with a custom neck profile to match your Ric neck.
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This is the bass I was thinking of (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=12638).
I think this is the thread where it first showed up - as far as I know, it's still in the Alembic Forum family, or extended family at least.
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Thanks heironymous. I am going to try to create one.
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Sounds cool! Let us know how it goes. I'm actually really interested in hearing how it turns out.
I think I might have been confused about which family the bass I linked to resides in - it might actually be over at the RickResource Forum (http://www.rickresource.com/phpBB3/index.php target=_blank).
Oh, and I am finally entering the world of Alembic Activators, but instead of modding a bass whose sound I already love (i.e., a Rickenbacker), I'm putting a set of Precision Bass Activators in my already-modified Fender Telecaster Bass - I don't know why I didn't think of it before! I bought the bass for about $250 around 15 years ago - he had a mid-'70s Tele Bass routed first for the single coil that was in the original slab-bodied P-bass, then had it routed for a regular split-coil P pickup. So the thing has already lost its vintage value, might as well make it into something I like, so I'm having it refinished mocha, and the Alembic pups and the humbucker wired separately.
When these projects get finished we should start a new thread on Activated basses!
(Message edited by hieronymous on May 07, 2008)
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The Tele project is a great idea. That should be awesome.
Only recently came to realize that modding a good sounding/playing bass that has already been ruined in collectors eyes can be a good option for someone who actually wants to use it! Every bass i use now has been modded, via Darkstars and/or a refin. Now I can wheel 'em out without being totally paranoid about getting a ding from whacking a cymbal or a mike stand.
(FYI - I bot a pickup-less Rick for this project, so it sort of qualifies.)
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I picked up my Telembic yesterday, and used it on a gig last night! It sounded great, though I still have to get string/pickup heights sorted out a little bit. I don't have good enough pictures yet for an Activated thread, but thought I would post one live shot here:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/402/52679.jpg)
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i have an alembic powered strat which is a fantastically versatile guitar.
Jazzyvee
(Message edited by jazzyvee on June 15, 2008)