Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Factory to Customer => Topic started by: mica on November 12, 2004, 04:32:03 PM

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: mica on November 12, 2004, 04:32:03 PM

Chip is in love with your neck:
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/14254.jpg)
 
Says he wishes more people would get them like this.

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: jlpicard on November 13, 2004, 03:09:40 PM

Been thinking about that wood combo for my neck for a long time.Now that I see it I am sold!!

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: pace on November 16, 2004, 12:28:01 PM

Chip,  
 
     When I first opened this thread, you have no idea how much I was hoping that there was another Mike with a Flame Maple something or other!   You built me a beautiful neck, but I apologize for being so dead-set on having no maple in the neck core....   If my plans were in a more embryonic stage, I just might have said go for it! All in all, Susan assured me that this neck would not go to waste, it  also gives me a taste of what the core is going to look like attached to those sides!  
 
Thanks for understanding,
-Mike

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: son_of_magni on November 21, 2004, 09:29:28 PM

That is a beautiful neck!  Mike, I have to ask what is the plan for yours?  I can imagine the ebony/purpleheart center would look great with the sides made from mahagony, oh, how about zebrawood, or claro walnut?
 
Ok, how about claro walnut for the sides of the neck and burl walnut for the body?
 
(Message edited by son_of_magni on November 21, 2004)

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: pace on November 22, 2004, 04:25:40 AM

Thanks for asking, Karl! The neck is going to be 7pc ph/eb/ph/eb/ph/eb/ph. The sides will be flame maple front and back, mahogany center & purpleheart accents.... Not as exotic as zebrawood or burl walnut, but the flame maple Mica dug up at the shop is beautiful!

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: son_of_magni on November 22, 2004, 07:50:36 AM

Wow, that's a lot of purple!

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: mica on November 28, 2004, 08:43:50 AM

Back on track, the real thing has even more purple:  
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/14733.jpg)
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/14734.jpg)
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/14735.jpg)

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: pace on November 28, 2004, 09:17:19 AM

WHOO HOOO!!!!!!!!  
 
Now that's what I've been waiting for!!!!  
 
Thanks Chip! Thanks Mica! Hope you guys enjoyed the  long weekend...  
 
-Mike
 

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: pace on January 05, 2005, 05:10:12 AM

Mica,
 
      Is there any update on the neck dimensions? Let me know what you come up with....

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: pace on April 02, 2005, 03:11:36 AM

Hi Mica!  
 
I lost my cell phone & received your message a day too late..... hope you're having a fun vaca!!!! I'll talk to you in a week or so. If you happen to read this in the meantime, just drop a line and let me know what's next!  
 
-Mike

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: mica on August 19, 2005, 01:39:21 PM

It's a baaaaass!  Here's what's happened in the last few months:  
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/20470.jpg)
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/20471.jpg)
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/20472.jpg)
  I saw it in the setup room on Wednesday, getting the fingerboard levelled. I know it's back in spray for the rest of the finish, but it's finally getting close to completion.

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: pace on August 22, 2005, 04:54:43 AM

Mica! Thanks for finding the time for pics~ I understand you're a very busy girl for the next couple of weeks!!!!  
 
I think it looks great! Many thanks to Bob, Tony, Chip & everyone else who got the bass this far along.... My dream is this much more tangible.  
 
Susan said a while back that someone would call when it came time for control placement~ I guess that's right around the corner?!?!

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: mica on October 04, 2005, 05:19:47 PM

Lookie here!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/21344.jpg)
  Getting the guts artfully stuffed:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/21345.jpg)
  And the back of the peghead:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/21346.jpg)
 Cool how you can see the transition from the satin neck rubout.

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: valvil on October 05, 2005, 02:42:11 PM

This was a fun bass to try out, it's strung like a guitar, E to E but obviously lower. Good to play those extended chords with it.
 
Hope you're enjoiying it.
 
Valentino

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: pace on October 06, 2005, 05:46:02 AM

Oh, dont worry Val~ it's being enjoyed!!!!!
 
You mentioned having a similar idea a couple of times.... Care to indulge in specifics?!? I hope this one got your wheels spinnin'....

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: jpj678 on October 13, 2005, 07:03:30 PM

That neck is amazing.  I would have gone with a different top, but still awesome.

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: pace on October 14, 2005, 11:51:59 AM

thanks Tim,
 
I played it safe this time around. In contrast to the Ebony/PH stringers, I wanted lighter woods for the wings. I also knew the maple/mahogany combo wouldnt add a funky timbre to the mix. The top came from the JE Spyder stock~ it was somewhere in the middle of the pile, and as soon as Mica laid it out there wasnt a choice....

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: valvil on October 14, 2005, 12:38:16 PM

Hello Mike,
 
my idea was to have a 5 string tuned DGCFA. In other words like a guitar tuned down a whole step but without the high E string.  I don't like the sound of notes below D, not even on a Steinway grand piano, so this would let me go as low I care to go, and still give me the ability to use extended chords.
 
Valentino

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: bsee on October 14, 2005, 03:58:00 PM

I want to try a very similar setup, and probably will on my medium scale Persuader 5 if I ever get around to it.  I also found it to difficult to get good notes below the low D, and also found almost no need for them.  I was going to go Bb on the top string though, just to maintain simplicity in fingering bass patterns.  I guess that since I chord very infrequently, that benefit of the A on top is less important to me.
 
I figured that, worst case, I could use a capo if I ever needed to cover a tune that relies on the traditional open strings.
 
-Bob

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: son_of_magni on October 15, 2005, 09:52:53 AM

That is one unbelievably beautiful bass, it gives me shivers just looking at the pictures!  I'm curious what it weighs, that's a lot of purpleheart and ebony.

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: son_of_magni on November 07, 2005, 05:59:54 PM

And a question for Mica.  Do you know what variety of purpleheart that is, and did you do anything special to bring out the color like shine light or heat on it or something?

Title: Mike's Flame Maple Custom
Post by: valvil on November 08, 2005, 01:40:44 PM

That's just our usual purpleheart; we didn't do anything to it. Pictures are a bit overexposed so it looks darker, plus your monitor calibration also affects the way you see it.
 
Valentino