Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Factory to Customer => Topic started by: mica on January 10, 2013, 06:31:52 PM
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This will be fun!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/147409.jpg)
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Yippeeee!!
Very exciting! Thanks Mica!
(Message edited by Moonliner on January 10, 2013)
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I will be watching this exciting transformation closely.
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I can't wait to see how this one plays out!
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I feel the same way Sonicus and Edwin!
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Me too!!!
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Wow.
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Sweet! The start of something beautiful....
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(George Takei voice) Ohhh myyyy. This will be FUN!!
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damn this rules
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Any progress to report? I'm so curious to see how this will come out!
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We hashed out the final peghead shape (which really turned out to be more of a tuner placement issue), and we're fixing to cut the fingerboard out in next week's run. Once that's done, we can take the old board off and get down to business.
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Thanks Mica and Edwin.... I've had visions of pegheads dancing in my sleep the past few nights. So excited this is actually happening.
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Ebony fingerboard? Abalone oval inlays? So many possibilities!
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Yes, ebony fingerboard (w/red side LED's) and MOP ovals. I was tempted by abalone wrapped with silver for a kind of fancy, vintage look but it's a bit out of my price range at the moment.
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I think you made the exactly perfect choice!
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Really nice project Keith. It's gonna be fun to watch. Thanks!
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Thanks Art!
I'm hoping for some news soon.... waiting is so very hard!
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So, what's the plan for pickups and pickup placement?
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Hi Edwin,
I'm thinking pickup placement would be fairly standard. Pickup choice still in the works. Could we chat? :-)
Mica, any chance of seeing the headstock mockup drawing for the tuner placement? Would love to get that nailed down. Even 'boring' progress pictures would be terribly exciting. Pretty please?
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Here's some stuff about pegheads:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/162827.jpg)
When we got a visit from Dan's bass a couple of weeks ago, we took some pictures and did some tracings to compare for your project.
Looks like both the Godfather and Dan's bass have a slightly wider peghead, but the top of the Crown is nearly identical. The curves that bend in to the nut are more extreme on the early examples.
Isn't it strange how different these look when the tuners are placed differently?
Anyway, we're modelling your drill patter off of Godfather of course, and that new template should be ready next week. That means we can start making lots of dust!
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Thank you Mica! I really appreciate you posting this.
This is great. It looks like the D and A turners are just a teensy bit closer to the nut on the Godfather, which would give me that large crown look I'm seeking. Phil has that nice inlay logo which is a bit larger than the cast logo, and it looks to be more centrally located, and not so tucked into the point of the crown. Perhaps we can move my logo down slightly... just a little bit.
Thanks again!
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Hi Mica,
I'd like to go with the narrower headstock and the more extreme curves that bend into the nut, like the early examples.
I'm curious if it's possible to see the black MOP that is being considered for the neck...
Thanks! So excited!
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Any sawdust perchance?
I'm trying to be patient ..... really I am. :-)
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Anything? Please?
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Hi Keith; see this thread (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=16863) for some shop news.
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Oh dear... Thanks Dave.
I'll be sure to send positive thoughts.
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This is from mid-June, in the background of a shot of Pierre's fingerboard being glued and clamped..
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/169325.jpg)
John
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Wow! So, a whole new neck? I had thought it was going to be just a new fingerboard and peghead on the existing neck. I'm curious how the neck will be fitted to the body. Will the top be taken off? The back? Will the neck be visible from the front or back?
A fascinating build, for sure!
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This neck is for Pierre's instrument, NOT for the Starfire! I just happened to have it in the background and thought it might be nice to show a pic of it in the shop with all the other stuff going around. ;-) While I was there I hadn't even thought of taking a picture of it explicitly, although I did admire it.
John
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Is there any chance for a light touch of stain to golden-up the pickup ring? If it's going to be a timely addition then I can pass on it.
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The oil finish on the pickup ring is great. Let's move ahead with that please.
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Since we communicated after this post last night, I'll update that we were making an oil vs. light stain test. I'll also update that you've decided on stain. Onward!
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Thank you!
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Any cool news to report this week?
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I know the last coat of oil went on that plate, but it's in the drying room, and it's waaaaaaaaaaaaay to stinky in there for me to sneak in and take a picture. If I pop over sometime this weekend I'll get one for you, otherwise it will be Monday.
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Thank you Mica. I look forward to the next update.
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I know you got the picture of the bridgeblock routed this week, and I wanted to surprise you with a picture of the ring with all the oil on it, but I was very lame and didn't realize I was on manual settings on my camera, and so the image was almost black. But I coaxed a little contrast out of it, so what the heck!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/201721.jpg)
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Hi Mica,
Could we possibly chat on the phone for a few minutes when you have some time?
Thanks
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Christmas is coming early! It looks like I'll be picking up my bass soon, and in celebration of this glorious event I added a bit to the top of the Christmas tree!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/203339.jpg)
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^ Awesome
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Cool😀😀😀😀
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Nice!
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Here are some pics Mica sent the other day.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/203480.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/203481.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/203482.jpg)
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Hell yes. Loving this and can't wait to see it all put together. Really like that tailpiece choice. Reflective of the Alembic bird shape tailpiece, yet a definite nod towards to old school mustache bridges. Really, really nice.
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OH YES ! _____ I like like it -----I like it alot .
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Is that a big capacitor hanging off that wire in the electronics shot, up above the plate?
Looks great!
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Pretty sure it's a flux capacitor, Edwin. This bass is definitely going Back to the Future!
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Take me to the bridge - 76AC070 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8611) - I knew it looked familiar. Nice touch!
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Yep, that's in inspiration for the tailpiece choice. Thanks to Mica for making that happen. It's the perfect shape for this bass.
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Ha! The large cap one way to deal with the 5-pin output on this bass. I just noticed it when I took the picture, so it's something I have to be aware of when trying to fit a 5-pin in a Stanley bass. In this bass, there's loads of room, so no problem.
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How does the cap get used in the 5-pin output? I'm not familiar with how that would be used in the circuit, especially an electrolytic. Is it some sort of on board power supply reserve or anti-ripple device?
TIA
Edwin
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I must admit, I have no idea what that thing is...... I'd be interested in learning though! I really should have some basic understanding of what's under the hood :-)
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Strings on, pickup ring off (for adjustment)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/204265.jpg)
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Very nice! The transformation is awesome!
Are the pickups spring mounted? I'm thinking I really should have done mine like this. Adjusting the height is a real PITA.
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That piece of Maple is really beautiful .
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That piece of Maple is really beautiful .
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Really happy with the finished result!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/204679.jpg)
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That came out great!
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It looks awesome! I can't wait to hear it!
Congrats, Keith! You are going to have years and years of musical joy!
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Absolutely Superb !
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Further proof that Alembic needs to make a hollow body like this!
~Taylor
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That came out great, Keith! Congratulations, and best of luck!
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Thanks everyone. I could not be happier!
I'm flying home today (wish me luck) and will post more pics and details later this evening. It was an amazing trip, and I'm so grateful to Mica and everyone at Alembic for making this dream come true.
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Moments after Keith arrived on Sunday:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/204732.jpg)
And there was much rejoicing!
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Such a great pic !
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That is absolutely wonderful! Congratulations!
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AWESOME!!!!!!!
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I'm so happy with the bass! It has far exceeded what I imagined.
I'm very grateful to all the people at Alembic for making my long held dream come true.
It plays like a dream, and the tone is fat, round, even and balanced. I could not be happier!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/205081.jpg)
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Congrats, once again! That's been my experience with a Starfire with this kind of modification. I think the bridge alone adds a huge amount to the basic tonal improvements. The original Starfire bridges are a huge source of loss of energy. With the sustain block and brass bridge, the whole bass resonates. I can only imagine that the ebony fretboard increases the crispness and definition and I'm sure the electronics are just superb. With so much going on with the harmonic structure of the tone, the filters have a lot of material with which to work. I love being able to focus in on different parts of the attack of each pickup with the filters. This is one bass I really want to experience in person! Thanks for doing this.
Oh yeah, it looks really cool, too!
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A couple more pics from the glorious day.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/205085.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/205086.jpg)
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Thanks Edwin!
I did a gig with Scott Law last night, and while it was an acoustic show, I used my new bass for the rehearsal which was a lot of fun. We are scheming on doing gigs with it in the future. Scott also raved about your tone. We definitely need to get our basses together!
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I think it's time for Scott to book a Colorado tour and hire you!
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That is a sweet looking final project. It's so cool seeing the steps involved. One impressive looking bass!
Stephen
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Congratulations Keith! The look on your face says it all!
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Awesome to see it finished. It looks great. Lets get a sound clip!
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Ah, I thought Pierre's neck was in the background. My mistake. Nice to see a view of the shop, in any case.
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Thanks for the photo. It's good to know its at least moved a little bit. :-)
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It's a beautiful, sunny day
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Thanks for the chat today... I really appreciate it.
Really glad to hear you are doing so well.
I look forward to seeing the fingerboard +
:-)
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Any chance you can send me the original bridge? We're just being annoying about the scale length issue here.
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Done! You should have it in a couple of days.
I also included a CD from a few years ago, just cuz.
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Super duper!
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Hey Mica,
Did the bridge make it down there?
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Yup! Safe and sound.
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Any further pictures of this build?
It's been on my mind recently.
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The clamp on Pierre's neck looks off center to me....
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Um, maybe we could leave inside jokes of other builds out of the Factory to Costumer thread for my bass :-)
K, back to the build at hand: Mica, did you happen to receive my email about potentially changing the neck inlay from silver bound black MOP to silver bound abalone?
I hope this isn't asking too much, but I would love to see what you might have for either option.
I sure look forward to seeing how this project is going. I saw Further last night in Seattle and it got me all excited again!
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Could we please chat sometime soon?
I hope everyone is well and happy.
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Sure. I'm a little overbooked today, and tomorrow I'm off with the school for a field trip. I might be able to talk tomorrow late afternoon or Monday at the latest.
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Monday is fine if that works best for you. Thanks.
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Hey Mica,
Did you happen to get the email with the pics of the old bass with abalone/silver inlays?
Could you please do me a huge favor and measure the nut width on the starfire? I think I'm remembering it much thinner than it is and I'd like to compare it to my basses at home.
Thanks.
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Measures out exactly at 1.50 inches.
Got the ab pics! I will let you know when we are prepping to chop shell in your honor.
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Hmmm... That is tiny. My Les Paul Triumph bass is 1.50 and that's what I grew up on, but lately I've been playing basses with a wider width. As we discussed on the phone, anything you can do to magically add to the width would be tremendously appreciated.
Thanks Mica.
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We can only flare it out a little bit unless we replace the neck entirely. We'll add what we can!
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How much for a new neck?
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Wow! So, a whole new neck?- Edwin on June 24th.
Am I psychic or what?
Actually, I'd go with the original neck, but that's just me. Once you have a whole new neck, you're a hop, skip and a jump from a completely new bass. At which point you have the new bass and then you look at the Starfire sitting around and say I wonder how this would sound if Alembic got to work on it?. and then you're back where you started.
Anyway, I have found myself having no problems with the size of the neck at the nut on my Starfire, even going back and forth to basses with much larger nuts.
I'm excited to see this moving forward!
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I'd suggest going with the new bass and then selling the Starfire in its current condition to me so I can have Alembic finish it for me (haha!). Been looking for one to refurbish for some time now and recently blew my chance to pick one up in pretty nice condition for $800 because I was in Europe, got time differences mixed up, and didn't call the guy to confirm the deal in time.
Listen to Edwin. You can always have Alembic build you a new bass at a later date if that's what you decide you want. That Starfire, however, is going to be special.
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Yeah, I should leave it be. I grew up on super thin necks, so it should be fine. I'm just getting a bit wiggy with all this waiting... too much time to obsess and re-obsess!
K, leave the neck but add some fat if at all possible. :-)
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Yeah, I talked with Jack and Bob about it, and Bob is making the fingerboard a scunch wider to give Jack a chance to slightly flare that out. If it works, awesome. If it doesn't we'll carve it to the regular size and no harm done.
21 frets, 30.75 short scale. Here's how the fingerboard lines up:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/181024.jpg)
Normally we'd saw off the end of the board at the next fret, on yours it will be just a little less so it won't overhang.
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Exciting update, thanks Mica.
So it will be cut just shy of the 22nd fret?
Sounds like a good plan.
I know you've been working on it theoretically for quite some time, but it's really exciting to see physical work getting done.
Thrilling!
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Hi Mica,
I'd like to confirm black MOP bound in silver for the inlays.
I was curious if you were ever able to locate any pictures of the tail piece on Phil's bass. The pic on the Long History page is fantastic, but it's too small to get any detail.
Thanks!
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I'd like to be in on the loop for any tailpiece information. My guess is that it was a one-off lost wax casting, but it's pretty cool.
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I would concur with Edwin .My favorite tail piece would be the one on 72-01 or number one as it is sometimes called.
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I talked to Rick Turner about it and he says it was bronze welding, not cast. The same thing is on David Crosby's 12 string, but Phil's looks more globular.
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Yup, you've got the fingerboard plan correct, Keith. OK on the black mop with silver binding.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/182444.jpg)
Yeah, Rick did the bronze welding freeform on those tailpieces. This is the best picture I had handy - I adjusted the levels some to get to see in the shadows. Hope this helps!
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Hi Mica,
Thanks for posting. The original tail piece only lasted about a year (probably less). This pick is much later, after the tail piece was neutered.
The pic on the long history page is stunning. It looks like the bass was just finished. That's really what I would love this bass to look like! Any chance of a better resolution version of that pic?
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Let me look around...
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This is from the 2000 Alembic catalogue:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/182451.jpg)
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The more information we get, the more questions arise: the pickup in this picture looks interesting: skinnier than the ones I'm used to seeing on this bass!
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I think it had the trapezoid shaped ones in it for a minute.
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If it's not too late, I'd like to change the inlays to golden mother of pearl ovals (no silver binding). I think it will work better with the overall warm, earthy colour tone of the woods and hardware.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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I haven't found the image I was looking for yet, Keith. Mom said you called today. Sorry, I was home with a nasty cold, and I'm not sure if I'll be in tomorrow.
Golden MOP ovals without the silver will look very earthy and lovely. I'll make the change when I'm in next. It's not too late until the frets are in
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There's a good shot of the original pickups and tailpiece here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8145553@N06/3827363690/sizes/l/in/photostream/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/8145553@N06/3827363690/sizes/l/in/photostream/)
[moderator's edit: edited per request of original poster]
(Message edited by davehouck on December 08, 2013)
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Oh my goodness! That is BEAUTIFUL!!!!
That's it.... I won't be able to sleep....
Thank you for sharing Edwin!
Oh my.....
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Cool Phil picture! I've never seen that one before.
Can't wait to see how your Starfire turns out.
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How's it going?
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Any news on this project?
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Well, the bass is done?. Alembic has worked their magic, and the bass is all I dreamed..
well.. mostly?.
I guess I should have been a bit more careful when I gave them the measurements written on that bar napkin?.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/187357.jpg)
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New meaning to the terminology ; Piccolo Bass ______
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If you ever lower it on the stage, make sure you fix the choreography to keep the dwarfs clear :-)
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I, for one, welcome our feline overlords
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Ha! I saw that bass online and thought about getting one. Nice. Love the stand!
(Message edited by edwin on January 24, 2014)
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It's obviously the cat's meow...
That having been said - how 'bout some full-size pix (and a performance review) of the finished product?
I saw it in progress when I visited the mothership last August, so I'm curious to see the end result!
And - we all know what happens when there's too much curiosity...
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I think this was some humor to deflect the fact that progress has been a bit slow.
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Ooops...my mistake.
I thought some clever Photoshop magic had been employed to create the image.
I just have one more question:
Will you be using it to play Stonehenge tonight?
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I was amazed when I saw this online and had to have one. I knew I was obsessed with Phil's bass, but I didn't think there were enough people out there that liked it enough to warrent building and selling a miniature of it.
The detail is pretty amazing.... and my cat Digory was rather interested in it, for a cat anyway.
So for now it's the little one.... but I can tell the special, regulation size is coming 'round the bend!
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Maybe?
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Like I said (was it email or phone?), the fingerboard is now off and if you are brave, you can see under the hood...
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/188482.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/188483.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/188484.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/188485.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/188486.jpg)
Peghead should get glued up next week. More to come. I sent a scrap tailpiece to you. Let me know how that project works out. And you wanted some numbers, so here they are: ################################################## id = moonliner scale length = 30.75 string dia. 1=.045 2=.065 3=.080 4=.105 at nut end: fingerboard width = 1.5 treble edge allowance = .15 bass edge allowance = .15 string center 1 to 2 = 0.375 string center 2 to 3 = 0.375 string center 3 to 4 = 0.375 spacing between 1 and 2 = 0.32 spacing between 2 and 3 = 0.3025 spacing between 3 and 4 = 0.2825 at bridge end: treble edge allowance = .15 bass edge allowance = .15 string center 1 to 2 = 0.675 string center 2 to 3 = 0.6925 string center 3 to 4 = 0.7125 spacing between 1 and 2 = .62 spacing between 2 and 3 = .62 spacing between 3 and 4 = .62 string edge to edge = 2.155 (projected) fingerboard width at bridge = 2.455 fingerboard width at nut = 1.5 fingerboard width at 24th fret = 2.21625 fingerboard width at 25th fret = 2.22965000784725 fingerboard length = 23.4939662212595 ################################################## Of course, your bass only has 21 frets, and this is ever so gently wider than the original with a touch of fingerboard flaring like we discussed.
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Hey Mica, that's great to see it on the bench getting worked over! I can't express how great that makes me feel!
Thanks so much!
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If the flare to make the neck wider is at all an issue, I'm prepared to let it go. 1.5 on the width is fine. I want it to feel natural in my hands.
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(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/189644.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/189645.jpg)
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Hey Mica,
That's very exciting, thank you so much for the pictures! It's so great to see progress, thank you!
Did the tuner holes get moved like we talked about? Specifically the D and A?
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Yes, the pattern is very close to a square. You should be able to tell they are much lower than our usual position.
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And the D and A are closer to the center.
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Sweet, you rule!
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Hello, wondering if any more work has been done. Thanks.
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The waiting is the hardest part! (Tom Petty)
Keith, someone needs to start a support group for those of us waiting for our custom builds to be completed!
Hey oddmetersam, can you make us some T shirts that say I survived the Alembic build process! on the front & Perfection realized on the back? LOL!
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Rusty it should say on the front.
Perfection cannot be rushed.
On the back.
I waited for my custom Alembic to be built.
Jazzyvee
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I would buy that shirt too Jazzyvee!
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You guys are too funny! And I'm flattered.
Two quick points, though:
1) I would specifically ask permission before using Alembic's logo.
2) Redbubble, the print-on-demand company I use, doesn't currently support two-sided printing on shirts. It appears that Zazzle or Cafepress may and if so, I'm sure Redbubble will be forced to follow suit. Most brick and mortar establishments require a minimum order, which means knowing sizes and colors in advance. The print-on-demand business model is just the opposite; they can do one-offs regardless of style, size or color. And there are NO up-front costs, being stuck with unsold inventory, etc. And you don't have to worry about sales tax or shipping and handling. That's all included in what the customer pays when they order online. Meanwhile, you set your profit margin per shirt above and beyond a set price that the POD company has for each piece. I never have to physically touch the product. I merely upload my designs and then basically set and forget while I work on the next piece. Frankly, I highly recommend this for every one.
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Sam, I used Vistaprint for the Texas Gathering shirts. They don't have a minimum order & can do front & back designs. They were very inexpensive too. The only problem I had was the availability of sizes. They only went up to a 2X I believe.
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slightly awkward
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Agreed, Keith. This thread is supposed to be about your incredible bass! Rusty, et al, we can start a thread in the Miscellaneous section and return this one to its regularly scheduled programming....
Sorry, Keith!
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Sorry Keith, I was just trying to lighten your spirits over the long wait we sometimes have to endure while waiting to see progress on our custom builds. I didn't mean to hijack your thread. In Alembic's defense, I just got an email from Mica at 2:12am this morning & she was working on artwork for an inlay for my Europa, so they are constantly working on our builds, we just don't always see it.
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It's all good. :-)
The awkward part was it felt like there was a club being formed (complete with T Shirts) to voice dissatisfaction with Alembic. While we can all identify with the frustration of waiting, I didn't want it to appear like there was any ganging up going on.
That said, any pictures of progress would be so extremely appreciated and wonderful!
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Just to turn the dissatisfaction on its head, the flip side is that we have to wait for the craftspeople to get it just exactly perfect, to borrow a phrase. I don't think there is any ganging up happening. We all know the results!
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What he said!
(again I'd like to stress APPARENT dissatisfaction and ganging up)
(Message edited by Moonliner on April 22, 2014)
(Message edited by Moonliner on April 22, 2014)
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Keith, my T shirt suggestion was very tongue in cheek! I was making a joke, not in any way dissing Alembic! Every single build record I have read, & they were many while I was researching my build, to a man, every one of them said that the end result was more than worth the wait! I think we all chose Alembic to build our dream basses & guitars because we know that they will accept nothing less than perfection for themselves & for their customers. The dealer I am going through told me early in my discussion of my build, before I even put the deposit down that there is normal time, & their is Alembic time, & that I shouldn't expect them to be the same, but that the end result would be nothing short of amazing & oh so worth the wait! So I understand the wait & while it may be frustrating at times, I know that the end absolutely justifies the means! So while the wait is indeed the hardest part, I have come to realize that even though Alembic is building my bass exclusively & specifically for me, I am not the only customer they have. There are a lot more me's out there who are also waiting for the pristine perfection that can only come from Alembic. We all have to understand that the wait doesn't mean they aren't working on our instruments, it just means their may not be any progress worthy of showing at the moment, but progress is still happening. I think the wait will make us love & appreciate our instruments that much more when we get them, so in that respect, the wait is a good thing!
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Hi Rusty
I know it was a joke, but it seemed to be gathering momentum rather fast and taking on a life of its own.
This is not my first build so I am familiar with waiting and the quality that comes at the end. Thanks for trying to be supportive.
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So, what's the plan for pickups and routing? I know you've probably discussed it before, but I've forgotten.
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I think routing will be something like a big hole :-)
There will be a wooden pickup surround which can accommodate different types of pickups. Some kind of Alembic pickup, but not sure what type.
I'm not very gear savvy and had wanted to ask you about your thoughts on pickups a while ago, but we never seemed to be able to hook up. Got any opinions on what Alembic pickup would be good for early Phil tone?
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Best would be Series I/II, the only other option (from Alembic) would be Activators which come in different shapes (but are identical inside except for the P/J's if I'm not mistaken)
Most logical Activator choice would be AXY's and best for that (closest to Series electronics) would be the Anniversary package.
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...and I would advise to add a master volume to the Anniversary electronics (which is: Volume x 2, Filter + Q switch x 2 (go for the 3 way switches), pickup selector and Mono/stereo switchable output)
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I would agree. Series II would be expensive but the perfect setup. But, Anniversary electronics with a master volume would get you most of the way there.
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Thanks you guys. I really appreciate your input on this. I'm definitely going the master volume route.
Thanks again.
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Hi Mica,
Thanks for sending the drawings.
Anything new going on?
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Hey Mica,
Just checking in. I understand you are all very busy with many things. I really appreciate the email you sent a while ago with the drawings outlining the control cover, and was wondering if there had been anything new to report. Even stuff you might think is boring would be met with great excitement :-)
If there's nothing new, I would absolutely love to see a picture of the back of the neck/headstock joint.
Thanks very much.
Thanks.
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My birthday was July 1st and my gal made this awesome Godfather cake!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/194496.jpg)
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Happy Birthday Pal !
I love the cake , I bet you could feel the resonance as you consumed it !
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Can you please provide additional information on the control set up? And will it have a dimmer switch when lit up.
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Wow! That's very cool.
Happy birthday!
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Happy Birthday, Keith! Boy, that's a beautiful cake! You've got a pretty talented cake-maker there. Do you need any help finishing that?
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Yes, I do need help with it! If you're in Seattle, come by for some cake!
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Nice! Happy Birthday Keith!
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Thanks Art!
Heading to the mothership next week and hope to have more updates on the actual bass then.
The cake is finished and it was DELICIOUS? and Philing (sorry, couldn't help myself!)
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Hey Mica,
Any news on the pickup front?
thanks
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Yeah - the company that we bought the mold kits from for thirty years is deciding to be jerky jerks. After they told us they shipped (which I what I told you recently), then we get a quote faxed to us today stating their minimum is like 10 times what we would use before it goes bad and nothing had shipped. Oh, I was so mad.
Never fear! I found an a new source (manned by a dude that really knows his silicone!), and they will ship it to me Monday, and we will have it on Wednesday. Then a day to make the mold from the master and then the pickup can be born on Friday next.
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Grrrr!! I hate it when people do that!
Thanks for finding a solution so quickly.
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Hi Mica,
Did you get a package from the new source by any chance?
Thanks
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We did - and the mold came out great! Also got a test pickup cast today:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/196436.jpg)
Don't worry about the globular part on the left side - this is a successful test. Tony clear up some logistics with this type of casting with Ron today, so I should have 2 shiny new pickups tomorrow for Kris to index the pickup ring off of.
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Very Kool ! Trapezoidal pickups like my old Alembic / Starfire .
Glad to see it .
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That is a thing of beauty! Good work!
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Will the magnets be trapezoidal?
Peter
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That is fantastic Mica!
Thank you so much for this lovely update. The pickup looks beautiful.
Peter, as of now the magnets will be standard shape. Maybe in the future they will be trapezoid shaped. It will be an ongoing experiment :-)
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.... double post ...
(Message edited by Moonliner on August 10, 2014)
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trap this Zoid
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Here is my old bass
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/2792.html?1262960781 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8984)
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I love the Zoids ! If I get a custom built I might want some like my old ones again and go back to my youth _____
(Message edited by sonicus on August 10, 2014)
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So these will be the opposite my pickups. They are rectangular shells with trapezoid magnets! It was kind of a surprise when my local luthier put one of those magnetic viewing strips on it.
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Mr 12, I have long admired your bass. It's really a stunning instrument. .... And Sonicus, I've been looking at pictures of your old bass for years. The stuff dreams are made of!
Edwin! I love all the work you did on your Starfire. Very inspiring! Are the magnets positioned like the others with the wide side on the top? Mica and I noticed on the early stages of Phil's bass he had the wider side on the G string side and were thinking of putting my pickups in that position.
Thanks for sharing all the amazing pictures of your basses.
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Keith , Thanks , that is meaningful for me .
Edwin , I must comment __ that you did a fine job when you did the work on that instrument .
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Well, I can take credit for only so much of it. Matt Bergdahl of Woodsong's Lutherie installed the pickup rings (and took forever making them, cursing me good naturedly the whole time for the amount of effort it took to match the curvature of the top of the bass. The bill for that was higher than the cost of the pickups. If I had it to over again, I'd probably go the swimming pool route (sorry for the pun) and install the humcanceller on the front as well.) He also installed the hardware for me. Interestingly, although he was familiar with Alembic and grew up in the Bay Area, he was completely unfamiliar with the Grateful Dead. I loaned him a few CDs and a month later he was relating minutiae from the different eras of recordings over at Archive.org.
However, I did do all the drilling and installation of the electronics as well as the assembly of the electronics, which were pretty much a random, not quite complete, bag of parts when I got them. It was a fun project, after I got the filter cap values right. Initially they were off by a couple orders of magnitude, which meant I was almost in the megahertz range, but that problem was easily rectified. I'm considering adding a master volume to the horn next to the pickup selector switch.
The pickups are with the wide section over the E string. I flipped the neck pickup around (the bridge pickup is not quite symmetrical as far as the mounting bars go, so it wouldn't fit in the ring in the other orientation) and noticed less of a difference than I would have expected. I switched it back. I would think that I'd want the wide side under the G string to make it more equal the E string because of the difference in string excursion, but it really doesn't seem to make much of a difference at all. I'm sure that Old #12 is similar: not a bad note on the instrument. I'm going to have to put hearing that bass in person in my bucket list. Be prepared for a visit sometime!
Of course, I feel like I'm waiting, biding my time, for the perfect Alembic to show up. It's possible that Jazzyvee might be playing it right now.
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Hi Mica!
How's the pickup and pickup ring situation?
I have so many questions.... :-)
Fingerboard? Ebony headstock laminate? That beautiful tailpiece you suggested, has that been made yet?
Have you read Galadrielle Allman's book about her father yet? It's really a beautiful read.
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(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/196801.jpg)
The fixture and test cut success for the pickup ring. Next stop, Bird's-eye Maple
And now with Ebony facing veneer (still needs carving in this pick, but it's very black. In fact, it's a bookmatched front veneer. To get the blackest possible, it need to be narrow. So you'll have to look *very* closely to see it, but it's a bookmatch.
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That is so great! Bless you!
I know I was being silly, but Galadrielle's book is really a great read..... If you're into the Allman Brothers.
Thanks again. I so appreciate the pictures.
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Hi Mica,
Dare I ask if there is any exciting news this week?
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This is a fun thread to follow.
Moonliner, could you list all of the changes you are making to the bass?
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Hey WDead!
Let's see.... New headstock (as you can see). Ebony fingerboard with red side LED's. Bridge with brass sustain block. Control cover and pickup ring. Trapezoid pickups, and anniversary electronics. I think that's it for now, but I have other long term plans.
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This looks like it is coming along great ! Will you power the electronics with just battery power or will there be an adaptation to utilize the Alembic 5 PIN system?
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It is interesting how the picture gremlin: ran off with #12's ,mine & Edwin's pictures in this thread ! >
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Yeah, I noticed all the cool pictures disappeared. Odd.
It'll be powered by the little blue box.
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Blue box power is a good idea !
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Hello Mica,
Any progress to report this week?
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Maybe this week?
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A little update courtesy of Mica. The hole has been cut in the front of the bass, the control cover has been roughly fitted, the pickup ring has been made, and the ebony fingerboard is on. I'm really excited to see all this progress!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/198039.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/198040.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/198041.jpg)
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So is the control cover contoured to match the original curvature of the top? Carved? Or somehow pressed into the shape? It's quite lovely! The pickup area looks great, too.
Great to see all this progress!
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Thanks Edwin.
A plaster mold was made from the top of my bass and then the cover was vacu formed to that shape. Hopefully it will all match up nicely.
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Thanks for posting those, Keith! I was running all around getting my stuff together for the Gathering last Friday.
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Wow. That is so cool. Is the control area the burl maple?
Why did you decide on plastic for the pickup holder?
And will the dummy coil be visible? I personally like the look of a middle pickup
Either way, this is a very fun watch
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Oops, mistake. So both the pick up and control areas are wood...?
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They look like bird's eye and burl, respectively.
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Edwin has it right.
For the time being it will just have the two pickups. I might go series later on.
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Love the burl for the pick-guard. What is the other type of wood used for the top?
VMG
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Gold mother of pearl inlays going in tomorrow, then the frets.
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I'm wondering how the pickups will be suspended. Will they be screwed to the bottom of the routing with springs or will there be some kind of mounting on the surface to which they will be attached?
VMG, if you mean the rest of the bass (outside the pickup area), it's mahogany. Old Starfires were either mahogany or maple ply. The latter was used mostly for the sunburst models.
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what a pi?ce of art. great to see trapezoid pick-ups.
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Edwin, I don't actually know how the pickups are going to be mounted.
Here's the latest pic.The LED's look amber in this pic, but they are red. Feels like it's getting closer!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/198682.jpg)
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Here are some more pics Mica sent. Needless to say, I'm thrilled as can be! Here's the fingerboard with golden mother of pearl inlays
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/198805.jpg)
Here are the inlaid logo shell bits. This pic has the first bit of oil finish applied.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/198806.jpg)
This pic has the logo resting on the headstock for a photo op only. Pre oil finish.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/198807.jpg)
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I've wanted an inlaid logo with shell on ebony ever since I first laid eyes on one, so this is a long held dream coming to fruition.
When I first discovered Alembic back in 1978, there were many things that caught my attention and fascinated me in a very deep way. One of the things that really struck me was how amazing it was that the company didn't need to have their name on the instrument. Everything you needed to know was right there in that beautifully designed logo. It's really quite exquisite.
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Beautiful ! , I like the mysterious aspect as well !
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Looks great!
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Yummy, looks great!
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This is gonna be such a sweet bass when its finished. Love the fretboard. Is that silver for the alembic logo?
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Thanks Wisconsin Dead! It's not the fancy, all silver option?. just the silver finish. Although now you have me thinking!
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This just in? how much more silver could my logo be?
None.
None more silver.
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Some more oil on that there neck
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/198965.jpg)
Looks as good as new!
Tailpiece of coming up next week as I understand. Should be ready to start drilling holes then and mounting electronics and what not.
Soon!
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JOY!!!!
That is so beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing this Mica.. I really appreciate it!
Soon!
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Hello Mica,
Any chance of exciting pictures of oil drying?
:-)
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Happy Halloween!
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Here's the control layout set next to the plan we made when you were here:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/200092.jpg)
I actually think it looks pretty darned good just about where the original plan was. Are we putting on a stereo/mono switch?
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I love it .
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Interesting to see the controls so far forward. Lots of room for expansion! Looks great!
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The original plan was to leave room for growth, but I think I would need to have a whole new cover made for the additional electronics so I was thinking of shifting everything to the left a bit and treat it like a regular bass. I need to sleep on it.
(The layout right now is for reference only. No holes drilled yet)
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Check some placement options over in the Changes / Additions section, Keith.
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Interesting. I guess I'm so used to seeing the controls in the classic Starfire positions. I'd have to strap on the bass and see how my hand hangs to be able to really evaluate these layouts.
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Here's the visual aids:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/200467.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/200468.jpg)
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I think we've already confirmed but I'd like the stain please.
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Number 1:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/200121.jpg)
or number 2:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/200122.jpg)
The stereo/mono switch is down near the edge. or number 3:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/200123.jpg)
The stereo/mono switch is left-most in the line of switches. In any case, LEDs come on when you plug in, as requested.
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Maybe slightly more to the left please?
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Here's the picture is sent you a few minutes ago:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/200179.jpg)
(Ooops! I only had 4 hat knobs in hand in the shop, they will all be hats on your bass)
These are shifted over to the left slightly. If this is a go, we'll plot them out all nice and straight and drill this sucka!
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That looks great. Let's light this candle!
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Okie dokie! I'm leaving this as a note for Jack to do his magic in the morning tomorrow.
Will probably route the bridge block at the same time. Then he'll sand the edges of the plates (they will be much nicer that way) and start stuffing electronics probably Monday or Tuesday if all goes well.
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Hey Mica,
I think I'll go with red LED's.
Also, we had talked about black mother of pearl for the cloud, but I think I'd like to go back to a white cloud (perhaps with a bit of character)
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Done and done!
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Awesome and awesomer!
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Hello Mica,
I'm curious about adding oval inlays on the fingerboard. Could you send me a PM please?
Thanks
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OK, check your email there, Keith.
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Sweet! Let's do MOP inlays!
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Hello Mica,
I emailed a picture today to show the headstock and why I think Phil's might be a little different. It's probably just the angle but let me know what you think.
Also sent some money :-)
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I might like to use black MOP for the ovals. Can we chat about that?
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Oh sure... call me anytime.
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Hi Mica,
I think the natural abalone is a bit too much for me, but I appreciate the pictures. What I love about black MOP is the subtle colors (pinks, greens, purples) but what has me hesitating is that they can disappear when viewed from a different angle.
Any ideas? I love the gold MOP on my signature bass... bottom line, I want something that blends with the instrument, but might be just a tad fancy... just a tad.
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Well, these are kinda pricey but...
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/158474.jpg)
...they might have the balance of blending in and a tad fancy you are looking for. It's black mop with a silver frame.
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:-)
I LOVE how that looks and believe me I've been agonizing (well, that's a bit of a harsh term)... um, fantasizing about that option for a long while now. I only get one shot at this fingerboard really, so I want to make it what I really want. Do you think it might be too much for my thin little neck to handle visually?
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I think it can handle it. I'm going to email you a big picture or two to check out.
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Oh great! Thank you.
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Hi Mica,
Did you get my email in response to the pictures you sent? If my math was correct, then I say let's do it!
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Moonliner - I feel your pain! I agonized over the fingerboard for many months (as I suspect Mica did). After many mockups and more emails than I care to admit to, Alembic delivered exactly (and I do mean EXACTLY) what I wanted. Fun, huh?!?
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Gotta say, after tonight's gig with some crazy lightshow the club had, I would have loved to have LEDs in my Starfire. Definitely a couple of oops moments.
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Hi Edwin, as fancy and over the top as they may seem to most people, they sure are dang helpful!
And speaking of fancy, I decided to pull the trigger and go with black MOP bound in silver. This is a dream bass, and I wanted a touch of understated, classic elegance...... The silver tree of life on Jack's bass always fascinated me, but I didn't want to get too fancy (plus I couldn't afford it). This little touch of silver encircling dark, colourful pools seemed a nice compromise.
CJ, thanks for the note.... It's nice to know others feel is exquisite 'pain'
(Message edited by Moonliner on April 29, 2013)
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Mica, can we put an LED dimmer pot/knob on the control plate please?
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I still want to hear this thing... 8)
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That looks amazing, and makes me want to get 76ac070 out of the case for a few gigs. I can forsee a waiting list for alembicised guilds forming now...
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Sorry I haven't posted a clip yet! A while ago I had someone stuff the guts of an SF2 inside, so there are a few more knobs now :-). It's quite the dangerous bass! My Dead band, The Golden Road will be playing all of Europe 72, June 29 in Seattle at Nectar..... any forumites are welcome to come and give it a try!
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Cool!!
I might have to wander into Fremont that night ;)))
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I'm stuck on the other side of the country right now, but I would love to hear a clip if you get a chance!
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Here's an archive page for our show on 6/29 if you care to check out the sound of this bass. It was a pretty fun night!
https://archive.org/details/goldenroad2017-06-29/goldenroad2017-06-29t01.flac
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Sounds great Keith!
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Couldn't listen to the whole thing but you nailed it in the first notes of Cumberland Blues!
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Very nice!
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Sounds great, thanks for posting! I really liked Epilogue/Prelude :)
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Thanks everyone. It was a pretty fun night. Next up, we are doing Allman Brothers at the Filmore East, then American Beauty and Workingmans Dead.