Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Factory to Customer => Topic started by: mica on July 13, 2009, 05:46:28 PM
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Chugging right along, here's various stages of your guitar construction over several days. Top laminate with some stuff mapped out:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/67358.jpg)
Starting to map out plate on the back laminate:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/67359.jpg)
Backplates cut and resting after glueup:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/67360.jpg)
These still need to be final sized and drilled, but that happens in a couple of weeks when we carve it. The LED battery plate is not in this photo. Early stage of peghead development:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/67361.jpg)
Peghead as of Friday:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/67362.jpg)
All drilled and Crown shape cut.
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Cool. I can't wait to see this progress. I'm glad the Crown is QCB as well. I love the matching grain lines as will be seen on the front body.
Mica - Let me know when you post the control layout for me to take a look. That way we can keep on rolling
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Hi Neil; welcome to the board! And congrats on the custom Darling!
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Mica - Any updates? Thanks - Neil
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Body parts coming together:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/69601.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/69602.jpg)
This is the core and the accent laminates of the back. Next week the body should be getting glued to the neck, then the top bookmatch to center to the body. It will really start to look like a guitar then!
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Many of the steps between August and now were not interesting in pictures, but here we have an object that is actually looking like a complete guitar!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/70826.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/70827.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/70828.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/70829.jpg)
Note that the Coco Bolo will really look amazing when the finish is applied. Here, it's a bit dusty from sanding, and much of the detail is obscured. That will make sealer coat photos even more dramatic!
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The grain pattern on the top will look really nice when the finish hits it!
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I love how the inverted V shape opens out into the omega carving on the front. Really cool. I hope the hardware doesn't obscure this detail too much!
(Message edited by neilvg on October 01, 2009)
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This got to be the most beautifulest six string guitar I ever seen period.
It will stop a train on a dime in full speed!
Hal-
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Uploading this Line Drawing that Mica emailed to me some time back. This will eventually be on the backside of the Peghead.
Dharma Lines(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/71758.jpg)
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Here's the Dharma for the front of the peghead:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/82861.jpg)
I'll post another image later today with the peghead placement, but this is a start to see if I spelled it correctly!
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This is a quick approximation of where it would wind up on the peghead:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/82865.jpg)
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(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/83049.jpg)
Here's a practice bronze etching of the dharma seal emblem that will go on the back of the peghead. I kind of like it in bronze, but I'm worried about the weight and also how the bronze will match.
It originally was/is set to be mother of pearl like the rest of the inlays. I think I am leaning towards mother of pearl. Any suggestions?
Neil
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I'd stick with mother of pearl to keep weight down. The last thing you want is to create neck dive.
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The brass plate is very thin, and can be sanded a bit thinner. Specific gravity is around 8. The mother of pearl is pretty dense to, with specific gravity of about 3. I weighed the engraved piece above and it's one-half of an ounce.
Either piece will be inlaid under the finish, so it will be removing the same volume of wood, but of course the woods are much less dense, probably averaging about .75 specific gravity in the area we're inlaying.
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Bump
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I never get good pictures of your guitar. I always seem to get it with the finished prepped, ready for the next coat like this:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/94768.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/94769.jpg)
Hope to find a better picture opportunity next week for you. From what I understand, there is maybe 1 or 2 more coats of finish, then the final cure, then the rubout, then the setup. I can't say exactly how long that will all take, it depends on the wood of course, but we are close to finishing this guitar. (Message edited by mica on January 21, 2011)
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I love these inlays!
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Am I missing something or does the peghead material/wood grain seem to have changed?
Maybe it's the angle of the dangle.
slawie
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I'm pretty sure we're still looking at quilted cocobolo, just that before each new coat of finish the previous coat gets sanded, which obscures the figuring underneath.
Mighty fine inlays!
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The picture above may have had something like mineral spirits applied to bring out the grain. Another beautiful job at inlay work. The bookmatch top is stunning. Can't wait to see this one all shiny ;)
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Very nice. Gold was very much the correct choice for the inlaid logo.
Am I missing something or does the peghead material/wood grain seem to have changed?
Maybe it's the angle of the dangle.
You monitor colors are probably to blame. The sanding hides the quilt but it is still visible back there. All looking quilty and whatnot.
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I think we're just seeing the tiny scratches left behind from a thorough sanding job.
And the gold DOES look nice against the Coco Bolo.
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BTW I did forget to mention that this is a beautiful instrument.
The inlays are stunning and the neck recipe looks so nicely balanced.
I am looking forward to seeing the completed project.
Definately not to early to congratulate you Neil.
slawie
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Are those front and back headstock inlays gonna be backlit by LED's?
That would be a nice touch I think.
Jazzyvee
(Message edited by jazzyvee on January 24, 2011)
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Can't wait until this is done. It's been over 2 years!
So this guitar, while not obvious just yet, is not quite standard (beyond its appearance). It has the neck width of a classical guitar, and will be strung with 12 gauge strings. Even though I use a plectrum based picking style these days, this guitar will make use of a hybrid fingerstyle. What's also cool is we got RMC to make a custom width MIDI pickup as well which I will use to trigger samples (I'm thinking cello and other strings) which I will blend with the sound of the active pickups for studio use (and maybe live...).
I can't wait to see the electronics layout we went with too. Actually, I pretty much can't wait to see the actual guitar body itself, with at least some finish on it.
You guys are right though, the headstock looks totally different after it was sanded. But I can tell it's the same wood. Amazing how much the quilts and the volcanic red color comes out with the gloss and finish though!
Neil
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Mica: Any new pics/updates?
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WOW Neil, cool that this guitar will incorporate an RMC system..... A few of us have had a low-pressure petition for Alembic to at least consider using RMC vs. the Roland GK stuff..... I think it tracks better, and hopefully your Darling will be everything you dreamed it to be.... I really like the BTC top w/ the split back~ lots of cool stuff w/ this guitar, and trust me.... It'll be worth the wait!
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I just heard from Mica today that this guitar has received its last coat. All that is left now is setup and then rub-out. And then...
Neil
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Bump - - Any new Pics?
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Ok. A picture or three would be nice
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any updates, pictures, or estimates on when this will be done?
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BUMP... incredible... from july 2009 ???
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Actually it was ordered in Nov 2008
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bump
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It's on the list!! That means it should be one of the next 10 guitars to be completed. The exact order isn't predictable, but it does mean that all the finish work is completed.
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Consider this an official, bottles banging on table, request for pics.
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More stuff happening. Here's how the channel under the bridge turned out:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/123082.jpg)
and the whole row of saddles before the finish work:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/123083.jpg)
When these are back from the gold plater (hopefully next week) we'll solder the RMC saddles en place. BTW, this is NOT the rail for your bridge, since yours is concealed hardware. When the bridge is all assembled, I'll post another picture before it's mounted to show how nicely the whole thing comes together.
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Another view of the bridge, this time just before going to the plater:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/123858.jpg)
Still some buffing to go here.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/123859.jpg)
Where the RMC saddles drop in
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/123860.jpg)
Underside - with notes for which saddle is which!
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Superb metal work !
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When will those bridges and mods be available?
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Bump
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I should share some of the images I emailed you recently:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/136218.jpg)
The bridge turned out really nice:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/136219.jpg)
Up close, you can see how clean the design finally wound up:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/136220.jpg)
Now all that's left to do is get the electronics onboard, and schedule the time for you to pick it up and have the setup adjusted to your personal taste. I sent you an email with some details. We're not ready to offer this bridge separate from a guitar build just yet, but I will post details on the club when then are available.
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I got a chance to finally see this beautiful and epic guitar. I look forward to communing with this lovely instrument when the time is right.
I can't upload any of the pictures I took because Alembic only allows 150kb (that's 1/10 of a megabyte!) to be uploaded. Even on the lowest quality setting my images are bigger than this in their normal aspect ratio.
Neil
(Message edited by neilvg on August 12, 2012)
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You can send the pictures to the email address in my profile, I'll resize them for you ;-)
(Message edited by fc_spoiler on August 12, 2012)
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Here's some crappy iphone pics. Thanks for the offer fc_spoiler ;)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/138277.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/138278.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/138279.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/138280.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/138281.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/138282.jpg)
[moderator's edit: align pictures vertically] (Message edited by artswork99 on August 28, 2012)
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Or you could send me the guitar, and I'll get the pix up (it may take me some time though........)
That is scrumpdilicious!
Peter
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That is beautiful, Play it Healthy!
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my GOD !!!!! the must awesome guitar I never seen....
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Yeah, the MIDI implementation is great, aesthetically transparent, and can act as an additional piezo pickup.
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breathtaking... how I'd like to hear that gem!
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Wonderful guitar!!!
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That midi/piezo pickup in the bridge is diabolically clever!
R.
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Just picked it up yesterday (finally)! I'll post some impressions later. Now on to finding the right midi controller/system!
Neil
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So Terratec who makes the Axon is out of business, and apparently there is also a company called Blue Chip.. they also either seem to be out of business -- either buying out Axon or vice versa. Anyway, my research seems to show that this module has the fastest tracking and is the only real alternative to the Roland stuff -- I need more info on the Fan Out box since the description on the RMC website is confounding at best. Since this company seems to be out of business and Blue Chip/Terratec are on Ebay but only used -- what do you guys have to say about all this -- and what are my options? Should I spring for a used Axon? Does anybody have one?
Thanks,
Neil
(Message edited by neilvg on September 06, 2012)
(Message edited by neilvg on September 06, 2012)
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So I've managed to locate a terratec Axon and a Receptor 2 MAX. I'm going to be having some fun. I'll post some vids and let you guys hear some of the stuff this can do.
I think the RMC/AXON/RECEPTOR Combo + blending guitar is going to be really killer.
At first I thought the 12 gauge tomastik flat-wounds was a mistake.. but after they broke in a bit (tomastik flats need to otherwise they sound to 'pingy' on the attack), I'm totally happy!
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The Axon / Receptor Combo is stunning. I haven't been able to get MIDI pitch bend to work too well with the Axon however (anybody who has experience with this can chime in). Alembic will be doing a COTM of this guitar in a few months and I'll post some demos along with the writeup so people can see this guitar and the setup in action. It sounds, plays, and feels superb! If I had to do it again, I'd go with a 'normal' (not classical) sized fretboard, but other than some Hendrix-style thumb based chording, I haven't had any trouble - and the extra string spacing really allows for a cleaner picking action in conjunction with the MIDI pickups.
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I've had this guitar for several months now and I have to say, she sounds great! Setting up a rig has been interesting and I've noticed I like how it sounds the best out of simple combo amps with minimal fuss along the signal chain - especially with the more stratospheric treble settings on the pickups. As for my BIG rig, this has also been sounding pretty good, and great for quick recordings in one of my studio's production rooms: (you can see the axon and receptor 2+) where I can use this guitar to play MIDI samples/and trigger various VSTi's. Also included is a pic of a lovely E-Sarod that was brought to my studio. This one was made for a musician named Ben Kunin.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/148447.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/148448.jpg)
(Message edited by neilvg on January 22, 2013)
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E-Sarod? Now I want to hear you even more
(Message edited by mario farufyno on January 24, 2013)
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Hi Neil,
First, congratulations on an absolutely stunning guitar! I would be very interested in an explanation of the controls, as I am contemplating a Darling/Further hybrid. Looked in the build history, but perhaps I missed them.
I also have an Axon, which came with my Alembic Series I/II (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8364). The pickup is the Roland GK, though, not the RMC. I am on the road, but will check out the Axon's pitch bend capabilities when I get back. It's a shame that Axon went under - I find their synths sounds far superior to Roland's, which sucked in the 80's and have barely changed since.
Like you, I have a lot of plugins, and though I get decent tracking via USB - I've been curious about the Receptor for a while, and am eager to see your upcoming vids!
- John
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Hey John - Sent you an email. I'll post some links to some vids soon. We just got a '67 vibrolux here at the studio and I have been messing about with it between tracking projects, so I haven't had a chance to do a video yet. But I think that time is coming close - maybe something fun with a looper pedal and a bunch of sounds with the same guitar could be in order
Neil
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Yup - I wanted to send these on Friday, but I just had to go home, I was feeling so lousy.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/96271.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/96272.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/96273.jpg)
I'm still feeling lousy (I should really be at home), but your guitar looks really really awesome.
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Any Progress here? Also Mica, did you receive the strings I sent some time back?
Thanks,
Neil
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Hi Neil - I got the strings, and your guitar is just patiently waiting in queue for setup attentions. There's Rich's, Pierre-Yves', an inlay, and one repair in line before it.
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Mica - Any Updates or New Pics? Thanks,
Neil
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How's it going...
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We're still finishing up Pierre-Yves' bass, so yours will be getting the last leg of work done very soon. Sorry I can't give you a more definite answer than that.
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2008-2011.5 and counting...
...the project I'm working on right now could have really used this guitar I think. Of course I said that 2 records ago too.
(Message edited by neilvg on April 12, 2011)
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bump
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Bump
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I feel as though I deserve an explanation..........,,,
Neil
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I saw your guitar back in January. It's quite nice if that helps. And I know that doesn't.
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I've been watching these threads for some time now. Coco Bolo seems notoriously bad for taking a long time in the finishing process. I doubt it is any comfort to someone anxious to receive their guitar. For what it's worth, Austin has been waiting since 2006 to receive his Classico, and I know there are other customers who have been waiting for some time as well. Perhaps calling Alembic directly would be the best way to get a solid answer.
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I should have reached out to you before. Your guitar was being worked on, but it still needs some attention from my dad and I, and towards the end of April, I got sick and then he got sick and it lasted nearly 6 weeks. He's just back to work this week at full strength, so our whole schedule was set back a good month or so. You may have noticed my postings here on the Club were fairly infrequent over the last few weeks, and that is why.
It's the curse of a small business that when a few people or even one person is out, it can have a huge impact on what happens. I know we'll complete your guitar soon and I'll be dropping it off at your place or you can pick it up here.
You're always welcome to call or email directly of course.
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Any Updates?
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Any Updates?
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Dad and Bob are working on your guitar now.
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Great. How is it coming along?
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bump
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Any Updates???
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Based on Rusty's pictures, I think it's still in finish. It's Cocobolo, so who knows how long it will take to get it right.
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Rusty's pictures?
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neil, mike is referring to this picture:
from this thread:
http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/108386.html?1309920618 (http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/108386.html?1309920618 target=_top)
i may be mistaken, but i believe this is the set-up room, not the curing room. the next picture even has a sign on the door that says the setup room.
http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/108404.jpg (http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/108404.jpg target=_top)
an actual alembic employee may correct me, but, based on the picture, it looks like the guitar is in set up. and it looks like the tailpiece, nut, one tuner, and most of the frets have been installed. rusty said his trip was last week, so that might have been last week or last week from last week which is two weeks ago unless he has a time machine, then all bets are off.
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Ooops... my bad. But that's better for you!!!
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The guitar is in setup, and it's getting some work performed on it every day now.
Fitting the RMC pickups in the bridge is proving harder than we thought, but my dad drew up some great plans last night.
We've already test fitted pickups on the bridge, and they are going to work great (they are loud!), but the way we did the first round was just simply put not very beautiful. Dad's new plan for the integration is really elegant. Hope to have something to show you very soon.
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Hi Mica - How are things coming along? I hope well - My Birthday is July 15th so I'm hoping things will work out ;)
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Probably won't be quite ready for Friday but we're still working on it every day and getting closer to completion.
It's probably not too soon to start thinking about if you are going to come here to pick up your guitar or if we will coordinate delivery with one of my Bay Area trips.
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Any new pictures? What's the status? Depending on when it is done I can either come by, or receive it from you when you come this way. I live in Emeryville now so depending, it may or may not be easier to come my way (than before).
Neil
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bump
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Home stretch here, but I had to order another set of pickups from RMC to complete your guitar - the first set didn't quite survive as we learned how to fully integrate them. They should be here in a few days so we can get it done.
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How goes? Did the pickups arrive? Any new pics?
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Any Updates?
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Still working on stuff. I know it's agonizing when it's soooo close to being finished. We had originally planned on bolting the RMC saddle to our saddle, but frankly, when they were all lined up, it looked a little worse than wonky. So my dad came up with a more refined integration, here's the first test fitting:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/111146.jpg)
We've machined a pocket in our saddle, and are anchoring the RMC pickup in that pocket. This was just a test fitting, and there's more sculpturing to do to the saddle to make it look better - but this a vast improvement over the hobby-esque first version.
There's a good chance I'll be meeting Richard from RMC this weekend. If we don't cross paths, we've pledged to get together in the next week or two to iron out some of the final hurdles with the project. He's very nice to talk to!
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Hey Mica - in the above pic, where is the RMC saddle? I see the Alembic saddle and bridge...
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Oh I think I see what you mean, in that space between the bridge pickup and the saddle, under the overhang of the strings is the 'pocket'. There's no RMC there yet...
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Neil,
I'm going to take a guess here, but could be WAY wrong (that's happened before).
I see the Alembic bridge with a square brass block for a saddle. The Alembic brass isn't polished in the picture, whereas I think the piece from RMC is the shiny piece the string is resting on. I think what they've done is cut a slot in that duller brass saddle and inserted the RMC piece (the string is resting on it).
Sounds like their plan is to sculpt and shape that 'square' saddle to make it look better based on Mica's comment above.
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> > > > ...and it's going to be the most awesome pickup integration I've eve seen in my life... I have some Piezo bridge saddle pickups in one of my basses, and while they doesn't look half bad, this workaround is WAY better... and a hell of a job just to think on how to do it! > > >
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Toby - you guessed well! I'm really pleased with how this is turning out, because like Juan Carlos, I've seen lots that look pretty good, but we needed to do better. Here's a little visual aid to confirm we've all got the same picture in our minds:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/111335.jpg)
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Wow...
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This is a great collaboration, and I hope everything works out so that the RMC saddles become the default synth option vs the Roland GK pup..... Imho the RMC system tracks much better!
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Hi Mica - How goes it with this guitar? Did you get a chance to speak with RMC and get everything worked out?
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We didn't meet up that weekend, but he and my dad will be talking on the phone by the end of the week. Later, I'm trying to host a get together with Richard from RMC, Rick from Skyway, and my dad. I can't wait to see their three minds chatting away. I will have to videotape it.
Meanwhile, the bridge is coming together really nicely!
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It is really exiting to see these concepts and refinements in development.
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Any new developments?
Terry at Guitar Showcase told me he's been calling this guitar the 'Super Darling' for sometime now. He actually forgot about me (Neil), and just remembered the name 'Super Darling' haha.
(Message edited by neilvg on September 01, 2011)
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Got all the parts from RMC and dad is busy integrating the electronics now. Next week hope to have all the saddles done. Moving right along here.
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(bangs bottle on table) Pics!
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Another round for my friend here!
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Should be some pics soon, dad has his behind the scenes stuff all done so Bob and crew and get the bridge physically done and ready for gold plating. That will make the distinction between the RMC saddle and the Alembic bridge even, well, less distinctive. I suppose it's easier to say they will blend in together even better when the metal finishes match.
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Neil, what sorta of interface/controller are you gonna use with guitar?
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I've been looking into this. What do you guys suggest? Obviously there are the Roland options, and I'm more interested in synth sounds and even triggering high quality computer based samples (cellos, etc..). So a good controller that will convert the pickup into recognizable midi for use with software samplers would be perfect.
Even though it is unlikely that I would be taking this guitar out on gigs, a standalone controller with built in sounds is also practical in many situations too. So a device that does both. I have seen some older devices but what newer devices are out there other than the Roland options?
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Neil:
If you decide to consider Roland options, I have experience with the GR-20 and GR-33, if you have any questions. Love your guitar. I've already spoken with Mica about retrofitting the RMCs in my Further. I have RMCs in my modded Fernandes Masterhand and they kick ass on the Roland pickup. I inquired about RMCs on my Further when it was built, but it just wasn't doable back then.
Bill, tgo
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This looks cool.
http://www.rmcpickup.com/fanoutbox.html (http://www.rmcpickup.com/fanoutbox.html)
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bump
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These are the two best currently for 13pin conversion. Take that midi signal into ableton live and run a vst synth.
http://www.keithmcmillen.com/stringport/overview (http://www.keithmcmillen.com/stringport/overview)
http://www.axon-technologies.net/index.php?name=EZCMS&menu=1&page_id=1
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Nice! Yes this is what I have been looking for. I use Pro Tools and have a bunch of software synths and samples - this is exactly what I am looking for.
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Neil, There's a few of us just as anxious as you to see this guitar finished, and hear the results!!!!
I personally like the tracking when the RMC pickups are paired with the Axon converter.
The RMC fan-out box would be a nice addition, and really makes the most of the hexaphonic system. Imagine if this stuff was around back during the Wall of Sound days?!?!???
Check out this box for your samples, VST/RTAS plugins, etc etc~
http://www.museresearch.com/ (http://www.museresearch.com/)
While I'm partial to a handful of sounds on my Roland GR-1, when the time comes I'll probably buy a Receptor. But the voice on my other shoulder wants to dabble with all the cool analog boxes coming out w/ Midi In capabilities (kind of a one step forward, two steps back approach).~
http://www.moogmusic.com/products/phattys/slim-phatty (http://www.moogmusic.com/products/phattys/slim-phatty)
http://www.tomoberheim.com/
http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/products/tetra/ (http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/products/tetra/)
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Here's some of what is going on with your guitar. These pictures are not of your instrument, but of the test pieces. First we drilled small access holes for each pickup's cable to meet the electronics:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/115946.jpg)
These meet up with a channel behind the bridge pickup. Then, we add a recess so there is full range for intonation and plenty of strain relief for the cables:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/115947.jpg)
This recess is completely under the bridge. In this test pic, it's a bass bridge, but you get the gist:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/115948.jpg)
So all that means your guitar is headed back to spray to seal up that recessed area. By the end of next week I should have a pretty good idea about how much time it needs to stay there. We're really almost there, and I'm happy to say that the function and beauty are not interfering at all with each other.
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Thanks for the info and pics guys/Mica. The links for the midi information are very helpful. It looks like there are a lot of options that utilize the capabilities of the RMC. Once the guitar is complete and I get a system/rig up and running which complements/makes the most of it, I'll definitely have to post some pics/samples - especially relating to how well the tracking and blending (the RMC with the Alembic) performs/sounds.
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any updates?
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Bump
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I know your guitar is in the drying room, and I will peek at it tomorrow. Then I can get an idea of when it's going to be ready to rub out (the final step in the finishing process). Right now it's too stinky in there from this evening's spray run to venture in there.