Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Factory to Customer => Topic started by: mica on March 26, 2003, 12:55:12 PM

Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: mica on March 26, 2003, 12:55:12 PM: Here's the pictures from March 13:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/4050.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/4051.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/4052.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/4053.jpg)
The request for a quartersawn core (to get the edge rings) delayed to body assembly, but the neck assembly progressed in the meantime. The body is slated to be routed on Tuesday, so it's moving right along.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: Michael Ichiyama (ichinumba9) on March 26, 2003, 05:19:50 PM: Wow, looking great so far! It's crazy to see how much the coco bolo color changed since I visited and I'm glad you guys were able to get the quartersawn mahogany. Thanks so much for the pics and anytime you wanna post more its fine by me. LOL. Oh, one quick question, what frequencies do the Epic bass and treble controls boost and cut at? Thanks again. It's so nice to know that my very own rainbow of sound is forming at the Alembic House of Sound.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: Paul Lindemans (palembic) on March 26, 2003, 11:29:52 PM: Nice ... see a project starting and giving birth assistance. Isn't this a nice thought: 550 midwifes assiting to this birth!

Mica: what do you mean by this quartersawn body. I guess it's a way how to sawn a piece of wood?
Does it gives a sound difference or is it merely a design concept?

CU

Paul - the bad one who is also butted
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: Michael Ichiyama (ichinumba9) on March 28, 2003, 01:38:14 PM: Hello again, another question. Are the Epic pickups side-by-side coil humbuckers or stacked humbuckers. Thanks again for all the help.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: mica on March 28, 2003, 04:44:59 PM: Michael: All the non-Series Alembic pickups are stacked humcancelling pickups, we don't make any humbucking pickups. Even the ones that look like single-coil guitars pickups are stacked humcancelling pickups.

Bob is ready to write the program to route your electronics, you mentioned you had some questions about conrol placement - let me know what you had in mind.

Paul: It refers to how the log was sawn and the direction of the grain in the lumber as a result. If you imagine the cross-section of the tree with concenric rings, there are several ways to cut the log to find different patterns.

In the case of the body wood, I'm not aware of a difference other than decorative on our basses.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: Michael Walker (rockandroller) on March 29, 2003, 02:02:08 PM: Isn't hum-cancelling the same as hum-bucking? (semantics?)
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: mica on March 29, 2003, 05:37:24 PM: I associate humbucking pickups as designs with two magnetic core coils, and a flipping magnetic domain (the bucking part). Our design is much more simple with one magnetic core coil and one non-magentic core coil stacked and no bucking involved.

I suppose in the world outside of Alembic the terms may be interchangable, though I feel the distinction is important because I don't believe the tone from our pickups is what most people would associate with humbucking pickups.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: Michael Ichiyama (ichinumba9) on March 31, 2003, 10:30:02 AM: I was thinking for the electronics, maybe having the Q switch somewhere easily accessable so that I could set the tone of the filter and Q to a setting I like before hand and being able to use it as a quick tone change option during performance. Not to sure how the filter and Q will interact with the bass and treble controls but that was my idea. So maybe you can suggest some layouts. Also, I was wondering about the freq's. of the bass and treble controls? Thanks for the info on the pickups.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: mica on March 31, 2003, 01:36:08 PM: The Q switch will just control if the resonant peak is present or not, but the filtering would always be on. Or are you actually looking for an on/off switch for the filter instead of (or in addition to) a Q switch?

Here's a quick idea for the control layout (viewed as if in a stand):

Volume
Bass
Filter
Q Switch
Pan
Treble
Output

Or this arrangement may make more sense to you:

Volume
Pan
Bass
Filter
Treble
Q switch
Output

Let me know if either of these looks good to you or if you have any other ideas (including the functions). Your bass is ready to route, so we're on hold until these decisions are made.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: mica on March 31, 2003, 01:47:11 PM: Well that didn't work very well, did it?

Volume
. Bass
Filter
. Q switch
Pan
. Treble
Output

------------

Volume
. Pan
Bass
. Filter
Treble
. Q switch
Output

If that didn't look like anything, I'll do a mock up later today for you. I'll also have those freqs available later too (gotta check with dad on that one).
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: Michael Ichiyama (ichinumba9) on March 31, 2003, 03:12:59 PM: From what I got from the quote sheet that we worked on when I visited, is that the 3 pos. Q is OFF-ON-Q. So I thought the filter would be out of the loop in the off position, then I could turn it on as a change in tone. I'm not sure if that is possible but I think that would be pretty cool to be able to do that. I'm not too sure on the layouts that you posted, can't really get a good picture of it.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: mica on March 31, 2003, 04:47:42 PM: I should have just done it this way in the first place:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/4121.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/4122.jpg)
Let me know if either of these arrangements is interesting to you or if you have some other ideas.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: mica on March 31, 2003, 05:21:07 PM: Here's a graph of the Epic bass and treble module:

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/4124.jpg)

I was just thinking about a standard Q switch, sorry, Michael! Your Q switch has the added function of excluding the filter from the circuit.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: Michael Ichiyama (ichinumba9) on March 31, 2003, 10:58:54 PM: Thanks for the pics, it's a lot easier to picture it now. So what I was thinking was:

-Q switch
------Filter
-Pan
------Bass
-Volume
------Treble
-Output jack

I rarely ever touch volume in mid-song. I use the Pan a lot to alter my tone. And I was thinking the Q switch would be closest to be able to alter tone mid-song like for a bridge or chorus etc.

The freq. graph for the treble and bass was a little hard to read. Not quite sure where the centers are?
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: Michael Ichiyama (ichinumba9) on April 01, 2003, 01:49:47 PM: Ok, I've been sitting at work staring at what I believe is your 2000 catalog and I like the way the layout of the purpleheart Series II bass on the first page looks. It looks like the same layout as the 25th anniversary electronics, but for my bass minus the bridge CVQ, the PU selector, and the stereo jack. Then have the Q switch where the master volume is, the pan where the neck PU Vol. is, the Vol. where the bridge Vol. is, the filter where the neck CVQ is, the Bass and Treble where the neck and bridge filters are respectively. Whew! That was tough. But anyways I'm not sure if it possible to make it that way but I like the layout, how it is not totally symetrical.
Talk to you soon.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: Adriaan Simons (adriaan) on April 03, 2003, 08:58:19 AM: Mica,

About the quarter-sawn mahogany, not sure if I'm putting this clear but here goes: if you look at the direction of the grain, does flat-sawn mean that the grain will run horizontally (along the top of the wood) while it would run vertically (across the wood) in quarter-sawn? I don't suppose the grain would be running across the strings?

Do you only do quarter-sawn mahogany as a special request or do you just look at each log and decide what would be the best way of cutting it?

Do I see ebony neck laminates on Michael's Epic? Is this the first set-neck to have them? Would love to know if they produce the BIG sound like they are supposed to on neckthroughs. And how much do they cost on a set-neck?

Thanks!
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: mica on April 03, 2003, 01:08:12 PM: Ok, Michael, how does something similar to this feel?

(http://alembic.com/club/messages/631/4169.jpg)

Thought you'd also like to see the laminates up close:

(http://alembic.com/club/messages/631/4170.jpg)

Adiraan: When you quartersaw a log, the tree rings run approximately perpendicular to the cuts, and the face of the board will show vertical lines of the growth rings.

Check out Wood Web (http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/How_milling_impacts_figure.html target=_blank) for some good articles about sawing logs.

You'd need to specify quartersawn if you want it on your own order.

We don't process mahogany logs - we buy them already in lumber form.

Those are ebony neck laminates, a $1000 option on set neck basses. I believe this is the first set neck bass with ebony neck laminates, and I too am anxious to hear how they sound.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: Michael Ichiyama (ichinumba9) on April 03, 2003, 01:48:48 PM: Looks good to me, for the electronics, and thanks for the pic of the laminates, looks great! It looks like there's a face showing up in the top as it gets lighter. Kinda crazy. Thanks again for everything.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: ichinumba9 on May 01, 2003, 10:44:22 AM: Hello Mica, just wondering if my bass is still on schedule for a May Birthday? Thanks and hope you're all well.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: ichinumba9 on May 09, 2003, 03:12:29 PM: You must be keeping my bass as Top Secret. LOL. No, but really just trying to see if it will be ready before Memorial day weekend. Got a little gig(Martystock III)up near Shasta on that weekend and although I love my current Epic, I was hoping to give my new baby a great first birthday at Martystock III. Anyways, gotta go. I'm dreamin every night of the new baby.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: mica on May 09, 2003, 05:01:35 PM: Sorry Michael, sometimes I miss a message here and there, so thanks for reminding me!

I saw your bass in the setup room today, fully rubbed out (not buffed of course). I'm planning on dropping it by Guitar Showcase on Wednesday or Thursday of next week (the 14th or 15th). I'll let you know when I know what day the bass will arrive.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: ichinumba9 on May 13, 2003, 03:03:31 PM: Thanks Mica for getting back to me. I'm very excited to hear and see my new baby. I was wondering if it wouldn't be to much trouble, to get a picture of it finished.
Also, I was wondering if you supply manuals with your basses? I have a feeling that I will have some questions on how my electronics exactly work and how to adjust them, because I am not very familiar with the filter and Q switch and how those will integrate with my regular Epic electronics.
Thanks again.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: mica on May 15, 2003, 04:08:24 PM: I'll post a picture for you tomorrow when I make the rounds for the Club.

The manual is pretty basic, and your custom electronics are not covered in it. But you're always welcome to call or email or come by with questions. The main thing is to just experiment and find out about the sounds the bass will make in your own hands.

Looks like my schedule got changed around AGAIN, and it looks like we'll be at Guitar Showcase on Sunday. I'll confirm a with another post so you'll know when it's there.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: mica on May 17, 2003, 11:17:27 AM: Argh! We are CONFIRMED for San Jose on Tuesday. Who thought it would be so hard to coordinate a 2-hour road trip? Pics on Monday, I wasn't able to do the Friday rounds.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: ichinumba9 on May 20, 2003, 07:28:21 AM: Sounds great. I'm getting off of work at about 1:30 to go to rehearsal so maybe I can pick it up at Guitar Showcase. Can you let me know if it will be there by then? Thanks, and looking forward to the newcomer.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: mica on May 20, 2003, 08:32:17 AM: I don't know if I should laugh or cry... the meeting we were confirmed having on Tuesday was changed to Thursday, sigh. I don't htink your bass wants to leave the womb.
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: ichinumba9 on May 21, 2003, 09:24:14 AM: Ok, I guess I'll wait a couple more days. Could you let me know when it will be there on Thursday? Oh yeah, just wondering if you got a chance to get a new picture to post?
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: mica on May 22, 2003, 01:13:29 PM: I took a short stop at my friend's house on the way down to San Jose and since you wanted a sneak peek pic, here it is:

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/4771.jpg)
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: basstard on May 23, 2003, 06:08:44 AM: Mmm... Yummy! Congratulations Michael, you've got a sweet bass. :-)
Title: Archive through July 29, 2003
Post by: ichinumba9 on July 29, 2003, 10:23:43 AM: Hello Mica, it's been a while so I thought I would check in and see how the Epic Redo is going. Just wondering if the coco bolo is still seasoning(darkening) or if you've started making the bass. I remember you saying you would have the guys just make the body and take some pics for me. Anyways, hope all is good in Alembic land and hope to hear from you soon. Thanks.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: mica on July 29, 2003, 05:23:33 PM: The body has been aging for a good month now getting nice and dark. Have you decided if you are going to have a 8-string or a 4-string?
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: ichinumba9 on July 30, 2003, 02:42:13 PM: Mica, I have decided to keep it a 4 string. Unless making it a 5 string is a possibility? I will regretfully have to return the first Epic because I am having financial difficulties at the moment.
I was hoping you could show some pics of the body when you get the time. Then we can discuss the pickups and other details. Thanks again.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: ichinumba9 on August 18, 2003, 02:59:08 PM: Hi Mica, just wondering if there is any news on my bass? I'm really excited to see the new body.
Thanks.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: mica on August 18, 2003, 04:16:03 PM: Will get you a photo soon. I'll be out of the office tomorrow. My cousin is visiting and we're taking him to San Francisco for the day.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: mica on August 24, 2003, 01:17:33 PM: Hi Michael,

Here's the body:

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/5799.jpg)

changing to a 5-string will be $500. It's what we'll need to know to progess to the next step in production.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: ichinumba9 on September 02, 2003, 03:06:00 PM: Hi Mica, I have decided to keep it a 4 string. I want it to be my main 4. I'm starting to think of ideas for my main 5, so that will come in the future. Just to make sure of the pickup locations I have included exact measurements here:

Bridge PU centerline at 2.375 from G-string saddle.

Neck PU centerline at 5.5 from G-string saddle.

I think I also talked to you about rounding the look of the controls by following the body contour a little.

Other than that, it looks great. If you have to get a hold of me my work phone is 408-988-0134. I'm there from 7:30 to 3:30.

Thanks again.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: mica on September 02, 2003, 04:57:21 PM: Sorry to have to ask you to remeasure, but could you use the end of the fingerboard as your origin? The saddle position is not as constant. It's also adequate to specify the length from the end of the fingerboard to the edge of the pickup if that's easier to determine.

Are you looing to arrange the controls like the Excel bass?
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: ichinumba9 on September 02, 2003, 05:46:14 PM: The measurements from the end of the fingerborad:

To centerline of Bridge PU=5.25

To centerline of neck PU=2.125

And on the controls we just talked about dropping the Bass control just a little so the bottom row follows the body contour. The other controls are good.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: mica on September 04, 2003, 09:12:03 AM: Thanks for redoing the measurements, Michael.

For the layout, was this something that you had in mind?
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/5922.jpg)
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: ichinumba9 on September 04, 2003, 10:29:58 AM: Exactly. Looks good. Thanks for the pic.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: mica on September 05, 2003, 03:43:42 PM: Excellent. I checked the schedule and the bass will be routed with the regular run next Thursday. Once the neck and body are joined, I'll check the color and decide if we want to let it age a little before hitting it with the polyester.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: ichinumba9 on September 06, 2003, 12:38:45 PM: Alrighty. Sounds good. I was wondering if I could get some pics when the body and neck are joined, and maybe a close up of the headstock. Thanks again for all the help. Take care.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: ichinumba9 on October 16, 2003, 03:06:33 PM: Hello, just wondering if there are any updates on the progress of my Epic #2. Thanks.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: mica on October 20, 2003, 09:15:06 AM: I'll get you some more pics this week, sorry missed it in last week's rounds. It's in the waiting stage for the woods to oxidize and darken a bit before sealing.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: mica on October 27, 2003, 11:45:35 PM: Just got the sealer coat:

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/6461.jpg)

The color looks a funny in this image to me. It's not quite so shockingly red, more dark.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: ichinumba9 on October 30, 2003, 10:34:25 AM: Hi Mica, thanks for the pic. It looks great. Seeing what stage it's in now, could you possibly give a rough estimate on the completion date. Not trying to rush, just curious.
Thanks again.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: mica on October 30, 2003, 10:41:04 AM: Right now the bass is waiting in line for the fingerboard inlay. Looks like it will get its turn the week of November 10th. After that, a few more coats of finish and the final setup, so I'll guess I'll be dropping it off by the end of November.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: smokin_dave on October 30, 2003, 11:20:38 AM: Wow,that looks so cool.What a beautiful top.What's being inlayed in the fingerboard?
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: mica on October 30, 2003, 12:42:31 PM: a small inifinity symbol at the 12th fret with the rest of the fingerboard blank.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: ichinumba9 on November 30, 2003, 10:10:26 AM: Hello Mica, hope you had a good Thanksgiving. Just wondering about my Epic. It's gotta be close, right? Anymore pics?
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: mica on December 05, 2003, 07:20:09 PM: Not quite ready yet. I'll have to adjust the delivery expectation to just shy of Christmas. I'll be delivering it in person, so I'll coordinate with you so hopefully we can meet at Guitar Showcase unless you'd like to make arrangements to pick it up here. Let me know your preference. Sorry about no new pics today - spray room was still wet when I went around to do photos.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: ichinumba9 on December 06, 2003, 12:11:21 PM: Thanks for getting back to me. I am going on vacation back home to Hawaii for the holidays. I won't be back until Jan. 1, so I guess it will have to be a 2004 Epic. If you could just take a few photos(maybe different angles, headstock, backside, etc.) for me to hold me off until the new year, I would so much appreciate it. I put all these photos in a folder on my desktop so whenever I want to dream about my baby, they're just a click away. Thanks again, and if I don't talk to you before the new year, have a great holidays.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: ichinumba9 on January 03, 2004, 10:33:23 PM: Hello Mica, Happy New Year! Just wondering when I can pick my Epic up from Guitar Showcase. I just got back from Hawaii and all though I love it there, I was very excited to get back so I could pick up my baby. Please let me know when I can pick it up. Thanks.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: mica on January 06, 2004, 12:12:02 PM: I'm next at Guitar Showcase on the 22nd. The earlist I can arrange to have you pick it up here is around the 15th. Let me know what works out best for you.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: ichinumba9 on January 10, 2004, 09:07:41 AM: I waited this long, what can a couple more weeks hurt. I'll just wait till you get down here on the 22nd, because I can't make it up there on the 15th. Let me know what time of day it will be there. Until then can I get a sneek peek. Thanks.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: mica on January 21, 2004, 04:27:46 PM: Sorry Michael,

I picked up a nasty cold in San Diego, I don't think I'll be making the drive down there tomorrow. I've made arrangements with Terry to be there on the 29th. If I have a sudden improvement and can make it tomorrow, I'll let you know.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: ichinumba9 on January 23, 2004, 01:01:44 PM: The 29th is fine for me. I get off work at 3:30 and can probably be at Showcase at 4:00.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: palembic on January 28, 2004, 08:38:00 PM: So let me guess: the big meeting wil be in 24 hrs??? Or in 12 hrs?? Or in 36 hrs?? THese timezones always confuse me.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: bob on January 28, 2004, 10:35:02 PM: Paul, I have trouble with this as well, but I'm pretty sure it would be about 20 hours from the time of your posting.

It's always seemed to me that posting times are displayed as my local time. Yours was at 8:38 pm, which seems about right because it wasn't there before dinner but is now. So from 8pm tonight til 4pm tomorrow comes in somewhere between your first two estimates.

The only reason I have a chance of figuring this out is because I live here :-)

Now, as I recall, our friend Michael got another new bass sometime within the last year, and in that case Mica actually stopped somewhere on her drive down, and posted a preview picture. I thought that was a bit excessive - I mean, come on now, the guy is going to have it in his hands in just a few more hours, right?

But anyway, congratulations Michael. And while you're waiting, how did you arrive at the precise pickup locations? Is this a matter of playing style and where your hands end up, or based on some complicated string harmonic analysis, or perhaps even just a visual thing? I'm curious.
-Bob
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: ichinumba9 on January 29, 2004, 10:23:07 AM: Bob, it was a combination of all that you stated except the visual thing. I wanted to get a little bit fatter sound when I soloed my bridge pickup. I thought it was a little too brittle in the regular positioning. I looked at a lot of different basses and their pickup positioning. It is very intriguing to me how the different positions can alter TONE. So, anyways it is a bit of an experiment.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: ichinumba9 on February 04, 2004, 11:04:58 PM: Hey mica, just making sure we are on for Thursday the 5th. I'll be at Showcase close to 4:00. Please call me at work tomorrow. Thanks.
Title: Michael's Custom Epic
Post by: mica on February 05, 2004, 06:53:29 AM: If all goes as planned, I'll be there today. I'll call you when I'm leaving Santa Rosa so we can coordinate time-wise.