Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Factory to Customer => Topic started by: mica on February 26, 2005, 12:27:51 PM

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: mica on February 26, 2005, 12:27:51 PM

Mom got the sketches completed yesterday, and we spent our morning coffee time over the mock-up:
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/16764.jpg)
 
The logo is to be goldplated, and is just there in outline. The cloud is black mother of pearl with a tiny silver lining and a mother of pearl lightning bolt. The key is sterling silver attached to the abalone kite with a  copper string. The ribs in the kite are silver with a little golden mother of pearl bow. Hope you like!

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: mica on May 19, 2005, 12:35:22 PM

Here's the back of the body in pieces:  
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/18559.jpg)
  and a preview of how the back will look:  
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/18560.jpg)

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: kilowatt on May 20, 2005, 01:54:45 PM

Mica, thanks for the shots of the start of the build. What a great way to start a weekend! I hope your dental work has healed and your back to normal. Pete

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: mica on May 26, 2005, 08:05:34 PM

Body assembly completed:
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/18818.jpg)
 
Lookin' tasty!

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: mica on June 08, 2005, 06:44:01 PM

Here's that neck of yours:  
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/19056.jpg)
  and the peghead:  
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/19057.jpg)
 Interior veneers are Maple and Vermilion, to coordinate with the accent laminates. It's very cool looking!

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: mica on June 27, 2005, 04:09:49 PM

Here's the body halves shaped:
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/19428.jpg)

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: mica on June 27, 2005, 11:11:13 PM

And the body gettign glued to the neck:
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/19442.jpg)
 
Hey, this thing is looking more like a bass every day.

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: mica on July 04, 2005, 03:56:58 PM

Here's Tony sanding the bass after Bob routed it:
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/19571.jpg)

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: tbrannon on July 04, 2005, 04:39:17 PM

I love those vermillion/maple/ebony necks.  
 
Happy 4th to all those in the States!

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: kilowatt on July 06, 2005, 02:19:41 PM

Susan, Mica, Valentino and all of the staff, Thanks for the tour last week. We had a great time and everyone was very helpful. Even my wife had fun, (more fun after Susan gave her some web sites to check out for jewlery). My 11 year old son couldn't believe that Mica let him play one of the guitars out front. He also liked the idea Susan had that if he makes the honor roll at school for the year, I would help him get an Alembic guitar. Once again, thanks for all your help and kindness. Pete.  P.S. The bass is looking great!

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: jalevinemd on July 06, 2005, 02:31:16 PM

Pete,
 
What wood is the bulk of your neck made of? Is it mahogany? I have maple and I've got to be honest...sometimes on a neck-thru without a book matched to center top I think that it stands in too stark a contrast to the coco bolo top. Whatever your wood you chose blends so beautifully. The whole thing has a very rich, almost chocolatey feel to it. Nice combination!
 
Regards,
 
Jonathan

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: kilowatt on July 06, 2005, 04:47:53 PM

Jonathan,
 The bulk of the neck is made from mahogany. I am really happy with the way things are turning out. Susan made the suggestion to go with the mahogany. It was done mostly for sound along with the ebony to emulate the sound of Phil Lesh's modified Guild. Believe me when I tell you, that the pictures, as good as they are, don't do any of the instruments justice. When I was in Santa Rosa last week, I was amazed at the attention to detail in every aspect of the building and finishing of everything I saw.
 Thanks for the compliment, Pete

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: mica on August 30, 2005, 02:54:08 PM

The logo is inlaid, and james is ready to inlay the lightning bolt:
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/20661.jpg)
 
James wanted to reduce the size from what you faxed us because the upper part of the bolt comes too close to the logo. In the rough above, the bushings in the template are actually larger diameter than the washers for the tuning keys. Also note the two small grey lines to represent the joints where two pieces of mother of pearl will butt up next to eachother.  
 
Let me know if we're good to go and James will proceed with the cutting.

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: mica on August 30, 2005, 05:02:11 PM

Hey, here's that picture in RGB mode:
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/20708.jpg)
 
Now you should be able to view it.

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: kilowatt on August 30, 2005, 05:59:22 PM

Mica,
Thanks for the extra help on the mockup photo. I couldn't open it at first, but my 12 year old son did it in no time. I think the mockup looks perfect and you can keep on rollin. Again, thanks for the help. Regards.
 
Pete

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: edwin on August 30, 2005, 06:26:31 PM

What am I missing? I can't view the mock ups at all and it seems like there is no file linked to the words.
 
This looks like it's gonna be a great one!
 
Edwin
Who always wanted a 5 string version of his '67 Starfire.....

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: mica on August 30, 2005, 07:56:40 PM

Cool Pete. I'll let James know first thing in the morning.  
 
I don't know, Edwin. At first I realized I saved the file in CMYK mode, which doesn't like to open in browsers. This is only the second file I made in Illustrator, so I'll work out the kinks eventually. For now, I think you can right click and select open image at least that worked for me (though I have no trouble seeing the picture inline on my Sun workstation in an Opera browser).

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: bob on August 30, 2005, 09:57:13 PM

(I see both images fine in Safari, no extra steps)

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: mica on October 04, 2005, 05:23:25 PM

James did a great job on the lighting bolt inlay:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/21350.jpg)
 The seams are very subtle and the pieces of shell he selected match very well.  Body looking good too:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/21351.jpg)
 This is literally moments before it was to be rubbed out.

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: mica on November 16, 2005, 11:15:31 PM

As I told you on the phone, in my brain I thought I'd already posted a picture of your bass loaded (when I needed to do was look at the thread to see I was mistaken) . Anyway, as promised, here's a couple of pics I took on my way out the door tonight:  
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/22460.jpg)
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/22461.jpg)
  The preamp backplate was not up to our standards, and we made another one for the plater to redo.

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: palembic on November 16, 2005, 11:36:27 PM

Astonishing good looking.
In a way humble and rich at the same time.
Also new and old style are together.
Really tasteful!
 
Paul TBO

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: kilowatt on November 17, 2005, 03:18:28 AM

Mica,
 Thanks again for the update. I love it. Now that we are in the home stretch, I feel like a little kid wating for Santa to arrive. Please let me know when she is ready for departure so I can clear the house and warn the neighbors of the impending thunder storm. You guys (and gals) are the best!!
 
Pete

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: jacko on November 17, 2005, 04:33:32 AM

Another fantastic bass. congratulations Pete. I really like the mahogany neck - it seems to almost glow.
 
graeme

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: 811952 on November 17, 2005, 07:53:01 AM

Beautiful.

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: David Houck on November 17, 2005, 09:22:00 AM

Beautiful indeed!  Looks like there is a modification to the electronics; bass and treble boost/cut switches??

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: kilowatt on November 17, 2005, 04:46:37 PM

Thanks all,
 I'm really happy with the way that the bass is turning out. As usual, the people at Alembic have outdone themselves. My thanks to all involved.
Dave, the electronics are standard series II. The extra switches are for the LED's. One is a three position switch (all on, side on alone and all off). The other switch is a dimmer for the LED's.

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: kmh364 on November 18, 2005, 05:41:59 AM

Very nice, Pete! Kudos and Congrats.  
 
Cheers,
 
Kevin

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: 5stringho on January 29, 2008, 06:49:47 AM

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, this DOES look vaguely familiar!! My little beast has a bit different BTC placement, probably a more interior cut of the same board, but I'd say it's definately the same piece of Cocobolo. Close enough to say it didn't fall far from the same tree!!
She IS a beauty, Pete, well worthy of her place in COTM history!!
Enjoy! Mike, tho =]

Title: Peter's Custom 5-string
Post by: georgie_boy on February 01, 2008, 12:46:19 PM

Have to agree 100% with Mike on that one!
 
G