Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: sexy666 on June 01, 2013, 02:20:33 PM

Title: Early Alembic Essence Body Wood
Post by: sexy666 on June 01, 2013, 02:20:33 PM
Hey guys,
 
Would you please tell me what kind of wood was the early material of Essence basses? I think it's not Mahogany
 
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pu5U--X0jCY/UNrIKUgy6SI/AAAAAAAAAe4/e8xzX5PikrU/w534-h712-no/20121226_104227.jpg (https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pu5U--X0jCY/UNrIKUgy6SI/AAAAAAAAAe4/e8xzX5PikrU/w534-h712-no/20121226_104227.jpg)
 
Thank you a lot,
 
sexy from Hungary
Title: Early Alembic Essence Body Wood
Post by: tbrannon on June 01, 2013, 02:50:18 PM
looks like maple to me.
Title: Early Alembic Essence Body Wood
Post by: rami on June 01, 2013, 03:14:44 PM
If you compare it to the neck wood which is clearly Maple, you can see some difference.  It may be Alder.
Title: Early Alembic Essence Body Wood
Post by: tbrannon on June 01, 2013, 03:33:45 PM
You might be right, Rami.  
 
I think the difference in the look of the neck woods is a result of the flame and the cut, but the body wood may well be something other than maple.
Title: Early Alembic Essence Body Wood
Post by: rami on June 01, 2013, 04:37:39 PM
Hey Toby,
 
Alder is slightly grainier than Maple as well as a little darker (which is hard to see with the lighting in the picture).  It's more suitable for a body wood because it's relatively light weight.
 
But who can say for sure from a picture? The best way to know for sure is to provide Alembic with the serial number and Mica can tell us.  They keep all the build records.
Title: Early Alembic Essence Body Wood
Post by: sonicus on June 01, 2013, 04:56:58 PM
Hello , I own a 91 Essence . It is all Maple. I took it to the 2013 Northern California Alembic Gathering where Mica saw it and confirmed early Essence, all maple.
Title: Early Alembic Essence Body Wood
Post by: mike13 on June 01, 2013, 08:11:31 PM
Mine is a 92 all Maple,the one in the pix is the same all Maple
 
(Message edited by mike13 on June 01, 2013)
Title: Early Alembic Essence Body Wood
Post by: rami on June 02, 2013, 08:04:25 AM
That makes sense.  I've never known Alembic to use Alder except for one custom build.
Title: Early Alembic Essence Body Wood
Post by: sexy666 on June 03, 2013, 01:03:27 PM
Guys, thanks for your answers!  
i hope i can get this bass in the future, it's not mine, period.
Title: Early Alembic Essence Body Wood
Post by: sonicus on June 03, 2013, 02:02:34 PM
The sound from my all Maple Essence is quite bright .
Title: Early Alembic Essence Body Wood
Post by: sexy666 on June 03, 2013, 03:14:24 PM
you mean too bright?
Title: Early Alembic Essence Body Wood
Post by: mica on June 03, 2013, 04:20:52 PM
That's certainly all Maple. The early Essence basses were 3-piece Maple necks, Maple bodies, and Flame Maple tops. The only options were 4- or 5-string, fretless or fretted, and right or left handed.
Title: Early Alembic Essence Body Wood
Post by: sonicus on June 03, 2013, 05:12:58 PM
My all maple Essence is quite bright ___,too bright is not what I wrote or meant. I really like the way it sounds. There is natural high definition.
Title: Early Alembic Essence Body Wood
Post by: David Houck on June 03, 2013, 07:41:35 PM
I agree with Wolf, an all Maple Essence bass has, as he said, a natural high definition.  They have a great attack.  When mine was my main bass, I was playing it through an Eden rig, and it sounded amazing.
Title: Early Alembic Essence Body Wood
Post by: sexy666 on June 04, 2013, 01:42:38 PM
So, be seen until the end of the week I will have it or not. I'm so excited about that bass  
 
Thank you for the information and opinions!
Title: Early Alembic Essence Body Wood
Post by: that_sustain on June 05, 2013, 12:05:51 PM
Oh boy do I wish I still had my early 90's all maple Essence.  I'm not one to go about picking at instruments instead of playing them...but that thing was perfect.  The way it floated on the knee...the craftsmanship...the electronics.  I took it to a local luthier of stringed instruments(mostly upright bass)...and even he was floored.  Sigh.