Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Showcase => Artists and Their Alembics => Topic started by: 2400wattman on December 13, 2006, 07:29:23 PM

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: 2400wattman on December 13, 2006, 07:29:23 PM

It seems ther are no pics of John Mc Vie, I sure can't find any. I was reminded of this as I watched my first installation of DVD's from the Midnight Special. Fleetwood Mac was on this one performing Rhiannon and I noticed John was playing an early Series-1 ,the p/ups mounted with two screws and the bridge not quite as refined as the one we know and love so well. Still a beautiful bass but I don't think the sound man got the tone of the bass happening. It sounded like a P bass w/flats, arrrgh the soundman. However Lindsay's tone was fantastic and remarkably clean & transparent for using a Les Paul Custom. The overall performance was great(nobody was bad) as was the other performances of the other artists. The Midnight Special review will be for another thread, especially if there are more Alembics to be seen. Don't want to take away from this being a John Mc Vie thread, where's those pics!!

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: keavin on December 14, 2006, 06:30:08 AM

scroll to the bottom of this page  & there's john with alembic#27!.http://www.fleetwoodmac.net/penguin/john.htm (http://www.fleetwoodmac.net/penguin/john.htm)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: fretted4 on May 10, 2007, 01:19:05 PM

Does anybody have any details on john's basses?  Does he still have this bass?  Ive been trying to find out some info on the particular bass pictured in the link for quite sometime, thanks!

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: fretted4 on May 24, 2007, 10:31:25 AM

Here are a few pics that I FINALLY was able to locate, the first one appears to be an early model series1, I would love to know more about this bass, the second picture appears to be the same bass mentioned in the alembic "long version" history with the stainless fingerboard...  
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/40225.jpg)
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/40226.jpg)
  (Message edited by mica on June 15, 2009)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: 2400wattman on May 24, 2007, 11:24:02 AM

Ah, very nice indeed.

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: extraterrestrial on May 27, 2007, 07:26:45 AM

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=john+mcvie&sp=1&fr2=sp-top&fr=yfp-t-501&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&ei=UTF-8&SpellState=n-98690814_q-7XijnJ/hqpc0Er5yL.77OAAAAA@@

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: bigbadbill on May 28, 2007, 05:42:21 AM

Judging from most of the interviews with John I've read, a P-Bass with flats would seem to be pretty close to how he wants his bass to sound; he's remarked previously that a P Bass is the benchmark by which all other basses are measured.  
 
He's one of my favourite bassists, BTW.

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: keavin on September 04, 2007, 10:01:19 AM

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: jacko on September 06, 2007, 04:41:38 AM

There's not enough bass in that clip keavin. John doesn't appear until 1'22;-(  too much stevie nicks if you ask me.
 
Graeme

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: chuck on September 06, 2007, 09:02:28 AM

Of course Stevie gets most of the face time.As she is A lot better looking than John(my hero).As for his current basses he mostly uses Rick Turners products but always has a P Bass laying around .Flats have always been his strings of choice.I have read somewhere that he lost his older Basses when he went bankrupt but that could be just rumor, He has also had some stolen.
 
Chuck

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: bracheen on September 07, 2007, 08:50:15 AM

I saw a Fleetwood Mac documentary on VH1 Classic that had a lot of John/Alembic footage.  Not as much as Stevie but more than I would have thought.  Several of the people in the show were very complimentary towards John's playing.  Mick called him a monster IIRC.  I think it was part of their Classic Albums series that featured Rumours.
 
Sam

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: bigbadbill on September 11, 2007, 12:29:20 PM

John was the first guy that turned me on to Alembic (well, JPJ was prior with his 8, but as his was a Becvar I'm not sure if it counts). I remember seeing the pics on FM Live and freaking out over his fretless (shown above).

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: fretted4 on February 22, 2009, 09:28:56 PM

Here is another great pic of McVie with his series 1 with the stainless steel fingerboard!(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/61644.jpg)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: fretted4 on June 15, 2009, 01:54:30 PM

Hello there again folks, stumbled across a few more rare mcvie-alembic photos.... This bass however kinda stumbles me, as far as i know, john only had 3 alembis, the early series 1, the stainless fingerboard fretless, and the first graphite alembic. Anyways, this one resembles the early series 1, but the pickups are black, and the master volume is gone.  What do yall think?(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/66333.jpg)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: fretted4 on June 15, 2009, 01:56:30 PM

And found another pic, this is a good one and shows the details of number 27!
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/66336.jpg)
 
(Message edited by mica on June 15, 2009)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: pauldo on June 15, 2009, 03:40:31 PM

Stainless steel fretless eh?
I would be interested in hearing an isolated bass track of that! Or any track - what albums did he use it on?
 
Was that an Alembic modification or did it happen 'after market'?

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: fretted4 on June 15, 2009, 04:38:53 PM

Here is john in action with the stainless steel fingerboard alembic, the bass track is not isolated, but in the middle of the song, he perfoms his famous chain bass solo, it shows some excellent close-ups and decent sound quality. enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T0Dq_SXaWc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T0Dq_SXaWc)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: serialnumber12 on June 15, 2009, 08:06:53 PM

Antique alembics...............Yessssss!!!!!!.....

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: peoplechipper on June 15, 2009, 11:32:14 PM

McVie with the infamous Acoustic 4x15 folded horn cab; blasting if you can get 30' away from it...and so darn big!  
bass player in my old band had one; got rid of it when bandleader got a minivan as it was almost as big as the van...Tony

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: pauldo on June 16, 2009, 06:12:02 PM

Tracey - thanks for the video link, gotta love the Gypsy!!!
 Wouldn't the stainless steel fretboard add a lot of weight? Any specs on the instrument? Fretboard thickness? It doesn't seem to have a real powerful mwahh factor to it...
 
I'm not trying to be difficult just VERY intrigued by the idea of a stainless steel fretboard.

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: fretted4 on June 16, 2009, 10:40:54 PM

Hey there, I believe he ordered this custom instrument around late 1977 according to the alembic history and probably didnt recieve it till 79, due to the fact that I cannot find any other videos before or after that year featuring this bass. I also believe it was used for the tusk album.  What stumps me is that I cannot find out what happened to this and his original alembic-he switched to a red and black hamer cruise bass around 1980 and the alembics were never seen again....anybody have any clues?

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: dluxe on March 15, 2010, 02:51:25 PM

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/77702.jpg)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: fretted4 on March 19, 2010, 04:32:33 PM

Well after some searching on youtube, it seems that around 1975 John had sent in his series 1 for some modifications. The changes being a master volume control, a change in the tailpiece, and at the time, updated the pickups from the black ones to the tan pickups.  I wonder if Alembic has any info on these....

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: dluxe on March 23, 2010, 12:04:58 PM

Good eye there!  I can see a difference between the tailpieces.  I would have thought that the tan pickups predated the black ones though.  Maybe Alembic had some old stock pickups left and fitted them in his bass.  Very cool info.

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: jseitang on August 22, 2010, 03:40:16 PM

anyone know what the scale length of his bass are?

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: adriaan on December 06, 2010, 11:51:56 PM

Here's a pretty early clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXZf833Gnxw target=_blank) of Over My Head with the early Series bass - nice quality audio and video. (Some comments suggest there are some overdubs.)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: sonicus on December 07, 2010, 12:17:45 AM

The Bass cuts through the mix well just listening with my  Sennheiser headphones at the moment. Nice EQ.
 Good tune. Thanks for posting .

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: fretted4 on July 20, 2011, 01:22:06 PM

Just keepin this thread alive, anybody know how I could get more info on his alembic 73-27? thanks

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: jseitang on August 08, 2011, 08:11:48 AM

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/110886.jpg)
whats the gear john's using on the right?
it looks like two power supplies, and what looks like an alembic input module with a graphic eq enclosed in a head??

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: sonicus on August 08, 2011, 10:35:25 AM

A metal rack cabinet within are from top to bottom an  Alembic IN-2 /    A single rack space device unknown , (perhaps custom made) / a  (looks like perhaps 2/3 octave) graphic EQ , perhaps UREI or maybe Klark-Teknik DN27A or ????_______(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/110895.jpg)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: fretted4 on April 22, 2013, 05:12:36 PM

Hello folks! Here is John again and is that Lindsey B on an Alembic guitar?!?!?!(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/159023.jpg)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: jseitang on May 02, 2013, 07:22:42 AM

wow!

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: jazzyvee on May 02, 2013, 08:43:45 AM

The fretted bass has a similar shape to #12
 
Jazzyvee

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: jazzyvee on May 02, 2013, 08:43:57 AM

The fretted bass has a similar shape to #12
 
Jazzyvee

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: adriaan on May 29, 2013, 11:58:28 PM

This compilation was releasd in 1992 ...
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/164344.jpg)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: fretted4 on September 23, 2013, 04:52:33 PM

Im gettin curious again, I wonder if Alembic has the build sheet or info on the Stainless steel fingerboard alembic?? Mica??

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: mario_farufyno on September 25, 2013, 02:52:53 PM

Does someone know one music recorded with this SS fingerboard? I would love to hear how it sounds like...
 
(Message edited by mario farufyno on September 25, 2013)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: David Houck on September 26, 2013, 03:58:45 PM

Mario; as mentioned further upthread, it's probably the bass in this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T0Dq_SXaWc).

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: mario_farufyno on September 26, 2013, 11:06:32 PM

thanks, Dave

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: fretted4 on October 08, 2013, 04:34:01 PM

Hello again folks, seems like John's original graphite necked alembic thats been missing all this time has popped up on ebay!!! Could this be the very first graphite necked Alembic?? Check it out!  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alembic-Series-one-bass-1973-John-McVie-Fleetwood-Mac-/171145471120?pt=Guitar&hash=item27d910a490#ht_253wt_1141 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alembic-Series-one-bass-1973-John-McVie-Fleetwood-Mac-/171145471120?pt=Guitar&hash=item27d910a490#ht_253wt_1141)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: David Houck on October 10, 2013, 05:32:29 PM

Thanks for posting; very cool bass!

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: malthumb on October 11, 2013, 03:53:58 PM

Anybody else notice that the J McV pix posted by fretted4 and dluxe are nearly identical except for the outfit?  Very consistent posture.

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: moonliner on October 11, 2013, 06:27:02 PM

Yes, I've noticed that. Fingers or picking, gaze down and to the right :-)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: jacko on October 28, 2013, 04:55:03 AM

reports on the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24704029)that fleetwood Mac have cancelled the rest of their tour as John is being treated for cancer. My thoughts are with him and his family
 
Graeme

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: edwardofhuncote on August 28, 2014, 12:13:43 PM

I'm actually surprised there's that many pictures of John McVie... given his infamously camera-shy nature.  
 
I think maybe the quality I admire most about the guy, right after his inimitable playing style (which is another post altogether) is the quiet, supporting role he's played in Fleetwood-Mac all these years.  
 
I hear reliable reports he's made a recovery from cancer, laid down bass tracks with Mick this past Spring on the new Fleetwood Mac album, and is in rehearsal for another World Tour beginning next month, this time with Christine McVie back on board.  
 
Haven't seen him with any of the Alembics lately, but during the 2013 Tour, I got to meet his bass tech, who let me check out his road rack... there is one very interesting Turner Electroline in there that bears an uncanny resemblance to a quilted maple Alembic we used to see him play... I'm hesitant to post that here, but here's another I haven't seen on this thread:
 
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/197420.jpg)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: jseitang on August 30, 2014, 08:28:31 AM

funny you say, im actually getting a bass made that is inspired by the one above..its gonna have the same scale and body shape.

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: mtjam on August 30, 2014, 10:15:13 AM

Cool bass! That will look and sound great!

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: fretted4 on October 18, 2014, 10:39:11 PM

I had to steal this thread pic for this section....But I had to post it....John's stainless steel fretless series 1!!!
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/199257.jpg)
 
(Message edited by mica on October 20, 2014)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: fretted4 on October 18, 2014, 10:54:49 PM

Here is a pic from another thread, sorry guys!!! This one really stumps me....I thought I knew everything there was to know about his basses, guess not....Whats the deal with this bass???
  **the upload attachment is not working...click on the link****  http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/199036.html?1413629148 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8271)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: fretted4 on October 18, 2014, 11:12:51 PM

 

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: edwardofhuncote on October 20, 2014, 08:47:19 AM

That's awesome Rusty! If there's anything in the world that might get me on another airplane... that might do it. =)
 
Regarding this other bass that once belonged to McVie... having always wondered what bass was pictured on the box set, I too am anxiously awaiting the rest of it's story. That unusual (string-thru?) tailpiece almost reminds me of the one on The Godfather. Totally an uneducated guess on my part, but I wonder if John had the Elves do some mods on an older bass (maybe a secondhand victim of broken neck) for the purpose of touring without risk to #27 or the stainless steel fretless.

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: David Houck on October 20, 2014, 02:48:02 PM

The thread at the ball-end of the strings suggests that it is not a string-thru tailpiece.  And the combination of that beautiful top wood (I'm guessing Rosewood), neck inlays, tailpiece, and full superfilter, suggests that this is a custom build.  The only thing that seems (to me) out of place is that unusual peghead and the tuning pegs.  However, although it's hard to tell in the pictures we have at the moment, it does look like the peghead may have the same top wood as the body.  Another unusual feature is the truss rod cover.

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: edwardofhuncote on September 11, 2015, 05:24:26 AM

Spotted this one of Mac with #27... looks like this picture was made before the bird tailpiece and master volume mods. Pickups look like the black ones too. (didn't it get the caramel-colored ones later?)
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/213570.jpg)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: edwardofhuncote on November 11, 2015, 08:32:48 AM

Ran across this picture of McVie with post-mod #27 while looking for something else... 
 

(http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/221812.jpg)
 
 
Here's a little mystery I've been trying to figure out about John's Alembics. As far as I've even known, he's had four of them... the early Standard Point known to be #73-27. Then there's the Stainless Steel fingerboard Omega body, and the graphite-necked small standard body, both reportedly made in 1976 according to the History page. http://www.alembic.com/family/history.html (http://www.alembic.com/family/history.html) Lastly, a dark colored, mysterious Standard Point body with a Fender-shaped graphite neck, with custom inlay and possibly a super-filter. (as seen/discussed in this thread: http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8271.msg95573#msg95573
 
So I'm reading Ken Caillat's book, Making Rumours, and the fretless Alembic is mentioned several times as being used during the recording of the album, which began early in 1976. But he also mentions John's Alembic #33. Huh?!
 
So which one is being referred to? That dark Standard Point with the complex electronics is almost certainly newer than #73-33. I guess it's possible/likely Caillat (or his ghost writer) didn't know any different. 
 
Is it also possible Mac's been holding out on us? =) Anybody know? Just curious.

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: David Houck on December 12, 2015, 07:10:32 PM

Interestingly, #33 is in the Showcase three times, with three different owners.
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/1908.html?1033755887 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8515)
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/5494.html?1117685470 (http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/5494.html?1117685470)
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/210516.html?1449866073 (http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/210516.html?1449866073)

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: sonicus on December 12, 2015, 07:57:12 PM

Very interesting !  A popular instrument !

Title: John Mc Vie
Post by: edwardofhuncote on December 12, 2015, 08:49:52 PM

Ah.  I knew #73-33 was Todd's bass... right next to Wolf's, and the only one of the small-bodied basses McVie ever had (that I know of) was this graphite-necked prototype from 1976.  
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/222525.jpg)  
 
This may be a simple case of the author taking an artistic liberty. Hard to say, since of the 4 Alembics he's had, I have never read provenance of any other than old #27.

Title: Re: John Mc Vie
Post by: edwardofhuncote on September 27, 2016, 02:06:33 PM

Anyone recognize this early Alembic on McVie's Facebook page? It's not #27, but it's almost certainly from that same time frame.

https://m.facebook.com/1727753080847083/photos/a.1727757810846610.1073741828.1727753080847083/1727757720846619/?type=3&source=54

Doesn't even say it's his... maybe Mac spotted one that got by us all.  ;D

Title: Re: John Mc Vie
Post by: jseitang on September 28, 2016, 02:38:38 PM

this looks like mine .