Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Showcase => Series I Basses and Guitars => Topic started by: mizpah on January 26, 2006, 08:24:14 AM
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Here's a picture of my Blonde Beauty, a long scale Series 1 in Satinwood with a Maple fingerboard! You can find full details from Mica in the thread >Owning an Alembic>History Reports.(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/24515.jpg)
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Oh yeah, now that's a bass! The maple finger board looks great. I'm guessing here, but does it make the overall sound a little brighter?
Ellery (Lowlife)
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Thanks Ellery, Compared to my last Series 1 with a standard Ebony fingerboard it is brighter and the tone is just, well, different.
Robin (Mizpah)
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Wow. That's the only Alembic I've ever seen with a maple fingerboard. It's a beauty!
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Is this PhotoShop? I thought there were NO ALEMBICs with maple fingerboards? I'd sure as hell like to read the Birth Certificate from the serial number for THIS one!
J o e y
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Excuse me . . . I just went back and read the exchange with Mica about the serial number. I was so flabbergasted by the photo I didn't read the post about the histroy request.
OK, 'Tuesday Afternoon' in G, 1-2-3-4 . . . .
J o e y
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Joey,
There have been two or three, if I remember correctly. There just won't be any more than the ones already made.
Brad
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Do you have any recent pictures? I love to see how this Satinwood beauty has gracefully aged.
Oh no! I caught the pictures pictures disease.
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Hehehe ...yeah Mica ...only the banging with empty bottles on tables is missing!
Aaaahlalalaa ...those were the days!
Paul the bad one
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LOL!!! Yes, if Mica is asking for pictures then it's a must see!
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Mica,
As I'm sure you know, it doesn't really exist unless there is photographic evidence.
I'm not concerned, since the pictures pictures disease is really a mild condition. When you start talking about acquiring some of Paul's stockings, then we'll know that things are truly not right.
Brad
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BTW, what is 'Satinwood'?
J o e y
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Well, I'm curious too, to tell the truth. I recognized it as the one from the old brochure before I saw the history request. That's the way it looked when it was new.
Joey, here's a brief description:
http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/s1/satinwoo.asp (http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/s1/satinwoo.asp)
Valentino
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You're absolutely right, that was the picture from the old catalogue. Here are some up to date pics taken by my daughter. Sorry for the delay but the bass is still in England and I'm in New York. Robin
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/24643.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/24644.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/24645.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/24646.jpg)
(Message edited by mica on January 29, 2006)
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And now ladies and gentlemen, may I present for your consideration Lot #2 LOL Enjoy
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/24654.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/24655.jpg)
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And Hop...
About 832 brothers dreaming about a future Alembic with a maple neck ...like throwing a stone in a silent pond!!
ts-ts-ts-ts you started something ...but ...it IS a LOOKER!
Paul the bad one!
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Just beautiful! That's a keeper!
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I Just noticed that this one looks like it got series II guts at some point and a relocated selector switch.
It has aged beautifully, congratulations.
Valentino.
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Very cool! As I stare at the photo's I'm trying to envision what Moody Blues songs were played/recorded with that bass. In fact looking back over the years, it's amazing to realise after ther fact, how much of the music I loved was performed on Alembics! Very cool indeed!
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I was talking with Martin Peterson at The Gallery in London www.thebassgallery.com (http://www.thebassgallery.com) and he told me that he had moved the selector switch for a previous owner and also refinished the bass in a satin finish. If you look closely you can see that he has used a sterling silver Alembic motif set in mother of pearl to fill the hole up. I don't know that you are right about the Series II electronics though. What makes you think that Valentino?
Robin
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Well, in the bottom picture there are 3 pointer knobs which means 2 CVQs & a selector switch; you can also see a fifth 'top hat' (round) knob in bottom picture, which should be the master volume, which is not present in the catalog shot; you can see in that picture that there is only one pointer knob for the selector switch on the lower horn along with four 'top hat' knobs and 2 flip switches, which are nowhere to be seen in the bottom shot.
The CVQs that replace the flip switches and the master volume are the only things that distinguish series II electronics from series I. Better for you.
Valentino
(Message edited by valvil on January 29, 2006)
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Thank you kind sir, I obviously have a lot more to learn.
Robin
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hey there,this is my old bass!i bought the bass off of martin at the gallery.i had it for a while and chris that was working with martin at the time helped me with the re-location of the pick up selector.i actually drilled the hole,but because of the hight of the switch internally,slight routing insde of the cavity was needed.the inlay was actually an alembic logo necklace that came with the bass.i measured the hole using the original brass plate,and using abalone cut and filed to all the nook and cranies in and around the logo,inlayed them perfectly,and placed the logo onto a thin wood vaneer,and slipped it into the pick-up selector hole!it took a while to do but it looked great.i took it back to the gallery in london to get them to put some laquer over it but they messed it up.so i then spent a long time removing the laquer and eventually re-finishing in oil.but i made sure that i did a top job.
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as for the electronics,i contacted alembic and bought the additional components to upgrade to a series 2,and after confirming the serial number i also got them to supply me with the 'alembic'lettering to go with the silver peghead logo.when i sold the bass-[because the bridge was set too far back,hence the intonation could never be spot on[a manufacturing error i suppose]i also included the original pick-ups,and a pete cornish converted power supply.
this was a nice bass,had a low,low action and a really 'kind' sound.and yes i do miss it.
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Thanks for the info Paul, it's good to get feedback and to fill in the gaps in the history.
Robin
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If the bridge placement is truly a problem, then there are a few options for resolving it.
From what I can see in the third photo, it looks like there is no sustain block. That's too bad, because the easiest thing would have been to get a new block, and drill the bridge mounting screw holes off-center.
Given that, another alternative would be to get a replacement bridge, or possibly just the two short side rails, with the mounting screws off center.
(We talked about both of these, to extend my 35 1/2 fretless to a full 36, but it seemed not worth the bother.)
Another option would be to remove the threaded inserts in the body, fill the holes, re-drill and replace the inserts. Might just barely be visible, and there is some risk it would change the tone slightly, and I would prefer to modify the bridge (or add a sustain block).
Finally, before even worrying about this, see whether the intonation is really a problem for you. The saddle position you need will depend on the strings and your playing style, so maybe it's not even an issue at all. Just be sure you understand this thoroughly before you consider doing anything further (including worrying).
Looks like a wonderful bass, enjoy.
-Bob
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Wonderful bass indeed, just wondering if you really need a drastic solution to the problem with the bridge.
The bridge looks much like the one on my 32 scale Spoiler, which is quite a bit shorter than the one on my 34 Epic. So replacing the bridge with a full-sized one might already do the trick - well, as long as you don't mind replacing the original bridge.
Are you by any chance using ultralight strings?
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To tell the truth, I've never noticed any problems with the intonation and certainly no-one else has ever mentioned it to me. I think the problem could well have been to do with the strings. When I first got the bass I the strings were shot and I tried lots of different makes/sizes of strings to get the feel that I wanted. I finally settled on Elite S/S 40-100 which seem to suit me best. (Although I'm always open to sugestions)
Robin
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Sorry about the confusion regarding the bridge - and good to hear it's no longer a problem.
I would say we can expect someone with 42 in their user name to be using ultra-light strings ... but to each their own!
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hi,i actually use elites nickel 40-100.the bass does have a sustain block too.and the way to solve the intonation problem is to re-route and either bring the block a 1/4 inch forward or make a bigger block[as some old alembics have]also i do know that the peghead was repaired early in it's life by alembic.andy warnock of dartford england[by far the best guitar repairer and set up guy i know]measured the distance from nut to bridge etc and basically told me the problem.
i think mizpah actually played in a tina turner tribute band with andy if i remember? and didnt you own norman watt-roys old alembic?
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You've been doing some digging!, and I'm still sorry that I parted with Normans old series 1. That bass had a really fast action and it wasn't so precious that I couldn't take it out and do ordinary gigs with it.
I'll check out the measurement but it really doesn't give me any headaches.
Keep the faith,
Robin