Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Showcase => Custom Basses => Topic started by: lidon2001 on May 15, 2006, 09:24:22 PM

Title: E.T.
Post by: lidon2001 on May 15, 2006, 09:24:22 PM: May I present E.T. Mica just sent me this pic and I hope she won't mind me sharing it with the club. Should be here soon! 32 scale, 1.5 nut, 6230 frets, FatBoys, ash body, 3+1 Orion peghead, frets buried to 22nd, bird tailpiece (nice surprise!), red LED's, Essence electronics with 3 way q swtich, and of course, more amboyna. Nothing fancy on the back.

Thanks again to everyone!

T

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/28133.jpg)
Title: E.T.
Post by: tom_z on May 15, 2006, 10:23:51 PM: Very nice Tom. Is there a slight stain at the edge or is it just an optical illusion? In any case that is a beautiful bass. Congrats.

Peace
Tom
Title: E.T.
Post by: lidon2001 on May 15, 2006, 11:34:33 PM: Hi Tom,

Thanks! It does have a vermilion accent laminate too. I think that might be what you are seeing. Possibly some reflection from the carpet as well.

T

(Message edited by lidon2001 on May 15, 2006)
Title: E.T.
Post by: lidon2001 on May 18, 2006, 07:19:42 PM: It made it home safe and sound. And it sounds better than it looks!. The neck profile is perfect for me. Another amazing instrument from our good friends at Alembic.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/28294.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/28295.jpg)
Do I spy a center neck lam of Flame Maple?
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/28296.jpg)
And I said the back was "nothing fancy". I stand corrected.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/28297.jpg)
Title: E.T.
Post by: David Houck on May 18, 2006, 07:20:19 PM: Nice bass!
Title: E.T.
Post by: David Houck on May 18, 2006, 07:23:13 PM: And the new pics look great!
Title: E.T.
Post by: olieoliver on May 18, 2006, 07:27:22 PM: Very nice axe. The rear of the neck is WAY cool.
Title: E.T.
Post by: effclef on May 19, 2006, 06:05:59 AM: The 3/1 headstock is super looking!

What are 6230 frets compared to their normal bass ones?

Also, what does frets buried to 22nd mean?

EffClef
Title: E.T.
Post by: effclef on May 19, 2006, 06:18:38 AM: And round fretboard dots!!! Another unusual Alembic feature! Wow.

EffClef
Title: E.T.
Post by: lidon2001 on May 19, 2006, 09:52:34 AM: Hi Eff,

Thanks for looking! Yes, I agree, the headstock came out great. I had ordered the 3+1, and when I saw how they were making PJ's on his custom, I asked for a similar one.

Alembic uses jumbo frets, and the 6230 fret wire is like the vintage Fender size frets. When I had my Strat and Jazz refretted I used the same gauge, so I wanted the same on these instruments. The Dunlop website has all of the technical specs of their various fret wires.

Normally, if you ask for a 32 scale Essence, they move the bridge slightly forward to make up the difference in scale length so that you have full access to all the frets. I had them keep the bridge in the 34 scale position so that the first couple frets are buried and brings the nut a bit closer to the body. A small detail they executed just how I wanted it.

And the dots, yes, I do prefer them. I LOVE the abalone ovals on my MK, but in general I'm a dot kind of guy. And since I was ordering them, I did it my way.

T
Title: E.T.
Post by: basstard on May 21, 2006, 12:19:24 AM: The 3+1 Orion headstock is teh sexxx (as a 1337 teenager would state it, lol)! I think I like it more than a traditional in-line one.

A sweet petite bass :-) Congrats!
Title: E.T.
Post by: lidon2001 on June 06, 2006, 08:23:50 AM: Thanks Jared! This bass is nothing but fun to play.

Just received my custom control knobs from THG. Amazing work!
Title: E.T.
Post by: bigredbass on June 06, 2006, 05:55:15 PM: MORE wood from Mars ! !

I have a . . . ahem . . . small confession to make: I HATE the cone pegheads!!! This 3+1 just REALLY sets off the rest of this bass, and the center-to-center matched top is a nice 'break' from the usual as well. The Emperor Ming (bird) tailpiece always says 'ALEMBIC' to me, I prefer it to the half-moon tailpiece usually found on the Essence.

Nice touches, great taste, very interesting axe. Good for You!!

J o e y
Title: E.T.
Post by: olieoliver on June 06, 2006, 07:40:58 PM: Your bass looks great! I just ordered some kobs for my Alembics from THG. They really set the bass off!
Title: E.T.
Post by: effclef on June 07, 2006, 09:46:10 AM: T, thanks for the explanation on the frets. I started out on an Aria Pro II bass and I think those frets were smaller than the usual jumbo bass frets. I found that easier to play, actually.

Ah, moving the fingerboard into the body wings, excellent! Who actually plays above the 20th fret, regularly? I would say the comfort in the first position more than makes up for that. Super.

A real work of art. Bravo. Might I ask the approximate price you paid? This is the kind of custom I might undertake (someday). OK if you don't want to say.

EffClef
Title: E.T.
Post by: lidon2001 on June 07, 2006, 10:14:42 AM: Thanks for everyone's comments.

Andy, you can email me at aol dot com. We'll discuss.

T
Title: E.T.
Post by: trekster on June 07, 2006, 11:08:09 AM: Nice to see someone else have a Essence with a joined-to-center top! I don't feel so alone anymore!
Title: E.T.
Post by: lidon2001 on June 22, 2006, 03:09:59 PM: Well, Jeff, technically, with this bass being a "C" code, you're still somewhat solo in the Essence bookmatch to center arena. But it's close enough. lol No email from Andy, but the base retail price was just a few hundred more than an Essence. Here's the missing pic from above + one more:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/29260.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/29261.jpg)
Title: E.T.
Post by: richbass939 on June 28, 2006, 06:57:14 PM: Beautiful! Those knobs are way cool.
Rich
Title: E.T.
Post by: roberto on August 11, 2006, 07:12:58 PM: Hi!
Great looking bass!I was wondering how does it sound,with an ash body?I mean compared with mahogany.
Does it have a solid low end?Cause I am to order a custom bass and am thinking of ash ,to get a lighter weight.
Thanks.
Title: E.T.
Post by: lidon2001 on August 12, 2006, 09:55:05 AM: Hello Roberto,

Thanks for your kind words. Since only my guitar has a Mahogany body, I can't really comment on sound of Mahogany in an Alembic bass. But the tone of this bass is big, solid, full, with more of a mid-range punch vs. my Mark King Deluxe with a Coco top and Vermilion body. It has more of a, dare I say, Fender type tone vs. my King, but is still has everything you would want and expect from a neck-through Alembic. My King Deluxe has a much more deep & complex tonal character, the Signature electronics provide a wider tone palette, and it remains the king of basses in the house. But it's a tough decision as to which one I pickup to play. They both are amazing. I recently swapped the neck FatBoy pickup with the King's AXY bridge pickup so now both basses have a FatBoy in the bridge position and a regular AXY at the neck.

You would want to speak with Susan, Mica, or Valentino about the weight issues as they would have more experience with wood density. This bass is somewhat lighter than my King Deluxe, but it is a very small bass and I don't think there would be much weight savings if I had built my King with an Ash body. If weight is an issue, you might want to consider having your bass chambered.

Hope this helps,

Tom

(Message edited by lidon2001 on August 12, 2006)
Title: E.T.
Post by: roberto on August 17, 2006, 10:05:35 PM: Hi Tom,
Thank you very much for the complete explanation regarding the body woods.
I am going to order a customised 7strings Essence,with a pair of Fatboys,just like your superb bass.Would you be kind enough to tell me why you switch the neck pickup?Cause I read in one thread regarding FATBOYS,that they tend to overload,and are too much, in the neck position.I dont really understand what that means.So If you could share your experience of having a pair of FATBOYZ compared to Fatboy+AXY, I would be very grateful.
By the way,the top wood look very,very,very nice!
thank you very much.
Regards
Roberto..
Title: E.T.
Post by: roberto on August 17, 2006, 10:13:07 PM: Tom,I forgot something:
What are those switches for?and does the dot marker cost cheaper than standard pearl inlays?If you dont mind,please email me.
My email is :robert_hotwani@yahoo.com (mailto:robert_hotwani@yahoo.com)
Thanks Tom!
Title: E.T.
Post by: keavin on August 18, 2006, 09:37:57 AM: Red LED's,(switch) Essence electronics with 3 way q swtich, and of course.
Title: E.T.
Post by: roberto on August 21, 2006, 09:13:39 AM: thanks!
Roberto
Title: E.T.
Post by: lidon2001 on August 21, 2006, 10:05:13 AM: Hello Roberto,

The dots were actually $0 on the retail quote I received from Alembic on this custom bass. But again, this being a C code bass, one can't really judge the price since it was a one off. I would assume if you were upgrading an Essence from no inlays to dots it would be the same as the regular ovals, or if the model you are choosing has ovals already it would be a no charge change.

Hope that helps, and thanks Keavin!

Tom
Title: E.T.
Post by: lidon2001 on August 21, 2006, 11:03:33 AM: I'm sorry Roberto, I didn't catch your first post about the FatBoys.

I would suggest NOT having a FatBoy in the neck pickup. My experience, like the others here, found it was too boomy, just too much, but I had to find out for myself. I was going for overkill, and I succeeded. Luckily, I was able to swap it with the bridge pickup of my MK, and so now both of my basses have the FatBoy at the bridge and a standard AXY at the neck. I like soloing the bridge pickup, and the FatBoy works very well in that position. The regular AXY gives much more definition on the neck pickup, and gives all the bottom end one really needs or could ever ask for. Ok, except for a real Series...

Moral of the story? The good folks' experience shared here is correct, and I should have heeded their wise insights. It worked out great for me since I had another bass to swap the pickup with and the cable was long enough to make the swap.

I look forward to seeing your bass. Alan, ajdover, recently put in a post about what to consider prior to your order or to at least bring up when working out the details with Alembic, and he gave great insight with regard to string gauge and other areas that will ensure you get the bass you want. The only thing I would then stress is the neck dimensions. Know the dimensions of what you want, including frets, and be sure to let them know. Mine were pretty easy. Stanley's, 1960 thin Les Paul with 6230, and 1.5 thin jazz bass with 6230 on this custom. I love Stanley's profile, and they carved the necks just how I wanted on the other two. I'll assume since this is a 7 string, that the neck dim's are high on your list.
Title: E.T.
Post by: roberto on August 22, 2006, 06:52:57 AM: Hi Tom.
Thank you very much for your detailed explanation.Actually I was thinking the same thing too about FATBOYS.At present I own 5 and 6 strings Persuaders.I plan to switch the neck pickup to one of them if I think it was too much for the the new bass.
Im still working the details of specs with Mica,cause I really want to be sure that it will be a killer axe,but at the same time I should be able to master it in my hands.
Its gonna be a medium scale with custon neck dimension.One thing I still am realy worried is he body width,cause smaller means comfortable for standing,but not for sitting down.
Im still trying to figure out he best body width of my future bass.
Thank you very much Tom.
Best regards.
Title: E.T.
Post by: adriaan on August 22, 2006, 07:10:02 AM: Roberto, have you considered the 3/4 size Spoiler body shape?

Check the picture on my profile to see the relative sizes of a Spoiler and an Epic. An Essence has an even smaller body than the Epic, so the difference might be too much for you.

--- I mentioned the Spoiler since most Persuaders have the same body shape.

(Message edited by adriaan on August 22, 2006)
Title: E.T.
Post by: lidon2001 on August 22, 2006, 07:42:36 AM: Moder Dave had a FatBoy installed in between the pickups on his now three pickup Essence. Maybe we can get an current review of his experience with his FatBoy placement.
Title: E.T.
Post by: David Houck on August 22, 2006, 08:16:02 PM: Tom;
- Actually, a previous owner installed the middle pickup. I had Alembic reinstall it properly and wire in the selector switch (and Q) for it.
- And actually, I have no idea whether it's a FatBoy or AXY; I don't know how to tell them apart. My guess is that it's not a FatBoy, but I don't know.
- While I play this bass pretty much every day, and most days several times a day, I actually rarely plug it in, and thus have not really taken the time to become familiar with the new electronics setup yet. Since my main rig is setup for the S1, I guess I need to take the time to setup the Eden to get the most out of the Essence.
Title: E.T.
Post by: lidon2001 on August 22, 2006, 08:46:48 PM: Thank you for the clarification!

T
Title: E.T.
Post by: roberto on August 23, 2006, 09:53:49 PM: Adriaan,
Thanks gor the info.
Do you mean the 88 Koa top Spoiler?
I saw it and it looked very wide.Does Alembic offer 3/4 Spoiler as standard option?My 5str Persuader is 37cm and my 6str is 39cm.
I was thinking of 35cm plus long upper horn.It could mean custom template.
Roberto
Title: E.T.
Post by: bob on August 23, 2006, 10:53:33 PM: Dave - you cannot visually distinguish a current production FatBoy from an AXY (so stop staring :-). However, it occurs to me that you should easily be able to detect a weight difference, if you're willing to go to the effort of pulling them out and putting them on a scale, due to the much larger magnet in the FatBoy.

I really think it would be beneficial if Alembic made it a little easier, perhaps simply by scratching something into the back side while the potting material was still soft (they mold the shell, stick in the magnet/coil, then fill it). I happen to have a custom AXY that is personally engraved by Mica in just this way.

Or perhaps they could publish the average weights, for both the 4 and 5/6 string versions, so that if you only have one in hand you have a good chance of figuring out what it is.

For anyone else interested in FatBoy vs. AXY comparisons, Joey has started a discussion over here. (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=19960) (Just skip right over most of the first sentence...)

Hey Joey, have you got a scale?
-Bob
Title: E.T.
Post by: adriaan on August 24, 2006, 02:27:25 AM: Roberto,

I've started a separate thread here -
3/4 Spoilers (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=3849) - the only problem is that the pictures are probably of full-size Spoilers.

(Message edited by adriaan on August 24, 2006)
Title: E.T.
Post by: bumhucker on August 25, 2006, 09:29:15 AM: couldn't you tell the difference with an ohmeter?--i assume they would read differently.
Title: E.T.
Post by: roberto on August 25, 2006, 08:24:04 PM: Tom,
Did you receive my mail reply?Cause a couple of times I tried to reply ,the mail was sent back ,marked asreturned.
Robert
Title: E.T.
Post by: roberto on August 25, 2006, 08:34:10 PM: Adriaan,
Thank you very much for your kind attention.
Your Spoiler look fantastic!I think Spoilers and Persuaders have similar shape.For 24th neck width of 9cm the body width would be too big and heavy,specially for standing position.Also neck heavy.I once owned a 5str Spoiler
I ll try to find out what 3/4 body width is.And I am thinking of a longer upper horn.
Regards
Robert
Title: E.T.
Post by: lidon2001 on October 12, 2007, 02:46:11 PM: I know they're busy, but I like pics...

Amboyna in the sun - I love this wood! The bass is rather nice too; it's the first one I grab.

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/44941.jpg)
Title: E.T.
Post by: the_8_string_king on October 12, 2007, 05:42:27 PM: Beautiful picture, absolutely stunning! Of course, I've seen your ET beauty before... but I appreciate your sharing this latest picture!
Title: E.T.
Post by: lidon2001 on October 12, 2007, 06:12:02 PM: Thanks Mark. The other pics of it just didn't do it justice, and I finally got a good one that was in focus!

(I was saving my comments on your new beauty until it's chosen for FCOTM)
Title: Re: E.T.
Post by: lidon2001 on May 15, 2016, 07:55:27 AM: To the top! This little beauty arrived at my door 10 years ago today and is still going strong. I enjoy it as much today as I did when it first came. It was nice to get her out on stage for the first time. A blend pot with a single filter and q switch is plenty of tonal options. And the side LED's really do help, as well as distract the singer who couldn't stop looking at them.

T