Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Showcase => Custom Basses => Topic started by: rogertvr on April 12, 2004, 05:34:26 AM
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I thought it was time for me to share some photos of it that I've taken myself...
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/9432.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/9433.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/9434.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/9435.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/9436.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/9437.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/9438.jpg)
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Magnificent! Those knobs were a great choice. Very nice garden, too, BTW.
Sam
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Thanks Sam, I'll pass your comments about the garden on to Jacqueline - that's her domain not mine!
Roger
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A truly amazing work of art.
I think that I just figured out the difference between WANT and NEED. Was this made to your specifications? Enjoy!!
Ellery (Lowlife)
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awsome!!!! hey, do those eyes lite up?
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awsome!!!! hey, do those eyes lite up?
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To Ellery:
It was a Mark King Deluxe in a previous life ;-) I used the King Deluxe as my starting point because I liked the specification for the price. Series I was out of my league! As for specification, yes, I decided what I wanted on the bass. The shape is more of a story really - the body is a hybrid between something that I designed and something that Susan already had sitting in her archives. The rest is from Susan's imagination. The knobs are from Roger at THG Knobs and they are the result of ideas that we both had regarding knobs for the bass. In case you missed it, The Dragon's Wing was Featured Custom for January 2004... http://www.alembic.com/info/fc_dragonwing.html (http://www.alembic.com/info/fc_dragonwing.html)
Keavin:
No, the eyes don't light up - they're actually two green sapphires (Susan's idea and a great one it is too)!!
Cheers,
Roger
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Roger,
Absolutely outstanding bass! The body shape and the inlay are so totally in tune with each other. This is what custom is all about. I don't have the guts to go as far off the beaten path, but you and Susan certainly made it work.
Peace,
James
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Rog,
you know I love your DW and again many thanks that you allowed me to play it. It is really great.
Oliver (Spyderman)
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DITTO!
So nice to see it at home.....
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Roger,
These pictures are the first I've seen of your bass that really do it justice. The inlay colors really pop and the wood looks delicious. The carving on the peghead is exceptional. Overall, it is both a beautiful and dangerous looking instrument! You are most fortunate.
Jeff
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The dragon inlay is a killer ! I'd love to play your bass too, how does it sound compared to an ordinary MK ? BTW: Is there any kind of surface protection applied to the inlay or is there any kind of special treatment required to protect this fine piece of art vs. running-wild-slappers (like me for instance :-)
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Thanks everyone for your kind comments. I am indeed VERY fortunate!
I can't make a comparison to a Mark King, simply because I've never played one. Valentino is probably in the best position to comment on that.
The inlay is bare as best as I can tell. If I run a finger over it, it is completely smooth. If it is coated - it's a very thin coating! I suspect that there is no coating.
Cheers,
Rog
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The Dragon Wing sounds just like a typical Mark King Deluxe in coco bolo, which is to say, great. Just like my triple omega.
And yes, there's no coating on the fretboard inlay.
Valentino
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For anyone who hasn't noticed - The Dragon's Wing looks slightly different to a Mark King Deluxe ;-)
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I thought I noticed a few subtle differences from the pix of the MK deluxe...
Great looking bass. You can keep posting pictures as long as you have the energy. I love looking at it each time!!
Bill
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rog,
thanks so much for sending the pictures. i haven't figured out how to get them where i want them but i will. if you don't mind, could you please tell me about how much the dragon cost? if you don't want to post this, you can send it to me privately. i'm interested in getting a status buzzard but if the prices are comparable there's no doubt i'll try to have something like yours made. thanks again...
peter
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rog,
thanks so much for your reply. your ax is way out of my range but thanks for the tip about asking susan about alternatives. don't worrry about the pics, whenever you get to them will be just fine.
peter
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Just for fun. I do have the bigger file here if you like. This one's resized to 50%.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/9757.jpg)
Manfred
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Nice!!!!!!! I think a few people might be interested in the bigger version of that. Can you e-mail it to me please Manfred?
Thanks!
Roger
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Roger, sill no pics of you with your bass???? She's a beauty but I'd like to see the bass in context....i.e. strapped to a body !!!!!
stoney
(hey, nice knobs)
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Stoney,
how are you? I hope fine.
Here is the original link from Rog with some body shots when we all met in Hilversum.
http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/9231.html?1081171969 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=3034)
Oliver (Spyderman)
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Hey Oliver, it kinda looks like a Buzzard Bass with a Dungeons & Dragons makeover, doesn't it?
Mike
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Looks like the Dragon's Wing has found a mate, and begot this - this is from http://www.BassCentral.com (http://www.BassCentral.com) ...
(http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/12161.jpg)
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Adriaan,
yes I already saw it.
Have to start saving again.....
Oliver (Spyderman)
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I wonder if Mica would like to tell us if any other Dragon Wings have been built apart from the two we know about? I'd be interested to see if it's something that has any sort of appeal. Personally, I would have thought something this shape is *** very *** much down to personal taste!
Rog
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I believe Steve at Superbass has one as his personal instrument and Graham will be picking up a Quilted Maple version to bring back to England in mid-September.
I think that's it for now.
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Thanks for the info, Mica. And not to forget the one that is in Bass Central. That's three more than I thought would be built!
Rog
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I lemon oiled the fretboard today on the DW. Whilst the strings were off, I thought I would take some more photos. I'm not sure if I'm repeating myself here, please bear with me if I am!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/12313.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/12314.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/12315.jpg)
I know that there are a few 'photophiles' in here, I also thought it might be useful if someone wanted to see what these items look like for their own ideas/reference. Cheers! Rog
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Very nice indeed brother Roger.
How are you BTW??? Still at work?
Paul TBO
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I'm really good, thanks for asking, Paul. I'm still doing web development, working from home. It's great - it means on quieter days, I can go and play for an hour in my lunch break! Makes speaking with customers on the telephone a little difficult in the afternoon though due to the ringing in my ears ;-)
How are you? I hear on the grapevine something about you having lost your job? Is that true? I've been out of the Club for a while, simply because of the fact that I have been ridiculously busy with various things.
Rog
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Yep.
Well ...I stayed self-employed in this last job. I was kind of manager (together with a really nice guy) in an business-event company. The intention was to grow to communication services. The times are bad: the company lost a lot of projects in the first six months so the reserve to pay me had to be spend in another way. It was a risk ....and ...well it happened.
Oh well.
The light on the end of the tunnel is no a little further again. Luckyly: in the darl is distance neraly impossible to estimate. HA!
Paul the bad one
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Sorry to hear that, Paul. At least you tried - it could have come to something more. I wish you luck trying to find some more work!
Rog
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Mica:
How's about posting some pix of the UK Dragon Wing in Quilted Maple? Inquiring minds wanna know!
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I second that!
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Here's that Quilted Maple Dragon Wing:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/13015.jpg)
Sorry it's a little overexposed... can't wait to convert the old accounting office into my studio!
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Thank You, Mica...very, very nice. Think you can make me a scaled-down version of that in a six-string guitar? Droooooool, LOL!
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Ooooops ...this Dragonwing seems to be a Series-product (joking - but its IS a Series I no???)
Kevin, a Six-string guitar-guitar Dragonwing sounds pretty neat!! Mmmmm what electronics could we get in than??? I am for a a CAlifornia Special Electronics WITH tremelo???!?!
Paul TBO
Paul TBO
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Boy is that ever tasty. Kinda matches my Spyder.
California dreamin'....
Mike
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Oh Bad One:
Actually, I think it's just a signature electronics package, like the other DW's, but this one has the dummy hum canceller a la series.
I'm not sure about using this as a guitar template, but it would sure be interesting to say the least. As far as a Cali Custom goes, while I'm sure Alembic does it right, EVERY '80's metal/shred machine had that identical set-up. I have two period Jackson/Charvels with strat-type bodies and pointy (six-on-a-side tuners) headstock from '88 with the two SC and one HB active pickups with the locking tremelo (vibrato), shark-tooth MOP inlays, yada, yada. I rarely use the whammy bar (I also have two Strats with a wang bar and hardly use them either). I'd rather have a fixed bridge so the thing stays in tune (i.e., doesn't go flat) when you fret or bend and intonates properly up the neck, especially for jazz chords. I'm leaning towards Further/Tribute electronics or something custom. Series electronics are intimidating to me (and so is the price, LOL) as there is A LOT of complexity there with all the knobs/switches/etc and I don't much like the idea of being tied to a rack-mount power supply and umbilical.
We'll see. Part of me wants something different like a DW guitar or a balance-K style (like Jonathan's)...and another part of me wants something more traditional (Strat or Tele...possibly neck-through). Whatever it is, I don't want the thing to be too over-the-top as to make it unsuitable for varied styles and playing situations. I also don't want the thing to go out of style and look dated like my Charvels. Yes, I would like to be different...everyone seems to be going for a Tribute these days. Choices, Choices, Choices, LOL!
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Tele huh ....???
Well ... I AM tempted by that idea. I know there was once a custom order for Alembic to build a Tele-style guitar.
The Tele Deluxe model proves that there IS quite some place for electronics on the body. So ...a neck-through Tele style guitar (with a back leaning headstock like on the Alembic Jazz-bass copies for the UK), bookmatch to center Burl Walnut, Ebony laminates, Further Electronics, ...
Sounds great.
Paul the bad one
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It looks lovely in quited maple - lovely!
Has anyone apart from me noticed that the bottom straplock pin has moved location on all of the DWs since mine was built?
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Rog, Guys,
well the quilted Dragon looks really great.
Rog, remember my original speech about the straplock pin position?
Well, my Spyder8 is on it?s way to Germany now and after this I will continue with my Dragon Wing project.
Oliver (Spyderman)
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Hi Oliver,
I do remember your conversation about the straplock pin position. I tried holding my own DW last night with the strap in the new position - it didn't feel right but I guess that is probably because I've got used to it the way it is! There's not much difference though really - I don't think I want to go drilling another hole in it to find out which one I prefer!
Rog
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Well, as I've stated elsewhere I've been away for a while and am catching up with all the different threads. I have just one thing to say about the above....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Roger, that is a corker. Nice to know there are such awesome Alembics floating round (or maybe flying round in the case of the DW, lol)in the UK.
BTW the inlay is stupendous! I remember checking on the price for that before I ordered my Triple O; it was quickly removed from the equation! One day maybe....
Looks fab in maple too!
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Hi Guys, Bass World UK has the maple DW on their site for sale now. Asking price: GBP 9995 Many greetings Oliver (Spyderman)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/13985.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/13986.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/13987.jpg)
(Message edited by mica on November 09, 2010)
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Hi Guys,
Bass World UK has the maple DW on their site for sale now.
Asking price: GBP 9995
Many greetings
Oliver (Spyderman)
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hey are those series electronics? im looking @ that hum cancellor.
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It appears that it's just Signature Electronics with a 'dummy' humcanceller thrown in for aesthetics (and maybe even possible series future retrofit).
(Message edited by kmh364 on November 08, 2004)
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roger,
I remember this on the custom section, the dragon is absolutley stunning..I didn't think it was in good ol' blighty though.. do you play it anger on stage..if so I bet the audience are astounded if not the other band members would be.
Thats the great thing that separates Alembic from the rest..you can have anything you can imagine(cost effective!) plus you get THE SOUND.
terry
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roger,
I remember this on the custom section, the dragon is absolutley stunning..I didn't think it was in good ol' blighty though.. do you play it in anger on stage..if so I bet the audience are astounded if not the other band members would be.
Thats the great thing that separates Alembic from the rest..you can have anything you can imagine(cost effective!) plus you get THE SOUND.
terry
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Hi Terry,
Thanks for your kind comments! I'm certainly a very lucky guy.
It's not been out of the house since it arrived. I'm rather fearful that the undesirable element would take a liking to it, and whilst it's insured, it's irreplaceable. Another example couldn't be the same. Everyone who's seen it has been stunned by it though. Ask Oliver (aka Senmen), I met him in Hilversum when I collected it from Edwin at The Bass Connection. Oliver played it for a while, the thread is still around on the Club somewhere.
It's certainly a fine instrument!
Cheers,
Rog