Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Showcase => Orion Basses and Guitars => Topic started by: FC Bass on November 12, 2014, 10:57:22 AM

Title: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: FC Bass on November 12, 2014, 10:57:22 AM
There will always be another :-)
 
Just picked up (no more will pick this up asap threads (http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/199899.html target=_blank))  this baby  
The other one 1998 Orion 5 fretless:  
 

(http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/200447.jpg)
 
 

(http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/200448.jpg)
 
 
Together with her Elite Orion fretless sister:

(http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/200449.jpg)
 
 
Together with her 5 string sister and granny in the back :-)

(http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/200450.jpg)
 
 
More and better pics will come asap.
 
Fun fact: Though I got my first Alembic 16 years ago and have taken custody of 5 others after that,  
I never ever played a set neck Alembic with the bass/treble setup until I got this one in my hands :-)
Come to think of it I only played two other Alembics in my life:  
The best bass I ever had in my hands Blondie (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8389) ('83 shortscale Series I)  
and Alembicclubber Marcky's (Vanderkley amps/cabs (http://www.vanderkleyamp.nl target=_blank), shameless plug) awesome  '77 Series I (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8475)
Title: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: FC Bass on November 22, 2014, 12:44:24 PM
Tried for some better pics this afternoon, thes babies are hard to capture! :-)  
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/201306.jpg)
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/201307.jpg)
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/201308.jpg)
   
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/201309.jpg)
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/201310.jpg)
   
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/201311.jpg)
  The Alembic family:  
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/201312.jpg)
Title: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: jazzyvee on November 23, 2014, 02:51:17 PM
A superb collection.
Title: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: pauldo on November 24, 2014, 01:45:24 PM
That Orion fretless truly is sexy.
What is the story on the neck?
Doesn't look like it goes all the way through the body - Is that a 'set neck' and how do the wizards at Alembic configure the setting (seating) of the neck?
Title: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: FC Bass on November 24, 2014, 02:59:09 PM
Thanx Jazzy and Paul!
 
The Epic, excel and Orion are set neck instruments. It looks like the neck runs as far as the truss rods cover goes:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/201511.jpg)
Title: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: edwardofhuncote on November 25, 2014, 05:19:49 AM
I always wondered how that set neck worked. So, this is a glue joint only... no dovetail or mortise?
Title: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: FC Bass on November 26, 2014, 05:58:22 PM
Here's a better view of the joint, I have no idea how it looks on the inside...  
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/201713.jpg)
Title: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: FC Bass on October 26, 2015, 01:30:34 PM
This one now has the EMW electronics package (East meet west, added Filter + Q switch)
Works great and sounds awesome! Best of both worlds, thanx Mica and crew! :-)
Title: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: FC Bass on October 26, 2015, 01:51:02 PM
And also a huge thank you for Gregory of course! :-)  Snapshot:  
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/221387.jpg)
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/221388.jpg)
Title: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: edwardofhuncote on October 26, 2015, 02:08:20 PM
Ahh... the East-Meets-West-Meets-Europe electronics package!  
 
Nice job with the sardines FC! That's a 3-position Q, yes?
Title: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: FC Bass on October 26, 2015, 05:07:21 PM
:-)
 
It's a 2 way switch, I was afraid 3 way wouldn't fit (though it now looks like it does, maybe I'll try it someday) :-)
Title: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: keith_h on October 26, 2015, 05:36:51 PM
It is a nice electronics package for a fretless isn't it.  
 
Keith
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/221397.jpg)
Title: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: edwardofhuncote on October 26, 2015, 05:49:57 PM
Indeed! ^^^
 
Keith's Orion Nebula is a lot of the reason I went this way on my fretless, though the controls will be arranged a little bit different than your basses are here.
Title: Re: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: FC Bass on May 13, 2016, 07:24:05 AM
Got a proper case for this one, I bought back the case of the sold Elan. Fits perfectly :-)

(http://www.fcbass.nl/orioncase.jpg)
Title: Re: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: FC Bass on May 13, 2016, 07:33:49 AM
The electronics are awesome indeed!

I find the bass and treble control very useful for fretless, when soloing the bridgepickup you can add lots of bottom while remaining that awesome "mwwhaaa"tone".
With the filter further toneshaping is a bit more intuitive for me, great combination! :D
Title: Re: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: FC Bass on June 04, 2025, 01:07:47 AM
First time for the Fretless Orion in moving pictures on YouTube! (there is some audio of this bass on the tube)
Metallica Until It Sleeps Bass cover, incl comparison between Zon and Alembic!

Title: Re: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: pauldo on June 04, 2025, 03:14:16 AM
Appreciate the Zon comparison.   8) 
Where’s the low B on each bass?
Title: Re: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: FC Bass on June 04, 2025, 04:30:05 AM
That's how Newsted recorded it, so I waited to install the B after my recording. (no worries, it's on there now) :-)
Title: Re: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: edwardofhuncote on June 04, 2025, 06:02:31 AM
Saw it on your YouTube channel... nice job. Must take a lot of concentration keeping all those ones and downstrokes consistent in tone and volume.

I didn't wanna' clutter up your comments section with geek-speak, but listening to the isolated bass section I was wondering about the Filter and Q-switch setting... (I had that super-secret piece of inside info on your modded Orion there...😄) Sounds like it was maybe... a bit less than halfway open? Sometimes it's harder to tell with a pick in use.
Title: Re: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: FC Bass on June 04, 2025, 06:37:36 AM
Thanx!
These are the settings on the Orion: Pan slightly towards the bridge pickup, filter at 3/4 with the Q boost on, slight bass boost, treble at center detent.
Title: Re: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: gearhed289 on June 04, 2025, 07:18:25 AM
Great bass! Great playing!
Title: Re: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: jazzyvee on June 04, 2025, 09:41:28 AM
That sounds great Flip. How have you found the east meets west package. Does the setup act like a mixer with the signals split after the pickups with the unprocessed signal going separately to both the  the filtered and the Bass/Treble modules in parallel then blended afterwards, or does the signal go in series from one circuit to the other?
Title: Re: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: FC Bass on June 04, 2025, 09:54:22 AM
Thanx both! :-)

I'm pretty sure the controls are in-line, not sure about the order. (omg, time flies... did the mod almost ten years ago)

Would be interesting to see if/how the order or parallel/in series makes a difference, but it's so tight in there I'm not gonna take the risk to experiment. (works great now)
Title: Re: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: edwardofhuncote on June 04, 2025, 10:05:55 AM
It's interesting; the East-Meets-West controls and how they just seem to be a perfect fit for a fretless. If I really want to increase that fretless 'presence' on my Custom, I'll often use a very similar setting to FC's here... pan to favor the bridge pickup, filter closed about halfway or more, Q-switch engaged, bass boosted a bit and treble set at center detent. Which is almost opposite of my usual setting, of panning to favor the neck pickup, opening the filter to about 75-80%, Q-switch either off or middle position, bass flat at center detent, treble with a bit of boost. With the Persuader 5-string I never feel like I need the bass and treble controls. It's just there already. Can't explain it. Those two basses respond a lot alike though.
Title: Re: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: jazzyvee on June 04, 2025, 12:18:39 PM
The reason I was thinking it might be parallel then mixed later in the path is that if the bass/treble was before the filter the treble might have less effect depending on the where the filter is positioned. Whereas the other way round the if the filter was first, you could be trying to boost frequencies with the treble control that have already been filtered out. So my limited modern electronics experience i would have thought parallel so you are mixing together two different toned signals to make one new one.

But what do I know.🤔🧐😂
Title: Re: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: FC Bass on June 04, 2025, 12:56:48 PM


You know enough to ask the question :-) (that's a whole lot more than the average person)


Thanx Edward for the great explanation! Agreed completely.


When I was in a more traditional band with more traditional fretless sounds, I found the bass control extremely useful. 
From a previous post: I find the bass and treble control very useful for fretless, when soloing the bridge pickup you can add lots of bottom while retaining that awesome "mwwhaaa" tone.
With the filter further tone shaping is a bit more intuitive for me, great combination!


The bass control is very powerful, hence the crackle in the sound with the louder parts. (overdriven interface, you can see it going red below my left arm)
Got to work on my Bob Rock skills :-)
I'm pretty sure the Treble control is stuck in the center dent position, more than enough highs for me in these basses.


When I was deciding on my custom basses, I also considered getting a fretted and fretless Spoiler 5. (instead of the Newsted set)
For the fretless I would have added the bass control for the bridge pickup only, combined with Series II electronics. (more than enough lows for me on the neck pickup)
I don't remember if that inquiry made it to Susan's desk, but will definitely ask for it if the opportunity arises again some day. Still dreamin' about those Spoilers  8)


With the fretted basses I don't miss the controls at all, as Edward said:  "it's all there"  :)

Title: Re: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: FC Bass on June 04, 2025, 01:08:15 PM
Looked into it: The Spoiler set made it to Susans desk, but the bass control is not mentioned in the quote.  Would have been something to Iron out along the way I guess :-)
Title: Re: '99 Orion 5 fretless
Post by: jazzyvee on June 04, 2025, 03:43:52 PM
I remember way back probably around the time I got my S2, I thought about having a bass boost switch added to the bass but with an internal pot so i could preset a particular frequency between about 80Hz to 120hz, then have a three position switch so I could select different boost options. I think I may have mentioned it to alembic way back then but I didn't follow it up so I guess it wasn't that important.