Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Showcase => Epic Basses => Topic started by: albrecht on March 15, 2006, 08:20:18 AM

Title: What about this top-wood?
Post by: albrecht on March 15, 2006, 08:20:18 AM

I?ve just bought my second Epic (94W8703), a 4str that I?m really fond of. Now I can have one with classic Pyramid flatwounds, and my 6str Epic can keep the EBS-roundwounds on...I?m a bit curious about the top-wood on my 4str, it?s very different from the 6str?s. If you have some info I?d be happy to know. Thanx from frosty Sweden1(http://club.alembicguitars.com/Images/411/26309.jpg)

Title: What about this top-wood?
Post by: adriaan on March 15, 2006, 09:19:51 AM

My guess would be koa - 'all' my Alembics are koa, as you can see on my profile - and your Epic seem to be a fairly close relative of mine(http://club.alembicguitars.com/Images/411/4519.html?1055019057 (http://club.alembicguitars.com/index.php?topic=9030)).
 
If you change the position of the bass in the light, or even the camera angle, the figuring in the wood can look so different - that's a standard Alembic feature, courtesy of Mother Nature!
 
You can ask the build details by starting a new thread in the Owning an Alembic section, under Serial Number / History Requests.
 
I was in Gothenburg two weeks ago - they weren't used to having snow this late in winter? But I guess Uppsala is further up north.

Title: What about this top-wood?
Post by: David Houck on March 15, 2006, 09:29:41 AM

Beautiful top!  I think it's a Burl, possibly Madrone.
 
(Message edited by davehouck on March 15, 2006)

Title: What about this top-wood?
Post by: albrecht on March 15, 2006, 09:39:25 AM

hi alembicians...my other epic (6str) is not koa. after looking at your nice pix, adriaan, i?m not sure that it?s the same...it?s more quilted-like...we?ll see what people come up with? yep, we have the worst winter since 1942 (stalingrad...:-(!).kristjan....burl? madrone? don?t know about tehm, either, have to check!

Title: What about this top-wood?
Post by: mica on March 15, 2006, 10:17:50 AM

Hi Kristjan,
 
Here's what I found in the instrument file:
 
top: Koa
accent: Maple pinstripe
body: Mahogany
neck: Maple, 34 scale
fingerboard: Ebony
pickups: MXY
controls: volume, pan, bass, treble
output: mono 1/4 face-mounted
originally mde for: Guitar Center, Hollywood, CA
birthday: not recorded, but I estimate it as mid-November 1994.
 
There is no other repair or ownership history in the file. You should  register (http://www.alembic.com/cgi-bin/register.pl) your instrument if you haven't already done so.

Title: What about this top-wood?
Post by: David Houck on March 15, 2006, 07:08:19 PM

Adriaan; I was pretty sure it wasn't Koa.  Fortunately, I don't gamble.

Title: What about this top-wood?
Post by: albrecht on March 15, 2006, 10:40:49 PM

hi, adriaan! you were right on KOA. congrat! thanx mica, for all other details = impressive.

Title: What about this top-wood?
Post by: albrecht on March 15, 2006, 10:49:05 PM

...by the way, the only problem that arises when bringing Alembics to Sweden is the frets - in winter humidity goes down to zero and they come out real sharp and have to be filed (often several times). but it?s worth the hassle - i love my alembics. the epic is so easy on the shoulder and my F1-X & SF-2 provides the sound i want!