Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Community => Gatherings => Topic started by: lbpesq on July 22, 2015, 08:32:03 PM

Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: lbpesq on July 22, 2015, 08:32:03 PM
Brother Slawie is coming to town from Australia.  While he's here Wolf (Sonicus) & I thought it would be fun to have a mini gathering.  We're looking at Sunday afternoon, August 2nd.  It will be at my place where we had last September's gathering.  Full studio with amps, drums, P.A. and a fridge.  So who's in?
Let us know and I'll send out directions.
 
I'm really looking forward to watching Slawie play as I've never seen someone play upside down before!
 
hehehehe
 
Bill, tgo
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: sonicus on July 22, 2015, 09:00:03 PM
I look forward to this !  
 
 Wolf
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: hieronymous on July 23, 2015, 03:36:17 PM
I'm in! I was so bummed to think I might miss it if it was this week, but Aug. 2 I can do!
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: StephenR on July 23, 2015, 04:07:43 PM
Would love to come hang with you guys but won't be back from Alaska until the 4th.  
 
Is the September meet still happening?
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: lbpesq on July 23, 2015, 05:00:26 PM
AFAIK it is.  This one is just an impromptu little get together while Slawie visits from down under.
 
Bill, tgo
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: slawie on July 23, 2015, 08:59:10 PM
Well it looks as if I have to be there ;)
Really looking forward to this
Hang with some great players and jam.  
Big fat Cheshire grin on my face at the moment as I just
got back from the factory and my bass sounds the best it
has for years. No access to amp at the moment so Sunday
Will be the first time the I can reacquaint myself with the Alembic series I sound.  
Everyone at Alembic are just the nicest people on the planet.  
 
slawie
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: sonicus on July 23, 2015, 09:10:01 PM
Slawie,  
            it is indeed great to read of your visit to the factory with your Series I back in order. I look forward to hearing you play that beautiful fretless of yours .  
 
 Wolf
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: lbpesq on July 28, 2015, 04:58:02 PM
How about Sunday at 2:00 p.m.?  Does that work for everyone?
 
Slawie, (and anyone else), if you let me know where you're coming from, I can send you directions.  
 
Bill, tgo
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: sonicus on July 28, 2015, 05:01:06 PM
It works for me .  
 
 
 Wolf
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: hieronymous on July 29, 2015, 02:44:39 PM
Should work for me, though I might be a little bit late.
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: slawie on July 30, 2015, 08:49:59 AM
That time would be perfect for me although I have been looking forward to this since the announcement. Catching up with like minded folks and jamming is for me an exciting prospect  
An address would be extremely helpful.  
Slawie
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: lbpesq on July 30, 2015, 09:07:32 AM
Slawie:
 
Let me know where you will be coming from and I'll email you directions.   If you just get the address and rely on GPS, there's a good chance you won't find it.
 
Bill, tgo
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: ed_zeppelin on July 30, 2015, 10:42:58 AM
>>>I'm really looking forward to watching Slawie play as I've never seen someone play upside down before!
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: lbpesq on July 30, 2015, 01:39:44 PM
Mr. Zep:
 
First of all, you do realize that Bill, tgo stands for Bill, the guitar one?  
 
I've never heard about the Bulgarian prison guards, though I have heard:  What do you call a guitar player who breaks up with his girlfriend?  Homeless
 
And I've heard that all bass players were sour-faced except for Paul McCartney!
 
Your story about opening the fridge reminds me of the instructions that came with the Pignose amp I bought new while in college.  It was suggested that the player should have a friend open and close Pignose while the player plays for a cool effect!  Groovy, huh?
 
Are you considering coming down?  You might want to wait until September for the official gathering - we usually get at least two dozen players and instruments, but you're certainly welcome this Sunday.  And if you leave anything behind, I can return it as I'll be driving through Eugene on my way to Seattle for Hempfest in a couple of weeks.
 
Bill, tgo
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: lbpesq on July 31, 2015, 07:13:31 PM
Wolf, Harry, a drummer friend, and I will be welcoming brother Slawie from down under on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.  There should be at least ten Alembics present.   Anyone else is, of course, more than welcome.
 
Bill, tgo
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: hieronymous on August 03, 2015, 09:03:47 AM
The Mini-Gathering was fun - too tired to do a bunch of pictures now (it's been a LOOOONG few days) - but here's one for now:
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/211644.jpg)
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: sonicus on August 03, 2015, 09:57:15 AM
I had a wonderful time !  
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/211649.jpg)
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: sonicus on August 03, 2015, 10:06:52 AM
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/211652.jpg)
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: lbpesq on August 03, 2015, 10:25:58 AM
I took the picture!
 
(And a fine time was had by all)
 
Bill, tgo
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: slawie on August 03, 2015, 10:33:33 AM
Thank you guys so much. I had a blast!
For next time I will be prepared with some Dead tunes.  
Bill thanks for making your home available.  
Harry thanks for letting me play your double neck
Wolf thanks for he inspiration to keep practising  
You guys are the best!
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: sonicus on August 03, 2015, 10:49:52 AM
Slawie , It was great to meet you ! Thanks for letting me try to play your wonderful beautiful bass !  
 
   Wolf
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: hieronymous on August 03, 2015, 11:40:44 AM
Here's a couple of action shots - one of the nice things about the Gatherings is that we get to hear what these wonderful instruments sound like! It was great getting to play Slawie's bass, it's definitely a close cousin to the doubleneck. Bill's friend Rich played drums on some tunes, Wolf & I sat in on a couple as well.  
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/211660.jpg)
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/211661.jpg)
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: ed_zeppelin on August 03, 2015, 03:20:09 PM
I would love to see the amps as well. I even like bad amps. Frank Zappa said; talking about music is like whistling about fish, and I can think of no better example than discussing amps. Even with basses or guitars, you have a rough idea in your head of how they sound; Paul's Hofner, Chris Squire and Geddy's Ricky 4001s, Jaco's Jazz bass and of course: Stanley Clarke's Alembic ...
 
But as far as amps go, we're like geezers poring over the racing forms, comparing statistics and making wild guesses about the outcome.  
 
I still think the best bass amp I've ever used was my high school's old, beat up Standel Studio 60 bass amp. It was so clean, and those four JBL 12s thumped you in the solar plexus so good sometimes it was hard to stand upright, if you follow my drift (wink, nudge).
 
I'm always interested in what people are using, especially because a great deal of my gigs are on upright, so I have to use two systems and A/B them between the Alembic Series 1 and my string bass' Fishman Bass Blender ( http://www.fishman.com/files/acoustic_blender_system_user_guide.pdf (http://www.fishman.com/files/acoustic_blender_system_user_guide.pdf) )  
 
I think every bassist needs one of those, by the way. It's a dandy direct box, with either mic, transducer or both. You can use ALL the outputs at once, in any configuration, it mounts on a mic stand and gives you complete control without even having to bend over or turn around to twiddle knobs.  
 
Those basses are so beautiful. Man, I envy you. That must have been an amazing time. Nothing I like better than groovin' away an afternoon with music pals.
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: David Houck on August 03, 2015, 03:44:37 PM
Pictures!!
 
Looks great; thanks for the report!
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: lbpesq on August 03, 2015, 04:13:30 PM
We had two bass rigs:
 
1.  My studio bass rig consisting of a GK Backline 600 through a 2x10 cab.  Wolf added his IN-2 and SF-2 to the signal chain.
 
2.  The rig belonging to the bass player in Stonetrout, my regular band, consisting of an SF-2 into a Traynor head into an Acoustic bottom (1x15, IIRC).
 
I played through my latest set up.  An F-2B into a Carvin DCM200L into a pair of 1x12s loaded with JBL K120s, one with a hemp cone.
 
Bill, tgo
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: hieronymous on August 03, 2015, 05:50:33 PM
Here's Bill's rig - looks, sounds & weighs great!(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/211669.jpg)
Title: Mini NorCal Gathering - Everyone Invited
Post by: hieronymous on August 04, 2015, 09:13:58 PM
Only one guitar has made it into the pictures - there were quite a few more lurking about!  
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/211716.jpg)
  And here's a closeup of the two small bodied '70s Series basses:  
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/211717.jpg)