Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Community => Gatherings => Topic started by: lbpesq on September 13, 2012, 12:12:56 AM

Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: lbpesq on September 13, 2012, 12:12:56 AM
As noted elsewhere on the forum, our brother Graeme Jacko and Senior Management will be visiting the Bay Area.  We're planning on getting together Thursday evening, Sept. 25th.  I have a rehearsal studio at home where we can make noise.  Anyone want to come by?
 
Bill, tgo
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: jacko on September 13, 2012, 04:32:53 AM
I'll be there but I'm planning on coming TUESDAY 25th :-)  
 
What time do you want us Bill?
 
Graeme
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: lbpesq on September 13, 2012, 07:25:44 AM
Oops!  Sorry about that, TUESDAY it is!  I was thinking around 7:30 p.m. Would give everyone a chance to grab dinner first and then we could go until around 10:00 or so.  Or, if people don't want to eat first, we can always send out for a pizza.
 
Bill, tgo
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: jacko on September 13, 2012, 07:28:16 AM
7:30 it is then. We'll aim to eat before we get there - don't want to be any more of an imposition and we both prefer to eat early anyway.
 
graeme (have maps , will travel)
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: David Houck on September 13, 2012, 04:23:13 PM
Pictures!
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: sonicus on September 16, 2012, 10:18:01 AM
Graeme & Bill ,
I was looking forward to this , however, it appears that my schedule will not allow me to participate. My sincere apologies.
 
 Wolf
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: hieronymous on September 18, 2012, 12:03:29 PM
Hi Bill, may I attend?
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: lbpesq on September 18, 2012, 03:30:31 PM
Harry:
 
I've been wondering when you would chime in.  Of course you're welcome.  And, as you know, my studio is big enough to squeeze in your double neck in its case!  This will be the second visit I'll be hosting  of a forum member from Great Britain - Jazzyvee crashed here for the Gathering last spring.  
 
And anyone else who wants to come by, meet Graeme in person, hang out, make some noise, and maybe even enjoy a brew or two, is welcome.  Let me know and I'll send along directions.
 
Wolf:  We'll miss you.  I hope the universe rearranges itself in such a way that you'll be able to make it.
 
Bill, tgo
 
(Message edited by lbpesq on September 18, 2012)
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: sonicus on September 18, 2012, 04:55:36 PM
Bill .Thanks for the kind words. Unfortunately I will have a 4AM start for my day and I have been fighting off a bad cold. I will miss you all as well.  
 
   Wolf
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: hieronymous on September 20, 2012, 08:15:03 AM
Thanks Bill! Bummed that Wolf can't make it!
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: sonicus on September 20, 2012, 04:50:45 PM
Harry, I was Bummed as well !
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: jacko on September 22, 2012, 11:36:26 PM
Not long now. We're really looking forward to it.
 
Graeme
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: lbpesq on September 23, 2012, 12:12:08 AM
Me too.   Heard a good one today:
 
Q - How do you know when a Btitish car needs oil?
 
A - When it stops leaking oil.
 
Bill, tgo
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: jazzyvee on September 23, 2012, 04:17:41 AM
Hmmmm , when I first heard that joke it was about British motorbikes.  
 
Hope you all have a great meet up.  
Jazzyvee
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: cozmik_cowboy on September 23, 2012, 08:25:16 AM
I once read a thing about the ingenious anti-theft system on Triumph motorcycles, wherein the engineers designed it to keep a constant coat of slippery oil on exactly the places one would need to grab the frame to lift it into a truck.
I will say that of all the problems my beloved Spitfire gave me, oil leaking was never one of them (well, OK, there was the time a set screw came out of a hole in the rocker assembly that was only there to hold the set screw, all the oil pumped out, and it rode home from Indianapolis on a trailer for a rebuild - but that wasn't really a leak, was it?).
 
Peter
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: lbpesq on September 24, 2012, 07:08:37 PM
Graeme:
 
Enjoy your pilgrimage to the mothership tomorrow.  See you tomorrow night.
 
Bill, tgo
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: jazzyvee on September 24, 2012, 10:54:09 PM
Yep, have a great time there Jacko and see where the magic happens and share some pictures.  
 
Jazzyvee
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: hieronymous on September 26, 2012, 03:04:23 PM
Had a nice time last night! Graeme made the perilous journey from San Francisco to Alameda without too many problems - I am so glad I am familiar with driving in this area, I wouldn't want to experience it for the first time again!
 
We got to see some cool instruments from Bill's collection - including some I hadn't seen before. We got to jam a bit too - took a while to find stuff that we all knew but it was enjoyable. Wild Horses, The Weight, something by Bob Dylan, plus a couple of jams. I only had my iPhone for pictures - they didn't come out great but thought I would share for posterity. Graeme took a few too, though he probably won't be able to post them for at least another week.
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: hieronymous on September 26, 2012, 03:15:05 PM
Here are the pics:  Graeme checking out Woody:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/140130.jpg)
  And trying out my Stanley Clarke (with the doubleneck in the background)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/140131.jpg)
  Checking out the Bond Electraglides! I never thought I would see one of these in person - I remember seeing them in Guitar Player back in the '80s when they came out. Surprisingly easy to play!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/140132.jpg)
  Double-doubleneck!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/140133.jpg)
  Everyone checking out Bill's Triumph!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/140134.jpg)
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: jacko on September 26, 2012, 03:47:26 PM
I really enjoyed meeting Harry and Bill (and many thanks to Bill for his hospitality). Bill really has the most amazing collection of instruments and I'd kill for his basement :-) As harry says, I'll post some pics from my visit (and my trip to the mothership) when I get back to the UK unless the hotels on the East coast have better internet access. I'd also like to say what great guys Harry and Bill are. Not only did we get to share Bill and Tina's hospitality but Harry took the time to lead me back to the freeway at the end of the night - I missed several turns on the way there !!
 
Graeme (wishing I was staying a few years longer)
 
p.s. Jazzy - I have your things.
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: David Houck on September 26, 2012, 04:35:51 PM
  Thanks for the pics; they put a smile on my face!  Glad you were able to get together.
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: artswork99 on September 26, 2012, 04:53:04 PM
Wonderful pictures!  Have a great time on the rest of the trip Graeme.
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: lbpesq on September 26, 2012, 06:50:44 PM
Glad you guys could make it over.  It's always very cool to meet in person after all these years in this cyber family we call Alembic.  
 
Bill, tgo
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: hieronymous on September 26, 2012, 08:00:29 PM
Thank you for your hospitality Bill!  
 
Bill knows a lot of songs, and these songs have a lot of chord changes. It was nice this time around to play drums and not have to worry about harmony!
 
I was also glad for the chance to play the doubleneck amplified for a bit. Me and Bill had a nice mellow jam going with the fretless and one of his axes for a while!
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: lbpesq on September 26, 2012, 11:46:16 PM
It did get quite tasty and spacey there for a bit, didn't it?  Big fun!  And Harry can hold his own on the drums.  
 
Bill, tgo
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: hieronymous on September 28, 2012, 12:30:37 PM
A couple more pics:  Yes we did actually play - the view from the drumkit!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/140232.jpg)
  Double doubleneck necks!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/140233.jpg)
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: tncaveman on September 28, 2012, 08:18:59 PM
WOW on the double neck - Guitar and fretless - nice combo.  What does she weigh?
 
Sounds like you all had fun!
 
Stephen
 
PS - I'm getting ready to do a basement redo - from raw space to man-cave.
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: jacko on September 29, 2012, 04:27:40 PM
I have to say I really enjoyed playing Harry's Anniversary. The flatwound Elite chromes felt so good I'm thinking of breaking a 30 year roundwound habit
 
graeme (in portland maine)
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: hieronymous on September 30, 2012, 08:49:51 AM
Graeme, how's the foliage? A facebook friend said it was raining this morning in Massachusetts - hope you are having a good trip!
 
I knew Graeme was a good player when he took right away to the EADGC tuning! It was a pleasure to get to hear how my new amp sounds with him playing my bass!
 
Stephen: It's actually short scale (30) 6-string bass & long scale (34) fretless, though the 6-string is currently tuned B-B, right between bass & guitar. I keep threatening to return it to the original Bass VI style tuning (EADGBE, with the bottom four strings matching regular bass) but haven't gotten to it yet. Here's the showcase thread (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8334) - it weighs in at a hefty 15.2 pounds!
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: jacko on October 01, 2012, 07:56:19 PM
We arrived in Boston to some nice weather. The following day (friday) was wet but we still had a pleasant walk around Boston. Saturday we took the coastal highway up to Portland then spent a wet Sunday driving to lincoln across the white mountains and a damp monday driving across to stowe VT. Even though it's been wet the colours across here have been astounding. Way better than we were expecting. Looks like it may be fine for our drive down to springfield tomorrow so we're looking forward to more colour.
When I get back I'll start a separate thread with photos.
 
 
Graeme
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: lbpesq on October 01, 2012, 11:34:07 PM
Graeme:
 
New England can really be gorgeous this time of year.  But there is no colour there.  However the color can be amazing!!!!  lol.      Enjoy!
 
Bill, tgo
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: jacko on October 08, 2012, 04:27:05 AM
Sandra found the 'color' on offer chez panzer amazing too. Helped her sciatica no end :-)
 
Just back to work (got home friday evening) so I'll write up a trip report with pics over the next couple of days.  
 
Graeme
Title: Mini-NorCal Gathering?
Post by: David Houck on October 08, 2012, 06:01:44 PM
Looking forward to your trip report.