I'm going to sell my Alembic. I'll post on eBay and craigslist to see how much, but posting here first in case anyone in the know wants first dibs. It's a rare guitar.
Alembic Guitar #72-03 Custom made for Jerry Garcia
In 1973-4 I worked for Rick Turner selling instruments and equipment for the Alembic retail store (In the Sept. Rolling Stone article, my hands adjusting the Rose Petal Guitar and I’m upper left of the staff photo). At that time, the old Pacific High recording studio at 60 Otis St. in San Francisco housed all of Alembic’s offices and shops, except Rick’s woodworking shop in Cotati.
Just before I started work, Jerry Garcia returned this guitar to Alembic. It was the only 6-string for sale in the store before Rick built the LD Heater model in 1974.
I took Alembic guitars and basses for visiting musicians to demo to various venues, including the Boarding House, where I gave Stanley Clark his first experience with an Alembic bass.
All this to say I received this guitar, per my arrangement with Rick, as partial compensation for my work at Alembic and for bringing Stanley into the fold.
At my request, Rick installed the original electronics in my 12-string Rickenbacker (an unbelievable sound) and put hot-rodded Humbuckers and a Bixby on SN 03. Several years later, my needs changed. Rion Dudley, a luthier in Seattle, built a new pick guard for the Alembic and I reinstalled the original pickups, hum-canceller and electronics. I thought red Allen & Bradley knobs were slicker than the Alembic black ones. Easy hard to change.
When the original electronics went into the Rickenbacker, George Mundy replaced the two Q-switches with two potentiometers so that I could fine-tune each circuit to remove feedback. This solved a slight problem with Ron’s design: after a period, feedback would creep into the circuits at max treble. Fixing it required de-stringing, removing pick guard and electronics assembly, adjusting the trim pots, reassembly and restringing. Big PITB even if you knew how to do it. No further modification to the circuits.
The guitar is 100% functional. Rick did the engraving. It has 27 frets (to G an octave above the high G on the first string). Internal truss rods, Grovers, 16-oz brass bridge. I have the blue 25-ft stereo cord (in case you want to run with AA’s), the Alembic power supply and the black 25-ft 5-pin cord. Neck is incredibly strait and true. Frets are like new. No scratches or dings on the finish. Other than the work mentioned it is completely original.
Don’t forget the Jerry Garcia pixie dust.
