My rig, for better or worse...

[Scott Stillwell (sstillwell)]

Let's see...I've had my Alembics for a few years now, but haven't been back to the website in a quite some time.  Outstanding to find a discussion board here!  
 
I have two Epics...a 4-string ('94 Wenge) and a 6-string ('94 Flame Maple).  I had a short affair recently with a modified Fretless Mexican Fender Jazz (Badass bridge, EMG pickups, new tuners...I spent more on aftermarket gear and installation than I did on the bass...), but I played the Epic 6 Friday night at a gig and fell in love all over again.  Someday I WILL have a fretless Alembic...mark my words...  
 
Depending on the gig, I play through either a little Hartke Kickback 120 with a 12 paper-coned driver (for quieter pseudo-jazz-pop gigs), or through my primary rock-n-roll rig, which is a AKG rackmount diversity wireless (the only wireless I've ever used that hasn't compressed the snot out of my signal) into a David Eden Highwayman (250W+250W) run bridged into an early-model Hartke 4x10 cabinet.  It thumps!  I take a direct signal from the dedicated direct out on the Eden to run to the PA.  
 
Most of the time I play the Epic 4...my hands are too small to play the 6 for extended periods without significant discomfort.  I mostly switch to it as needed, then switch back to my baby.  
 
I've been tinkering with the idea of running a better pre (like an Alembic, drool, drool) into an old Crown D150 that I have.  I'm sure it'd be clean and clear, but I'm not sure that I'd like to give up the headroom.  Whaddaya think?  
 
Glad to be here...thanks to everybody at Alembic for providing a place for us to hang out!
 
(Message edited by sstillwell on February 26, 2003)

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Hi Scott,
 
welcome and good to have you here.
The Other Paul will be come along and do some official welcoming (he is very good at that ...and a lot of other things of-course).
Brother: take that old Pentaclickon camera from the shelf, in invest in a small filmroll and show us some pictures man!
 
Paul
 
BTW: you have to watch out that drooling ...it gives nasty keyboards. I guess is why most on-line Alembic fans have always a handkerchief on the hand.
Can you imagine your daughter yelling through the house: Daaaa-ad ...you have been to the Alembic site again, the computer is completely drooled over LOL ;-)

[Dave Houck (davehouck)]

Hi Scott; my personal preference given your information would be to stay with the Eden instead of the D150.  For me, the difference in power would be significant.  But it depends on your own tone and playing conditions.  The tone I've been experimenting with recently has a lot of low end and a significant cut in the midrange; so I need a lot more power to cut through two guitar players than I did when I was playing with the amp's tone controls set flat.
 
Dave

[Scott Stillwell (sstillwell)]

Paul, Thanks!!!  I keep saying I'm going to get a digital camera soon.  In the meantime...
 
http://www.rocketskc.com/images/RGs072100/Fullsize/mvc-018l.jpg
 
And
 
http://www.rocketskc.com/images/Scott4_1_00.jpg
 
Those are about the closest I have to decent pictures of my Epic 4.  Don't have any pictures of the 6-string...and even though I play the 4-string more often, it's the 6 that's really the pretty one.
 
That's not to say that the four-string is ugly, no, indeed.  I like it just fine.  It's just that the dark Wenge doesn't show its highlights as well...it's more of a tactile, feel thing.
 
Dave, yeah, I think that's why I haven't already done it.  I've already upgraded my Eden from a Traveler to the Highwayman and really like the extra oomph.  I do tend to run with very little EQ applied at the amp, though.  OTOH, I do run the Alembic's bass and treble controls ALL the way up.  If I saw that on a PA or a home stereo I'd be tempted to whip the owner senseless, but on this rig it sounds gooooood.
 
YMMV.
 
Scott