Author Topic: My rare "Alembic" (Read 733 times)

sscastro · « **on:** October 23, 2010, 08:39:07 AM »

Hi, about 5 years ago I was in contact with Mica, about a bass I have, apparently the only 10 wood layer bass ever made at Alembic, which has all Alembic parts, including the external pre-amps, but a different peghead. I remember someone has identified it has a custom made instrument by one of the elder luthiers at the factory. Anyhow, the important thing is that it is noisy and almost impossible to use, because the switch broke when shipped and I need to make sure the connections are right. And at the moment they are not. Could somebody please help with that. Apparently it is from the mid 70s and the switch has 10 contacts (or should it be 12?). It's the usual 3 pick-up lay-out.

tbrannon · « **Reply #1 on:** October 23, 2010, 08:46:30 AM »

I think some pictures are in order!!

Some others will be along shortly to help you out with the electronics, I just want a chance to gawk at the pictures

mike1762 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 23, 2010, 12:46:27 PM »

Yea, I'd like to see some pics. I assume one of the 3 PUPs is the dummy coil.

mike1762 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 23, 2010, 12:52:13 PM »

My last post!!!

hankster · « **Reply #4 on:** October 23, 2010, 01:24:19 PM »

Have I missed something here? Mike, are you ok?

elwoodblue · « **Reply #5 on:** October 23, 2010, 01:59:08 PM »

I was worried it was your last post, I see now you were just referring to your 'latest' post

....on to 777
edit-(didja notice my post# ?)

Back to the topic...I'll third the motion for detailed pictures! Mica or others might be able to see something that is out of order and causing your noise issues.

(Message edited by elwoodblue on October 23, 2010)

(Message edited by elwoodblue on October 23, 2010)

mike1762 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 23, 2010, 04:19:22 PM »

My sense of humor is one of those that leaves everybody wondering: WTF was THAT about??? Let's see that 10 layer bass!!!

tmoney61092 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 23, 2010, 08:11:45 PM »

Mike got trips, Hankster got dubs, and elwoodblue got quads, it's the end of the universe!!!

oh, and post some pics :-)

~Taylor

sscastro · « **Reply #8 on:** October 24, 2010, 03:34:13 AM »

Sorry folks, I'm on the other side of the pound, in Spain, so my time table is a bit different. These pictures have been around, about 5 years ago when I was trying to investigate about this beauty. I stopped playing the bass in the early 80s, as for the last 30 years I kept attached to a project as a guitarrist and lead singer. Now I have to meet my old folks from the 70s, when I was playing the bass, as the band is being awarded after all these years, and I want to play it. This bass was bought in the UK, from a complete set of instruments that were resident at Electric Lady in New York. Apparently was one of the basses used to record In from the Storm - the music of Jimi Hendrix produced by Eddie Krammer in 1995, with an incredible line-up of excellent musicians.
Anyway, the bass plays great, mechanically, but the wiring must be wrong. It was badly treated on the plane and the switch got broken. I changed it with a new 10 position one, trying to emulate what was in the original. Someone sent me information, about using a 12 position one, but I never tried it. So the bass is noisy. Although the bass seems to be not an official one - Mica said that once - all the electronics are genuine, so I'm hoping that a conventional diagram from that era will be fine to make it work properly again. I will have to post a few more pictures in a next post.

sscastro · « **Reply #9 on:** October 24, 2010, 03:41:44 AM »

Hi again here are some more pictures.

another post to follow (Message edited by davehouck on October 24, 2010)

sscastro · « **Reply #10 on:** October 24, 2010, 03:45:26 AM »

these are the last pictures. Somebody help please. Thanks

(Message edited by davehouck on October 24, 2010)

terryc · « **Reply #11 on:** October 24, 2010, 04:24:01 AM »

Correct me please ccastro but are you referring to the power supply unit or the bass itself as I don't think any Alembic bass had a 12 point selector(well maybe Phil Lesh's!!)
Does the bass run with batteries which are located underneath the square plate on the back?
You can run this bass in mono with just batteries, that would get you going for the time being until your DS unit is fixed.
Nice bass by the way..nice 'hippie sandwich' for the body

sscastro · « **Reply #12 on:** October 24, 2010, 05:40:17 AM »

Hi Terryc. Thanks.
Yes the bass runs on batteries, but still noisy, out of the mono jack socket. The broken selector in the bass had 10 pin marked 1 to 10 plus the 2 in the middle of the circle made by the other 10. I was given a 12 + 2 pin selector to substitute, but I thought better trying to find another one similar to the broken one. And then I had the bass noisy, but maybe it was noisy before the shipping, I had not tried it, I only saw it physically and I bought it to add to my bass and guitar small collection.

sonicus · « **Reply #13 on:** October 24, 2010, 07:56:26 AM »

I am very curious as to more history in the building of this seemingly rare fine specimen . It would be interesting to find out what year this instrument was built to know more about who was involved in its creation .

(Message edited by sonicus on October 24, 2010)

David Houck · « **Reply #14 on:** October 24, 2010, 08:06:36 AM »

Nice bass!

I've seen that same headstock design before. Someone with a better memory than me will probably be able to identify it. The bridge suggests that the bass was made after 1976.

Do you still have the original selector switch?

What may be helpful is to take some good quality close up pictures of the connections at the switch.

Does the bass make noise in all four positions of the switch?