I'll repost my first post to the forum:
Was eighteen, fresh out of basic training, had been playing an entry-level Ibanez for five years and saw the Epic in a local music shop in Monterey, CA. All I knew about Alembic was that Stan Clarke played one.
So they let me take it into one of the practice rooms in back and play for an hour. Then I had to leave, see a movie and come back [by this I meant I was so jazzed up I had to go chill and think it through]. I was eighteen- I'd never bought anything for more than a couple hundred bucks. I can remember having the shakes as I wrote the check [1065 on the nose, 1k + tax]
It was an impulse buy. I didn't know much about bass construction, etc. But the sound was awesome, and it played so smooth. Only later did I come to appreciate the dual truss rods, superior electronics and amazing versatility of tone and setup.
...and, I'll add now, the history of Alembic. I think that's one of the coolest things, actually. Reading these stories and realizing how far out there the whole approach was, compared to what else was going on at the time. I wish I understood electrical engineering better to fully appreciate it.
I was definitely in the market for a good bass at the time, I didn't have the Ibeenhad shipped out. As I look back on it, I think I was looking at Pedulla, Modulus, maybe some others... I checked out the Modulus factory in San Fran, but I think that was after I bought the Epic. Incidentally, I think the Epic was the first 5 str I ever played, and really had a tough time deciding if I wanted to go that route. So happy I did, play 'em exclusively now.
That was it for me for almost ten years. Then a couple years back I picked up a Rick Turner Renaissance and just got an Essence (I love 'em both). Oh, and some junky Aria for a buck fifty I keep around for fun.
