Gibson Triumph bass with Alembic electronics

[blackelan]

Is this a preproduction Alembic modified bass. All I got were these pics. Dont know the date or anything. Can anyone fill me in on what the hstory is behind these 70's modified basses with Alembic electronics.

 

  (Message edited by davehouck on February 21, 2009)

[blackelan]

Update. I was told this bass is a 1970.

[mica]

The pickups are from the mid-eighties. There should be a 4 digit date code on the electronics.

[keavin]

When alembic was modifying guitars in the late 60's/early 70's with low impedence pickups/electronics, this particuler model was Gibsons answer to the beginning of this thing called alembic! http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=h0&oq=&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4ADBF_enUS231US231&q=les+paul+recording

[hifiguy]

That is one of the oddest, and in it's very odd way, coolest, basses I have ever seen.  IIRC, this is a Les Paul Recording bass, which came from the Gib factory with low impedance pickups.  Never saw Alembic pickups like that before.  Bet it (1) sounds great, and (2) weighs a ton.

[blackelan]

Its in Japan and it would cost just around 2grand with fees and everything to get it stateside. I found it intresting so I had to ask about it here.

[hieronymous]

That's an interesting looking bass. I've got an early-'70s one. This is what they normally look like, with variations of course:
 

 
It's a great bass - very heavy, but surprisingly balances well and doesn't feel that heavy while strapped on. They can go from anywhere from $1000 to $2000-$3000 for some of the custom finishes (black, white). $2000 from Japan sounds low to me - make sure to ask about headstock/neck breaks!

[willgunn]

I can't offer much in the way of info on the Alembic Modified ones, but I CAN on the Stock versions of the short-scale, solid-body ones (there were 2 versions, and I'd owned both personally, prior to getting my first Alembic in '76). The ones as pictured are the 2nd. version (appearing around late '71, and actually known as the Les Paul 'Triumph' Bass), and are identical to the 1st. version (introduced in 1970) with the following exceptions: the 1st. version did not have a tummy contour (and was REALLY heavy!), the controls were rear-mounted, the neck (un-bound) featured dot inlays with a simpler crown peghead inlay, and the low/hi-Z transformer was located outboard the bass via a special cable. There you have it....more than you'd EVER care to know about these beasts!

[georgie_boy]

So..were they any good??
I remember considering one when I bought my EB3.

[hieronymous]

Right, the first one with rear-mounted electronics is often referred to as the Recording, and the one like I have is called a Triumph. There was also the Signature. Here's a page with links to other pages with TONS of info.
 
I really like mine - lots of tonal options, though I tend to go with just one or two.
 
Looks like the modded bass in question is in Sapporo, Japan, and the description only gives the history of the Triumph bass and describe the sound of the bass: the Alembic pickups are transparent and clear, with an effective equalizer, and the fat sound of the hollow mahogany body ( - these aren't hollow!) is a good match.
 
(Message edited by hieronymous on February 22, 2009)

[blackelan]

I wish I could play it before I can buy it. If you E-mail the store they speak English and can answer more questions. If the electronics were 70's era Alembic I would be more intrested but I am going to pass.

[hankster]

I have one of the slightly earlier Gib Les Pauls - low impedance pickups, but not so many switches.  it does sound great, as long as you keep an impedance converter handy.  They originally shipped with a branded cord with a built-in inline converter, which are now impossible to find.  And it does weigh a ton, it is not hollow but a solid thick plank of mahogany (two glued together, I think, actually) - a full four hours with this kills my back, so I don't use it much.  And I prefer the Alembic anyway.  They only made the original les pauls for two years - 69 and 70 I think.  The recording models appeared a couple of years later, along with a similar line of recording guitars.

[hankster]

PS - ditto re: headstock breaks.  Common for them to split down the middle if they receive an untimely blow, as mine did.  Luthier did a fantastic repair job but the small mother of pearl dot for the i in Gibson was missing, and didn't get replaced.  So mine is one of the perhaps not-so-rare dotless i Gib Les Paul basses.
 
R.