Author Topic: Rolling Stone article (Read 970 times)

jacko · « **Reply #15 on:** October 02, 2014, 04:27:56 AM »

This was an interesting quote...
More a doctor than a magician, Ron works with Mica and Susan to isolate and correct issues that musicians (like Fleetwood Mac's John McVie, just recently) bring to them.

Suggest to me that John, like Phil, is planning to return to the fold :-)

Graeme

jacko · « **Reply #16 on:** October 02, 2014, 04:28:14 AM »

This was an interesting quote...
More a doctor than a magician, Ron works with Mica and Susan to isolate and correct issues that musicians (like Fleetwood Mac's John McVie, just recently) bring to them.

Suggest to me that John, like Phil, is planning to return to the fold :-)

Graeme

rustyg61 · « **Reply #17 on:** October 02, 2014, 09:04:37 AM »

Jacko, I believe it was referring to John's Continuously Fretted Alembic that was recently at the factory for repairs. I had the pleasure of playing it while I was there!

5a_quilt_top · « **Reply #18 on:** October 02, 2014, 12:26:40 PM »

I played it, too (quite poorly) when I visited Santa Rosa and San Rafael in late May. In short, it was a humbling experience.

Action was so high you could drive a truck under the strings - virtually impossible for me to play. I have no idea how he does it, he must have a grip of iron.

It sounded great, tho.

Re: RS article - also part of that same visit (the BEST vacation EVER) was my encounter with the concertgoer at the Phil & Friends show (too bad they went out of business) that resulted in the guitar sale (a Tribute) referred to in the paragraph under the workshop photo.

I was the guy wearing the Alembic T-shirt - just like the one Rusty's wearing in the pic above!

You have exquisite taste, my friend!

pauldo · « **Reply #19 on:** October 02, 2014, 01:09:13 PM »

The more I see that 'continuously fretted' bass the more GAS i get.

I sinfully lust after that creature!

Rusty did you play it plugged in?
How did she 'mwah'?

rustyg61 · « **Reply #20 on:** October 02, 2014, 02:42:06 PM »

That is such a cool story David! I also try to sell everyone I meet on Alembic! They make the best instruments on the planet & the shirts are pretty awesome too!

Paul, I didn't plug it in, but acoustically it sounded pretty much like any other fretless. It may have had a slightly brighter edge to it with the stainless fretboard, but it played like any other fretless I have played. I'm not a fretless player so I fumbled around on it, but I did play the bass break from The Chain! It's not every day you get a chance to play an iconic bass line on the bass it was written & recorded on!

5a_quilt_top · « **Reply #21 on:** October 02, 2014, 03:02:36 PM »

Pauldo - she sounded great plugged in, just like a Series instrument should. Mica also took it for a spin and played the riff - yup - sounded just like that.

If my fretless technique would've been better (and the action lower), it would've been a near religious experience...

JimmyJ · « **Reply #22 on:** October 02, 2014, 04:05:59 PM »

An excellent write-up of our favorite family business!! Congrats to Susan, Mica and Ron!

Jimmy J

wfmandmusic · « **Reply #23 on:** October 02, 2014, 08:47:26 PM »

Great read!

dead_head · « **Reply #24 on:** October 02, 2014, 09:51:47 PM »

Also happy to be a part of that small, ravenous cult following. Many congrats to the Wickershams!!

bigredbass · « **Reply #25 on:** October 03, 2014, 08:00:05 AM »

I think more to the point for me, I didn't know ROLLING STONE was still in business; it's a far cry from the old quarter-fold days where I used to read Ralph Gleason and H S Thompson, I guess I don't give a rat's ass about Kanye and Kim, and it's hard to fathom Jann Wenner has gone from the firebrand of those days to a gate-keeper at a so-called 'Rock and Roll Hall of Fame' . . . .

I totally understand just how truly humble and self-effacing the Wickershams are, but to me Ron and Susan are pioneers AT LEAST on a level with Leo Fender and Les Paul, and I'm glad they can get SOME ink once in a while. Ron's electronic 'outside the box' wizardry and Susan's unique artistic vision (never under-estimate how hard it is to build a design language) set the stage for virtually every custom solid-body builder to follow, and the Series electronic system has never been matched.

Bravo !

J o e y

pauldo · « **Reply #26 on:** October 03, 2014, 09:59:01 AM »

Cult's really don't need affirmation from 'the ouside world' for them to understand their value.

Sure being acknowledged in print is great for one's ego - but at the end of the day I am willing to bet the Wickershams are fufilled everytime they hear a recording (or live performance) with their hand crafted delicacies.

Each instrument and electronic device leaving their hallowed halls contains a small piece of all the Alembic employees that were involved with the build! What a truly satisfying feeling that must come from such a career . . . .

Mica - you guys hiring?
:-D

pace · « **Reply #27 on:** October 03, 2014, 03:51:50 PM »

Did this make it to print, or online only?

susan · « **Reply #28 on:** October 03, 2014, 08:12:55 PM »

As far as we know on-line only

susan · « **Reply #29 on:** October 03, 2014, 08:23:47 PM »

As far as we know on-line only