Author Topic: Series 2 with graphite neck (Read 1553 times)

dubalbal · « **on:** May 13, 2010, 01:10:03 AM »

Hello Friends ,

I've seen a very few Alembic Series 2 with graphite necks . I really don't know how they sound , great i suppose ! These necks were made a long time ago and i was wondering how a series 2 could sound with a new and actual graphite neck ...

I'd like to hear that anyway :-)

Alain

serialnumber12 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 13, 2010, 02:52:47 AM »

You probably already heard this by Stanley playing his Graphite alembic,I think wooden necks sound best. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nWA_Cipjpk

serialnumber12 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 13, 2010, 03:09:24 AM »

Here's another Graphite stanley tunehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7e3MyTCp78

funkyjazzjunky · « **Reply #3 on:** May 13, 2010, 06:57:11 AM »

I think graphite and active electronics add up to a clear but cold sounding bass

VMG

terryc · « **Reply #4 on:** May 13, 2010, 07:36:54 AM »

Never been a graphite fan, useful if you are playing an outdoor gig in hot weather and high humidity but to me 'wood is good'
Mind you if we were all blindfolded and asked to play two basses..one with graphite neck and the other with finished wood neck..could we really tell the difference??

JimmyJ · « **Reply #5 on:** May 13, 2010, 09:59:47 AM »

As far as I know Alembic's experiment with graphite only lasted a short time in the early 80's so the basses produced were probably all Series I. They were actual carbon fiber graphite pieces laid out and cooked under pressure by Geoff Gould before he started Modulas.

The basses were Alembic's standard neck-through design - with no truss rod - so they were structurally very stiff. The results were similar to playing a Travis Bean metal neck (anybody remember those?) - the dynamic range was reduced but the sustain was extended. As if you squashed the output with a compressor/limiter.

I bought one of these basses at the time and used it for a while until I decided I missed the effects of wood. BUT, converting that bass to a fretless yielded excellent results. That combination makes a very natural and warm sound and the pre-compression and extra sustain work perfectly for what I was looking for in a fretless bass. I've used it regularly for 30 years. Man, I'm old!

Jimmy J

811952 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 13, 2010, 11:23:06 AM »

Back in the day ('81-ish), Vic Zinn Music outside of Indianapolis had several graphite-necked Alembics pass through his inventory. I'm positive one of them was a short scale KOA Series II, but I could be mistaken about that (it did have LEDs, of that I'm certain). The ones I played (and I played every one of them he had!) were all set-neck construction, a la Excel and Orion basses. Fine, fine, fine instruments!

Vic also had an abundance of Modulus Graphite instruments (including the infamous 18-string monster), as well as some Rick Turner basses.

John

dfung60 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 13, 2010, 03:18:10 PM »

Here's a couple shots of my Series II Graphite, probably one of the last few made. I have a very big collection of Modulus instruments and I *love* the sound of 'em. There's nothing better than the combination of graphite and Series electronics, although many of these old instruments can pose quite a challenge if they develop problems. You can tell the age of the necks by the appearance of the crystalline cosmetic graphite layer on the surface. The oldest ones sound the best and are the most tempermental. Mine is the polygonal finish which has a more reliable build quality but doesn't sound as good as the original ones that had a tiny crystal finish. I've got a bunch of Travis Bean basses too - I think Jimmy J's comment about a compressed tone is very true for the Beans, but I find that the graphite/Modulus necks are more of a wide ranging grand piano tone than the Beans which have a super thick bass tone. Those Beans are nuts - unlike graphite necks that don't care much about temperature, the aluminum necks go totally bonkers with the slightest temperature change. The crystalline and satin (wavy weave) graphite are much more piano-like than the checkerboard and polygon necks.

David Fung

sonicus · « **Reply #8 on:** May 13, 2010, 03:23:14 PM »

Very nice. Thanks for posting that .

David Houck · « **Reply #9 on:** May 13, 2010, 06:28:24 PM »

Very cool bass!

the_mule · « **Reply #10 on:** May 14, 2010, 05:22:19 AM »

Wonderful bass, thanks for posting these pics!

Wilfred

terryc · « **Reply #11 on:** May 14, 2010, 05:48:27 AM »

I thought the graphite neck was all the way thru', that is a piece of excellent craftmanship to combine the neck so smoothly into the remainder of the neck thru.
Very nice bass dave, very nice

cozmik_cowboy · « **Reply #12 on:** May 14, 2010, 05:53:39 AM »

Aren't those wood veneers over the graphite after it hits the body? That's beautiful, though I must admit that for a second -just a second, mind you - I thought What's that knob at the 9th fret, and how in the hell do you play with it there? Always finish your coffee before you log on.

Peter

terryc · « **Reply #13 on:** May 14, 2010, 05:57:04 AM »

Maybe it is the thumb string a la banjo!!!!

dela217 · « **Reply #14 on:** May 14, 2010, 06:18:04 AM »

I own a short scale Series II with a graphite neck. The neck definately goes all the way through the body. It's just hidden with wood. I thought it was a set neck too until I took the pickups out. The graphite goes all the way through.