Author Topic: Oasis Guitar...interesting claim. (Read 219 times)

jalevinemd · « **on:** August 02, 2006, 05:12:04 PM »

I saw this guitar on Ed Roman's site. Never heard of them before. The caption claims that Oasis Guitars was the predecessor to Alembic. Nice instrument. Don't know how much to believe about the rest.

http://www.iwantguitars.com/store/?product=8267

lbpesq · « **Reply #1 on:** August 02, 2006, 06:05:18 PM »

Jonathan:

Once again Ed is getting very creative in filling in the blanks when he has no idea of the facts. Oasis was manufactured in Sacramento, CA, in the mid 70's to early 80's. There are actually a couple of reviews with info on Harmony Central

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/product/Oasis/Artist/10/1

I remember seeing one about 20 years ago. Very cool construction, very Alembic-like, but with rather mundane electronics. I've been keeping my eye out for one, but Ed's price is WAY too high, IMHO. I also love the way he claims rumored to have been owned by someone famous. It's true! In fact, I have it on good authority that it was owned by Les Paul's grandfather who built it in 1823, just before he started Alembic and invented post-its! LOL

Bill, tgo

(Message edited by lbpesq on August 02, 2006)

(Message edited by lbpesq on August 02, 2006)

bigredbass · « **Reply #2 on:** August 02, 2006, 10:06:34 PM »

Well, that's a mystery solved: I once saw a clip of Kool and the Gang, and Kool was playing a double cutaway bass with what looked like oval-shaped pickups . . not close enough to see regular pickups in oval rings. THIS is what it was.

Ed handles SO MANY guitars, but he really should get this straight. Or we'll just put it in the Hyak/Irwin/employee project file.

You left out that it was converted from steam to electric power just before WW1.

J o e y

lbpesq · « **Reply #3 on:** August 02, 2006, 10:14:42 PM »

Thanks for the reminder, Joey. I believe that was about the same time tiny little candles were installed along the neck to provide illumination on the dark stages of the era, before electricity was invented. The first attempt at LEDs, but it wasn't very practical!

Bill, tgo

foth · « **Reply #4 on:** August 03, 2006, 02:27:54 AM »

I owned Oasis #3 for several years. Gary Cooper built #1 for himself, then #2, Kool Bell's bass, then my guitar (maybe 1974?). It was stereo, with Hi-A pickups, 2 tones, a volume, and a master volume. Gary's wife's family was from Roseville. He left Alembic and they moved up there, where Gary started Oasis in Sacramento. I think it lasted about 5 years. After that he was a guitar tech at Skip's Music in Sac for about 30 years. He was a good guy to visit, always had lots of good Dead stories.

So I guess Gary worked at Alembic in 1973, at the beginning of the Wall of Sound time. As most of us know, Alembic was a well established company by then.

dela217 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 03, 2006, 06:09:50 AM »

Other than the late Gary Cooper once working at Alembic, the other connection is that they shared the same distributor in the 70's. They were distributed by Rothchild at the same time. It seems to me that the one on the Ed Roman site has been modified a bit. From what I remember, they were passive instruments using Hi-A pickups. There were 2 Oasis basses for sale not too long ago at Daryl Jones' site. He probably still has them, but not listed on the site.

http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/kingmenow/

Michael

bracheen · « **Reply #6 on:** August 04, 2006, 03:19:09 AM »

I always wondered who the bone head was that invented post its. Thanks Bill.

bracheen