A little Alembic...

[jalevinemd]

I guess a little Alembic is better than none at all. The bridge on this Resurrection guitar might look vaguely familiar. Not aware of Alembic's devotion to their clients, I went with a smaller company for my first custom guitar. I did, however, want an Alembic bridge and bird tailpiece. (The bird was abandoned towards the end of construction). The attention I received from Val and Mica for those two, simple, pieces convinced me to go with the folks in Santa Rosa for my next project...which should be done within the next month or so. I just thought I'd share some pictures of the guitar that, inadvertently, led to what will surely be a lifelong relationship with Alembic.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jonathan

[son_of_magni]

sweet...

[bassman10096]

Great looking guitar, Jonathan.  Funny how things work out.  Glad you found your way to Alembic:  The Valhalla of rock and roll dreams!!
 
Bill

[jalevinemd]

Thanks, Bill. Tim at Resurrection did an unbelievable job...every detail the way I had imagined. It was well worth the wait which, by the way, is quite a bit longer than with Alembic b/c it's only Tim and his dad at Resurrection doing all the work.  
 
Jonathan

[kmh364]

Jonathan,
 
Nice guitar. Resurection changed just enough to keep the Alembic and Doug Irwin Lawyers away, LOL! I didn't know you were a Deadhead. There's quite a DeadHead contingent here on the Alembic club. No surprise really, based on Alembic's origin(s). Good on ya, mate!

[jalevinemd]

Kevin,
 
I enjoy a lot of the Dead's music, but what really brought me in this direction were Jerry's custom guitars. I've loved them all since I first saw Tiger all those years ago. As far as I'm concerned their beauty and uniqueness of design are unparalleled. There's something about rich toned wood and brass hardware that can't be beat.
 
The body shape here is pure Cripe Lightning Bolt. Most of the rest I borrowed from Tiger, except for the oval inlays a la Alembic and the bridge. Then, of course, there's the pickup ring which was on Rosie and Beyond Further, two of the old Featured Customs. I thought the somewhat lyre shape of that ring echoed the overall body contour of those guitars better than anything I'd ever seen. I would have loved to have done those wonderful Alembic Scrolls as well, but my family needs to eat! LOL. Maybe next time.
 
Jonathan

[pace]

Congrats! A little bit of everything.... I hope you enjoy it!!!!

[pace]

Congrats! A little bit of everything.... I hope you enjoy it!!!!

[kmh364]

Jonathan: You have quite the collection going there. Are there any more gems you have lurking in the shadows, or is that the extent of your magic bag 'o tricks? LOL! (J/K). Man, I just have a couple of 20-something yr. old Fenders and Guilds, a couple of Jackson/Charvels, and a Les Paul. I need to Jonathanize my collection with some off-the-beaten-path guitars. Oh well, my new Orion 4 Custom will have to be the start (I hope).  
 
Jerry was quite an inspiration for a lot of us, and on many levels. He was constantly pushing the envelope as he was never satisfied with the status quo. He was always experimenting with different guitars, instruments, sounds, styles, etc. That's one of the many things that made his music, and that of the Dead's, so ecclectic and interesting.
 
As a side note, I'm going to see the Dead next week in Joisey. It's not Jerry, but it's still the same feel and vibe, so it's ultimately cool. This time it's Warren Haynes assuming Jerry's duties so it should be interesting.  
 
Cheers

[bassman10096]

I saw the Dead last weekend at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin.  Great show.  Warren Haynes adds a lot of guitar excitement that was missing before, both with his slide work and Les Paul blues riffs.  It added back some of the freshness and electricity Jerry brought the band.  His vocals were also a good fit.  He and Weir traded vocal riffs and complimented each other quite well.  Oh yeah, the rest of the band showed up too (LOL).
 
Actually, all played very well.  A real Deadhead's show, though.  Mostly classics and old stuff (Morning Dew, Half Step, Doin' that Rag, Lovelight, Music Never Stopped, Cryptical Envelopment/Other One) and a few wierd but cool surprises (Tomorrow Never Knows from Sgt Pepper).
 
It surprises me to say this, because Jerry is irreplaceable and I miss him badly, but...It was one of my top 10 best Dead shows ever!
 
Have fun.  Hope you too are pleasantly surpised with what you find.
 
Bill

[jalevinemd]

I had several opportunities to see the Dead in College (85-89), but always put it off. I figured there'd always be a next time. I wasn't aware of his health problems back then. Had I been, I certainly would have gone. Soon after, medical school hit and there wasn't much time. I remember pulling out of the parking garage during residency and hearing that Jerry had passed. I got teary eyed for a minute, both for the loss to millions of fans, but probably more at the realization that I'd never get to experience one of the true wonders of my generation...a live Dead show. To this day, one of my most sincere regrets.
 
Jonathan

[kmh364]

Jonathan: If you get the chance, go see the Dead this summer. It's not Jerry, but it's still cool. You'll still get that there's nothing like a (Grateful) Dead concert vibe. It's all good.
 
Bill: I was apprehensive seing the Dead last year after not having seen them since Jerry's post-diabetic coma days ca. '89. It was different, but still the same. It was cool seing them again and I dug that different dead members were taking a crack at the vocals on old Jerry tunes. At my show, the addition of Steve Winwood and Joan Osbourne was unexpected but cool nonetheless.  
 
BTW, Yeah, I cried when I heard Jerry died in '95. It definitely felt like the world had been changed forever, and not in a good way.

[hollis]

Jonathan,
 
Beautiful guitar.  Does it sound as sweet as it looks?
 
I saw the Dead with the Allman Brothers at the Gorge over the 4th of July weekend.  The show started on the 3rd, but ended in the wee hours of the 4th.  It was a great show.  They were very polished.  It was the first time I've seen any of these guys since Jerry's passing, and I a little tentative about seeing them without him.  Any trepidation that I may have had vanished once they started playing.  They were fantastic.  It was such a wonderful show.  It was a very positive experience.....  It was very high energy!  I was glad to hear new tunes written by Phil Lesh and Robert Hunter.  As good a Dead show as I could have expected, and when it comes to the Dead, my expectation level is through the roof!
 
It was just what I needed.  If you don't get a chance to see them, or even if you do, all the shows from this tour are being recorded and are for sale on Deadnet.com.  I got my copy of the Gorge show last week, it's an excellent live recording.  I highly recommend it.
 
Enjoy
 
 

[mica]

Jonathan: The guitar is beautiful - glad you received it and are enjoying it. I can see how the bird tailpiece would not fit in with the box cover.  
 
Kevin: Alembic lawyers? What planet are you on? Anyway, the Cripe guitar is their original design, and I don't think anybody's lawyers would contact them for doing their thing.

[jalevinemd]

Mica, thanks a lot. Yeah, in the end, the bird just wasn't the right fit. Tim kept it and said he'll put it on some other guitar they build. He really liked it. So someday, they'll be another Resurrection guitar with a little Alembic in its blood.  
 
The pickup ring you guys did for Rosie and Beyond Further is my all time favorite shape for those body styles. I never quite understood why Tiger, Rosebud, Lightning Bolt, Top Hat, etc...all have those rectangular ones. Such incredible detail on each one and then these drab, lifeless pieces of metal. They just don't complement the wonderful, flowing body contours at all. It's like Beethoven ending a symphony with da da da, da da da!
 
As always,
 
Jonathan