Author Topic: Alembic Pictures (Read 615 times)

valvil · « **on:** March 03, 2004, 02:23:52 PM »

For all of you who have not seen it yet, following Susan' suggestion, Bass Northwest now has a dedicated page displaying all the pictures of the various Alembic they have sold in recent times. It'a great gallery of about 40 instruments and there's a few nifty basses to look at including one with a 'fire illusion' red finish I had never seen before. Follow the link http://www.bassnw.com/Special%20Order%20Basses/alembic.htm ...and enjoy the show.

Valentino

effclef · « **Reply #1 on:** March 03, 2004, 02:42:21 PM »

That was Susan's idea? Great! I noticed it a few weeks back that it had suddenly appeared at bassnw's site.

Some really gorgeous ones in there.

I've liked Bass Northwest's site for quite some time, because they are one of the few online stores that show decent pictures of the guitars. I am sure that saves on phone calls for them, all the time, when you can see the condition of a used bass from all directions.

EffClef

bassman10096 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 03, 2004, 03:33:23 PM »

I ran across Bass Northwest's new site format a few weeks ago. I agree that it's a very good presentation of the wide variety of work Alembic does. For people unfamiliar with Alembic, what a great introduction! I think it was a great idea to overcome the inevitable problem a high end manufacturer faces getting its product in front of potential buyers. My local Alembic dealer is a good example of the opposite. Their website is primative and no help to Alembic (or anyone else). Their store stock of Alembics consists of the lower priced half of the line. The most expensive basses are Rogues, everything is in standard (non-premium) woods and there's no one in the store that can tell you much more than to talk directly to Alembic for information. Granted, music retailers have to know a lot about a wide variety of products and lines, but that doesn't help someone in Alembic's position.

BassCentral and SuperBass continue to post pictures of basses they have sold for a period after the sale (with the word sold on the ad), but it is not as effective as what Bass NW has done. Their gallery is just that: A sizable collection of representative examples of the models and options Alembic makes. Alembic might benefit from establishing their own gallery - apart from the featured customs (that works fine). The gallery should include at least 10 pictures of each model with info on options. Kind of like what Bass NW does only more. Actually, if they just posted Rami's collection of Excels from Showcase it should cover the Excels pretty well!!

Bill

hollis · « **Reply #3 on:** March 03, 2004, 03:44:43 PM »

Chad is the owner of Bass Northwest, he's a really great guy to talk to. They're in my neck of the woods, although I'm a little afraid to go up there...Several of my friends have walked in empty handed and walked out with Alembic basses.

Off the subject, but, anyway:
I must confess! I'm a closet bass player myself. I'm the first to admit that I sound like a guitar player playing bass......I just don't have that bass player groove going on. I admire those of you that have. I know the strings, and the frets.....I have a tendency to run too many fills....It's a state of mind, I'm sure. To Quote Paul (TBO I think) maybe when I grow up. I have a Guild bass, easy to play, sounds pretty good. But I know if I get my hands around an Alembic Bass....ALL BETS ARE OFF!

I think for now I'll just stay a closet bassist in the meantime keep working on the Skylark, with dreams of a Further further along the way.

Subject to change at any given moment!

bracheen · « **Reply #4 on:** March 03, 2004, 03:48:20 PM »

Neat site, thanks Valentino. A lot of good examples of Zebrawood there. I enjoyed looking at the cabinets in the background also.

Sam

palembic · « **Reply #5 on:** March 04, 2004, 12:13:44 AM »

defaultValues,
r
?E?here are a LOT of things I'm gonna when I'm a grown up. Bass playing is just part of it. My main thing is to open my own small guest-room/guest table house. I really love to pamper people!

About your bass-playing.
It is an interesting point of start giving the fact you are guitarist first. You will develop a different and -Iknow it now already- very interesting style. The bassplayer of the Dutch supergroup Golden Earring (You know ...Radar Love) which name I don't remember now said once: I don't play bassguitar, I play guitarbass.
(He played a Danelectro SS longhorn BTW).

Paul the bad one

adriaan · « **Reply #6 on:** March 04, 2004, 02:28:11 AM »

Brother Paul,

That would be Rinus Gerritsen. His Danelectro is a double-neck, and he replaced one of those with a Fender long scale neck. Not sure which one he plays on ...

Adriaan

palembic · « **Reply #7 on:** March 04, 2004, 02:46:46 AM »

Brother Adriaan,

blij je nog eens te horen!!! Hoe gaat ie??

Yes Rinus ...that's the name! I must have a picture of that famous doubleneck here somewhere.
I saw him playing the single neck Danelectro here in Leuven.

Now you're here. Wasn't it you who played on Amps and speakers of a Dutch builder?? Can you send me that info please again or indicate it's website??
TANX

Paul the bad one

adriaan · « **Reply #8 on:** March 04, 2004, 03:51:12 AM »

Brother Paul,

Alles goed, met jou ook?

It wasn't me who tried the Dutch amps. You're probably thinking about Hevos (http://www.hevos.nl).

Adriaan

effclef · « **Reply #9 on:** March 04, 2004, 04:55:45 AM »

Bill, not that I think the webmaster (Mica!) deserves more workload, but I agree. The Alembic site could benefit from more pictures all around.

For instance, it might be nice to show shots of non-current models (Spoiler, Distillate, Persuader, etc) to help people identify them. Or, even simpler, on the bass identification/registration page, add a link to the Showcase section of the Club.

Most of us know what a Series I or II looks like but I think the Series pages should show side views so you can see how many laminates you are paying for. :-)

EffClef

bassman10096 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 04, 2004, 06:00:16 AM »

(remove double post)

(Message edited by bassman10096 on March 04, 2004)

bassman10096 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 04, 2004, 06:02:02 AM »

EffClef (or Andy if you'd prefer - it's easy to check someone's profile for their name - but I never know if that's intrusive.):
I like your ideas about the older and non-standard models. I also know (as most of is do) that Mica already has a daunting workload. So, Mica: Take this all as just my own (unsolicited, rambling) opinion!

The fundamental reaction I had to the BassNW gallery is that it provides a better look at just some of the immense variety of things that building and/owning an Alembic can help a player realize. And that's without even talking about SOUND!

As for me, I think Alembic, through its site, it's own photo archives and its access to owners (perhaps) willing to share their pictures, might be able to create additional visual presentations that convey more of the limitless range of looks and options available. I don't pretend to know all the physical constraints that would need to overcome to do this (i.e. time, technical resources, bandwidth to suggest a few). I'm sure by now I just sound like a PITA customer. I also don't have a clue as to Alembic's own vision and goals for its business. However, I do strongly believe that more access to the kinds of visuals we are all talking about would lead to currently uninformed players developing an understanding and interest in Alembics.

My apologies for the longwinded sermon, but my experience with Alembic leads me to believe there are good people out there who would want what we have, if they knew more about it. And, for what it's worth, I think that would be cool.

If there were a way to do it, I'd be willing to donate some time on behalf of the Club to help select and scrapbook images (whatever that means) to package them for presentation.

Bill

(Message edited by bassman10096 on March 04, 2004)

effclef · « **Reply #12 on:** March 04, 2004, 06:58:41 AM »

Bill, those are some great ideas. It all depends on how much Alembic wants to take on as far as adding things to their website goes.

I do think having a link to the Showcase section would be a great first step. Perhaps this could go in The Products page - click here for some of our customers' pictures of their Alembics.

It is interesting that Alembic does not seem to advertise. Perhaps I am wrong and just haven't spotted any ads in Bass Player for example.

Perhaps it's because they don't NEED to. If they are happy with the business they now have, and (like Rickenbacker) they have a huge backlog of basses in-progress, then taking on a flood of new business might dilute the quality of their work or tempt them to have work done elsewhere by contract...

I loved Susan's post about guitar players' Alembics because although I knew a lot of the famous bass player names, I knew almost nobody who played an Alembic guitar.

When I used to waste (uh...enjoy) more time at the computer, I subscribed to The Bottom Line email list. The members of that list put out several recordings of their work - I bought all (five?) CDs and it was really great to hear what people were doing. Now, if the Alembicians here were to put out a recording, I would absolutely buy it. I don't care if it was unaccompanied solo fooling around or not - here's track 1...this is me playing a walking bass line on my Spoiler... I'd still love to hear it. Perhaps this could be done as MP3s. Perhaps not at Alembic's site, but some other helpful Club member could use his.

Some ideas.

The thing to remember is that Alembic seems to be doing just fine as-is. It's their business to run as they choose. More than 30 years, too, and how many other guitar companies have remained so cohesive and meticulous for that long?

EffClef

Manfred · « **Reply #13 on:** March 04, 2004, 07:08:29 AM »

Paul,

that was me. And I was talking about Hevos.

Manfred

bassman10096 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 04, 2004, 10:22:37 AM »

EffClef: I appreciated your comments. The thing I want to reiterate is that Alembic is doing great. Not only have they outlived the majority of the guitar/bass industry that existed when they began, but they have created and continue to create masterworks in their instruments. I also have the highest respect for the Alembic people and their organization. They are a cohesive family in the strongest literal and figurative sense. It wasn't my intention to criticize or evaluate the business or to do anything except ruminate on some things that, in my selfish way, might make me happy (not to imply that anyone, first and foremost Alembic, should agree). Sorry if anything offended.

Bill