How many basses do you have

[valvil]

I believe the basic model those basses were started from was the Essence with a 'q' switch added. I do not know yet what, if any, extra charge there is on this body style. A 4 string Essence with a 'q' switch would start at 3875$.
I don't think this will be a new line,  so it's very likely that they will just go down in the records as 'custom' instruments, but on the other hand I doubt this will be the last time we build one of these.  
After all this is  not the first time Alembic has paid homage to another manufacturer's design, building its version of a classic, like with the Exploiter, or the Flying V; recently we made an Alembic version of a telecaster guitar; and I'm sure there are more I'm not aware of.  
 
Valentino

[1stbass]

Val'
are there any photo's of the Alembic telecaster?
I love to see that.
 
Doug

[dela217]

I find the Alembic instruments that are inspired by more conventional makers kinda interesting.  For my taste though, I prefer Susan's original designs.    
 
Dave Torbert from The New Riders Of The Purple Sage had an Alembic bass that looked like it was inspired by a Les Paul.  He had a GREAT tone.  I'll bet he was using Pyramid strings.  Good stuff. Anyone have better pictures of this bass?  
 
 

 
(Message edited by dela217 on March 09, 2004)

[dean_m]

Oh my Gawd, these are wicked cool. (HA!!  just a little Bostonian from the other thread)
 
Seriously though.  I really do love the idea and the look.  These would really work here in the NE area seeing how it's sort of a Fender type of area especially NY and Boston.
One of the reasons (among many) why I bought my Elan and Orion was that they were the closest thing to a Jazz.  As much as I do agree with Sam and Rami about letting Alembic be Alembic, I really do like these.
Val, could these be done as set-necks also?  
 
Peace,
Dino (Paul The Fake One)

[valvil]

Of course Dino, set neck would be no problem.
 
Doug,  I believe Mica took some pictures of that guitar, I'll ask her if she has any to post.
 
Valentino

[stevec77]

I just bought a '78 Fender jazz bass and want to restring it with Rotosound long scale round wounds (.45, 65, 80, and 105) but the tuning post for the E string is so close to the nut that the string starts to wrap onto the post all the way past the blue buffer material to the speaking portion of the string. This only happens with the E as the post for the A, D, and G are progressively further away from the nut. Looks like if I used a medium scale string the blue buffer wouldn't even make it past the nut. Is it the worst thing if a portion of the speaking part is on the post? What scale strings are you using? medium? long?

[dean_m]

Uh OH!!!!
 
Hey Brother Paul TBO, got any stockings left?
Now I'm in trouble.  How can I okay this with senior management?
 
Sorry kids, forget about the addition to the house, daddy's buying an new bass.  Boy am I in trouble.
 
Thanks Guys!!!!
 
Dino

[palembic]

OK ...I'll lend you the black ones!!!
They just came out of the washing machine.
However: having these basses with set necks COULD justify you selling the basses you have ...or selling your special Dino-autographed Warwicks LOL
 
PTBO

[David Houck]

Michael; this may be where you found your picture, but just in case here's a link.  They are not as good as your picture, but go here:
http://www.nrpsmusic.com/gallery.html
and click on the Felt Forum link and the Thanksgiving link.
Also check out the Alembic guitar Dawson is playing in the April 14, '74 link.

[David Houck]

Steve; I would think that as long as the thread isn't on the nut it shouldn't effect the sound produced by the string.  I believe the only function of the thread is to help keep the metal wraps from unwrapping.

[senmen]

Jet,
thank you. I know they are great but when see all those great basses I would like to have them all. Especially of course JE owned basses.
A bass I\m really sad that I had sold it was a 54 Gibson EB1 violin bass. Mint with case and telescopic pin. This is a real collector item; but not playable. This can only be a collectors piece. But I will go on the hunt for original JE owned pieces.  
 
Everybody calls me the quiet one, you can see  
 but you can?t hear me
This might be true in my normal life, but with my Spyders not, believe me.....
 
Oliver (Spyderman)

[goatfoot]

The first Alembic I ever saw in person was a JE-owned bass.    
 
This was at a guitar show in Valley Forge, PA (USA) circa 1996.  I don't remember much about the bass (no one was allowed to touch it).  It might have been a triple-omega or exploiter, but I'm not sure.  Although I was a huge JE fan, I hadn't been biten by the Alembic-bug yet.  There was a huge crowd ooo-ing and ahh-ing around it so I didn't get the chance to inspect it up close.  
 
At the time I was craving a 6-string F-bass, which I never bought.  Funny how our tastes change.  I still think F-basses are really nice, but I can't imagine owning anything other than Alembics now.  
 
Since the topic of this thread is how many basses  ...  I'll add that my current stable consists of two.  A '03 fretless Brown Bass and a '96 Custom 5-string.
 
Kevin
 
(Message edited by goatfoot on January 15, 2004)

[xlrogue6]

Currently, my stable is:
 
'00 fretted Rogue 6 (the wenge one in the current catalog)
 
'01 fretless Rogue 6 (Growling Tiger)
 
'03(?) Dean Rhapsody 8 string (the need for an 8 isn't frequent enough to justify the cost of an Alembic)
 
1880's German flatback upright, maker unknown
 
gone but not forgotten
 
Klira Hofner copy
 
'72 Fender P-bass, which I Frankensteined 6 ways from Sunday
 
70's Rick 4001, on which I replaced the neck PU with a Hi-A (early Bartolini)humbucker.  Enlarged the cavity with spade bit and chisel, sa e method used on the above P bass.  I'm still doing penance....
 
early 80's Ibanez Roadstar, the one with the push-push coil tap switches on the volume pots, from which I learned that basswood has a lovely weight, but sounds like poop.
 
late 70's Guild B301
 
Steinberger XM-4 (I think) graphite neck and full body
 
Travis Bean
 
'63 P bass
 
Turner Electroline fretless
 
MJ Jazz 5 string
 
Warmoth wide 5, body with urban camouflage finish--flourescent pink, green, yellow, and block in a camo pattern--hey, it was the 80's.
 
'77 Music Man StingRay
 
early Clevinger electric upright with enormous rectangular telescoping endpin
 
Ibanez Musician 8 string
 
'95 Epic 5
 
'98 Orion fretless 5
 
probably more that I can't remember at the moment.
 
When I got my first Alembic (the Epic 5), I owned 5 or 6 other basses, and for a while I was carrying 3 or 4 basses to all my gigs.  Pretty soon I noticed that when I was playing the others I was constantly tweaking knobs trying to find a sound.  When I strapped on the Alembic, knob twiddling ceased and the other basses would spend the rest of the night on the stand.  When I had the privelege of working at Alembic I got to play LOTS of them (whatta gig, eh Val?) and learned that, as much as I loved my Epic, I would someday have to own neck-throughs.  Switching to 6 string was my justification for getting first my fretted and later my fretless Rogue (plus, I *had* to have that 35 scale!).  I still check out other basses, but none of them ever comes close as far as I'm concerned.  That's why I love the Club--y'all Get It!
 
Kent

[rami]

Kent, that Growling Tiger Rogue of yours is really something else.  I still enjoy looking at it in the Custom Archive.  Did you ever find the strings you were looking for it?
 
I really dig those LaBella nylon flats on my Evil Twin Rogue.  Despite what it's been through...it's become my all time favorite Bass.
 
Rami

[811952]

The original Paul the John one,
Oops.  My bad.  I suppose that makes me Paul the John one two or some such.  Maybe I can just use PtJ12 though it doesn't have nearly the class of PtJo... ;-)
PtJ12