1978 Double Neck

[rockbassist]

Thought everyone might enjoy checking out this 1978 Double neck that I saw on the internet. I assume it was originally made for someone who is well known. I can't imagine anyone else having something like this built. If anyone knows the story behind it I would like to hear it.  
http://www.gguitars.com/al781000.html

[bracheen]

The John Judge bass.  It gets talked about from time to time here.  A search should turn up a few discussions including one about the rather interesting inlays.  As to who John Judge is/was I am no help.  If you can find anything on him please pass it along.
 
Sam

[811952]

I think for $10k it's quite a deal, if for nothing other than the value of owning the legendary John Judge bass.  Realistically, though, you could get three nice used Series instruments for that kind of money on ebay if you were patient.  Sam's right; although his instrument is the stuff of legends, there is precious little known about the man himself.
John (wishing he had $10k laying around)

[kungfusheriff]

I know someone who used to own a double-neck Wal (not the Jonas Hellborg bass).
20 pounds, he says.
Not I.

[bigideas]

the description of the electronics seems either very un-Alembic or is surprisingly uneducated for a store that's an Alembic distributor.  
 
i love that tailpiece. what'd that sorta thing cost?

[811952]

20 pounds?  I believe it.  My Series I is more than heavy enough for me.  I can't imagine lofting a doubleneck around all night.  Hartmut has a sweet double Alembic bass also, if you haven't seen it already:  http://www.alembic.com/info/doubleneck.html
 
John

[hydrargyrum]

I see this bass quotes a weight of 18.4 pounds. . . surely a back breaker.

[haddimudd]

Ah, it is nice to see more pictures of this double-neck bass. Mika once faxed me a photocopy of it when I was about to order mine, but I never saw many details on that fax. Thanks for the link!
 
10k$ isn't bad at all for this one! Except for the fact that 10k are a lot of money whatsoever. Don't forget you indeed get two instruments in one, so look at it as 5k per single neck instrument. There are some beautiful inlays worth a lot, side LEDs etc.  
 
You would be surprised at how long you can wear 20 pounds around your neck, although not long enough for me not to fancy about solutions of getting the weight off the back and onto the hips instead. Then again I would love to have that for all my instruments just the same, regardless of the actual weight.
 
Something that would throw me off the most on this double neck bass would be the fact that you probably can't put your right arm around when seated. And I play a lot in the sitting position except for public performances. Oh well, regarding it this way 18.4 pounds MAY become an issue... At least that is something I made sure on my double neck bass: The body is reshaped so that reaching around isn't a problem at all.
 
In any case this John Judge bass is an instrument its owner should be proud of!
 
Now, regardless of who John Judge was, this bass is surely a rare fellow in the Alembic history as there weren't too many double-neck basses made so far, as I know. The same probably goes for 8-strings Alembics as well.
 
I know for sure I will envy the new owner. But then again I do envy most Alembic owners for their particular instruments already!
 
Hartmut

[811952]

Hartmut,
You sparked an idea.  Are you familiar with a Steadicam?  it's a series of levers, springs, pulleys and counterweights that puts the weight of a camera on the hips.  Certainly overkill as it is, but surely a simpler version that rests the weight of the instrument on the hips is within the realm of possibility.  Maybe a cross between a Steinberger system and a Steadicam.  I wonder if it's been done (or attempted) already?
John

[haddimudd]

John,
 
Yes indeed, I am very familiar with Steadycam as film making is my field of profession. That was actually my long term idea when thinking about the weight shift problem. However, as you said, the Steadycam system would be overkill as is. It would be too clumsy for regular music making and of course have features you'd never need on an instrument after all. Now, if I could stick my head together with some brilliant minds at Steadycam and find ways to build a harness sufficiantly invisible behind the instrument and a light weight carrier arm system, that would be something. Unfortunately I am not too positive they would be willing to do that for the money I'll have available for that purpose...
 
What is the Steinberger system?
 
Hartmut

[guineapig]

Oh my!  A Steadybass!  Imagine all the cool moves you could do with your bass without the risk of dropping it!