Author Topic: 1978 Double Neck (Read 925 times)

rockbassist · « **on:** September 18, 2005, 03:27:51 PM »

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 I assume it was originally made for someone who is well known.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 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 18, 2005, 04:19:31 PM »

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 · « **Reply #2 on:** September 18, 2005, 06:02:22 PM »

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 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 18, 2005, 08:29:46 PM »

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

bigideas · « **Reply #4 on:** September 18, 2005, 11:26:23 PM »

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 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 19, 2005, 07:11:53 AM »

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 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 19, 2005, 11:03:12 AM »

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

haddimudd · « **Reply #7 on:** September 20, 2005, 01:30:39 PM »

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 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 20, 2005, 04:42:27 PM »

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 · « **Reply #9 on:** September 21, 2005, 12:25:28 AM »

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 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 21, 2005, 05:42:28 AM »

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

garyhead · « **Reply #11 on:** **Today** at 11:34:48 AM »

Greetings. Sorry for resurrecting a 21 Year Old thread on a 47 year old instrument but there are SO MANY threads on the John Judge Doubleneck that I am the current caretaker of. We have the complete provenance of this fine instrument from a previous owner / forum member that I wanted to put it on the record here at the Alembic Club. Six of the eight owners are club members. I'll use their screen names for privacy. The two non-club members will have abbreviated names. Many have posted over the years on the various Goliath threads. Here goes:
#1 John_ Judge 2/1979 to 7/1981 Arrived with a partial de-lamination of the 8 String headstock. It was NOT broke off. Repaired @ Alembic.
#2 keurosix 7/1981 to 1994 Repaired the LED's on the 8-string neck.
#3 Paul C 1994 to 2005 This was the fellow who sent Goliath to Alembic for a refinish in 1996. The cavity cover is unrestored so you can see what the checking was like.
#4 speicky 2005 to 7/2011 Goliath hits the road and spent 6 years in Germany!
#5 Bonde J 7/2011 to 5/2015 Not much info on him but Goliath returns to Connecticut again. Purchased from Station Music in Germany
#6 dinan 5/2015 to 10/2018 Goliath relocates to Denver. Electronics / soldering refreshed and everything working (except the dragons eyes)
#7 alembicbassjeremy 10/2018 to 12/2025 Goliath relocates to LA. His father was the owner but it pretty much stayed in storage and wasn't played.
#8 Garyhead 12/2025 to Present.

Excellent job of piecing together all this info. There was a custom Dragon leather strap at one time but is lost somewhere around Connecticut. I hope to start a provenance check of my other Alembic doubleneck - Leviathan. 4-String Fretted bass + Six String Guitar with Series 1 electronics. There are two non-Alembic toggle switches added that are not hooked up to anything. Another mystery to solve. The original owner, also a Club member said he played it live twice then put it under a bed for 30 years.

So there it is Goliath is back in the USA, NOT in a case but on a stand in the living room and getting played again. It's probably here to stay. I haven't sold any gear in 51 years!
It's kinda strange. I went 20 Years without buying any instruments then two doublenecks 18 months apart.