Author Topic: Serial # Request - 78-995 (Read 854 times)

dadabass2001 · « **on:** July 30, 2005, 02:33:18 PM »

Hello Mica and/or Val
I just found this beauty at a luthiers shop in North Aurora, IL. #78 - 995 is a heavily customized 4 string bass, with 6 3-way switches in a straight line under the bridge and bridge pickup (seem to be Rogue tone switches for each pickup plus 2 whose function I couldn't identify) plus a 7th 2-way switch that apparerntly turns off the bridge pickup(?), a 4 position pickup selector, 6 top hat knobs and 2 cvq pointer knobs aligned as if they were volume/?/filter/cvq for each pickup, the 5pin XLR and a strangely mounted 1/4 jack on the side above the standard point. Strangest of all, the pickups appear to be Alembics except they have 4 apparent pole pieces showing through clean (factory?) holes in the top of each pickup and there is no sign of the dummy coil at all.
There are two electronics cavities plus the battery compartment. The upper electronics cavity has all it's components in separate little ~1 square black epoxy modules (no visible circuit boards) wired together with push on connectors. This same compartment is where the 1/4 jack comes in from the side of the body. Schaller tuners, non adjustable nut, 2 purpleheart laminates in the neck, and a top and matching back with a greenish looking wood.
The power supply isn't a DS-5R, but it is a rack mount. It has a little engraved label on the front that says made for Mike Reed by Alembic.
Standard 5 pin and bass/treble jacks on the front plus a three way(?) power switch and an amber led marked 'Remote. The back panel has 12 1/4 jacks (6 pairs labeled to and from) for bass normal / always / remote and treble normal / always / remote.
I'm wondering about the top and back woods and the custom electronics. The luthier, Rick Cremer plans to refret the instrument and clean up the neck before trying to sell it.
Thanks, Mike

son_of_magni · « **Reply #1 on:** July 30, 2005, 06:23:34 PM »

No picture? Arrrrrgh.

bsee · « **Reply #2 on:** July 30, 2005, 06:59:03 PM »

Sounds very interesting!

It is possible that the switch that turns off a pickup is a stereo/mono switch. If you were testing with a 1/4 cable when you observed this, that may be the case.

dadabass2001 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 30, 2005, 08:54:05 PM »

I wish I had a camera.
I was testing through the power supply front outputs into two separate amps. Even using the both position on the pu selector the 2-way switch just seemed to shut off the bridge pickup. Internally the switch had a capacitor and a diode on it, according to Jay (the shop assistant)
Mike

kungfusheriff · « **Reply #4 on:** July 30, 2005, 09:46:00 PM »

{checks his calendar}
Dude, you've gotta get us photos.

joram · « **Reply #5 on:** July 31, 2005, 02:42:37 AM »

That sounds familiar... Maybe this one? http://www3.alembic.com/img/hist_1978_linesofswitches.jpg

dadabass2001 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 31, 2005, 06:42:18 AM »

Joram, you nailed it!
If that isn't the same bass, then it's a virual twin electronically. The top and back in burl myrtle are much closer to greenish-yellow or olive in cast, but the pickups, switches, knobs, even the 1/4 jack are as pictured.
The bass appeared as if it hadn't benn cleaned in years, tailpiece and bridge all corroded, neck all funky (dare I say crusty), even the strings on this old girl are caked. Rick Cremer said the frets were filed poorly by someone who was guessing, and he's planning to refret it. The bridge is cranked so high, you can't play hardly above the 10th fret. There's some significant dings in the finish on the lower body and wood is cracking in a spot on the upper body. It was in a Reunion gig bag.
Mike

(Message edited by dadabass2001 on July 31, 2005)

David Houck · « **Reply #7 on:** August 01, 2005, 06:30:45 AM »

Wow!! My guess is that the dummy pickup is hidden. And I further guess that the electronics are two superfilters. Was it noisy? Does it sound like it needs the electronics upgrade? And ... did they suggest how much they would ask for it ?? !!

kungfusheriff · « **Reply #8 on:** August 01, 2005, 07:27:08 AM »

Its more in need of a bath than anything else. And a fretjob. Otherwise I think its original to the build sheet. We'll be finding out.

Regards,

Rick Cremer
...is what I got back. I already asked that last question, Dave.

dadabass2001 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 01, 2005, 09:05:49 AM »

Hi Dave,
I got the neck pickup runing and sounding pretty sweet. The bridge pickup was into a smaller amp and showed some hiss (and sounded like the Phil interference with camera scene from The Grateful Dead Movie - very bright). I've never worked with a superfilter, and couldn't get any obvious reaction when I twiddled the two middle top hat knobs. I also didn't get any obvious result from three of the 3-way switches. Rick also mentioned that the battery compartment seemed to be set up for 2 batteries similar to but a little shorter than a standard 9-volt (2 - 7.? volt)?
Rick said he is checking the internet, pricewise, to see where other series instruments are selling.
Mike

David Houck · « **Reply #10 on:** August 01, 2005, 09:32:41 AM »

Thanks Mike! Looking forward to the report from Val or Mica.

mica · « **Reply #11 on:** August 01, 2005, 01:38:59 PM »

All I can tell you about 995 is that it was finished between 02-14-78 and 02-27-78. The file in 1978 consisted of a 3x5 card with some basic details. The original 3x5 card is in the files, but it is all the fields are blank except the serial number, and no other interaction with this instrument since it was built was recorded. It's the only one I've seen like that.

But, I can tell you that the three position switches are not Rogue/Europa switches - we weren't making those back then. I'm guessing the bass has Superfilters, and that the three position switches are low-pass/band-pass/high-pass modes for the filter frequency control. If the filter gain controls are not turned up, these switches won't have any impact on the sound.

The mercury batteries back in 1978 were smaller than modern alkaline batteries. The cavity will have to be enlarged if you ever want to use batteries.

Dad and I will be keeping this thread in mind when were work on his old files for electronics. The name rang a bell with him, so we can only hope that he's got more details in his records. Will keep you posted, but another update probably won't come this week.

Would love to see some more pictures, of the guts too!

David Houck · « **Reply #12 on:** August 01, 2005, 03:05:30 PM »

Thanks Mica!! Another mystery bass! And I second the motion for pictures of guts!

dadabass2001 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 01, 2005, 05:24:59 PM »

Hey all,
Thanks indeed, Mica. I just got home and had an email from Rick Cremer confirming the identity of the bass. He said it matches in every detail to the picture in the history section. He even mentioned the mercury batteries. Now I gotta find that link to the superfilter pdf to check out the controls.

Mike

David Houck · « **Reply #14 on:** August 01, 2005, 06:58:45 PM »

Mike; my guess would be that the two knobs you were turning that didn't seem to do anything were what would be called the Damping Ratio on the SF-2 or the CVQ on the Series II. If you strike a note and turn the CVQ you might not notice the change. But if you play a line, then turn the knob, then play the line again, you should notice the difference.