Coming back into the Alembic fold...it stays in your blood!

[synapticgroove]

5a,


Thank you graciously for your insight!  Yes, I think a Series instrument, or perhaps a combination of a Distillate and Alembic rack mount gear, is probably the way that I'll go in the future.  Either way, I'm excited about all future possibilities and for earning my stripes to be a 'real' member of this unique club.


Many thanks again for sharing your experience.  It is most appreciated!

[hankster]

The thing about the "which Alembic?" conversation is that it is a bit of a rabbit hole. Any Alembic that feels good to you will be far superior in versatility to any other bass. I feel like my "plain old" Stanley signature standard can do virtually anything compared to my other basses (which are pretty nice basses). Find one you like to play. You'll be able to make it sound great. That's my view anyway. Apologies to those who think you need to hold out for a Series bass.

R.

[synapticgroove]

hankster,

I wish I lived in an area where I could try more of them out, but the only one I've ever stumbled across, I bought almost immediately!  You're right, it wasn't one of Alembic's higher end models, but it sure smoked a lot of other basses I've had, in terms of feel and sound.  Super fast neck, nice even sound across the strings and up/down the entire fretboard.  It was a solid recording bass to boot.

[hammer]

For a point of comparison, I currently own: 2 Series I basses; 1 Custom and 1 Standard Signature Deluxe; 1 6-string Europa and my 1st Alembic was a Distillate.  Other than indicating that "I got the fever" this has provided me with the chance to compare a lot of Alembic equipment.  Based on that I can say that...


(1) It is true that no two Alembics are alike.  Example: I LOVE my short scale Series I with a small SC body but don't enjoy playing my Standard Point medium scale Series I anywhere near as much.  It's not the body size that makes a difference or the scale length but rather a very significant difference in the thickness of the neck;
(2) Although there are certainly reasons to purchase a vintage Alembic, there are a number of advantages to the newer ones which seem, at least to me, to play a lot easier.  And by newer I don't mean "new" but rather 1985 and more recent;
(3) It's a real bonus to have an Alembic with an adjustable nut;
(4) There are very real differences between the sounds/tone of Series vs. non-Series basses, but...I've been told by others that its really hard to tell when I'm playing live.  What others have indicated about the difference being more apparent in the studio rings true.
(5) If you acquire an Alembic Superfilter (SF-2) you can get quite close to the sound of a Series bass with any of Alembic's thru neck basses and the right set of strings.


To reinforce what others have told you, it's clearly worth the time to take even a 5-6 hour drive each way to play a set of Alembic basses and really figure out what suits you the best.

[wick5]

Are the Mark King Balance K bodies becoming more popular?
(Did I just hijack?)

[synapticgroove]

Hammer,

Thank you for sharing your experience and for the insight!

wick5,  no worries man.  This seems to be a good thread to get some questions answered by those in the know!