Alembic #001 Rick Turner rennovation

[edwardofhuncote]

Mods - just realized this morning I got the year wrong... I did know the Casady bass was 72-001, but somehow slipped... 

Could you please edit my post above to reflect the correct year?   

[lembic76450]

Do I have the wrong memory about this bass?  I thought that it belonged to
someone in the Club who wished to remain anonymous.

[keith_h]

Kenn - That's my recollection as well.

[David Houck]

I'm not a facebookie and haven't seen the article story post (whatever stuff on facebook is called) related to this instrument.  Unless, the owner was revealed therein, I'm thinking that the owner is still, and wishes to continue to be, anonymous.

Gregory; edits made as requested.

[edwardofhuncote]

I'm not a facebookie and haven't seen the article story post (whatever stuff on facebook is called) related to this instrument.  Unless, the owner was revealed therein, I'm thinking that the owner is still, and wishes to continue to be, anonymous.

Gregory; edits made as requested.

Thanks Mod Dave.   Ackuracy counts, you know.

Yeah, I'm not on FB either, and apparently you have to be to see stuff on RT's personal page, so maybe there is more to the project than the snip posted at the top.

Whatever happens, I'm just glad to hear the Casady bass is still around  and making music. I was just telling someone yesterday, how it blows me away to think about the continuity - that's Alembic #1... and I have #14588. How cool is that!? 

[CaseyVancouver]

I hope that Mica and crew do something amazingly special for Alembic number 15,000!

[edwardofhuncote]

I hope that Mica and crew do something amazingly special for Alembic number 15,000!

...or 50th Anniversary Models?   

[adriaan]

Never anything but amazingly special, I'd say.

[pauldo]

Never anything but amazingly special, I'd say.

^^^^
Yes.  My 84 Distillate, both amazing and special.  As well as dreamy.  And eloquent. And a bunch of other pleasant adjectives.

[sonofa_lembic]

Don't let Rick Turner touch that thing.  It will end up way worse than it is now.  Anything but Ron's electronics in there is blasphemy.  Almost 50 years on, and Rick is still doing sloppy work.  Leave it be, or have Alembic restore it.  Makes me sick to think of a restoration that is not a true restoration, but a distortion.  Without Alembic electronics in it, it is just a bizarre woodworking project with a crap circuit in it that has no relevance to its amazing and unique provenance.  If de-Alembic'd, whatever notes are played on it will be nothing like what came out of it in 1972.  How is that a true restoration?

[Paul Reside]

I really don't think denigrating Ricks work and calling it sloppy is appropriate in this post. I agree getting it back to original condition would be nice but what exactly would be original condition?

[bigredbass]

' . . . but what exactly would be the original condition?' could easily be answered by the people who built it, who are still around and doing great work every day.  I'm sure between Ron and Susan this would be an easy answer, and a correct restoration to whatever level is desired.  Other people could do other things, but for us, it needs to 'come home' to be done right by the people who built it.  And of course, the current owner has every right to have the work done by whomever he chooses.

[moongerm]

Pennywise and a pound ..........   or maybe not. I think it will be a good thing all around. I bet down the road it will make its way back to Alembic for restoration. Mr Turner works his craft then the wonderful folks at Alembic add their magic later. Eventually the customer will be completely satisfied and will have a dramatic story to tell.  Adding any non-Alembic electronics to any Alembic is not the smartest move, even if it is temporary.     

[edwardofhuncote]

I feel exactly the same as I did when this thread started up last year... I'm glad the first-born Alembic is being restored and sorry both 'parents' aren't involved in it. I just wish there was some way to get updates without being on Facebook. 

Anybody heard how (or if) it's going? RT hasn't posted anything on his blog about it. (although there was a fascinating tale of an earlier peanut guitar that became Jerry Garcia's)

[jazzyvee]

Pennywise and a pound ..........   or maybe not. I think it will be a good thing all around. I bet down the road it will make its way back to Alembic for restoration. Mr Turner works his craft then the wonderful folks at Alembic add their magic later. Eventually the customer will be completely satisfied and will have a dramatic story to tell.  Adding any non-Alembic electronics to any Alembic is not the smartest move, even if it is temporary.     

Moongerm, I guess I have to admit to making an un-smart move then. I put non alembic electronics in my first Europa bass. It was at a time when I was getting tired of searching and not finding a series Europa bass for sale. A new one was out of the question. By chance I bumped into John East at the ACG Guitar stand at the Manchester bass day years back. Anyway I found he was doing filter based tone controls with CVQ for basses. I told him about my alembic and asked if he could do a mod for me so I could use two of his modules in my bass. So he did and installed low and high pass filters for each pickup, the low pass had what we call CVQ and the high pass had gain controls.

I have to say it sounded good especially the really low end as their filter controlled down to 80hz and the CVQ did give me a lot of control. However the low mids weren't cutting it for me and I found whilst I was able to get a lot of bottom end, it had no punch in it. I started to feel that something lacking in the tone from what I was used to hearing. I guess it was a poor man's series II. :-)

 I eventually, I realised aspects of the sound wasn't for me and re-installed the original alembic europa electronics. Since then I've have managed to find a Series II Europa and realise where my soul on the bass is. I'm happy again.  I must say that John East is a great guy and absolutely knows what he is doing. I'm not saying his stuff is any better or worse than Alembics, it just sounds different and I prefer the difference that Alembic gives me. I have no doubt the bass will sound great when it is finished. It's anyone's guess as to whether it will ever get back to Ron at alembic to