Author Topic: Bass Info Request (Read 472 times)

Ross · « **on:** September 15, 2003, 08:32:42 PM »

I acquired a Series I, Serial No. 77 830 in June. What can someone official tell me about this bass?

Thanks so much!

palembic · « **Reply #1 on:** September 15, 2003, 10:58:09 PM »

First of all Jared: a hearty welcome from al of us. There are other Pauls on their way to do the same, I'm happy to be the first one this time.
Watch out: there will be one Paul passing by yelling pictures-pictures-pictures, please we all like pictures of your baby. So be creative with a camera and post the pictures on the appropriate place on this site! Don't be shy!
The officials be here soon with some info, the only thing I can say about it is that it's from 77 seen the first 2 numbers.
Congrats.

Paul the bad one

jet_powers · « **Reply #2 on:** September 16, 2003, 06:16:48 AM »

Indeed welcome! You are well on your way to a nice, clean, healthy addiction.

When you register your bass with Alembic you will get all the pertinent data associated with it.

The last three numbers tell it's the 830th instrument they built.

Congrats on your acquistion.

John Paul (not the pope)

Ross · « **Reply #3 on:** September 16, 2003, 05:08:29 PM »

Greetings to all -- I'm Ross. Actually, I did register with Alembic, and the e-mail acknowledgment did not provide any additional information.

I probably should mention that I acquired this Alembic in the Sotheby's John Entwistle Auction. People who frequent the DudePit website will have already heard all about this saga. In any event, it's now fully operational and it's definitely a cool bass. Here's a link to an online photo album, http://members19.clubphoto.com/ross665431/1371615/guest.phtml.

Thanks,

RA

elzie · « **Reply #4 on:** September 16, 2003, 05:17:16 PM »

Welcome aboard Ross!

I looked at the pics

I thought I was the only crazy one with a tremolo on a bass.... Looks like a really great bass!

Wow, that is quite a bass......

Paul, The Good One

malthumb · « **Reply #5 on:** September 16, 2003, 10:34:28 PM »

I know you said you got it at the Entwistle auction, but it's also a dead ringer for one of the basses Stanley Clarke displays in the liner of his I Wanna Play For You album. I love that dark, dark top.

David Houck · « **Reply #6 on:** September 16, 2003, 10:44:42 PM »

Oversized knobs?

senmen · « **Reply #7 on:** September 16, 2003, 11:37:58 PM »

Hi Ross,
many congrats to this great piece.
I am a little bit jealous, because you own one
of the original basses of John, my all-time hero.
Take care of the bass and play it with fun.
And please: if you ever want to sell it, plse
contact me.

Many greetings
Oliver Baumann

palembic · « **Reply #8 on:** September 17, 2003, 12:43:35 AM »

Great bass indeed.
Ross, is it possible that the bass has a long-scale neck?? For one or another reason I LOVE SSbodies with a long scale neck although Alembic didn't make many of them.

More details about the guitar can be given by Mica (or Valentino when he's around) when she comes along. You have to be patient because I estimate her DAILY e-mails at about 879!!!!!!!!!!!

Oversized knobs?
No I don't think so Dave: the old hat knobs are bigger than the Collet-type and that fact i emphasized by the fact that this is an SSbody (Small-Standard) with the old thickness (the older Alembic are thicker and have a more rounder egde).

Paul the good one: you saw the pictures at the site Ross indicated? Let me guess: you saw yourself already in that pool.
Ross: is that your place???

Paul the bad one
Hep ...Guys ...I found a place for our meeting!!!!!!!! There is a pool, lot's of cool basses and a gorgeous Mesa Boogie!

(Message edited by palembic on September 17, 2003)

(Message edited by palembic on September 17, 2003)

valvil · « **Reply #9 on:** September 17, 2003, 01:52:51 AM »

hello Ross & welcome,
I remember that bass from the auction; if I'm not mistaken it has a graphite neck, but you probably knew that , I think it was in the notes at the auction site, not to mention that it would be hard to miss when you're holding it in your hands. I do not have access to the records at this time, but Mica will surely be able to help you out as soon as she has a minute to look it up. Please be patient, because she is a very busy, but very helpful lady, and all requests are answered, but sometimes it just takes a bit longer.

It does look like a short scale, i'd say.

Valentino

senmen · « **Reply #10 on:** September 17, 2003, 02:14:25 AM »

Hi Val,
I think you are right.
To my knowledge it is a short scale with a graphite neck.

Let?s wait what Mica will bring out of the
archives......

Take care
Oliver

David Houck · « **Reply #11 on:** September 17, 2003, 06:43:53 AM »

Thanks Paul. In one of the photos at Jared's link the knobs seemed to really jump out in relation to the body, more so than I had ever noticed before. Of course there is the fact that I am supposed to pick up my new glasses today.

kungfusheriff · « **Reply #12 on:** September 17, 2003, 10:03:21 AM »

Ohhhh...Alembic thru Mesa Boogie. God, I miss those days. Ross, enjoy.
KFS

Ross · « **Reply #13 on:** September 17, 2003, 06:54:52 PM »

Thanks for the hospitality and compliments. I'm happy to host a gathering at my place in Atlanta, Georgia USA -- and I do have 19 basses at the moment [hoping to sell some soon] -- but if all y'all [that's a southernism, though I'm originally a yankee from Boston] want to use the pool, it will have to wait until next May or later. We closed the pool for the season on Monday.

To answer the questions:

(a) Yes, I knew the bass had a graphite neck.

(b) It is medium scale. The included 5 sets of Rotosound strings are labeled that way, and, in any event, I just measured: 32 from bridge to nut.

(c) It appears to be a Series I (Q switches, instead of knobs), with some Series II features (master volume, side LEDs).

(d) Thanks in part to the assistance of a generous soul who saw my posts on the DudePit, I have found not one, but two books that have pictures of JE with this Alembic: The Who -- Maximum R&B by Richard Barnes and Rockschool 1 edited by Chris Lent. The Rockschool picture is particularly cool because it shows JE actually playing the Alembic. The Maximum R&B photo shows JE in a room with about 50 basses and maybe a few guitars in the back. Interestingly enough, this Alembic is one of three basses in the foreground, and the other two are basses that JE was known to have played a great deal: a 1964 Thunderbird (JE is leaning on this in the picture) that the Sotheby's catalog said was his main stage and studio bass from 1972-1976, and a 1960s P-frankenbass (refinished in an ugly pink from its original sunburst) that the Sotheby's catalog said JE played at Woodstock and on Live at Leeds. I still do not have absolute confirmation, but it seems increasingly likely that JE may have actually played this bass with the Who. Obviously, I will greatly appreciate any further information on this subject.

Thanks,again,

RA

dean_m · « **Reply #14 on:** September 18, 2003, 08:57:07 AM »

Hey Ross,

Greetings from Paul The Fake One. Great bass!!! Congratulations!!

Best of luck with Isabelle too.