To Clean And Polish. . Or Not.

[bucky]

Hey Brothers:  
 
Jeff here again to ramble about his vintage Brown Bass - I've since found out by the way from Mica that my Serial # 74 - 52 actually *pre-dates* the Series I basses of the Stanley Clarke fame. My question is this - should I clean the brass back to it's original shining lustre or should I keep it vintage and do nothing but have the frets dressed, the pots cleaned and the harmonics checked and adjusted? If I DO clean it up - and I am pretty anal that way but I'm holding back - will I destroy intrinsic value at any level? It looks beautiful and will either way. One way it shows it's age and the other it would have a bit of a facelift. . I'm open to all opinions here. I'm not really a collector so I need some education in that department.  
 
Thanks Guys,  
 
Jeff Sherman  
aka bucky

[bigredbass]

I would not presume to have ANY understanding of how the 'vintage guitar' market works, aside from the fact that anybody who'd shell out 6 or 7 grand for an old Fender bass really needs a LOT of counseling.
 
In my experience, ALEMBICs tend to dwell on the edge of the vintage market, as they seem to be not really understood by the market.  This is true as well for most custom/low volume bass builders, although this is beginning to 'wake up' a bit.  
 
IN THE COMMUNITY that IS aware of older ALEMBICs (and you're square in the middle of one in this club), MY opinion is that the better shape they are in, the better.  I feel like most of us admire these instruments for the plateau they represent.  
 
Besides, a great deal of the ideas that went into your BB were the result of building into it features to MAKE it last.  The modular electronics, the adjustable nut, the neck-thru construction and more were meant to make an instrument that would LAST.  I mean, think about what you're saying, would you have to do this little to a 30-year old Fender?  Polish a few parts, have the bass intonated for your current strings, update the electronics if need be?
 
If it was me, the best way to 'show it's age' is to show just how little age it shows! And yeah, clean up your brass.

[palembic]

Hi friends,
 
Brother Joey can say things very neat and direct indeed. I hould take some lessons with him.
Because here is a looooong Paul story but (hello again) it can put some light on the matter.
I'm working in a Professional-Cultural environment now for a while. I mean: for the Flemish government with people who are professional involved in keeping the cultural heritage for those who come behind us in this world: musea are just one of those professionals.
One of the always goin'on discussions with our Cultural heritage (the goods we keep from the past): does it needs a Restauration or a Preservation (brothers and sisters - this is out of my language-leage so there are gonna be a lot of flenglish words in this).
Restauration means that you bring the good back to it's original state.
Preservation has 2 degrees: preserve it in the situation as it is, and preserve it to get worse.
 
In this case: the last option is excluded.: Jeff, your intention is to play the guitar again as you did before. Taking good care of it while playing but defintely NOT putting it in a closet and only showing it to exclusively invited club members to admire it and have some brandy with cigars (LOL).
NO.
You like to play.
To keep it as such is the least you can do.
Restauration can be hard and can be soft.
I wouldnt recommend a hard restauration: that means getting the guitar as new.  
IN my opinion (and the most of the cultural heritage professional world) it's not recommended too. The guitar tells a story not only as an heritage in guitarbuidling but also a story of th eplayer, the owners, the scars on instrument, mind and soul.
I suggest you to sit down and ask yourself this question: IF I PLAYED THAT GUITAR...WHERE WOULD IT BE?
I mean: would you have taken care of the brass? The wood? The electronics?
I think I start to know you a little and I guess you would have cleaned the brass.
I suggest you cleaned it up as far as you manually can but there is no sense in going back to the original shiny state. It wouldn't have been you playing it. So there is also no sense in changing the brass parts for new.
Oil the wood but keep the scratches and bruises, each of them tells a story. It's like all of us living with our scratches and bruises on our hart and mind.
The tuner is a pity. I suggest you keep looking for an (old) replacement. Follwo the rules of restauration for that kind. It WILL take a LOT of patience but please do.
 
The last thing is: you intent to play.
Realize that new Alembics sound a lot better than older ones. There HAS BEEN a technological evolution. Back in the seventies there were 1/10th of the signals (radio, lamps, dimmers, TV's, washingmachines, microwaves , mobiles ,,,) in the air as there are now. So there is a lot more hum to cancel .  
That's up to you: you are the player so you have to decide if you want to have the guitar with it's full possibilities. If there is no audible problem in playing situation, leave it that way. Is the guitar humming and hissing most of the time I suggest you let it check by the Alembicians.
 
Just my two cent
(gosh  ...2 $)
 
Paul the bad one

[bucky]

WOW!! Those were both GREAT posts. . Thank You BOTH!! Well. . the thing that is sticking in my mind right now (maybe because I read his last) is Paul?s comment about asking myself where would this guitar be right now if *I* had retained ownership. And as he already correctly guessed I would have been cleaning the brass somewhat all along the way. I'm just that way - I'm a preserver of things meaningful and precious to me. I am also aware of the technological advancements since 1974 in most of the fields of sound replication and creation - I have stayed active in music all through these decades and in fact have several digital samplers and great old analog keyboards and even bass pedals that I also play. If I can digress here for a moment though. Here?s a cool story about my trip to my friend Ron Thorns shop yesterday that you Alembic Brothers should most certainly appreciate. A little background on Ron first though - I've known Ron Thorn for nearly 20 years now - and in fact Ron (or Ronnie as I call him) was a guitar/bass player in one of my first bands after I moved here to LA. Anyway he has built quite a reputation for himself worldwide as a world class inlay artist and luthier (sp?). He's just one of those guys that has what I call they eye - like there?s a micrometer built into his vision. And of course he's a total perfectionist! WAY beyond what I am and anyone else is that I know when it comes to visual design, layout and execution.  The kind of artist that inlays *thousands* of inlay pieces into a fret board, body or anywhere the client requests. He is a master craftsman. Anyway *he* has been waiting with baited breath for me to bring the Alembic by. He does all the bridge and string setups and adjustments for all my guitars and has for years. Just because we go way back and we're brothers in that special way. Anyway when I brought the Alembic to him yesterday he was like a kid in a candy shop!! Not so much because my Alembic was a super tricked out inlay masterpiece or anything like that - it was because of it's *history*. We went over the bass section at time (including the electronics) and he just marveled at the hand made nature of the entire instrument. And that anyone could visualize and put something like this together *in 1974*! Heck. . Ron was about 5 years old when this was made. He pointed out to me little places that exhibited  the complete handmade nature of the instrument. And explained to me that nowadays even the custom guitar makers that claim their instruments are handmade - like he does - use *some* templates and devices to ensure the exacting measurements that players now require of a purchase of this magnitude. Even Alembic uses templates now I'm sure. But Ron's estimation by looking at this with the eye was that my bass was about 98% handmade. Everything. . except the electronics of course. And there they used the very best parts available and everything is so obviously lovingly soldered by hand. Even the little PC Circuit board which Ron pointed had Alembic printed on it and was obviously custom made for Alembic, was attached with the very best ribbon cable available in 1974. I'm telling you opening up that back brass plate and looking into that bass was as exciting to me as if we had found a hitherto undiscovered Egyptian tomb! I know you my Alembic Brothers will totally understand this. Anyway, I'm digressing from the original topic for this thread but I just HAD to share that you guys. Anyway. . Ron's opinion and he stated it as just that - his opinion - was that it looked great either way and that it wasn't a necessity for me to polish the brass. He kind of thought it looked cool showing it's age. Because the rest of the body is in such great shape the brass bridge and the scalloped nut were two of the only areas that *did* show any aging. .  
 
So. . I'm still torn but now I'm leaning towards polishing that bridge and nut back to their original shine. I would only of course remove the tarnish with a good cleaner (is there anyone out there that can suggest one - one that will do the job but is gentle?) and of course oiling the woodwork. The wood is not dried out looking at all really though I think my friend Mark it?s other owner probably didn't address the oiling issue for some time. I'm sure it's in need of a drink if you catch my meaning. . Ron also pointed out to me how most of the body is chambered and how great a job the original craftsman did on putting all the pieces together. You can tell a lot when you look *inside* a guitar just how important quality was to the artist who made it. If he was less than a Master he might not care what the inside looks like that much. you look inside an Alembic and it's just as beautiful as the outside. .  
 
Thanks Guys. . for helping me. Ad for also letting me express my feelings about this incredible gift I've gotten back.
 
Jeff    
 
p.s I repost the sharpest picture I have of it again here. And yes, those knobs were mine that I out on at the time because I thought they looked better than the originals (Ah, the foolishness of youth!) It now has the original knobs on it which I kept of course.