Awesome Dressed up Essence on Reverb

[BeenDown139]

i'm not in the market for a fretted bass, but this one caught my eye.  Not sure what it is that flips my switch - the headstock, the neck stringers, the blue LEDs or the electronics or maybe just the whole freaking ball of wax:

https://reverb.com/item/36850358-alembic-essence-5st-2004-gloss-natural

this bass has seen the light of day only a few times and played rarely because the consignor is first and foremost a percussionist.

if this guy can drop this kind of $ on a bass he never plays ya gotta wonder what his percussion toys look like.  Now if that was an unlined fretless my trigger finger would be getting itchy....

[gtrguy]

At 11 lbs that sounds pretty heavy for a smaller bass. Nice looking and I love all the switches.

[gearhed289]

Yeah, this one is checking a lot of boxes for me. That weight though...

[BeenDown139]

At 11 lbs that sounds pretty heavy for a smaller bass.

i agree.  however, the best sounding basses that i've owned have all been heavy girls, with the exception of my mid-80's steinberger xl-2 which was a feather-light 7.5 lbs or so.

the elan that i sold a few months ago was about 12.5 lbs. It was a snarling monster, due mostly i think to its dense heavy maple core.  since i play sitting down these days, weight isn't that much of a big deal, but body size of that bass was forcing my right arm into a weird position and that's what sealed its fate.  somedays i still regret that decision but i would've been facing shoulder surgery if we'd stayed together.

its replacement, a MK signature is about 10.5 lbs.  a very much more refined sound than my elan, but i'm not sure if its tone would tear your face off like that elan would.

my series II weighed 13.5 lbs and i had to wear a back brace under my stage clothes when i gigged with that monster.  what a killer!

so if you like that big resonant sound and you've got the back for it, heavy is better in my book.  others may not agree...

[gtrguy]

I have a light Yamaha BX-1 that has had its electronics upgraded with active EMG and it is in the top best sounding basses I have owned. However, I find it literally too small at times.
I saw one once that had the paint stripped off it, and the wood underneath was beautiful. I don't think they made any that they did not paint though, as they must have been doing a Steinberger copy look. I also owned a 5 string version and it just sounded so so.


Pics from the web of bx-1s:

[keith_h]

Yeah, this one is checking a lot of boxes for me. That weight though...

That is pretty heavy. All of those switches are Europa electronics with the addition of an on/off switch for the LEDs. I still believe this is one of the best packages for live performance as it is easy to find settings quickly while maintaining a wide range of tonal possibilities.

[BeenDown139]

this discussion about weight kinda brought back memories -

my first alembic was a fretless 4-string essence that i got brand-new from GC in seattle back in the late 90's.  As i remember, it was a light weight, almost delicate bass, very easy to strap on, thin neck (i've actually got a picture of a younger, handsomer me playing it, not sure if i wanna post it).  Fast forward about 20 years and a whole lot of water under the bridge.  Now i own a 5-string fretless essence and while it's not the biggest or heaviest bass i've owned, she's a thick sturdy girl.  the difference between the 4- and 5- string versions of this bass is striking.  Thicker (and wider) neck, bigger headstock, heavier, definitely not the delicate flower that i owned back in the days of yore.  I haven't put it on a scale, but i'd be surprised if it weighed less than 10.5 lbs. So i suppose it's possible to cut corners and make a lightweight 5-string, but it seems like when you add that extra string, you're gonna hafta beef the rest of the instrument up to support it.