Bitch session and Epic Support

[glickmpb]

All,

I actually signed up on this board because I have sent multiple emails to Alembic regarding service and never received any response. I find it utterly comical that a company like
Alembic has this cheesy site, considering how much they charge for their basses. Honestly, I find it embarrassing. I bought my Alembic Epic 4 string about 25 years ago and this is
how they support their products? Wow...

So, I wanted to have my bass adjusted by lowering the action and I want it done properly. I dont want to bring it into a store with a "guitar tech" of 3 years. Does anyone have any
idea where I could take it to make sure it is properly adjusted? I live in the Chicagoland area.

Thank you in advance

[gearhed289]

Fat Cat in Elgin or Third Coast in Chicago and Palatine.

[keith_h]

First, Alembic is a small company with people wearing multiple hats that receives a flood of email so it can take time to see responses. If you need to contact them your best bet is to call them on the phone. If you had started here on the forum you would have found many members could have gotten you the information you needed pretty quickly.

As to the site, I like that they haven't gone in for all the useless graphics and video. I go to websites for information not to be wow'ed by how creative the web designer is and I say this from someone who spent 10 years as one of my company' representatives to the Internet Engineering Task Force and WWW (the groups that design the various parts of the Internet and World Wide Web).

As to your problem. Many of us do our own setups as it is pretty straight forward.There is a post in the Must Read section of the board where one of our members Joey walks through the steps to do a basic setting of the relief and action. It has helped many members learn how to do their own and can be found here: https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=311.0  .

We have a number of members who are in or from the Chicago area. When I lived there I used Gene Liberty out in Sheridan for all of my instrument setup and repair needs. I haven't lived there for years and do my own setups  now so I don't know if he still takes in this type of work or is strictly building  instruments. I also know of Rick Cremer in Aurora. He did all of the work for the guitarists in an old band of mine. If I still lived there I would be comfortable using either of them.

[glickmpb]

Keith,

Let me start by saying that I appreciate your reply. All information is always good. However....

There is ZERO excuse for a company that makes high end basses to have such a cheesy website and problems with support. I had called the support number
numerous times and it goes to VM. I had emailed the company years ago and never got a response. I literally sent another or email or two a few months ago.

As for the site...  It looks old, antiquated and like a 10 year old put it together for a school project. In this modern day, you live and die by presence on the Internet
and this is the best they can come up with?? As I said, I would be embarrassed if I owned the company selling expensive instruments and this was my website.

As to my problem... I have been a bass player for 30 years and have seen people routinely screw up their instruments for numerous reasons. The truss rod may
need adjustment and they botch it, they turn screws for various reasons and botch it, they completely throw the bridge out of wack, etc...  The reason why I wanted
someone from Alembic to do it, or a seasoned pro, is because I want it done right. My bass is about 25 years old, so it probably does need some adjustment.
Mind you, Im a systems engineer and have a real estate business. I am excellent with my hands but there are always reasons why you take things to a specialist.
Im not stupid...

I live in the Northern suburbs, so I would need someone relatively close to me to do the work.

Thanks for your input.

[mica]

Hi Paul,

I don’t know why you didn’t receive the two email responses I made you about your Epic bass, so I’ll post them here for your convenience. I was actually home sick when I answered these l, and hadn’t realized in the second reply that I had already answered you - I wasn’t checking.

As for our website, please don’t worry about us - we have working on a new one, but crafting our customers basses and guitars is a higher priority.

[glickmpb]

Mica,

Thank you very much for your reply. As a systems engineer, I am EXTREMELY computer literate and never received your email. Its not a biggie but searching for some
support has covered a few years - literally. Im really glad you guys are redesigning your website because it gives credence to my opinions.

I understand I can work on my own bass, but I want to make sure it properly done because I had an issue with another bass years ago where it was adjusted and they
screwed it up.

Sincerely,

Paul

[mica]

Also, now that I know you are in the Chicago area, a trusted friend of mine recommends the Chicago Fretworks. Hope this helps!

[lbpesq]

There is ZERO excuse for a company that makes high end basses to have such a cheesy website and problems with support.

As for the site...  It looks old, antiquated and like a 10 year old put it together for a school project. In this modern day, you live and die by presence on the Internet
and this is the best they can come up with?? As I said, I would be embarrassed if I owned the company selling expensive instruments and this was my website.

1. I like this site.
2. I like cheese.
3. I have always been exceedingly impressed by my experiences with Alembic's customer support.  One just has to be patient and wait their turn.

Bill, tgo

[garyhead]

I also admire the "ad-free" website here.  Nothing more distracting and annoying than those popups and inane Ads.

[pauldo]

I also admire the "ad-free" website here.  Nothing more distracting and annoying than those popups and inane Ads.

Same… these old eyes get lost with multi-media flashing blipping and whirring….


Paul (born, raised, and living in Wisconsin = I love cheese). 

[dannobasso]

I have quite a few Alembics and have owned quite a few more. Once you try to adjust your own instrument I can tell you it is an amazingly easy and simple process. Just this evening I did a neck adjustment on a White Vector 5 with Sig electronics, This time to raise the action.2 tools, screwdriver and wrench, Voila! Done in just a few short minutes. The adjustable nut gives you even more options.

The culture here is different. The energy is different and once you "get it" , you will have access to a wealth of great info and support. I have trusted these fine people for almost 4 decades and have ordered my most sophisticated bass yet, paid in full and when I get it, I get it. I was impatient with my 1st custom but have since learned patience and trust.

I hope your bass turns out adjusted to your liking and I hope you try to do it yourself in the future.Don't forget the lemon oil!

[cozmik_cowboy]

I must concur with the last 4 posts in re the website; the onliest problem with it is the lack of a "Like" button.

As to your problem:

First, "Chicagland" can be used to describe a fairly large swath of suburban sprawl; narrow it down for us & we can do better at recommending someone close (though if he's at all reachable for you, Mica's guy is.....well, recommended by Mica!  Can't go wrong there).

Second, 30 years and you don't know how to do your own set-ups?  Dude!  Follow the advise above & read Joey's set-up guide.  Doing your own not only saves money, it's fun.  And you have the advantage of Joey's post; I learned by being too young & stoned to realize I couldn't do it - so I did it.  And hundreds (if not thousands - I was a roadie in my youth) since.  Good luck.

Peter

[pauldo]

Peter touched on a very valuable point.

Paul, you seemed to have ignore Tom’s (gearhed289) initial reply that gave two clear options within an hours drive and decided being abrasive would work better.

Try this: https://weedmaps.com/dispensaries/rise-mundelein?filter%5Bmatch%5D=Indica

[sharkwagon]

fwiw I really like the web site,  it feels salt of the earth and authentic.
But then what do I know - I just work for one of the largest websites on the internet 

[BeenDown139]

i would be sorely disappointed if this web site was "modernized".  this is one of the few places on the interweb that i can go and not be bombarded with pop-ups, ads or have my browsing tracked and entered into some database somewhere (ok - maybe that last part happens wherever you go and whatever ya do, but i digress...) and the next thing i know i'm getting "special offers" in my inbox.

ya sound like yer wound kinda tight.  sage advice is given above - or as john prine used to say "Ah, but fortunately I have the key to escape reality".  try it - ya might like it!