(u) 88H4967 USA

[Wehner]

I bought this somewhat butchered Alembic in Denmark the other day - my first.

I hope I can get some help identifying the details, like wood etc. here. It looks like a Vector to me, but the serial - 88H4967 USA - suggests it being a 1988 Elan.

The seller said that at one point the bass’ electronics were fully dead and replaced with a Mike Pope preamp and the wood was routed (badly) to make room for the classic big Alembic pickups - but he put in replacements from Bartolini. The five pots in a row look very weird to me on an Alembic, put no holes from the original electronics have been closed.

So a bit of a modified bass. It still sounds good and is easy to play despite all it's been through.

First thing I would like to do with it is restore the metal parts to brass. The bridge I'll put in acetone and strip, I guess. Since the strap knobs and tuning pegs have been changed, I would need to find replacements. Any help on where I could find appropriate brass replacements - original or not - would be a big help. Preferably in the EU but not a deal-breaker.

Best regards from Denmark
Lasse Wehner

[jazzyvee]

I am in the UL and I do have an alembic bridge that I was selling a while back but took it off Reverb as I had two up for sale and one got sold.
The bridge I have left is quite wide and i think may be too wide for that neck. I will get some measurements for you so you can see if it will fit.

[Wehner]

Thanks - but the bridge I think (hope) I can salvage by stripping the black paint off. Would like to keep the original parts that are left if at all possible.

[jazzyvee]

Good plan.

[Artgeckko]

Hello Wehner,

There have been quite a few of us that our first foray into the Alembic world has been with a less than ideal representation of these great basses.  Hopefully, you have the original brass under the bridge and saddles.  Take lots of pictures before you disassemble the bridge. 
I am a novice here, but I can tell you that the Alembic pu and electronics definitely sound very different than the Bartolini Pu, especially with the Q switch which adds a node just before the cut off freq.  I am sorry about the woodwork issue on that neck PU.  Why do folks do this!?
Hopefully, you got it at a decent price and can apply some savings to bring it back to more of an original Alembic. 
Flitz polish is amazing on the Brass, and is recommended by Alembic( they sell it on the online store) All of mine were pitted and rough looking, and now look pretty new.  Tons of great help and serious expertise here on this club. Ask questions.  The folks here know their stuff!
Good luck bringing it back to life!
Ed

[Wehner]

I am a novice here, but I can tell you that the Alembic pu and electronics definitely sound very different than the Bartolini Pu, especially with the Q switch which adds a node just before the cut off freq.

Good luck bringing it back to life!
Ed

Thanks a lot. I think an Alembic preamp with the Q to match with the pickups would be a great (and realistic) step towards getting a more authentic Alembic sound though it sure sounds good already - and the playability is top-notch.

Besides that, I will soon start to work on the visuals. Here are some before pics. Where the black paint on brass can easily be seen:



The logo fortunately just needs to be polished a bit:

[Artgeckko]

Man, they painted over the screws that adjust the intonation?!!!?
Oomph. 
Not sure why folks would buy a bass and do this, but is what it is.
The great thing about these basses is that the pieces that make the whole are very well built, as is the construction of the body.
All the brass is seriously quality brass, and even with some some aggressive sanding (hopefully not necessary) and polishing ( after removing the black paint) will look good as new.
Be very careful with logo. 
I have taken out four different logos to clean up, and the last was a bit of a bear.  Just be patient and go really slow, get an idea of where the "pins" are located. 
I have a nylon computer ram pry bar that works really well to get started, but mostly used my finger nails to slowly dislodge by rocking the 3 pins from headstock.  After that some Flitz polish, and they gleam like brand new.
The "Alembic" nameplate  under the logo has 2 pins at each end, but don't force anything out.
Hope this helps.
Good for you bringing this bass back.
I have been restoring a 1986 Spoiler for a few months now.
Same kinda situation as you, though the pickup routing was not performed (thankfully), but didn't not have the best care prior.   
Been a process, have learned a ton. 
Getting really close to finishing, with probably one more month (work keeps getting in the way...) to go!
Good luck, and keep asking questions as you go...Folks here know a ton and are an invaluable source of information.

[Wehner]

People are savages 

I spent three hours polishing bridge, tailpiece and nut today. Big improvement. Left height adjustment screw is ruined - no notch at all, so I'll need to find a new one of those.

But it is very satisfying to see the bass improved. 

[gtrguy]

It does look way better after what you did!

You could also take the bridge apart and soak it in paint stripper and thoroughly clean it and then polish it. I often use a dremel tool with a tiny brass wire wheel or buffer pad on small bits. I remove the logo using an old credit card and sliding it under adjacent to where the pins are, being very careful not to bend the logo. The truss rod cover could be removed and paint stripped and cloth polished with Brasso and then thoroughly cleaned with thinner and allowed to dry (I handle it with food handlers clear thin gloves at this point), and then shot with clear paint on a warm day and allowed to dry before touching.

I also remove the strings and polish the frets often times with 0000 steel wool and painters masking tape and then clean up the fretboard using a cloth lightly sprayed with (gasp!) WD40, which I completely wipe right off afterwards (using it on fine instruments for over 45 years now) but everyone here seems to think I am crazy for doing that.

[pauldo]

Looks great!

The intonation screw is ruined? or is it the bass side height adjustment screw?   The later looks rounded out.

[Wehner]

Whoop, yes, my bad - it's the height adjustment screw.

[adriaan]

There's a bridge rehab kit available from the webshop.

[Wehner]

The truss rod cover could be removed and paint stripped and cloth polished with Brasso and then thoroughly cleaned with thinner and allowed to dry (I handle it with food handlers clear thin gloves at this point), and then shot with clear paint on a warm day and allowed to dry before touching.

I was under the impression that I would basically scrape off the serial? So I left that plate alone.

[Wehner]

There's a bridge rehab kit available from the webshop.

Ah yes - I see it now. Thanks.

[gtrguy]

That's why you would just use liquid paint remover on the truss rod cover and then polish with just a cloth.