PRS Dead Spec guitar featuring a genuine Alembic Blaster!

[mica]

There was some talk last summer during the Dead & Co. shows about John Mayer's new PRS guitar with a Blaster. They decided to do a limited edition release of the same instrument John played on these gigs, complete with a genuine Alembic Blaster preamp.

These are the regular Blasters made right here, right down to the handmade brass plate. It's great that the exact mods they made to his stage guitar are in the production model. It's also great there's 1000 more guitars enjoying the benefits of the original active circuit.

Blasters have been made since 1969, and were the first commercially available on-board preamp for guitars. Earlier in 1969 dad made the first ever active electronics for Phil Lesh, installed in his Gibson.

[David Houck]

Nice to see this!

[DistillaMatto]

I like Paul Reed Smith's enthusiasm in the video.

[lbpesq]

Not surprised Mayer was using a Blaster (I still kinda prefer “Stratoblaster” … great product, great name!).  As I recall, he was playing a Further prior to becoming an endorsee for PRS.  I had an early black plastic Stratoblaster in my ‘61 Strat for years, set at about unity gain, always on.  Really filled out the tone.  I only took it out when pre-CBS Strats started going through the roof and I no longer felt comfortable taking the guitar out, so I put it back to stock (along with removing the brass nut and saddles).  Like a lot of Alembic’s designs, the Blaster is a simple, yet VERY effective, little bugger! 

Bill, tgo

[bigredbass]

It's a shame they didn't allow the Alembic logo on the brass.

Paul immediately recognized what it did, and talent recognizes talent.  After Alembic, the next builder I think of who's absolutely driven to make the best is Paul Reed Smith, and hope one day their bass program fills out.  For me, the Grainger ain't it, and I wish they still made the OG PRS bass.

Congrats, Mica !

[lbpesq]

An Alembic logo engraved on the Blaster plate would be very cool!

Bill, tgo

[matbard]

I'm still hoping in a black square reissue of the Blaster...

[sonicus]

I concur that an Alembic engraved logo on a Blaster plate would be quite desirable!

[edwardofhuncote]

I think this must be one of them... I like the tune anyway, but John's guitar solo is particularly inspired here.

It's 3:36 in, if you wanna' skip to it...

[sonicus]

I intend to install an "Alembic Blaster" into a mid 1970s Gibson EB3 that I own, for which Curtis Novak recently provided me with a set of pickups. One of which, for the neck position, is a  "Darkstar Bisonic type " within the form of the Gibson “Mud Bucker”.The bridge pickup is now higher output to match the neck . Ultimately, Alembic pickups would be the stellar choice, however I did not want to modify the pickup cavities on this instrument..

[cozmik_cowboy]

Earlier in 1969 dad made the first ever active electronics for Phil Lesh, installed in his Gibson.

I knew that it had BiSonics installed, and that your dad and/or Bear had done something inside, but have never found any reference as to what that "something" was; would it be excessively revealing elfin magic to expound on what went into it, Mica?

Peter

[sonicus]

Peter and Mica, please forgive me to write a reply unaddressed ,out of line,however I have both studied the instrument in question as well have spoken with Mr.Ron Wickersham in regards to it on a few occasions .If memory serves me correct a circuit design using "Darling Pair Emitters" was wired at the outputs of the old original Guild /Hagstrom Bi-Sonics .
Thus the first active pickups were born . (There was more detailed discussion as well regarding Capacitive Reactance and cable length , thereby impairing frequency response with the passive units) .I am sorry for the high jack .I Actually found a few Darling Pair Emitters on eBay a few years ago and purchased them ! I still have them stashed away .

[cozmik_cowboy]

Thanks, Wolf.

Peter

[rv_bass]

https://www.flyguitars.com/interviews/jackCasadyGuildBass.php

[sonicus]

https://books.google.com/books?id=5lBKzcs746oC&pg=PA19&lpg=PA19&dq=alembic+blaster&source=bl&ots=uHuAHCl0OR&sig=yXFX0fBcb5cpiYihiPB3RVRG_Xc&hl=en&ei=jhw4TIvxLcb_lgfZ25nVBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CDkQ6AEwCDgK#v=onepage&q=alembic%20blaster&f=false

Alembic content worth reading about the DARLINGTON TYPE RCA CA3018 !