Finally got an Alembic - 1993 Essence 5

[g-dude]

Ton of questions to ask, which I will do later this evening, but for now, here are some photos of my bass.  Need to decide if it's a keeper, as there is a return policy for it (ordered from GC).

In addition to the photos that make me smile, I'm including the photos that make me grimace a bit.  Not sure if the bass is any worse for the wear over the past 30 years than I am.

Biggest sonic concern is that the pots are a bit scratchy.

[adriaan]

The cure for scratchy pots on an Alembic is to exercise them. Just turn them all the way down and all the way up again, a couple of dozen times each. Do not attempt to use spray, as they are sealed self-lubricating pots.

And congrats! Thinking it might be a vermillion top.

[adriaan]

Not sure what happened to make the threaded inserts disappear, the big dent is an ouch - until you realize you can be little more relaxed handling it, as compared to what you might experience getting one in pristine condition.

[g-dude]

The cure for scratchy pots on an Alembic is to exercise them. Just turn them all the way down and all the way up again, a couple of dozen times each. Do not attempt to use spray, as they are sealed self-lubricating pots.

And congrats! Thinking it might be a vermillion top.

Cool.  I was trying to figure out what wood it was from the horrible photos GC posted.

I exercised each pot 30 times, and no more scratchiness.

[pauldo]

Welcome to the camp G-dude.

As long as the electronics are original you should be very happy.  You already resolved the scratchy pot situation.  You will discover that the playability of an Alembic brings great joy.

[g-dude]

Welcome to the camp G-dude.

As long as the electronics are original you should be very happy.  You already resolved the scratchy pot situation.  You will discover that the playability of an Alembic brings great joy.

When I first plugged in to a small practice amp, I was a little underwhelmed at the sound…

…and then when I plugged it into my Mesa TT-800 through only my 115 (my 112 is offsite at the moment), it was a whole new experience.

Really emphasizes how important a good amp is when it comes to making a bass come alive.

[David Houck]

Welcome and congrats!

Go here for the Must Reads, including posting guidelines, tips for setting up your bass (including truss rod adjustments), and much more.

https://club.alembic.com/index.php?board=29.0

And here for info on Essence controls.

https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=237.0

Enjoy!

[g-dude]

Welcome and congrats!

Go here for the Must Reads, including posting guidelines, tips for setting up your bass (including truss rod adjustments), and much more.

https://club.alembic.com/index.php?board=29.0

And here for info on Essence controls.

https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=237.0

Enjoy!

Thanks!

The posting guidelines are really well written and feel like advice that is good to follow everywhere - not just here.