Author Topic: Alembic's bridge system - priceless! (Read 464 times)

effclef · « **on:** February 20, 2004, 12:47:24 PM »

I am sure other folks have come to this conclusion also.

Isn't it SOOOOOOOO nice to be able to take a set of strings off without having to straighten out the peghead ends and run them through a stupid hole in the bridge? With Alembic....just loosen and lift out.

Many times I've pulled a set to try another and just stuck the old ones back on in 2 minutes.

That slotted bridge RULES.

EffClef

s_wood · « **Reply #1 on:** February 20, 2004, 12:55:56 PM »

You know what else rules? The way the truss rod covers on an Alembic can be removed and the truss rods can be tweaked without detuning! I hate the way some other basses require you to loosen the strings just to access the screws that attach the truss rod cover.

effclef · « **Reply #2 on:** February 20, 2004, 01:21:14 PM »

Or worse, have to UNBOLT THE NECK....sheesh.

Seriously, I can't think of too many things that are ergonomically not-close-to-perfect on these things, once you know how they work (like the pickup adjustments).

EffClef

bassman10096 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 20, 2004, 01:21:32 PM »

Effclef: I'm with you on the slotted tailpiece. It is really handy and I've done it several times in the recent past.

Bill

bracheen · « **Reply #4 on:** February 20, 2004, 05:35:29 PM »

How can the truss rod be adjusted with the neck unbolted? What's it being adjusted in reference to? I've not had the pleasure of experiencing that one.

Sam

effclef · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2004, 07:22:28 AM »

Sam, the truss rod on say, a Fender bass, is hidden beneath the pickguard and I believe there's no slot in the body which will allow you to reach it without unbolting the neck, turning the truss rod, and putting the neck back on. I've never owned a Fender but I think this is the case. Maybe I am imagining things or maybe they are not this way anymore!

I have an old Aria (now being used by my niece) which had access to the single truss rod by a slot cut in the pickguard. I took an Allen wrench and ground it down really short so it could be used. You had to turn the rod just a little, remove the wrench, reinsert, move a little more - but it worked and there was no need to take off the pickguard.

I agree with others - the Alembic system is great, and takes a lot of the fear out of doing it yourself.

EffClef

bracheen · « **Reply #6 on:** February 21, 2004, 08:08:53 AM »

Thanks, I think I read somewhere that the Geddy Lee bass is like you describe. I can't imagine going through all of that. I have a PBass, Jazz Bass & Strat and the adjustment for these three is in the headstock. They are newer ones with the oldest being a 2000. I guess Fender figured it out or hired an engineer.

As for Alembic's system, there is nothing about Alembic that I don't like. Except that I don't have enough of them!

Sam

ajdover · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2004, 09:19:29 AM »

I own two Jazz Basses ('73, and a '94). On the '73, about the only thing I have to do to adjust the truss rod is remove the pickgard. I use a right angle phillips head scredriver for it, and it works fine. The '94 is styled after the '75 Jazz Bass, where they went to a three bolt neck and a bullet truss rod system with the truss rod being on the headstock in the shape of a bullet. It is much easier with the adustment there.

Geddy Lee's Jazz Bass is like my '73 in the sense that that it had the truss rod adjustment at the bottom of the neck. Like his, mine has the black block inlays, though the body on mine is natural, whereas his is black. The reissue Geddy Lee basses are like his, e.g., black, maple neck with black block inlays, and a Badass bridge. Like Geddy's, I have a Badass on mine as well (Fender bridges, at least the older ones and the ones on cheaper new models just plain suck IMHO).

Of course, the problem is easily solved by buying an Alembic ....

Alan

gbarchus · « **Reply #8 on:** February 21, 2004, 12:03:14 PM »

I have removed the necks on my Fender basses 100s of times. It is a real pain! Most definitely NOT user friendly. The more you do it, the better you get at guessing the right tension. But, there have been times in which I have had to loosen the strings, take off the neck, make an adjustment, bolt the neck on, tune the strings only to find that I need to do it again. Sometimes you learn to live with it out of adjustment.

Yeah, Alembic got that right, for sure!

Gale

gbarchus · « **Reply #9 on:** February 21, 2004, 12:06:03 PM »

Well, maybe dozens of times.

bigredbass · « **Reply #10 on:** February 21, 2004, 02:48:59 PM »

Ah, the idiocy of fashion:

Any number of times, Fender (and Fender-style builders) have used the 'bullet' adjuster, left an open hole ahead of the bridge, or carved a recess at the neck/body joint to allow access to the truss rod without removing the neck . . . only to once more announce this year's 'new' vintage models at NAMM with, you guessed it, a neck (or pickguard) you have to remove to adjust the truss rod!!

I realize that Fender is the General Motors of the guitar world, but geez, even GM doesn't use carburetors any more.

J o e y

811952 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 21, 2004, 07:03:59 PM »

Back in the day, my bass tech loved the slotted tailpiece for ease and speed of string changes (I broke a lot of them because I play really hard). I loved the slotted tailpiece because that meant I only had to play the G&L for one song (two max) before I got the Alembic back with new strings...

palembic · « **Reply #12 on:** February 22, 2004, 11:24:01 AM »

Brother John ...you were even further than we up bass-road!! We could maybe afford an Alembic ...we never made it to a bass-tech LOL.

Paul the bad one

811952 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 23, 2004, 07:23:55 AM »

Paul TBO,
I was up there for about 5 months 20+ years ago. The quick-change tailpiece was handy when I could afford to break strings. Four careers later (news videographer, TV weather guy, video producer/shooter/editor, computer guy) I'm a relatively poor (but quite happy) man. The Alembic might as well have a Floyd Rose on it these days, because I can't afford to break strings anymore! :-) I am saving my pennies, though, so I can either buy Alembic guts to put in my Lakland 55-01 or else pickup a used Alembic 5 on Ebay. the Lakland is a great sounding and playing bass, but the Alembic absolutely sings in comparison (and with ancient strings on it!). I figure I can do the guts in 4 or 5 months if I'm impatient or maybe have enough for a used Alembic in a year if I can stand to wait that long. It's funny, I never really considered having two Alembics until just the other night, and it seems entirely doable if I can manage the finances right (no food or clothes for the kids, etcetera)...
John the just-had-an-epiphany one

palembic · « **Reply #14 on:** February 23, 2004, 07:44:10 AM »

Brother John,

I know EXACTLY what you talking about.
Bonnie also was purchased in far more financial days (about 8 years ago) when I was directing some quite succesfull video's. I never made it to video journalist or presentator , leave alone the weather.
Lakland? I read and heard about them but never actually played one.
I am not up to 2 Alembics too.
I work on my secret project with EVH. I'm looking for a Epiphone Jack Casady and maybe ...in the end ...the ultimate project will be an Alembic 6 string fretless (something I'm dreaming of together with moder Val but he is too busy with his own project right now to consider my dreams ...what is completely normal you know!)
Hey ...I'm getting some epiphanic thoughts too!!!

Paul the bad one