Author Topic: Stupid question time. (Read 410 times)

lbpesq · « **Reply #15 on:** December 24, 2006, 02:38:03 PM »

An ebony stringer is a piece of ebony contained in the neck sandwich. It is sometimes called a neck laminate. This former COTM has a neck stringer or lam in the middle. It adds a LOT of sustain.

http://www.alembic.com/info/fc_7stringthing.html

Bill, tgo

bsee · « **Reply #16 on:** December 24, 2006, 02:42:57 PM »

Not the same. If you look at the typical Alembic four-string neck-through bass, you will see that the neck appears to be five pieces of wood in parallel. (look at a Signature Deluxe for example). The two darker pieces are usually purpleheart and the three lighter ones are maple. The ebony stringers replace or augment the purpleheart pieces in the neck. Ebony is significantly heavier and more dense than the other woods and increases both sustain and the presence of the lowest frequencies produced by the instrument.

The down sides of ebony are weight and cost. Cost you can examine for yourself. As for weight, I am told they add on the order of one pound to the bass for each stringer. I don't doubt this since the one SC standard I had made with an added ebony stringer weighs a bit over 11.5 lbs. That seems pretty heavy for a short scale.

fish · « **Reply #17 on:** December 24, 2006, 03:35:22 PM »

Got it now. Thanks.

fish · « **Reply #18 on:** December 24, 2006, 04:46:22 PM »

O.K. one more question..

Can the dummy pick up only be ordered with the series one/two, or anniversary electrical packages only?

lbpesq · « **Reply #19 on:** December 24, 2006, 05:35:15 PM »

Dave:

The dummy pickup has a purpose. The pickups on non-series Alembics are humcancelling pickups. They act like humbuckers but, if I understand this correctly (and I'm sure someone will chime in if I'm mistaken) where humbuckers are essentially two single coil pickups wired together, on the Alembic one of the coils has no magnet in it. The character of the pickup changes with the width of the pickup as the wider profile picks up more of the string. Series instruments have two single coil pickups: neck and bridge. The dummy in the middle is the humcanceller. It is a coil wihtout a magnet in the middle. Some people have ordered non-series instruments with a dummy humcanceller with an intention to upgrade to series electronics at a future date. If this is your intention, make sure Alembic knows as an instrument has to be of a certain minimum thickness to install series electronics. Many Alembic instruments are too thin to hold the series system.

Bill, tgo

5stringho · « **Reply #20 on:** December 24, 2006, 05:47:42 PM »

Wow.

One pound for each ebony stringer? Guess I'll have to work out more. Ebony it is!!

'Ho

fish · « **Reply #21 on:** December 24, 2006, 06:13:09 PM »

Thanks for the explanation Bill.

Will the Dummy p.u. work with a non series electric package, or is it only intended for a potential series upgrade at a later date?

On the same thought, does it operate on the anniversary package?

to_81_0190 · « **Reply #22 on:** December 24, 2006, 07:55:05 PM »

Here and here are link to two pages of Japanese web site. Pics of SC-1 and AXY construction can be seen here.
Sorry for only in Japanese.

bsee · « **Reply #23 on:** December 24, 2006, 08:15:30 PM »

The dummy only works with the single coil pickups. Some people have ordered them only to look like a series intrument on lesser packages as well as to prep for possible future upgrade.

David Houck · « **Reply #24 on:** December 25, 2006, 04:30:08 PM »

Toshiaki, thanks for the cool pics!

David Houck · « **Reply #25 on:** December 25, 2006, 04:34:51 PM »

There is also a post on the subject of pickups in the Must Reads section.

fish · « **Reply #26 on:** December 25, 2006, 05:07:19 PM »

WOW,

I think I almost fully understand the function of the dummy pick now.

THANKS

bsee · « **Reply #27 on:** December 25, 2006, 07:25:59 PM »

In terms of function, consider a Fender Jazz. It has two single coil pickups, just like an Alembic Series bass. Admittedly, the pickups are different in construction, tone, and aperture, but they are still single coils.

On the Jazz, there is no hum when both pickups are on at equal volume levels. On the other hand, if you run either pickup by itself or a significant mis-match in volume levels, then some hum can be introduced. This is because the two pickups act as humcancellers for each other.

In the Alembic Series circuit, the dummy humcanceller is brought into the circuit for both of the actual pickups. There are trim pots to balance the dummy against each of the live pickups individually so that there is no hum with any combination.

fish · « **Reply #28 on:** December 30, 2006, 06:03:54 AM »

I ordered my DW and only need to work out a couple of small details,(thank you Susan for your time and patience with me).

One more question for the forum?

Since I cannot find it, I assume that the official Alembic web site does not show or list information on the Dragon Wing? Not that it makes a difference, I just want to know all about it.

Thanks All

(Message edited by fish on December 30, 2006)

bsee · « **Reply #29 on:** December 30, 2006, 07:26:48 AM »

I would search the forums looking for DW as well as dragon and wing and see what comes back. The Wing isn't a standard model and I think they've made fewer than a half dozen of them. For the most part, it seems to be a Signature Deluxe bass with custom body and headstock shapes, though you could probably order whatever other options you prefer.