Hi Frits;
1) The Spoiler is a specific Alembic model. It is most easily identified by the letter S in the serial number. It was first introduced in 1980. It is not a current model in that it is not one of the models shown on Alembic's
Basses page, but you can still order one if you wish. The Spoiler has its own specific
body shape and
electronics. However, as with all Alembic models, when you look through the Spoiler section of our forum's
Showcase, you'll see Spoilers with other body shapes and electronics packages. A few of the earliest Spoilers had a decal logo instead of metal; these are pretty rare. Also, many of the earliest Spoilers has solid Koa bodies with no top laminate. Probably the most common configuration is a three piece Maple neck, Mahogony body and Koa top.
2) Alembic was one of the first builders of five and six string basses and if I remember correctly I believe it is the case that when they started building fives and sixes they found that indeed one truss rod was not enough. I imagine the advantage of two truss rods maintaining a consistent relief across the width of the fretboard became readily apparent and was thus made standard for all Alembics. I believe the switch to dual truss rods on all models was made sometime in 1977.
3) I would imagine that's an incorrect statement. My guess is that dead spots are most likely to be found on necks that are one piece rather than on multi-laminate necks. All Alembics have multi-laminate necks (excepting of course the graphite necks).
4) The official, and quite detailed, instructions for adjusting the truss rods can be found in the
Owners Manual. Mica recommends adjusting the rods together, the same amount of turn on each nut. However, some club members will make small adjustments on one or the other to get the action just where they want it. For many of our members, one of the most helpful guides for setting up your bass is Joey's post, which can be found
here.
