Author Topic: When did you first hear of Alembic (Read 571 times)

richbass939 · « **Reply #15 on:** April 18, 2006, 04:51:58 PM »

I found out about Alembic as a Stanley fan in about 1974 or 1975. I wish I had a cool story like Stoney's. I (as a beginning bassist with about 1 year under my belt) just wanted to know all about Stanley and that led me to Alembic. No really cool story but 32 years later I have the best bass I have ever played (two of them, actually) and I think that's pretty cool.
BTW, Stoney, I think that Chick, Stanley, Lenny, and Al was the best RTF line-up. I really enjoyed the RTF concert I went to in 1977, but I wish I has seen the four of them live, too.
Rich

tom_z · « **Reply #16 on:** April 18, 2006, 06:48:50 PM »

I first heard of Alembic in connection with the Grateful Dead and Owsley Stanley. I listened to Live Dead and Europe '72 (both strongly influenced by Alembic) until the grooves wore out.

Then, in the early 80s I worked for a short time at Bag End, building crossover circuits. One of my coworkers had an Alembic guitar. I played it for only a short session - it was unlike any other guitar I'd ever played. I remembered that experience for a long time.

A couple of years ago, I wanted to begin playing more electric music again after playing mostly acoustic guitar for years. That's when Alembic reappeared on my radar and I ordered a Skylark. I rarely play anything else now. =)

Tom

the_8_string_king · « **Reply #17 on:** April 18, 2006, 06:49:46 PM »

When I was about 15 or 16, and extremely enthusiastic about music, learning to appreciate an ever-diversifying and increasing range of music, and becoming interested in learning to play an instrument -especially for a kid- an older friend/mentor type person told me about some fantastic bass player who played bass like a guitar, sort of, and ultra-funky with the most fantastic bass in the world, and he enthusiastically offered to lend me an alblum if I was interested, so, of course, I was, and I borrowed it.

It was called I wanna play for you by a fellow named Stanley Clarke playing an Alembic bass -the most fantastic sounding AND looking bass I'd ever heard.

I instantly fell in love with both. I admired and jubilated and exalted when I heard this Clarke fellow play his Alembic bass.

I quickly made it a point to learn about both Stanley and Alembic -as well as many of the other great bassists and guitarists who play them. Over the years, I had the opportunity to play 2 different Series I basses, a Spoiler, and an Electrum guitar. Of course they were the finest things I'd ever touched (and I'd played other regarded-as-premium instrument brands). Eventually getting an Alembic became a dream at an early point. And -like MANY OTHERS here- once I got one, I had to have a custom.

It (Stanley/Alembic) was certainly one of the largest -possibly THE largest (I honestly can't say for sure) reason(s) I chose to pursue electric bass as an instrument. I wanted to play like he did -and to have that awesome instrument.

Yeah, in case I'm not making myself clear, I learned about Stanley and Alembic simultaneously, and instantly admired both, and it was a BIG part of my playing as such, and also influencewise. I owe both Stanley and Alembic immeasurably as both were part of why I decided to play in the first place -as well as also shaping/influencing/benefitting me immeasurably.

Thanks!!! I'm most grateful!

88persuader · « **Reply #18 on:** April 18, 2006, 09:53:43 PM »

I say Return to Forever in the late 70's with Stanley. And now I own a Stanley Clark model Alembic ... who would have guesses it? :-)

88persuader · « **Reply #19 on:** April 18, 2006, 09:55:01 PM »

That is I SAW Return to forever .... etc. :-)

smokin_dave · « **Reply #20 on:** April 19, 2006, 12:44:30 AM »

When I saw that more than one of my hero bass players were playing them,I looked into it.Too bad I had to wait another twenty years before I got my first one.

Better late than never.

jacko · « **Reply #21 on:** April 19, 2006, 01:02:03 AM »

Like alot of replies here, I first heard of Alembic at the same time as I heard Stanley play in the 70s. I'd heard the grateful dead earlier but hadn't really looked into how they got their sound. And like most here, it took 20 something years before I was able to justify my own Alembic.
Incidentally, for Keith H - I still have a copy of that 70s guitar player with Stanley on the front cover - I'll try to scan it and post it here.

Graeme

grateful · « **Reply #22 on:** April 19, 2006, 02:10:48 AM »

Thanks to the Grateful Dead in the early seventies. Took me 30 years! Like Tom Z, since acquiring my Alembic, I don't wish to play anything else!

Mark

adriaan · « **Reply #23 on:** April 19, 2006, 02:41:16 AM »

The first time that I'm aware of must have been in a Dutch 1970s music magazine called Muziekkrant Oor - my dad did a handful of technical reviews of audio stuff for them, so he had a free subscription for a couple of years. (They had some amazing cartoon-like artwork back then.) Anyway - they had this big article on the history of the electric guitar, featuring some weird stuff - like Merle Travis's early solid body, the Fender with the hidden pickups, the plexiglass Ampegs - and the 4,000$ sliding-pickup Alembic. My older brother cut out all the nice pictures and resumes, and stuck them on the wall of the shared bedroom, and that's where the dreaming must have begun.

Years later, the local music shop let me play the Stanley-style Spoiler they had. It was easy to notice that this thing was almost playing itself - but I also noticed the filter took some getting used to - and the Trace Elliott rig to try it out on wasn't helping (I never liked the TE sound).

Flash forward to the 1994 music fair in Rotterdam, where the Dutch importer at the time - Wils - had a very impressive selection of Alembics hanging behind a closely guarded counter. I took my jaw off the floor after a while, and walked on to another booth, where they had the then new Epic on a stand - ready to be picked up, supposedly for trying out BagEnd cabs. IIRC the rig included a SuperFilter - but I kind of concentrated on the Epic. From what I've been told, that's the very same Epic that I've been playing for the past 12 years. Coming from a plump Yamaha BB1000S, it was really a huge leap forward.

811952 · « **Reply #24 on:** April 19, 2006, 06:18:24 AM »

I think the first one I saw was from a clip on TV of Mannfred Mann playing Blinded By The Light. Then, Tom Fowler on Overnight Sensation. Or maybe it was Tom on a Jean Luc Ponty album? John Wallace with Harry Chapin was the first time I had actually *heard* one in person. I didn't know that those were Alembics until seeing/hearing/reading about Stanley in Guitar Player magazine. Then seeing Greg Lake on the Works Volume 1 tour and JE in the film The Kids Are Alright pretty much sealed the deal. I knew I would one day have one...

John

s_wood · « **Reply #25 on:** April 19, 2006, 10:47:47 AM »

November 8, 1974. Passaic, NJ. Frank Zappa and the Mothers, with the great Tom Fowler on bass.
You can read the whole story here should you be so inclined: http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/5999.html

The first studio album on which Fowler used an Alembic was One Siz Fits All, (release in in 1975). Everyone should own that disc and listen to it once a week. Some other excellent live recordings of Zappa and Fowler with an Alembic are the recently re-released Dub Room Special DVD (a live-in-studio show recorded in August of '74 for TV broadcast), Volume II of the You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore series, a live recording of a e show in Helsinki in 09/74, and Bongo Fury (recorded mostly live in the spring of 75). Good stuff!

Did I mention that I am The World's Largest Tom Fowler Fan?

s_wood · « **Reply #26 on:** April 19, 2006, 11:05:54 AM »

November 8, 1974. Passaic, NJ. Frank Zappa and the Mothers, with the great Tom Fowler on bass.
You can read the whole story here should you be so inclined: http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/5999.html

The first studio album on which Fowler used an Alembic was One Siz Fits All, (release in in 1975). Everyone should own that disc and listen to it once a week. Some other excellent live recordings of Zappa and Fowler with an Alembic are the recently re-released Dub Room Special DVD (a live-in-studio show recorded in August of '74 for TV broadcast), Volume II of the You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore series, a live recording of a e show in Helsinki in 09/74, and Bongo Fury (recorded mostly live in the spring of 75). Good stuff!

Did I mention that I am The World's Largest Tom Fowler Fan?

jet_powers · « **Reply #27 on:** April 19, 2006, 11:59:56 AM »

I was in high school in the mid 70's and got a poster of The Who. JAE was playing a zebra wood bass that I just thought was the coolest thing... A few years later I was turned onto Stanley and put two and two together. Thus began my 10 year search and wait for my first Alembic...

JP

gare · « **Reply #28 on:** April 19, 2006, 02:13:56 PM »

In the early 70's I had seen the New Riders and Grateful Dead together and thought the instruments sounded good so I checked into them,but about that time I had bought a 4001 and wasn't interested in switching.
A few years later, maybe '75 or so, I saw the Who and JE was playing one..hey I remember those. Then a year later seeing Greg Lake using the 8 string.
Finally, in the mid 80's I picked up a Spoiler with a solid Koa body. (wish I still had that)
Then after going thru Steinbergers and Spectors, in 2004 I ordered the Excel.

G

keith_h · « **Reply #29 on:** April 19, 2006, 06:45:12 PM »

Graeme,
I've moved a few too many times to have any magazines left that are that old (I was able to dispose of the skeletons in the closet also). Look forward to the picture being posted.

Keith