What to do...my Pbass w/ Alembic pups, ? (pic)

[terryc]

Strange..I put an Alembic P/J combination with twin vols bass & treble on my first bass -  a 1983 Squier Precision and it transformed the sound in an instant. My son uses it now for his Thrice style band as I have a MK Standard Bubinga topped bass. I did install and route the body for the jazz pickup and I tell you I used it for years and it sounded the biz.
Maybe this PU arrangement is meant for Series basses only and that is why it doesn't sound as good as expected..I mean horses for courses you know as we say in England. I am a totally Alembic devotee as I find it hard to fault any of there products especially the pick ups who are designed by the Wizard of Tone.
 
Terry C UK

[trekster]

Here's my .02 .. I agree with the idea of replacing the body, with routing that is more appropriate.. as far as pickup spacing, since these are humbuckers, maybe have the pickups space like the Music Man Sabre?  
 
The Warmoth idea is a great one; since you can specify wood and finish.  You won't be able to get the hippie sandwich out of them, but since that is another debate as far as body doing the tonal shaping I'll stop there.  They can do tops; so a mahogany or ash body with a maple or other top is very doable, and they can back route the control cavity.  They probably won't do the pickup routing since those PU's are not a standard -- perhaps you can get Alembic to make you a couple of templates for PU routing and do it yourself?  Hmmm....
 
--T

[811952]

They aren't humbuckers, just large single coils.  That's why they need the humcanceller.
 
john

[s_wood]

Maybe I am missing something, but if you don't like the sound and you don't like the way the bass feels (because of the neck), what else is there?  What's the point of keeping it?  
 
I totally agree with David's opinions about 70's P-Basses.  They tend to weigh a ton.  For a neck through bass (like an Alembic!) that can be a good thing as far as tone goes, but with a bolt-on like a P-Bass the extra mass makes no sense since it competes with the tonal concept of a bolt-on bass.
It's kind of like drinking a $150 bottle of killer    cabernet while eating the spiciest Cajun Voodoo shrimp you can find!  Plus, the finish on those 70's basses looks like the stuff on the floor of a bowling alley lane, and it just smothers the tone.  As you have observed, the necks from that time period are just huge, and often unplayable.
 
The Alembic electronics are letting you hear what your bass really sounds like, and as you have reminded us that is not always a good thing!
 
Disclaimer: I really hate the Fender bass sound.  Always have, always will.

[bigredbass]

I am the proud owner of three basses, not as I need three, but because there is a LOT of sentiment involved, so I understand attachment.
 
BUT . . . if one of them had a sound I hated and a neck like a plank, I'd do the right thing:  LEAVE it under the bed and ONLY drag it out when the loved one who got it for me was around.
 
I would think it very likely that the S1 electronics would need a look-see by ALEMBIC or someone VERY qualified.  I'd be surprised if the original installation was done by ALEMBIC and who knows what's going on by now since 1979.
 
Working right, the ALEMBIC p/u's will give you EXACTLY what's going on, no preset curves, built in EQ, nothing but the truth.  This is sound is not for everyone, and often a surprise to newcomers after most everything else.  But you've lived with this for a long time, so who knows . . .  
 
The real question is WHAT do you want to sound like?  Are there any basses you've tried that fit the bill?  Any particular tone on a particular record that sticks out in your mind?
 
Then you must remember that your 'instrument' is the total of all the links in the chain:
the strings
the pickups
the bass
your physical playing style(fingers, picks, slaps)
the cable(s)
the effects
the amp
the cabinet(s)
the speaker(s)
 
plus the room, the band you play with, your experience level,  etc.
 
So, WHERE does it sound 'nasal'?  Through what amp? Always? Sometimes?
 
We can keep dialing this in for you if you like.
 
Myself, if I just had to have a Fender (ANY of you can shoot me, no questions asked, if I ever post about getting one), it would be too easy.
Fender these days is making just about any bass in that style you could imagine.  Then there's all the Lulls, Sadowskys, etc., for something a little more custom.  I will grant you that it's like building a Ford or Chevy hot rod:  EVERYBODY makes custom parts for them.  So for me, I'd pick out the Warmoth parts I want, then round up the bridge, keys, straplocks, pickups and so forth and build exactly what I wanted.
 
But for the life of me, a Fender bass with Series electronics would be the LAST thing I'd have ever thought of. But if this makes you happy, I'd be glad to keep digging in this for you.
 
J o e y

[keurosix]

Jeff,
Sorry, better late than never.
Series electronics are worth about $4 grand right now! Don't sell the guitar if you have any kind of attachment to it. I think that you can make it work to it's best by adjusting and maybe enhancing what you have. Yes Warmouth and many other folks make necks and bodies to Fender spec, and you could replace the neck with a model of any year Fender neck you fancy. You could also get an exotic wood body for some sonic and visual enhancements. I would try to get it to work with what you got first. 1) contact Alembic, and get them to send you a brass adjustable nut, and a custom brass bridge block to get the strings vibing right. With a bolt-on, a lot of the string energy just disappears. These two additions will strengthen the fundamental of the string and maybe wipe out that thin raspy sound. 2) Then, work with the Pickup placement. You can hack up the cheesy plastic picguard, cause any sheet metal shop worth it's salt can make you a cool stst or brass replacement on their laser. (Just ask if you need help finding one.)I made a few this way, and went as far as laminating a nice veneer of birdseye maple on top. You want wood without flop? Lose the plastic. The metal guard acts as a real good shield for the electronics too. May even contribute to a cleaner truer sound. Just get the PU placement where you want it, and then bring the guard to the metal shop with a tracing of where you want the pickup cutouts to be instead of that gaping hole in the middle. You can have them make it out of 1/8 thick stock (3mm) which will correct the floppyness of the plastic one replaced. With these few refinements, you would put out a minimum of cash for the greatest return. Good Luck.
Please let me know what you do!
Kris

[keurosix]

Jeff, You hit on one thing: the rosewood fingerboard neck replacement. A maple fingerboard tends to be brighter sounding, and particularly uncharacteristic of the traditional Alembic sound with an ebony board. This could contribute to the nasty sound. Again, check into aftermarket necks for an ebony fingerboard. I can remember a long time ago Warmouth or another company was making completely custom necks for replacing Fenders and they offered a complete ebony neck, fingerboard and neck wood. It was VERY expensive, but imagine the SOUND? Don't forget, Alembics sound great because of ebony fingerboards, but also a lot of the customs have ebony neck laminates too, and their owners swear by the sonic benefit. Don't give up on your guitar, it's worth experimenting to get it right. You could even get 2 necks, one fretted and one fretless for whatever mood or gig strikes you.

[series_iii]

hey jeff i sent you a reply regarding your f-1x vs f-2b question.  i got a bounce back saying your mailbox was over its limit.  let me know if you get the message with attachement.

[peever]

well if you want that alembic sound your never gonna get it with the bolt on neck of a fender,
id say sell it, go with an alembic if thats the tone your lookin for of course, but its always hard to let go of an instrument isnt it?