Author Topic: DS-5R (Read 232 times)

brent · « **on:** February 05, 2006, 05:18:26 PM »

Is there anybody out there that can tell me the price on one of these? Preferrably the price you get when you go through a dealer. I emailed Valentino a while ago and I'm pretty sure he told me the list price was $575. I emailed many dealers and only got a response from one, Bass Central, and was told that it would be $592. I'm sorry if there has already been a thread on this, but the search engine doesn't seem to be working.

kmh364 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 06, 2006, 05:08:10 AM »

$495 MSRP (plus S&H directly from Alembic, usually in-stock)

http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/23978.html?1137242772

brent · « **Reply #2 on:** February 06, 2006, 07:28:10 AM »

Thanks a lot. I don't see why Bass Central would tell me it is $592.

kmh364 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 06, 2006, 08:01:47 AM »

Well, unless they've had a susbstantial price increase on the order of 20% since 1/12/06, I'd say someone is in error.

worldfamousandy · « **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2006, 10:53:28 PM »

Edwin has mentioned that these power supplies are easy to build...

kmh364 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 07, 2006, 05:48:15 AM »

I imagine they are fairly easy to build, with a decent knowledge of electronics and some soldering/fab skills.

While we're in experimental mode:

Just for sh*ts and giggles, I'm wondering if anybody has built their own...more specifically, OVERbuilt their own...Series power supply? I am referring to an oversized power supply...much in the way that hi-end hi-fi OEM's overdesign the power supplies of their amps, pre-amps, and ancillary devices for increased headroom, lower noise floors, etc. Further, has anybody done same and added voltage regulation, noise filtering, etc. to said power supply?

I'm just wondering what effects std. hi-fi practice would produce with regards to our favorite instrument's sound.

adriaan · « **Reply #6 on:** February 07, 2006, 06:21:55 AM »

Kevin,

We're talking bass/guitar amplification here, which as a rule does not involve a fragile mic at the start and a hi-fi speaker at its end. I'm not saying there's no point in keeping the signal as clean as possible, and to give it all the headroom you can.

Also, you don't want too little colouration down the signal path - you don't want to be accused of sounding sterile, do you? So be careful with what you wish for ...

kmh364 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 07, 2006, 07:04:55 AM »

I'm not inferring that there's anything wrong with Alembic's electronics, i.e., that which needs any improvement. I'm talking tweeks to maybe provide more of a good thing, not anything detrimental to the sound we know and love.

I've heard the difference clean, regulated, filtered power can have on my Eden bass amp rig with my EMW'd Orion, nevermind what it does for a hi-end hi-fi home stereo rig. Headroom, noise floor, bloom, etc., have all been improved via usage of a top-shelf power line filter with voltage regulation/correction and huge storage caps that provides clean sinusoidal A/C power of the correct stabilized voltage with huge reserves on tap just in case it's needed (in this case, via usage of a Tice Audio Power Block II/TPT, no longer made).

I'm just wondering if anyone has acheived something similar with mods. on a Series PS.

Cheers,

Kevin

adriaan · « **Reply #8 on:** February 07, 2006, 07:26:11 AM »

Hm, the joys of being attached to the US powergrid, I guess.

David Houck · « **Reply #9 on:** February 07, 2006, 07:36:43 AM »

Adriaan; I often dream about being off the grid.

kmh364 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 07, 2006, 07:39:28 AM »

Ed Zachary, er, um, exactly, LOL!

BTW and FWIW, while it may or may not pertain to Alembics, which have excellent build quality and Active electronics to start with, Tuck Andress goes on and on about how his hi-fi wiring/electronics mods have transformed the sound of his Gibson L-5 archtop on his site.

http://www.tuckandpatti.com/guitarsound.html

As an avid audiophile, music lover, and musical instrument freak, I'm always looking for something better. My guitar tech is currently performing mods on my poorman's L-5 Heritage Golden Eagle in the vein of Tuck's mod's...custom wound p/u, re-wire with audiophile-grade wiring, control mods, etc. I'm just attempting to make a good thing even better, and my guy has already proven that these mods. do indeed improve the sound of this particular passive instrument.

Just food for thought.

Cheers,

Kevin

adriaan · « **Reply #11 on:** February 07, 2006, 07:43:35 AM »

Dave, you'll have to help me out here - is that a joke, a thinly diguised complaint, or both?

David Houck · « **Reply #12 on:** February 07, 2006, 07:56:42 AM »

Adriaan; no joke, no complaint. I would like to have solar panels on my roof.

kmh364 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 07, 2006, 08:01:39 AM »

See, there is a madness to his method, er, um, method to his madness, LOL! J/K

Cheers,

Kevin

adriaan · « **Reply #14 on:** February 07, 2006, 08:10:46 AM »

Dave, you should receive a generous amount of applause. Not sure how to get it to you, but it's the thought that counts. 1, 2, 3 ... sorry, that was me counting. Who? Me. Ah, it was you. No, it was you.