Author Topic: My Alembic Exploiter guitar (Read 481 times)

hardcoremike · « **on:** November 15, 2005, 07:19:46 AM »

My name is Mike Coffel. (Mica, tell your dad my dad WAS Charlie Coffel... he died in 98)....

My dad taught Machine Shop at the SRJC for 28 years and one of his students back in the day was a guy named Ron Wickersham. He took a few courses and over the years my dad did him some favors etc etc... in 1985, after getting out of the Air Force, I was invited to a xmas party with my folks at the Wickersham household. I was even sent down to the mall to pick up this little girl named Mica and bring her back to the house. I think she was scared of me!

A few days later, I got to go down to Alembic with pops to check out how they made their guitars and basses. At the end of the tour, there was like a finishing room with lots of really neat stuff being prepped to go out the door. There was a certain rack of guitars and basses that were not designated for any one person in particular and I was surprised to find out that it had been arranged for me to choose one! Any one I wanted... just pick it. Well... being an aspiring guitarist, there was an Exploiter guitar sitting there that some hardware had been removed from but it was one of only two guitars sitting there so I expressed that it would be the one for me if I had a choice. Apparently it was a NAMM show guitar and when it came back from NAMM, the hardware etc was robbed to build some other guitar. Xmas was a few weeks later and my dad whipped it out on me! I guess Ron felt he owed my dad some favors so VOILA! There it was...

Thats my story and I am sticking to it! LOL

It's Zebrawood top with Flame Koa Maple neck and Mahogony back and YES, I still own it. Ser#86E3890

bracheen · « **Reply #1 on:** November 15, 2005, 07:49:23 AM »

Great story Mike. I don't suppose you have photos of your guitar you would like to share? My fondness for Zebrawood is common knowledge. Plus it's always good to hear from the guitarists out there. We can get bottom heavy sometimes. Granted the bass is the most important instrument. Even Mica is a bassist!

Sam

David Houck · « **Reply #2 on:** November 15, 2005, 07:56:14 AM »

Great story Mike! Welcome to the group!

lbpesq · « **Reply #3 on:** November 15, 2005, 07:56:55 AM »

But Susan (the boss) plays guitar! LOL

Bill, the guitar one

hardcoremike · « **Reply #4 on:** November 15, 2005, 09:43:57 AM »

THANKS everyone!

I'll get a couple pics up soon. I've only gigged this guitar a few times in the last 10 years but I did play it out often in SUNDAY AT ED's (Local Santa Rosa cover band) so recent pictures are not to be found on my computer.... STAY TUNED!

richbass939 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 15, 2005, 05:34:41 PM »

Very cool story and welcome to the club.
Rich

hardcoremike · « **Reply #6 on:** November 15, 2005, 07:11:06 PM »

I got some pics tonight... so... when I first got my Exploiter I wasn't filled in properly on the pickups and electronics. I had no idea that the gain could be adjusted cause I never even thought to look INSIDE the guitar. (Hey I was young, ok!) I got filled in by Michael when I picked it up AFTER the conversion when I noticed that the internals didn't look like the 'normal' stuff I was used to! I was into Seymour Duncan's at the time so I had Michael Dolan (who has done all my work for the past 20 years) swap out the pick ups but fear not, I have the original pickups etc stashed and SOME DAY when I get a wild hair, I will be putting it back stock.

ANYWAY... I love this particular Zebra top. I actually had another Exploiter for a short time that I had found on eBay. It was a Maple top with a Kahler. I do have some guitars with Floyds and the Kahler did not suit me. I sold that guitar and was looking at a THIRD exploiter that was Maple with a blue 'tint' but never worked out a deal with the seller in time and he let it got to someone else....

hardcoremike · « **Reply #7 on:** November 15, 2005, 07:13:15 PM »

The back....

hardcoremike · « **Reply #8 on:** November 15, 2005, 07:15:17 PM »

I love the laminations and attention to detail. It sure gets comments whenever I bring it out...

hardcoremike · « **Reply #9 on:** November 15, 2005, 07:16:41 PM »

I have the original knobs too!

kmh364 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 16, 2005, 05:16:16 AM »

That sure is sweet, Mike! Sure you don't wanna sell it? LOL! I know, ask a stupid question...yadda, yadda, LOL!

I almost had a conniption when I saw the non-stock pick-ups, but then I saw your recount of the swap-out. Thank God you were savvy enough to save the original electronics as this is an extremely nice, rare piece.

D*mn, just imagine a guitar like this, but set-up like a JAE Spyder bass, with the spider web inlays, 6 individual tailpieces, flame top, etc! Makes me drool just thinkin' about it!

Cheers,

Kevin

David Houck · « **Reply #11 on:** November 16, 2005, 05:51:20 AM »

The grain alignment looks great with that body shape!

mpisanek · « **Reply #12 on:** November 16, 2005, 06:30:29 AM »

It's amazing what looks really great, isn't it? I never in a million years would have picked zebrawood for an exploiter body shape!

Another amazing instrument, and another amazing story!!!

hardcoremike · « **Reply #13 on:** November 16, 2005, 06:33:07 AM »

Thanks.... it's really a very special guitar. The story behind it etc makes it PRICELESS to me and I would NEVER part with it. My dad was the coolest guy EVER and his memory lives on with stuff like this. We lost him unexpectedly to respiratory failure one day. No warning. Never smoked or drank. He developed respiratory problems (we assume) from working in various machine shops over the years.

Ron was only a handful of guys who realized the potential of CNC technology as it pertained to guitar making way back then. Hartley Peavey was another. I remember his methods being TOP SECRET back then.

kmh364 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 16, 2005, 07:31:18 AM »

Mike,

Sorry about your Dad...sounds like a great guy.

I was, of course, joking about the guitar. I assumed you would have to be nuts to part with it.

Cheers,

Kevin

Author Topic: My Alembic Exploiter guitar (Read 481 times)

mpisanek