Author Topic: Hi,I'm a newbie!! (Read 715 times)

basso · « **Reply #15 on:** March 15, 2004, 01:16:43 PM »

Hi effclef,i'm not sure if my bass is flamed walnut,but when i looked at the link you posted and compared it with my bass,it seems to have a very simular appearance?i do like the body shape and what is more it's nice and light,great for long gigs!Julian.

effclef · « **Reply #16 on:** March 15, 2004, 01:48:19 PM »

Julian, it's hard to tell from just a picture. If you were to hold a bass with flame maple, and rock it back and forth in the light, you'd see wavy patterns that change color.

Yours probably does not have large areas that do that - which makes it plain walnut, which is still beautiful. (Check out a Rickenbacker 650 Dakota guitar in walnut sometime.)

I agree about the small and light perspective. Wish more beginners were steered toward set neck Alembics than neck thru Ibanez basses of any price range!!!!!

EffClef

henri_lopes · « **Reply #17 on:** March 15, 2004, 06:45:18 PM »

I can see why some people don't like the epic shape, it is sort of weird looking, but that's probably why I love it so much.

basso · « **Reply #18 on:** March 16, 2004, 01:33:09 AM »

Hi Guys,can someone tell me if the electronics in my Epic 5 string are used in any other models?and do Alembic do any upgrades should you wish to fit them?thanks,Julian.

adriaan · « **Reply #19 on:** March 16, 2004, 02:48:07 AM »

Hi Julian,

Nice Epic! I for one cannot understand why people dislike the shape - it's less gothic in nature than some of the other designs, and so it can show off the beauty of the top wood rather than drawing attention to itself. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, just a matter of taste and opinion - I can appreciate both.

Even with the 'lesser grade' standard wood choices, they always make sure that the wood grain complements the body shape. On your Epic, I really like the wave of the grain pattern growing out of the bookmatch-to-center. It may not be superb flame walnut, but it certainly looks like flame walnut to me.

The standard electronics on an Epic are the same as on the Orion - the only difference between those two is the shape of body and headstock. It's not really clear from the site, but I think they're now fitting the Excel with an MXY and a FatBoy (instead of two MXYs) and the same electronics.

As always with Alembic, you can order pretty much any combination of features - within reason: they'll tell you if something cannot be done. For an electronics upgrade, you need to understand that not everything will fit into the cavity, and also the holes already drilled may not match the new electronics.

With the Epic package, you have vol/pan/bass/treble. If you upgrade from that, you also get into a different type of tone control.

The basic upgrade would be the Essence package, vol/pan/filter - for which I'd recommend adding the Q-switch. If you look at this month's Featured Custom, you'll see that they've added the filter and Q switch to the Epic electronics. This probably won't fit into the standard cavity, so you'd need to send the bass to the factory for the upgrade.

Next up from that would be the Europa/Rogue package, which is the same as on the Essence, plus a Q switch and two boost switches for bass and treble.

Next up from that you get to the Signature package, and I'm pretty sure that's when the control cavity must absolutely be enlarged.

Adriaan

basso · « **Reply #20 on:** March 16, 2004, 08:09:23 AM »

Hi Adriaan,thanks very much for the info on the upgrades,it's nice to know you can rely on people on this site to help and give info,i like the bass very much,but in time, i might want to upgrade,or possibly get another Alembic,i saw a S/clarke signature for sale recently over here in the UK,i was tempted,but i was unsure if the 30 scale would effect the tone/sound of the bass,what do you think?most people seem to go for the 34scale,thanks,Julian.

adriaan · « **Reply #21 on:** March 16, 2004, 09:08:10 AM »

Hi Julian,

An Alembic with a shorter scale will still give you a decent low end. I have a 34 Epic that I had defretted a while back, and a 32 Spoiler - obviously one is a neck-through and the other a set-neck, so it's comparing apples and oranges. But I think it's safe to say that the shorter scales are better suited to percussive playing styles. That is not to say that you can't slap/pop on a 34 - just that the slightly lower string tension on the shorter scales helps a lot.

I think Mark King plays mostly 32 (the Status KingBass model is also 32). Stanley Clarke plays 30.75. I played a short scale SC Signature years ago, and it felt a little strange - and also remotely familiar to a Hofner violin bass (scale and neck size).