Author Topic: (x) 91 mk 6823 (Read 333 times)

lonski01 · « **on:** October 30, 2013, 01:14:40 AM »

i have a history request about this bass;
its a 5 string mark king long scale.
the pickup position is a bit unusual....
thanks for reply
photos comes later...

jazzyvee · « **Reply #1 on:** October 30, 2013, 03:09:31 AM »

Welcome to the forum, i'm curious about the pickup position what is unusual about it?

Jazzyvee

lonski01 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 30, 2013, 03:19:25 AM »

thanks for welcome....

after the bridge is space, than comes the small dummy pickup and then the two bigger bigger pickups...

adriaan · « **Reply #3 on:** October 30, 2013, 12:35:23 PM »

Reminds me of a MK Signature that was converted from medium to long scale. It had 22 frets and the pickups in the original positions, with a hole where the sustain block used to sit - IIRC.
I'll have to do a little search to find the old thread again.

mica · « **Reply #4 on:** October 30, 2013, 06:39:36 PM »

I answered an email about this bass to a different person a week or so ago. Here's what I said:

The record indicates this has Signature electronics, so there isn't a hum canceller. It was custom ordered with the neck pickup moved .5 inches closer to the bridge.

Whatever is between the bridge pickup and the bridge came after we built it. Can you possibly send a (larger) picture of strange pickups and also of the electronics inside?

lonski01 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 31, 2013, 09:45:04 AM »

i upload some detail-photos at weekend......and of course a story ;-)

lonski01 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 02, 2013, 11:11:51 AM »

first owner was a dentist from germany i think; with a lot of custom-made; i bought my first alembic from the second owner in a good condition and great feeling with 5 strings.... yes adriaan, it seems like converted from medium to long scale; under this last cover goes no cabel to the electronic... perhaps a secret alembic safe...;-)...or fixed for an 3. pickup?.. 1.pickup comes around 1,8 inches,2.one comes 4,8 inches from the neck.

[edited for picture alignment] (Message edited by adriaan on November 03, 2013)

adriaan · « **Reply #7 on:** November 03, 2013, 02:37:21 AM »

If you accept that the pickups are in the normal position for a medium scale bass, then you can see how they moved both the bridge (with the sustain block underneath) and the bird tail piece to the correct positions for a long scale bass. This has left a hole where the sustain block used to sit, so they must have cut a piece of plastic to fill the hole.

lbpesq · « **Reply #8 on:** November 03, 2013, 10:24:34 AM »

Wouldn't one have to replace the fretboard and place the frets in different positions? I'm pretty sure changing the scale is more involved than simply moving the bridge back.

Bill, tgo

elwoodblue · « **Reply #9 on:** November 03, 2013, 01:35:27 PM »

Bill...exactly what is baffling me.

Lonski, is the 12th fret in the middle of the string still?
A fretless conversion like this would make more sense to me.
Am I missing something?

edit: maybe someone witlessly tried to shorten the scale, then realized that wouldn't work and put it back to where it was.

(Message edited by elwoodblue on November 03, 2013)

lonski01 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 03, 2013, 02:03:03 PM »

Yes bill and ellwoodblue
the 12th fret is in the middle of the string at 43,3 cm
now its more and more curious .....does alembic build first a frettless and moved to a fretted Version?
or mark don't pay the bill ....

adriaan · « **Reply #11 on:** November 03, 2013, 02:22:58 PM »

86.36 cm = 34 = long scale.

If you'll pardon my speculation ...

Any regular Alembic has 24 frets, this one has 22. IIRC, if you capo a 34 at the 2nd fret, you have roughly a 32 scale. The other way around, the 2nd last fret on a long scale is in the position of the 24th fret of a medium scale. So the medium scale fretboard is long enough for 22 frets on a long scale. The bass was refretted, perhaps even had a new fretboard fitted, and the ovals repositioned.

lonski01 · « **Reply #12 on:** November 03, 2013, 02:51:29 PM »

Ok
any other marks ?
the last side dots comes at the 15th fret...
i think i changed her life from a collector bass to a player bass

adriaan · « **Reply #13 on:** November 03, 2013, 02:59:42 PM »

Definitely play her!

mica · « **Reply #14 on:** February 20, 2015, 08:51:06 PM »

This is what was in the file:

top: Coco Bolo
accent: Maple laminate
body: Mahogany
back: Coco Bolo
body shape: Standard Point
neck: 7-piece Maple and Purpleheart
fingerboard: Ebony
inlays: Pearloid (plastic) Ovals
pickups: AXY (move neck pickup .5 inches closer to bridge)
electronics: Signature
originally made for: Mesa Boogie, Germany
birthday: October 23, 1991

There is no record of ownership or repair, but obviously it has been modified!

I agree that the bridge and tailpiece has been moved, and the original 24 fret fingerboard replaced with a 22 fret fingerboard. I'd made a note of these changes in the instrument file.