(u) Alembic DoubleNeck Bass/Guitar [801662]

[gerarddem]

Steve & Oliver! Thanks for jumping in! All I can say is the Alembic craftsmen did such a fantastic job on my royal initials (look up my name de Marigny for my family's nefarious background)!  haha! (Thanks Steve, re: my novel, I hope so too) That would have been a fine idea if all of the Alembic team would have engraved their initials in my Kuon Orthros, the nickname my bandmates called my double neck. I will contact you right off Oliver - thanks! I'm still waiting to see if I can verify if I indeed possess the only bass/guitar double neck that Alembic ever made. Wouldn't that be cool!

[hieronymous]

Hi Gerard, I've got one of the other doublenecks here, from '75 - as Oliver said above, it's got a short scale 6-string bass neck and a regular long scale fretless neck. I have corresponded with the builder, who thinks it might be the first doubleneck Alembic produced. Not sure about the guitar/bass combo. Too bad there wasn't a code for doublenecks!

[gerarddem]

Harry! Wow, that's great! Owning the first of anything or the only of anything is really cool, and it being Alembic makes it awesome!

[hieronymous]

Were you the only bass player in the band or did you switch off on bass & guitar duties with someone else? Or bass pedals perhaps? Was it a progressive rock band? Or metal perhaps? I'm going on the nickname your doubleneck was given!
 
(Message edited by hieronymous on May 25, 2010)

[gerarddem]

The band was originally a rock/jazz fusion lineup in 1978-1980. I was originally the bass player. By 1980, I wanted to play heavier, simpler music (Van Halen changed my life back then, instead of 8 musicians on stage, just 4 and getting all of the chicks they were!). Before I was able to handle all of the guitar duties, I was tasked with playing just a few of the songs on guitar, with our keyboardist, a fantastic musician named Frank Antico (played with Jaco Pastorius)handled the bass parts on keys. By the end of 1980 (right after purchasing K-O, we decided to totally change the lineup of the band and its style of music. By November 1981 we reemerged as a heavy metal 4-piece unit with me on guitar. The three Alembics that I owned by that time (a series one bass, series 1 bubinga guitar that our guitarist played and K-O) were all retired. I'm also not a large guy and everyone used to joke that it looked like there was a wee little man standing behind that big creature Kuon Orthos!  haha! Thanks for asking Harry!

[mike1762]

Remember this one:
 

 
It was a little too neck heavy for the owner, so you can see that he adopted a novel technique for playing it.

[sonicus]

I wonder if that Alembic  Work Of Art  is being imprinted on this child's psyche ?
                            It could only have a positive effect!
 
     Such an endearing image __________

[gerarddem]

That's exactly what I looked like on stage with Kuon Orthros!  Great photo!

[mica]

Strangely, there is no file for this instrument  
 
I made a new one, and we'll combine it with the original if it's ever located.

[garyhead]

I’m the current owner of this bass. 801662. Sorry to see the build card is missing. I need to purchase correct strings for it (current strings sit way too far down the slots). Anyone care to guess what the “standard” string gauges were for guitars / bass in 1980?  I also need to work on the pickup screws….incorrect use of height adjustment / hold down screws. One screw is at string height!  Electronics look untouched and original maybe a replacement pickup on the guitar but all functions normally.  I received this instrument a week before neck surgery so I’m now recovered enough to begin working on it. It’s 17.2lbs!  I had a weight-lifting restriction of 10lbs but I never intended to sling this beast!  I found a Wonderfull German-made stand that hold the instrument in the playing position. It’s been in the stand 2 months now….rock solid. Got the stand on Amazon Harry if you think yould like to place your doubleneck in one. Yes….the case is HUGE!  I’m afraid after 44 years….the foam has deteriorated and the instrument isn’t secure so towels are needed to prevent movement. I need to find a vendor who has experience restoring Anvil Flight Cases. Anyone know of one?  Preferrably in the Seattle area?  I have completed my dream stereo-rig of insanely impracticable cabinets / weight. The bridge pickup uses Bag End ELF 2-12’s topped by a Bag End TA-12. This has a single 12” with a horn. That makes a vertical 3-12 with horn. The neck pickup has a Bag End ELF S-18” topped with a Bag End TA-15. That is a vertical 18” - 15” & a horn. Going stereo into an F-2B then to a Bag End ELF-1 Stereo Integrator.  Bridge amplifier is a Stewart World 1.2. (200w / channel) for the TA cabinets and a Stewart World 2.1 (400w / channel) to each ELF cabinet.  Most of this stuff was bought used over 25 years. It is GLORIOUS!  Standing in front of the “Two Towers” causes so much vibration that I cannot focus on the tuner…have to turn the volume down to tune the darn thing!  I have a question for you guitar players as I’m not one (yet). This this doesn’t stay in tune. My Alembic basses have always been a set & forget for intonation.  Are there anything like tension adjustment for guitar tuners?  Could the shear mass of this beast cause the problem?  Bass strings detuning the more delicate guitar strings?  I’m sure there’s an answer….hey, it’s Alembic….anythings possible.
I’m still recovering from surgery and my PT is working wonders restoring use of my left arm. While I cannot yet navigate the Classico I can shimmy my left arm down the neck with my thumb on this beast. I’ve had good, and bad days in this recovery and this instrument in the stand in my living room is a joy to behold.  No regrets on the decision to purchase this instrument.  Ok. I’ll stop now.  I’m having trouble resizing photos to fit here. When I resize and email to myself….the photos come in the original size.

[garyhead]

I haven’t run the stereo Spyders through this rig yet…..I think I can “sling” them now in my recovery.

[garyhead]

The original owner hasn’t posted here in 14years so I may not be able to locate him. There are two toggle switch’s added but are now disconnected. Would have liked to known what they used to do.  Maybe a removal by the mothership and replaced with “Leviathan Eyes!”

[garyhead]

Google is your friend:
https://www.facebook.com/GerarddeM?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Looks like he did become a successful author.
Sent him a message to contact us Alembic-nerds.

[pauldo]

Gary, what a beauty. 
Keep healing and when the time is right, a video clip of that beast in action sure would be fun.

[garyhead]

Looks like his band has a cd available since Feb 2024. Recorded live in 1982. Limited pressing of 500 copies. I bought one off of eBay. Also available on Bandcamp.

Fun digging up history on the net for this instrument.