Author Topic: It's About To Begin! (Read 2472 times)

rustyg61 · « **Reply #15 on:** October 15, 2013, 03:09:22 PM »

Here's the neck recipe, the body halves will be painted but the neck will be natural. Mine will have continuous wood back plates too.

jzstephan · « **Reply #16 on:** October 15, 2013, 03:11:59 PM »

Please post a link to this alledged blue moon Europa.

rustyg61 · « **Reply #17 on:** October 15, 2013, 03:14:55 PM »

http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/13602.html?1118944266

rustyg61 · « **Reply #18 on:** October 15, 2013, 03:16:52 PM »

Here's the finished bass I fell in love with -

hammer · « **Reply #19 on:** October 15, 2013, 03:21:43 PM »

I love the combination of the color, body and headstock. Beautiful

hammer · « **Reply #20 on:** October 15, 2013, 03:55:43 PM »

P.S. Way to go with the continuous wood backplates. Susan had to convince me to add them to my build but I have not regretted it.

jazzyvee · « **Reply #21 on:** October 15, 2013, 04:32:38 PM »

I think she was right to convince you on. It would be a shame to break up all that beautiful quilting with brass back plates. Plus it will bring the weight down as well, wood instead of brass.

My series I has burl maple and has brass backplates and you can imagine how much better it would have looked if the original order was for continuous backplates.

And with continuous wood backplates it will look something like this but blue.
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/105154.jpg

Congratulations on your custom order, I'm glad to be of help.
Jazzyvee

pauldo · « **Reply #22 on:** October 15, 2013, 04:58:13 PM »

Wow Rusty!
Major score!
Congrats to you.

p.s. yes I am green with envy.

lbpesq · « **Reply #23 on:** October 15, 2013, 05:30:19 PM »

Congrats Rusty. Now sit back and enjoy the ride!

Bill, tgo

tncaveman · « **Reply #24 on:** October 15, 2013, 06:04:54 PM »

Man - that's going to be sweet. Give you wife a big hug from all of us!!!

I got shot down for a getar build

( But she did let me get a used Anderson (it's pretty sweet too). I still need to post up some pics. And she did let me buy two used Alembic basses before that - so, my other half isn't too mean.

Stephen

rustyg61 · « **Reply #25 on:** October 15, 2013, 07:20:05 PM »

Thanks everyone! I'm really looking forward to watching this come together in the Factory To Customer!

I really wanted the continuous wood backplates & was thrilled to find out that they now come standard with Series II electronics!

Jazzyvee, all of your Europas are gorgeous! I actually like the contrast between the wood body & brass plates. I don't think it looks bad at all!

Stephen, I let my wife read your comment, she's a keeper for sure!! It was actually her idea, I set up all my gear to take a picture after I got my Schecter 5 string & my wife counted that I only had 9 basses & guitars & said I needed one more to have an even 10! I wasn't even thinking about getting another bass & told her the only thing I would even consider getting would be an Alembic 5 string. The Schecter is nice but it feels like a toy compared to my SCSD! So she said go for it! I still didn't give it much thought until I saw the picture of Steve Wood's blue Europa & when I showed it to her she again told me to get it. So me being the wise man I am, first for marrying her, & now for heeding her advice, decided I should not let this amazing opportunity slip away!

oddmetersam · « **Reply #26 on:** October 15, 2013, 09:34:39 PM »

Rusty, acquisition of this fabulous instrument couldn't be happening to a nicer guy! What a great, well thought-out combination. After seeing knobby headstocks in person I can say that is one of the sleeper options to get. Can hardly wait to see the in-progress shots and the finished masterpiece. Congrats in advance.
-Sam

bigredbass · « **Reply #27 on:** October 15, 2013, 11:26:51 PM »

Congrats, Rusty. We Texans (both those of you still at home in Mother Texas and expat oilfield trash like me in Tennessee) must represent !

Good for you to get an Alembic in Color. Really dig the blue. As I've often said, even with the stupefying collection of Martian wood in the shed in Santa Rosa, the natural finished axes just look b-r-o-w-n , and Bob is just a fabulous paint guy, so why not?

I'm sure that you were blown away by just how encyclopedic Susan is in her knowledge of these instruments, I know I was, and EVERYTHING she suggested for my Elan was spot on. Amazing. And oh yeah, the wood back plates are the way to go, lighter and better looking: It's one of those things that absolutely floor most people who've never seen them.

The coolest part of it is that after it's all said and done, not only is it your Alembic in so many ways, but then it dawns on you that there is not another one exactly like it in the whole world. How cool is that?

J o e y

rustyg61 · « **Reply #28 on:** October 16, 2013, 01:40:40 AM »

Thank you Sam, you are too kind! Jazzyvee sent me a video of you playing his Series II at the Gathering & that helped me decide on the electronics. The range of tone form his Europa is incredible! I have always loved the old school look of the Knobby & I think it works very well with the 3 on top / 2 on bottom combination.

rustyg61 · « **Reply #29 on:** October 16, 2013, 01:59:22 AM »

Thanks J o e y! We had quite a few Customs Of The Month at our Texas Gathering in June & I'm hoping to add one more to the next Gathering! You should make plans to come back to the homeland & visit us at our next Gathering! If our crew remains the same, mine will be the only painted Alembic there, so I would love the company of the fabled Bigredbass! Red & blue would look nice together! I've always loved Alembics for their gorgeous exotic woods, but when I saw Steve's blue Europa I HAD to have it! Blue is my favorite color, my truck & 2 Harleys are all blue, but I have never had a blue bass before.

Yes, Susan is AMAZING in her knowledge of Alembics & what woods to use to get the sound you want. She also has great taste! I was trying to decide on which headstock to use so I sent her a mock up with 3 different ones to ask her opinion. I was leaning towards the Knobby & my wife liked it best too, but I didn't tell Susan that & without hesitation Susan sad absolutely the Knobby! I like having the logo exposed instead of under the strings & the knobby is a classic! She is also very accommodating to try to get exactly what I want. I asked her if they can make the CVQ controls with a center indent like they have on the pan pots so I can have a point of reference other than full on & full off, & have the center boost at 8dB so it is the same as the Q switch on my SCSD, then I can fine tune from that point. Alembic doesn't have a CVQ like that but she is checking to see if they can have them made.

You are right, I will have a one of a kind bass! It was inspired by Steve Woods' Europa, but I have tweaked it to make it my own! I think ALembic's logo should be a snowflake because no 2 are exactly alike!