The "humble" bass

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Hi friends,
 
welcome to my dream.
Sit back and relax, take your time to read this if you feel to give some advice (it seems that I'm unable to say things short so... talking about dreams it will take me some lines).  
I scanned some sketches and I hope they will come over well.
GENERAL:
- I called it The Humble bass (you'll discover why) but after some thought this bass is not humble. A friend of mine called it the Tooth (also that you'll discover why).
-woods: in this bass will be used three woods. One wood I'm certain: it will be Zebrawood. The two others have to match with the two colours of the Zebrawood: a dark wood where I prefer Ebony (Macassar??) and one wood to match with the light (yellowish) colour in the Zebrawood. It could be a light Mahogany, but also Myrtle or Maple or Beech. Let's assume that a light Mahogany will do the job.  I'm really not in a position to judge this part.
- hardware and metal I prefer a Brass look. Also for the tuners, not the glossy high-polished aspect but a more brushed/matte aspect.
- the finish of the bass will be matte: maybe oil or a satin varnish. I do this because fingerboard and body must have the same aspect.
- for two details I need some Abalone: for the inlaid Almebic logo (also brass if possible) and for the initials PL at the bottom of the neck. A design I will show you later. My graphist-brother made it for me once an I use it a lot even in business-situations.
This said, let's start with the details.
1. BODY AND LAMINATES
 
 
 
- it's an EXCEL shaped body: I like it a lot. It's a  larger body then the other Almebics.
- the lamination is Top/bottom: Ebony, Zebrawood, Mahogany.
- custom for the Excel: it will have a neck-through design.
- The body will have a flattened part on the under-left side where your right arm rest on the body. The aspect when you see the bass will be a dark bass with a small ring of irregular teeth (the Zebrawood) going over into the Mahogany. By flattening the body for the armrest the teeth will be longer there.
- the top will conceal the neck-through body design and will be a bookmatched Ebony.
 
2 THE NECK
 
- we talking a five string here.
- the neck will be a deluxe lamination of 11 pieces: 5 wil be Ebony and 6 will be Mahogany..
- it's a 35 scale
- wider string spacing: referring to the Alembic I have: at the bridge 6,8mm and at the nut 5,8 mm (although that is a 34 scale).
 
3. PEGHEAD
 
 
- The peghead is Europa-style for five string.
- There is only a front capping (Ebony) and no capping at the back.
- The tuners are brushed brass'
- There is an Alembic logo (no name) inlaid also in Brass with an abalone background in the dragon-circle. A good place I didn't figure out yet. Maybe I should consider to have a 4/1 tuner set-up instead of 3/2: the logo gets defintely more space and visability.
- There is a height adjustable brass nut.
 
4. THE FINGERBOARD
 
- it's a fretless
- the fingerboard in Ebony (Macassar??) same as capping peghead and body.
- there are brass position-markers on the side.
- there are fretmarks but on a rather unusual way: these fretmarks are small mahogant inlays at the side of the fingerboard. The result will be (again) a teeth-effect the longside of the neck because these inalys are visible at the front. I hope you can make it out of my sketches.
The aspect will be unusual: the teeth around thebody (from the Zebrawood) going over to the matks on the neck.
Beware: these marks are only at ONE side (visible for right handed player) of the neck.
- on the bottom of the fingerboard there is a brass PL inlay (see design). Aslo here the background is Abalone.
- There is a brass truss-rod cover
 
5 THE ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT
 
So even this part will be unusual.
- there is a standard brass moon-shaped tailpiece, a brass bridge with a sustainblock added
- The bass will have 1 single coil PU (from the Series with the dummy-humcanceller.
There is a volume, a low-pass filter (with the standard hat shaped knobs) and a bass-gain , a treble gain and a CVQ switch (those three have pointer knobs).
- The position of that PU with the Dummy is not certain. I think I'll slide it slightly backwards to the bridge in comparison with the Excle standard place.
- there is a XLR-type plug and a standard jack.
 
Well...
there she is.
Ok ...it's a dream and I'm sure dreaming ...for now-unaffordable. So Mica ...please don't start budgetting as hell. Concentrate on serious clients with urgent wishes. Here is no rush.
Dreams are for sharing and that's what I wanted to do.
Thanks for reactions ,advices and ideas.
 
Paul
 
PS: it's about time I'm gonna post those images of my current SII

[Michael Paskel (Mikey) (pookeymp)]

Hey Paul,
 
I like...I like!!!  Nice bass.
 
I must agree though...this bass is not very humble...will definitely be an eye catcher.  The Tooth concept is cool...pretty original.
 
Question: on the XLR output...I imagine this is not the normal stereo output on a series bass since you only have 1 pu...does it provide the same output as the 1/4 jack?
 
I'll be watching your Factory to Customer progress on this one when you do decide to make it reality...Good Luck.
 
Mikey/

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Hi MIkey,
 
thanx for comment.
For the realiasation ...well Rome wasn't build in one week. It will take me a couple of years (maybe I look for a better job: bankrobber will do).
That's a good question about the XLR-thing. I guess there will be a lot more Custom on that thing then only the jack-configuration. But there will come a moment that some people at Alembic will see into this design and sooner or later the idea will be developed further here.
The humble-name comes because there is only 1 PU with the dummy-humcanceller.
The tone-control was already done by Alembic on one custom-design that was featered about 1,5 year ago.
The wood-idea on the body (with the Zebra-wood) was done on the prototype of teh EVH-signature, played by my friend Edwin over here in Hilversum (The Netherlands).
CU
Paul

[mica]

Looks like a fun project! I know we aren't starting it just yet, but the comfort of having a good length of time to plan, plus your experience with other basses we've made should put you in a good position to make these important decisions.  
 
One thing that wasn't clear (or maybe I missed it): Neck through construction or set neck?

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Hi Mica,
 
thanx for looking in to the project: it's indeed neck-through construction but the front capping wood covers the neck-through construction. The scetches I made are REALLY rough.
CU - or better talk to you soon!
 
Paul

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Friends,
 
brother Mikey and myself invented the perfect name for this project. It will be the template for the new ALEMBIC S 0.5. The additional bass and treble filters are considered as an option!
CU
 
Paul

[Michael Paskel (Mikey) (pookeymp)]

Nice...Nice!!!  Can't wait till this project comes to life...history in the making.
 
Mikey/

[Valentino Villevieille (valvil)]

Well, Paul,  
 
as per your request I tried figuring out a ballpark list price for this bass, but it's hard, you 've got so many unusual features...only Mica or Susan can answer those with any authority.  Having said  that, there are a few things that can be figured out.
 
For a custom neck-though bass, as I've said elsewhere, I think the Rogue model makes an excellent starting point, and it also comes standard with the 35 inch scale you desire.  That would start you at 4300$.  
 
Now for the Body:  The Excel as you know is a set neck bass normally.  Obviously Alembic can make a neck-though version; however, unless I'm much mistaken, this will cost extra money .  The Excel , like the Orion has those wide cutaways that make it harder to carve the heel of a neck-through... If I remember correctly, to have one of those shapes made with a neck-through is an extra 150$, but of course Mica is the ultimate authority on this.  
The Macassar ebony top is 900$.  The bookmatch to center is currently an extra 350$.
 
The Neck:  an 11 piece neck with 5 ebony lams is gonna be really pricey I bet...a 5 piece with 2 ebony lams is 1450$, so my guess would be a cost about 3000$ extra or more ( hope you've got a good chiropractor there, Paul, this baby will weigh a ton).
 
The Peghead:  I'm a little confused by your description of the logo, it sounds like you want  something similar to the shell logo, but in brass rather than silver ( which is a 750$ option), and I have no idea how much Alembic would charge for that, but it'd probably be something along those lines.
 
The fretboard:  Fretless is no charge, but I believe sidelines position markers( the teeth ) are an extra 150-200$.
 
The Electronics: here I've absolutely no clue. I think it will all depend on how much work Ron would have to do. If he has to come up with new wiring it might cost you as much as a regular set ( 2 pickups) of series electronics; but then it might also be somewhat cheaper; once again, Mica can tell you.  I also would think that the XLR jack would not give you a stereo sound, but maybe a balanced signal, and I guess you still would need it to power the bass through a DS5.
 
Of course, I'm sure you're aware that in the future things might change ( woods get more expensive, costs in general go up ) and this will cost even more, but it seems to me that right now you are looking at a list price of 11 to 12 thousand maybe even a little more.
 
Well, this is it brother Paul,  
 
I had fun researching your bass, I hope you find this helpful  
 
Good luck
 
Valentino
 

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Hi Valentino,
 
geeeee thanks man for doing this.
I really couldn't figure it out for myself. Because I'm not seriously commanding this thing (yet - this IS a dream anyway) I wouldn't Mica bother with it. I asked her to see into it if she has some time left between her zillionthird and zillionfourth mail to respond or phonecall to take.
What you did is very helpful to me. It will be a very out-standing (literally and figurally) instrument but still having that modest look. I could change woods maybe, or de deluxe laminate in the body.
Anyway the proce-tag will definitely NOT be modest. I hope I will once be able to make this dream come true.
Thanx again brother.
You can always drop in when sister Mica gave her quote, I'll keep you posted!
 
Paul

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

I have another idea for this dream.  
I maybe go for a Rogue design, but a large one because I like to have a wider fingerboard and 35.
Secondly, what would you think of making the fingerboard, top and back in Pau-Ferro? I know it's a HARD wood. I don't know if is a nice wood. I do this because I want  headstock, fingerboard and top being in matching woods.
Also the neck laminates can be done on Other than usual woods, as long as their keep their functionality.
The rest of the project stays as it is. So basically: bizarre but fun to make as you said Mica.
Maybe something you have to consider when you have the time to jump into the calculation of this project.
Take care.

[Michael Walker (rockandroller)]

pau-ferro idea is cool.. reminds me of those tuxedo rickenbackers that had the fretboard finished to match the body (rick fretboards are normally clear varnished, anyway..)
 
anyway, i'd go with maccassar ebony for that theme.. some of it is rather pretty stuff

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Hey dreamers,  
 
it pays to study the dreams of other people.  
I think we could use for my humble project (The Tooth) a combination of the ebony (Gabon??) used for the neck on Yahya's bigbass. This sparkled ebony can be used for neck AND body top, bookmatched to center?  
The zebrawood slice sandwich stays but the body has to be a light-orange mahogany. I think mahogany comes close to the colour of the (light parts) in zebrawood. The neck will be sanwiched as in Yahya's big bass.  
I think the Pau Ferro solution gives it a bit of boring outlook no?  
Well .... who am I talking to anyway ... this is kinda talking in your sleep no?
 
I still like the fact that a Excel body is bigger and thiker than teh other A's. I do like the Rogue but it's such a fr?le body. (I know, it is french but I have no other word)
 
(Message edited by palembic on March 12, 2003)

[Roger Smith (rogertvr)]

fr?le = frail (?)

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Roger ....Euh ... I guess, ok???
   
BTW, i think also a Rogue body can be made wider and bigger (Alembic  old style)? There have to be fitted the half of the electronics.  
   
Fellow dreamers (who can sleep here anyway with me yapping around).  
I got this absolutely WILD idea.  
 
You can still imagine what I meant with the teeth = the fret position marks on the side of the neck but also visible at the front of the fingerboard but only short, barely touching the position where the B-string hits the fingerboard.  
You see it?  
Now listen to this: what if we replace the wood by something where we can put leds behind. It would be very stylish to have Amber coloured leds. The markers could be Abalone? Mother of Pearl? Something the amber light accentuates.  
And, to go completely beserk, the Alembic logo also receives a light behind the amber light behind the Abalone filling of the clouds.  
 
What do you think of THAT.  
 
What? Oh it became now a 25000$ guitar?  
Well that's a minor problem: I'll rob 3 banks!  
 
Paul
 
(Message edited by palembic on March 14, 2003)
 
(Message edited by palembic on March 14, 2003)

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Here I am (again),
 
I have a good feeling for the purple Princess
see http://alembic.com/info/FC_purpleprincess.html
But (of course):
- she will have a complete Ebony (Gabon??) front, bookmatched to center, hiding the neck-through construction but no Ebony back, not the body, not the peghead.
- the neck laminates of the big bass
- a mahogany - Zebrawood - Ebony body laminates, the body thicker than normal.
- 1 SII PU with the hum-canceller. The PU in a place that could best be described as the place of the PU on a Music-man Stingray.
- Electronics: 1 volume, 1 filter, (both Collet-type), 1 bass boost, 1 treble boost, 1 CVQ ( the 3 pointer knobs), standard jack output + multicable output, I guess a minipot for dimming the leds.
- wider fretboard 35
- brass-sustainblock
- brass logo, recessed into the peghead with addidtional Abalone into the cloud if possible with a amber led behind)
- fret sidemarks in Abalone who are visible also at the front of the fingerboard (short stripes = the teeth) also equipped with amber leds.
- a custom PL inlay in brass with Abalone, however, not in the fingerboard but in the body just under the brass-plate hiding the truss-rods.
- brass hardware, if possible also the tuners
- a soft-satin finish, similar to the feel of the fingerboard.
 
Well ... that's it  for now.
 
Paul
 
 
Brother Roger thinks I better go for a Ferrari.