Author Topic: Question for custom owners/experts (Read 419 times)

hifiguy · « **on:** October 14, 2006, 09:19:20 PM »

This may be a dumb question, but this area is called Dreaming and this is dreaming with a vengeance.

I found a design for a killer inlay for my ultimate dream custom Series bass. The bass would have an ancient Egypt theme. This inlay would be in abalone (Isis' body and the portion of the wings directly under her arms) and multiple woods (maple, purpleheart, vermilion) for the rest. It would probably be a bit larger than this pic.

Could even the masters at Alembic do this inlay? It would be located at the lower left of the instrument as seen when hanging or placed in a stand, and Isis would be looking towards the headstock. I dread to think what it would cost, but how gorgeous would this be?

hifiguy · « **Reply #1 on:** October 14, 2006, 09:33:21 PM »

Here's the rest of the spec as I am thinking of it now:

NECK FEATURES
4 string 11700.00
Right-handed 0.00
Long scale 34 inches 0.00
3 Purpleheart neck laminates 200.00
Ebony fingerboard 0.00
Fretted 0.00
Comfort fingerboard taper 0.00
No front LEDs 0.00
Side LEDs in amber 950.00
Elan inline peghead 0.00
Bevel front and back of peghead 250.00
BODY FEATURES
Coco bolo top    1100.00
Bookmatched top 0.00
Vermilion body    300.00
Coco bolo back    1100.00
Polyester clear gloss finish w/satin neck   0.00
Elan body shape 400.00
Tummy and elbow contour 400.00
HARDWARE FEATURES
Recessed silver logo w/shell 950.00
Bridge block    0.00
Bird tailpiece    0.00
Wood truss rod cover 300.00
Continuous wood backplate 1100.00
Gold plated hardware (estimated) 300.00
Gold Alembic Gotoh machine heads 0.00
Gold recessed strap locks 50.00
ELECTRONICS FEATURES
Series I electronics    0.00
Total Price
Series I Quotation    19100.00

The inlay work I have in mind (Isis, custom silver fingerboard inlays and a small silver inlay on the back of the headstock) would probably add another ten grand.

Comments? Thoughts or advice?

Someday I _will_ have this bass built

Paul

bsee · « **Reply #2 on:** October 15, 2006, 12:47:31 AM »

Paul-

From what I have seen, they can pull of a fairly close approximation. There's an awful lot of detail there, so I think the larger it gets, the more accurate they can be. On the up side, they really enjoy their work, so something this challenging, exotic and special will probably get their juices flowing.

Personally, I think the wings would look great in golden MOP. I wonder if they could etch the detail rather than cut so many little pieces?

bigideas · « **Reply #3 on:** October 15, 2006, 10:49:37 AM »

if they can't do it, larry robinson surely could.

Bradley Young · « **Reply #4 on:** October 15, 2006, 06:10:10 PM »

While I was trying to figure out what to have inlaid on my bass, I bumped into:

http://www.williamlaskin.com/

The stuff he does is absolutely magnificent.

I'm certain that Alembic can do the above inlay for you. See the Flight of Fancy and Dragon's Breath customs of the month-- I'd say they're pretty similar in terms of difficulty. (Not to mention the 25th Anniversary bass...)

Bradley

hifiguy · « **Reply #5 on:** October 15, 2006, 07:18:39 PM »

Thanks for the info, guys. I checked out the Laskin and Robinson websites - holy #$%&!

Good point, Bradley. I'd forgotten about the 25th Anny basses. That abalone on the top of Quetzal's wings on Flight of Fancy would look marvelous as Isis' body.

Actually, the Isis inlay would be about half again the size of the pic above, which I shrunk so as not to violate the limit on upload size. I'd even go to a different body shape if necessary. I am becoming obsessed with the idea of this bass.

dfung60 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 22, 2006, 10:57:46 PM »

I remember seeing an Exploiter with a large Samurai on horse inlay in the general area that you talk about. It was a combination of many pieces of MOP and was engraved as well for fine detail. I don't know whether Alembic has a picture of it or not, but it certainly could be done. It was quite large, perhaps 7 across (of course, an Exploiter has more room up there for this sort of thing).

I think it would look best with engraved detail on the body and head, but you really probably do want all the feathers to be separate pieces to show off contrasting texture. In the engraving process, they cut fine lines into the pearl, then fill these cuts with black ink. Way cool. The problem is that it's so cool that you will want to come up with 7 or 8 inlay figures for the fingerboard so Isis has something looking back at her!

For what it's worth, I think with the set of features you're thinking about, it may actually be cheaper to get a Series II than upgrading a Series I (can I possibly have just said cheaper and Series II in the same sentence?). Some of the really big ticket upgrades like LEDs, continuous wood backplates, and the recessed logo are standard in the Series II bass. You pick up more body laminates, master volume, and CVQ controls (which I'm sure you could lose for no extra bucks) for almost nothing (wow, did I just say that almost nothing in a sentence about Series II?).

David Fung

hifiguy · « **Reply #7 on:** October 24, 2006, 04:59:40 PM »

You are right, David, and thanks for the heads up. I went back and re-costed the beast as an S-II and it was only a couple of hundred bucks more and I get the S-II electronic package to boot. It's the inlay that's going to be the backbreaker on this one, price wise.

bsee · « **Reply #8 on:** October 24, 2006, 05:20:50 PM »

When you get into that inlay price range, I'd almost want the bass delivered without the inlay to make sure that everything fits and sounds the way you want it to. Then, If it seems like the bass you want to keep forever, send it back to be inlayed. If not, then have it tweaked and inlayed or, cut your losses and start over if the things you don't like aren't fixable. Rather than having it delivered, you might get to play it at the time of pre-set if you travel to the factory. A couple hundred for a plane ticket is also cheap insurance for this kind of investment.

Of course, if you already play a Series bass of similar construction, then the possibility of a mis-fit is greatly reduced and this kind of caution is overkill.

hifiguy · « **Reply #9 on:** November 25, 2006, 08:10:36 PM »

Thanks to the magic of Photoshop, I have cobbled together a visualization of Isis in color on a Balance K body, albeit Walnut and not cocobolo. Abalone or some type of figured MOP for the body and innermost part of the wings. What thinks the assembled Alembic nation? Practical? It's certainly beautiful, imho. And Isis would have custom silver hieroglyphs inlaid in the fretboard to look at.

Bradley Young · « **Reply #10 on:** November 25, 2006, 09:08:37 PM »

Looks good. I'm guessing that it would be plenty practical, just not very affordable.

The quote from above has the Europa body, did you change your mind? If you're set on the Balance K (good choice!) then might I suggest getting the elbow contour? It'll change the location of your inlay.

When you get ready, make sure that you go to the mothership to plan everything out. A plane ticket is cheap insurance. I've been twice (admittedly, the second time was more of a social call), and it's always great fun.

Bradley

hifiguy · « **Reply #11 on:** November 26, 2006, 01:35:15 PM »

Bradley:

Yeah, the dream is now a Series 2 Balance K Heart Omega with ebony (center), purpleheart, maple and walnut neck laminates and either a cocobolo or superb walnut top/back. That combo of neck woods should provide some thunder! A beveled small crown omega headstock would look sensational on this bass, methinx.

I have a sinking feeling that the inlay work is going to cost a ton. The hieroglyph fretboard inlays won't be huge (well, Susan and Mica will have the last word on that, I s'pose ) so that shouldn't run as much as the Alchemy inlay and the logo sun rays on the front and mother of pearl ankh on the back of the headstock shouldn't break the bank, but Isis is probably a $5-6K piece of work by herself. And of couse everything about the design will be subject to the suggestions and insights of Susan, Mica and Valentino.

Had a chance to play a Balance K MK Std and it was simply the most ergonomically perfect bass I've encountered. It's as though Susan designed that shape specifically for me.

I was planning on elbow/tummy contours - the MK Std had them and the bass sat against me perfectly. I think that the K will be the standard Alembic shape for the 21st century. It veritably screams Alembic but is so much lighter and more ergonomic than the traditional Series bodies.

Thanks for the input, Bradley and happy playing!

Paul

jacko · « **Reply #12 on:** December 04, 2006, 04:42:27 AM »

Paul.
I can't be 100% certain but I'm pretty sure the body shape you posted above is the small standard (or balance point with omega). the balance K looks slightly narrower and the upper horn cutout starts further up the neck (towards the nut) like this one..

My preference is veering towards the picture you posted.

Graeme.

flaxattack · « **Reply #13 on:** December 04, 2006, 09:47:58 AM »

as much as i like that inlay
in the postion you placed it
it would always be covered by your hand when playing and i suspect you are looking at a huge tab for this

olieoliver · « **Reply #14 on:** December 04, 2006, 09:52:13 AM »

Very good point Jeff. Lot of many to spend and then cover it up.