Restoring Mark's Custom Series II Bass

[jalevinemd]

I imagine that this is also quite a treat for folks at Alembic who were there when this thing was born.

[keith_h]

Mark,
Don't feel like you are the only one in that situation.  
 
Keith

[edwardofhuncote]

Remarkable how much the top wood has darkened with age.  
 
My favorite line from this post - I just asked Rick Turner to build me something cool. That statement alone speaks volumes about how far beyond custom Alembic already was by '76.  
 
Can't wait to see the fretless sister!

[mavnet]

Some snaps of her fretless sister. Pardon the dust, please   Turner told me the ebony was from the same log as Stanley Clarke's late 70s bass. I choose to believe it.  
 
 
[edited for picture alignment]
 
(Message edited by adriaan on April 13, 2015)

[moongerm]

Saweeet!!! Very nice!

[sonicus]

Absolutely irresistible !

[edwardofhuncote]

Yeah, I had roughly the same reaction... WOW! =)  
 
Did you commission them separately, or was the idea all along to have a fretless counterpart? I salute the idea... I've done roughly that with my Turner basses, and in the process of doing it with my Alembic too... it's a kinda' twisted OCD thing.
 
That's quite the pair of basses you have there Mark - thanks for sharing.

[mavnet]

Yeah, they're pretty sweet  I feel very lucky to have them. I had been playing a fretless p-bass as my main axe back then but needed something with frets also, so it seemed like a no-brainer other than the then-outrageous amount of money they each cost - basically what we'd now pay for some of the nicer burl tops. Ordered them both at the same time, with anvil flight cases that cost the similarly outrageous $100 each.

[mavnet]

Anything new, Mica? Also, did you get the tech drawings I scanned and sent? Thanks!

[mica]

I did, thanks!
 
We're in the tail-end of the long and boring road of finish. There's still a few more coats to go. I think we are pickier than we used to be, as the front wasn't totally flat, and we sanded it as flat as we dare, but there's a few dippy streaks that really glare out so we have to pool up the finish a touch in those areas, and it takes a little longer, but it will be so worth it.

[mavnet]

Any new news, Mica? Got a bunch of gigs coming up this summer, and I soooooo want to be playing my very-much-missed beautiful bass again!

[mica]

Final cure! Just waiting for the finish to finish hardening, and in the queue for rub out and set up. meanwhile, Tony and dad are working on the electronics so they are ready to drop in your bass when James needs them. I'll try and sneak a picture in for you this week, and you should have the bass this month

[mavnet]

Woot! And WOO HOO!  Any feedback on the notch filter idea you were going to ask your dad about for the SF channel? Also - please check email re a few other things I'm interested in...

[mica]

Hey Mark,  
 
Working on the electronics, and dad will need to speak with you, probably sometime next week. In other news, the finish is all cured and we have the first part of the rubout complete:
 

 
Looking great!

[mica]

Rubout is done and James started loading parts.  

 

 

  There's 2 upgrades in line in front of yours, plus a little extra electronics work, so it will be a little while before much besides mounting pickups and hardware and strings happen, but I'll keep you posted. It is soooooooooooooo beautiful!   Erik was checking it out tonight:

 You'll have to wait until it's all done for the picture in front of the barn