Austin's Coco Bolo Classico

[hb3]

Actually, I believe they are now both dead. But they are still musical - they're decomposing!
 
Nah...he/she's fine....

[hb3]

Actually, I believe they are now both dead. But they are still musical - they're decomposing!
 
Nah...he/she's fine....

[flaxattack]

i hope you havent paid for this yet. think of all the interest you'd have missed out on.
alan
as appropriate as your comments are for normal production- 4 years is inexcusable regardless of what austin is being told
 
it couldnt possibly take 4 years (imho)to redo electronics and a new peg design.  
considering there was nothing wrong (imho) with the original elec and peg as heard on my classico
 
what i am curious about is that chip is in the photos of early production and he has been gone for over 2 years now last i heard.  
 
as obtuse as this may sound? maybe they dont remember how to make one.

[mica]

Sadly, some instruments do take a very long time. It isn't always obvious why. There are actual humans at work here, and there are times when certain projects do not receive attention, and there are times when the attention a project receives isn't obvious in the build record.  
 
2009 was quite a tumultuous year for many of the people that work here. I choose to not go into details, but it's important that you know there's a reason that some projects that need input from everyone had not received the attention they should have, including Austin's bass. I am sorry for this.  
 
I'm happy to report the circuit redesign is complete. I'm glad you had no problems with your Classico, Jeff. Since they are single coil pickups, they suffer from the same problems that other single coil pickups (like Series I/II) suffer. It's not to change the tone or to add functionality, it's to remove directional and high frequency noise from the system. So this one will sound the same, but in high noise situations, it will be quieter.  
 
The peg had been a real problem. Again, I'm glad you were happy with the peg on the your Classico, Jeff. We were not, and some other Classico owners were not. It wasn't adjustable except in 1.5 increments. It was sometimes difficult to push the little tabs in to release the lock. It sometimes got cocked so it took a good bit of jossling to right. It sometimes rattled inside the bass if it wasn't extended more that it was retracted. The new design is completed for the peg. We're just trying to decide where to place the control for the continuous adjustment.
 
As far as the building, when that gears up again, and it will in the very near future, Kris will be making it, and he is the one who taught Chip and others how to make Classicos.  
 
Austin, you have done nothing to impede the progress of this instrument. I repeat that I'm sorry for the long delay in updates and progress.

[darkstar01]

Thanks, Mica.
I really didn't mean to sound negative here, I'm just a little impatient. Of course I appreciate all of the work that everyone puts into these things, and I understand that with Alembic being the family company that it is, certain things can come up and take priority.  Thanks for clarifying, and I can't wait to see what you guys have come up with.

[mica]

Thanks as usual, Austin for your kindness. I appreciate your response so much.

[ajdover]

Flax,
 
     Yeah, four years is a long time, even for a custom instrument.  As I said, the frustration at times was unbearable.  I don't think that I said that it's a normal wait time, though.  I also think you rightly point out that some things, at least to us, shouldn't take all that long.  However, as Mica points out there are things that impact production that are out of our sight.  This doesn't excuse it, mind you, merely explains it.  Whether an individual is patient enough to wait that long is, of course, an individual decision.
 
     And yes, I waited four years for mine.  Actually, four years, 3 days, and 15 hours!  But whose counting? ;-)  The good news is I have the only near-replica of John Entwistle's Alembic in the world that is not in a museum or in private collections.  Talk about bragging rights!
 
Alan
 
P.S.  As far as I know, it took Alembic three years to make Entwistle's Exploiters.

[flaxattack]

alan, if waiting for 4 yrs to have bragging rights( who it might impress is another q) makes you happy- i'm glad 4 ya
 
i dont think austins interested in anything other than getting his little mittens on his investment

[ajdover]

Flax,
 
     I didn't wait four years for bragging rights - they just came with the instrument.  What I did wait four years for was to get the instrument of my dreams (which it is to me).  And I think I can say with confidence that everyone I've shown the instrument to (and who's heard it) it was mightily impressed indeed.  At a music store near Burlington, folks were coming up and taking pictures of it with their cellphones.
 
       I can't speak for Austin, but I surmise he is as anxious as I was to get my bass.  Can't blame him at all having been there myself.  Here's to hoping it will be in his hands soon.
 
Alan

[dannobasso]

Maybe the next tread should be how much time in total did you wait for customs?  Let's see thats 8 builds and 2 refinishes... carry the 2...... oh never mind.  
 
Austin, though I've never gone as long as 4 years on a single build, I offer my hopes and energies to you. May the final product be all what you have envisioned and more . Like the pain of child birth (so I'm told), wait has no memory. May you make beautiful and inspiring music while you wait. And when it does arrive the appreciation and envy of the group here will be felt like a disturbance in the force! Oh the Jedi's are gonna feel this one.

[the_jester]

Personalty, I believe the whole matter is completely private, and between Alembic, and their customer(s).  
 
However from the bumping -- it's as if, members who participated, had a stake in the progress of the bass.  
 
Excuse me, but just how many people purchased this bass anyway?  
 
If there's only one buyer, then for the rest of us, Mica is not required to explain anything.    
 
Here's a story on flaws...
 
A little boy asked his father:
Father, why didn't GOD make us perfect?
 
The Father smiled and told his son:
Son, that's very a wise question you asked, and I simple a answer...  
 
My Son, GOD didn't make us perfect as a preventative means and measure from us worshiping ourselves, and/or other human being(s) or objects.  
 
The Son looked at his father in a confused, but in a un-trusting way and said:
 
How do you know?
 
The Father looked at his Son, and said:  
 
It's just my flawed opinion and the Son smiled.
 
THE END-  
 
 
 
Peace and Love...

[darkstar01]

....
bump.

[jacko]

it's as if, members who participated, had a stake in the progress of the bass.
 
Hal. I like to think of this forum as my extended family and it's only right that, as family members, we show an interest in what's happening to our brothers and sisters whether it's good or bad. That's why Peter (cozmic cowboy) got so many good wishes when he announced his recent illness and why the paul Lindeman threads attracted so much sympathy. As family members, of course we get excited when one of us gets his or her bass and naturally we'll express surprise if it takes a long time. (my wife expressed more than surprise when I told her how much each of mine cost but that's another story altogether).
I also believe it's a good thing for Mica to explain why there may be delays in a build. Apart from anything else, it will help prospective customers decide whether or not they want to wait the extra time for their 'dream instrument' or go for fewer custom options to have the instrument sooner.
 
And remember - this is just MY flawed opinion ;-)
 
Graeme

[lbpesq]

Woody, my Custom Further took around 2.5 years.  At least one of those years was just to figure out how to inlay This Machine Surrounds Hate and Sings It Into Submission around the peace medallion below the tailpiece.  One might think it shouldn't take a year to inlay nine words!  I was fortunate enough to live near Alembic, and regularly find myself in Santa Rosa, so I could drop in and keep track of the progress.  I saw them attempting several different methods before finally figuring out the method that worked the best.  Though this took an excruciating length of time (or so it seemed to me at the time), I am now grateful that they took the time to get it right.  Many (if not most) companies would have just told me up front No, we can't or won't do that.  Alembic accepted the challenge.  They kept at it until they got it right and I received something that I wanted.  In my current perspective, I'm glad it took a little longer than if I had received my guitar a year earlier, but with lettering that didn't meet my expectations.  There's only a handful of people working up there - they can't make progress on all ordered instruments at the same time.  I suspect, the more unusual the project, the more time it is likely to take.  Remember, while Ron is working to redesign the electronics, or Chris is experimenting with new peg designs, they aren't working on other projects.  Hey, I used to wait a long time in line to see the Dead too.  But the best things are worth waiting for.  Happy New Year, everyone, and good luck Austin in receiving your finished Classsico when Classico time arrives..
 
Bill, tgo

[flaxattack]

someone should cut hal's fingers off
 
alan i was only goofing- my bad
 
i've had people come up and do the same with scarlet and wolf= its cool and very gratifying
of course if we sounded like poop they'd probably not come over
AND
usually the first or second sentence is?
 
HOW MUCH DID THAT COST?......
 
i usually say 2000 or none of your business  
like i would tell a stranger my axe cost 9,000 app
i wouldnt even tell what i paid in here-lmao