Restoring Robert's Hyak

[kmh364]

Very nice. You did a beautiful job, Mica! Good luck with the thing, Rob't.
 
(Message edited by kmh364 on October 08, 2004)

[palembic]

Kevin ...I think it is your computer ...or your eyes?
 
Quite a transformation!!! With all my respect for the Alembic models but this bass has something enchanting ...there is something elfish in it ....middle earth thing. Could be the woods??? Anyway ...I think  Rob, that you choose the right hands to do this masterpiece!!!
 
Paul the bad one

[mica]

On this one, Mike did the woodworking and inlays. Mike and Tony and Bob each did their part in the refinish. Dad replaced the jack and tested the electronics. Jonathon and Chris took care of the hardware and Jonathon is doing the final assembly. I just take the pictures.

[kmh364]

Paul TBO: I guess you read my post before I could edit it, LOL! I guess it takes a while for the images to upload because all I got was the your image here icons. By the time I wrote my post, the pix magically appeared. It's tough to fool you...you're too quick, LOL!  
 
Mica: As usual, you're much too modest. Everyone here knows that you wear about a hundred different hats at Alembic and that you are the glue that holds the whole shootin' match together.  

[bassilator]

You know, I've been staring at it for the last 15 minutes and am awestruck.  I'm thinking I completely lack the vocabulary to appropriately decribe how excited and pleased I am.  It looks stunning.  Not only is this bass meaningful to me, it seems to have brought a bunch of Hyak owners out of the closet and that has been very interesting.  Guess it is time to take out an insurance policy.  Hey Mica, you're breaking the mold, right?
 

[kmh364]

Rob't: I think you and Steve with his Alembird have started a Deja' Vu all over again movement for Alembic. Didn't they start out (after the recording and pro-sound phases) just doing instrument repairs/modifications before jumping into new instrument manufacturing? I was actually quite shocked that Mica and Co. were taking on work on non-Alembics when I first saw these threads. I imagine Mica will correct me and tell me they've been doing stuff like this all along (albeit on a more low-key level). I guess they just don't wanna say no and disappoint any customers: amazing considering they already have more work than they can handle.
 
Whatever...they did a super nice job on your Hyak, Rob't. I'm betting it didn't look that good when it was new, and I'm also betting it plays better and stays better longer due to the truss rod mods. You've also educated a bunch of us who didn't know (me especially) that Hyak's even existed. Enjoy it in good health.
 
Cheers,
 
Kevin

[nikogreeen]

I am absolutely blown away. That must be the nicest refinish transformation I have ever seen. Rob't, I know that bass will sound as good as it looks. Congratulations!! To the people at Alembic, well done!! You give me hope that mine will look as good some day. I am saving the pic's.

[rracer]

Absolutely stunning however this is the quality I was told to expect from my luthier who recommended Alembic for re finishing my Hyak and new electronics. Can't wait to see Rob's Hyak in person I am lucky enough to live closeby. Again Stunning. Hope mine looks half as good. Rick

[johnnybassboy]

Mica, this board (and the pictures) is one of the best ideas you guys have had in a long time.
 
Rob, I'll be excited to see and hear your beast when it arrives. I think even Steve will have to admit it is better than ever.  
 
I have to confess to have started Rob's Hyak obsession a few years ago. When Hyak was in business, I played new Alembics and Hyaks at the local Guitar Center. I loved them both, but I didn't want to sell my 66 Candy Apple Red Jazz Bass to buy one. I tried to find a way to buy one for less money. I found-out from a friend that Hyaks were made just a couple miles from my house... so I went to see the factory it was really a lot smaller than I thought it would be, and there were only a few employees and instruments in process.  
 
I didn't have the money to buy a complete bass at the time (I was only 19), and I wasn't sure I liked the sound of so many laminations... so I had them build me a neck. $400... paid $100 per week over 4 weeks. Brian seemed very happy to have this small, steady sum delivered every Friday... which I recognized as a bad sign. My fretless neck was one of the last pieces produced. The bass I built around it (after experimenting with different electronics) was GREAT! A VERY expressive frettless, the best I've ever played really. Rob owned it for a while. I also owned a medium scale bass that they used as their Factory Demonstrator (purchased later, over the objections of my then-new wife). Rob, of course, also owned that bass for a while. It was (and probably is) extremely funky.
 
The workmanship and sound were never the equal of Alembic... but some of the instruments had a really nice vibe to them, and a unique and beautiful voice. I think Hyak's total run was about 2 years and 200 instruments. I have several recording of mine.

[bassilator]

Yeah, JBB used to tell me of Heart posters he had seen of a Hyak that had lights all over it.  I knew then I HAD to find it.   BTW, that fretless neck he bought was so stiff neither of us could do neck bends with it and JBB is pretty strong. I've known JBB for several years and he really gets credit for being a mentor and teacher and a great friend.  This weekend, he will be the first to play the bass live.  Should be pretty exciting.  Even before the restoration the bass brought all kinds of people out from the woodwork.  People will be going nuts now.  

[dela217]

Johnnybassboy, I am the owner of the medium scale Hyak that you used to have.  I purchased it through a Guitar Center in California.  The instrument was there on consignment.  I agree with you about it's funkiness.  Cool bass. I have definately added this one to my list of keeper basses.  I like this one because it has 8 graphite lams in the neck instead of 4.  The neck on this one is VERY stable.
 
Hopefully I will be able to send it to Alembic for a refurb too.  After they restored Rob's, they might have changed their mind about doing others!!

[johnnybassboy]

I hope you aren't mad that I converted the electronics... I had a custom replacement pickup made by one of the guys who made Hyak pickups originally (he has since died), and even then, it just didn't quite cut it for me. The EMG soapbars and bass/treble for each pickup (tone controls ideas I later used on my Series IIs) made the thing so flexible and useable. That neck is stable, but also, quite flexible. I used to use ONLY 40-102 guage strings, and when I wanted, I could easily do a half-step neck bend with it. Heck, I could WAVE the neck and get 10-15 cents! I never would have sold it... but... well that's a long story. Rob offered it to me first when he was ready to do something else... but I am in no position to buy basses right now. Can you post a picture sometime?

[dela217]

I was not mad about the electronics at all!!  It is just that the EMG's were not my favorite.  So, I converted it back to the original Hyak electronics.  I still have the EMG's.  With the EMG's I couldn't get the action low enough for my tastes because the pickups are so thick.  Now the action is quite low.  With a Hyak the relation to action and neck bow is obvious.  So now, there is a perfect bow in the neck and wonderful action.
 
Thanks,
Michael

[johnnybassboy]

WOW! I just played the bass. What an amazing restoration. It still has the Hyak vibe, but they never built them as well as it has been restored, that's for sure! I will have it for a few days (at least that is the plan right now), so I can find a proper voice for the bass... I hope. It is such a unique sound, that it doesn't lend itself to trying lines that I normally would. Rob tried my 7 string while he was here and... well I'll let him talk about that himself.
 
Great Job Mica and Crew!! UPS did their best to destroy the bass, but I don't feel the damage is bad enough to risk shipping it 2 more times. I'm trying to talk Rob into just keeping it as-is.

[squirefan]

I am speechless.  I just can't think of anything to say that hasn't already been said.  Rob, you need to keep me informed as to when you record anything with this masterpiece.  I look forward to hearing it's singing voice.  I cut a demo session with the fretless last month for a local hopeful, I'll send ya a copy of it as soon as the owner releases the rights.
 
Really a beautiful job Mica, my congrats to everyone who had their hands in on this one.