Author Topic: Peghead Swap for Mike (Read 1227 times)

mica · « **Reply #15 on:** October 08, 2004, 11:59:53 AM »

Here's the pictures we discussed this morning:

Got everyone coordinated to try and get this ready to ship by Tuesday so you can use it at your Friday show.

From straight on the back trying to show the seam with a bright light.

Since you can't make it "perfect" Mike aimed the laminates so that while you're playing it, the repair is nearly invisible

Peghead with all the finish. Will pack that new Flame Maple box in the accessory compartment when we ship.

ox_junior · « **Reply #16 on:** October 08, 2004, 12:19:21 PM »

Mica,

Thanks for taking my call today and the photos. So nice of you to take the time to chat with me.

The repairs look unbelieveably great!!! As the song says: It all looks fine to the naked eye! The seam won't be visible when I'm playing as I hardly ever turn my back to the audience.

Hopefully the master volume pot install won't hold you up. If you refer to the V-head 4-string you made for JE years ago, that bass had a single master volume knob and the p/u selector on the lower horn. I would like the same positioning of the master volume on mine please.

Will call you Monday afternoon as we agreed.

Thanks for working so hard to get this back to me for this show!!!

Happy Customer Mike

kmh364 · « **Reply #17 on:** October 08, 2004, 12:40:16 PM »

That elliptical scarf joint Mica and Co did looks awesome, Mike! It looks like it's supposed to come that way. Jackson did 'em that way on their megabuck neck-through dinky Strat-bodied hair-band metal guitars in the late '80's/early '90's. The joint, despite the multiple headstock lams, is probably stronger than the rest of the peghead.

bsee · « **Reply #18 on:** October 08, 2004, 12:51:51 PM »

Wow, that's an amazing repair! Great work!!!

kmh364 · « **Reply #19 on:** October 08, 2004, 04:03:19 PM »

That thing looks even better than it did when it was stock. I'm digging the the dummy humcanceller, the master vol. and the cone headstock better than the originally specs. as it is closer still to JAE's basses. You've done all the things I would have done if I was ordering one from scratch (allright, MAYBE I'd go with gold-plated hardware, some fancy fingerboard inlays and some wood backplates, MAYBE, LOL! ...shoulda , coulda, woulda, LOL! Like these things aren't expensive enough without me getting carried away...nothing exceeds like excess, LOL!).

The OX lives!

ox_junior · « **Reply #20 on:** October 08, 2004, 09:36:07 PM »

Sure does look better, doesn't it? Much closer in appearance to JE's basses.

This one does have the gold hardware, by the way. It's obviously all removed here. I don't mind the metal backplates, as those are also true to the originals. For additional accuracy I might just leave the truss rod coverplate off, as John did.

Speaking of the gold hardware - John's basses had chrome Schaller tuners, not the gold Gotohs this one came with. I have chrome Schallers on my Exploiter. I asked Mica today if I could swap them - unfortunately I can't, as the posts on the Schallers are narrower than the holes that were drilled to accommodate the wider Gotohs. But...she showed me a way where I might be able to cheat a little. I'll report back once I try it to see if I can get away with it.

Now if I only had the scratch to get some fancy note inlays and Series II electronics....sigh.

But I can't complain - the pics speak for themselves - this bass looks FANTASTIC, the repair work is impeccable, and now I have a one-of-a-kind Spyder - as close as I'll ever get to the bass I dreamed about having as a kid.

Thanks Mica, Mike, and Valentino. You made a boy's dream come true.

Mike Bisch

PS - Happy 60th birthday John Alec Entwistle! The Alembic community loves you! I bet at least 1/3 of us wouldn't be here if you hadn't influenced us. Thank you for your gifts to us...you're the boss bassman!!! Rest in peace!

(Message edited by ox_junior on October 08, 2004)

kmh364 · « **Reply #21 on:** October 09, 2004, 06:29:34 AM »

Mike: I didn't realize about the plated hardware. I thought they all came with just the polished brass (excepting the machines, of course). My bad.

Even though the Schallers are more authentic, you're probably better off with the sealed Gotoh's. I thought about using Schallers on my bass because I've always thought that they matched the scale of a LS bass (a la J or P bass) better than the Gotoh's which, with the exception of the key size, look more suited (scale-wise) to a 6-str. guitar). The Gotoh's are probably the smoothest machines out there...Mica and Co. did choose 'em for a reason, and I doubt it was primarily because of price.

I had actually thought about doing a Custom that was closer to JAE's basses than a STANDARD Spyder (yeah right, like any Alembic, especially a 50/50 Ltd. Edition Spyder, is standard!, LOL!). Not only is it prohibitively expensive to duplicate John's masterpieces, but it appears you've beaten me to the punch, LOL! This is the MAIN trouble with Alembic: These sominabatchin' bastiges give you so many fargin' choices you can't make up your fargin' mind what you fargin' want! LOL! J/K of Course!

Hmmmmmnn....maybe a GUITAR version of a Spyder? We'll see, LOL!

Yes, as Oliver so diligently pointed out in another thread...the OX's birthday. What's that about only the good dying young? Certainly appropos here. The Quiet One still rocks on!

BTW, don't forget about the OTHER John. Mssr. Lennon would have been 64 as well. How many of us were influenced by HIM? OK, raise your hands...mine's up! Thanks to Mssr. Zimmerman (no , not THAT Zimmerman, LOL! I meant Tom) for reminding us forgetful eyesoles about out John Winston (er, um, Ono?) Lennon's Birthday.

BTW: I should be ashamed of myself for forgetting his birthday, especially since his assassin (Mark David Chapman) was just up for, and ultimately was denied (thankfully and rightfully), parole once again. I can still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing on that dreadful day in Dec. of '80 when we all got the news of what happened outside the Dakota in NYC. It still brings back many painful memories almost 25yrs. later.

Cheers,

Kevin

(Message edited by kmh364 on October 09, 2004)

senmen · « **Reply #22 on:** October 09, 2004, 10:13:17 AM »

Mike, Kevin, Guys,
the bass looks really awesome!
Mike, great great!
I have yet seen another picture of a Spyder with
a pointed headstock and it looked really great!
As for the inlays of Johns original ones, it is really too expensive.
But I really don?t give up.
And I still dream of getting one of Johns original ones. (John, did you hear me? I you want me to get one I will get one...)

Many greetings from Spyderland
Oliver

ox_junior · « **Reply #23 on:** October 09, 2004, 10:25:03 AM »

Kevin,

Like Oliver says and I think we've all experienced - if you punch all the factors into the quote generator you'll find that if you want a bass like Entwistle's, get a Spyder. Alembic can make the modifications I made (as seen above) while the Spyder is still at the factory. It's far less expensive than custom-building one. You learn to live without the note inlays (just learn your scales!). The tone is pretty dang close, which is more evident if you have a monster rig.

You're right about the Gotohs, those seem a lot smoother and more accurate than the Schallers.

A Spyder guitar would be cool, wouldn't it?

Mica and I were talking yesterday about the possibility of Spyder B-29 boxes. Don't be surprised if one crawls up your wall soon...

I'm wondering if I should thank my singer for slicing my peghead off in the first place....that whole incident gave birth to what I consider a very nice custom job!

Will take some pics of the newly customized Spyder and post for you all once I get the bass back.

Cheers and Happy Birthday John and John!

Mike

kmh364 · « **Reply #24 on:** October 09, 2004, 04:38:50 PM »

Mike: I'm pretty sure John didn't need the inlays to figure out where he was on the neck, and neither do most of us, LOL! I'd want them just because HE had them.

As far as SII Electronics...the jury is still out for me as far as if I actually NEED that much complexity in any instrument. SII elecs. sure looks cool though and it's always hot sh*t to have the top-of-the-line/state-of-the-art. I'd probably do what you did: have them put the dummy HC and just make sure there is enough room for the SI elecs. in case I wanted to go that route in the future. Alright, maybe I'd have the 5-pin jack installed ahead of time, but the side-mount recesssed style installed in the lower bout (a la Almost Twins), adjacent to the side flush-mount 1/4 female jack. I can't stand the looks of top-mount jacks, especially the five- pin.

Yeah, a Spyder guitar would be hot sh*t! I don't know how practical it would be, but it would sure be a conversation piece! I guess with the exception of you, Mike (eg, being in a Who tribute band), a Spyder bass isn't the world's most practical bass either, n'est-ce pas?

Spyder B-29 boxes would be awesome...I can think of three immediate takers...yourself, Alan D. and Ollie B., LOL!

As far as singer-boy Roey, I'd thank him AFTER you collected the money for the repair, LOL!

As far as pix go...please do. Some of us (ahem) are still waiting for pix of your lovely model girlfriend (with the bass of course, LOL!), LOL!

Cheers,

Kevin

palembic · « **Reply #25 on:** October 09, 2004, 06:15:35 PM »

Brother Mike,

it turns to be a very good swap indeed.
SOme brothers and sisters will now fell off their chair now but ...I really LIKE the pointed headstock on this model ...really!!!!
About a Spider guitar ...welll ...there are members here who own very nice exploiter guitars ...without the web-inlay of course. I remember seeing one with a very neat dagger design of a headstock. It must be here somewhere but ...jeez

Paul the bad one

YESSSSSSSS
Found it:
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/852.html?1052515082
It is NB Brother David TLO guitar ...I am ASHAMED I didn't remember that.

(Message edited by palembic on October 09, 2004)

ox_junior · « **Reply #26 on:** October 09, 2004, 08:17:43 PM »

Kevin,

I would say that the Spyder is perhaps the most impractical instrument I've ever owned. Even including the baritone horn I played in 2nd grade - I could still get that on the school bus! I thought my Exploiter was impractical until I got this one! But it is sooooo worth it.

I haven't seen much of Jackie lately, so we might all have to wait for a pic of her with the Spyder. I know Paul TBO is very upset.

I wouldn't know what to do with SII electronics. I haven't really had my Spyder long enough to figure all the tonal varieties in that one out (It's been in the shop longer than I've actually had it in my hands - but worth the wait). Given all the tonal possibilities with the Spyder plus my Trace Elliot AH600, I've lots of playing around to do! If I decide to get a guitar processor for distortion sounds I'll be even more out of control! But my Fulltone Bass Driver does just fine for now.

Fun to mess around, innit?

MB

ox_junior · « **Reply #27 on:** October 09, 2004, 08:24:48 PM »

Actually Kevin - you are right. The bridge and individual tailpieces are indeed polished brass. The tuning pegs and strap holders are gold-plated. Sorry for any misunderstanding. MB

the_mule · « **Reply #28 on:** October 10, 2004, 01:43:21 AM »

Mike, this has turned out to be a great opportunity to Entwistle-ise your Spyder. It shows that bad things can be changed for the better if approached in a positive way. I hope she'll be the star of the show, action pictures will be appreciated... (but don't let me see a microphone swirling singer on them!)

Wilfred

kmh364 · « **Reply #29 on:** October 10, 2004, 06:07:31 AM »

It's all good and all relative. All the Series Electronics in the world wouldn't make me play/sound like John anyway, LOL! I have all I can do trying to figure out my East Meets West electronics...I'll let you know when I get there, LOL! We won't even talk about the eight-million knobs on my Eden WT-550 and what they're all about (PSST..a little secret for you..I haven't got a clue, LOL!).

I'm just a crappy guitar player who plods around on bass with a little more money in my pocket than I have brains in my skull, so you'll have to forgive my meanderings.

Cheers,

Kevin