Mark's Custom 6-string Bass

[mica]

I saw the peghead cut and drilled. Since Bob is off until the 5th, I probably won't have much more to report until after he's back and getting the BTC glueups in place.

[the_8_string_king]

Thanks, Mica!

[the_8_string_king]

Oh, duh, by the way, I caught an error a while back on a previous post where I thanked you and BILL and the other fine folks at Alembic for the awesome Coco Bolo board you selected for me...
 
SORRY... I meant to thank BOB... no offense, Bob!  My apologies... I mixed your name up with ibpesq/bills name... it was on my mind as I was thanking him for the positive vibes/comment he made about the wood earlier.
 
So once, again, my apologies, BOB, and thanks for the wonderful board you selected for me, which will give me great pleasure for decades to come!  (Unless the Yellowstone Supervolcano erupts and/or an astroid hits the Earth and ends our existence prematurely -as the Mayan calander supposedly predicts will happen in 2012!!!)
 
(And even in that case, I'll have 4 or 5 good years with it!!!)

[jtussing]

Ha! Hey King!
 
Ah yes, the Mayans.  Either December 21st or 22nd I understand, depending on how you count. Pity it's so close to Christmas but I'm glad we get to have one last fall. Autumn is so pretty in Ohio and winter's such a drag. What say we all get together and build a big bomb shelter and stock it with enough food and sound equipment for all the Alembic players in the world? Heck we could even move the mothership entirely underground! We could have a zoo to hold some of the more useful animals - lambs, goats, cows, horses, dogs, drummers.  :-)
 
Well, about five years to go everyone!  Play hard!
 
:-)
 
Regards,  
Jim

[jtussing]

Just thought of something.  An alternative (or plan B) would be to have Ron build us a giant sound system that covers the entire state of Utah (the State of Sound?), facing straight up.  Then we could all plug into it and play a low E at the same time, perhaps using the rhythms of an an ancient Mayan tune if anyone knows one.  The intense low-frequency sound waves (with all their attending harmonics dutifully replicated by the fruit of Ron's labor and the fact that we will all have our filters wide open) will gently nudge said asteroid off it's evil trajectory and into a more benign one. We may not avoid an impact, but we might avoid cataclysm and in any event we'd all have a grand time!
 
Hey - it's an idea...

[lbpesq]

Mark:
 
Go ahead and thank me, no problemo, though I spell it Lbpesq, not Ibpesq!  Believe me, I've been called far worse things than one of the fine folks at Alembic.  And I still love your wood - looking forward to seeing it in a more finished state.  As for the Utah State of Sound, watch out for the infamous brown note.  lol
 
Bill, tgo

[mica]

Sorry the lighting wasn't very good, but you can see your bass in the finish department, with one coat of sealer, sanded and ready for the next coat:

[82daion]

That is going to be an awesome bass when it's done-I love how the grain of the cocobolo follows the curves of the body.
 
Can't wait to see it with more finish!

[the_8_string_king]

Thanks Bizzymom!
 
It looks extremely awesome!
 
I'm very sick and feel absolutely horrible today.
 
This is a big moral boost, seeing it at this point.

[the_8_string_king]

P.S. Thanks for your positive comments as well, Chris!

[bassjigga]

Lookin good Mark. Get well soon.

[the_8_string_king]

Thanks, Dave.

[tbrannon]

Mark,
 
I guess they pretty much nailed the disguised BTC didn't they?  Looks KILLER!!!
 
Hope you're feeling better and that the homeowner experience is treating you well.

[jtussing]

Wow.  Love the grain and the omega!  Great looking bass Mark!

[the_8_string_king]

Thanks, guys!
 
Yeah, its looking pretty awesome, and I'm feeling a lot better today... still a little down, but much better than yesterday.  I should be able to go in to work today.  Yesterday I couldn't walk for more than a few minutes at a time... felt like everything was spinning.
 
It looks like I won't have too much longer to wait, and I'm REALLY looking forward to getting this (of course)!
 
I never played a Balance K, nor a Coco Bolo bass (other than an unplugged one for a few seconds); I've got high hopes/expectations for both.
 
This bass, Elana is a replacement for my stolen Elan; it was designed to (A) replace that bass; (B) blow away that bass -in sound and versatility; and, (C) have a distinctly different sound than my exceedingly awesome 8-String Europa.
 
I'm totally sold on the looks of the Balance K, and I've read enough raving testimonials here to be convinced that it may well be the most comfortable and ergonomic Alembic; and a lighter bass is also an attractive concept -my Europa sure ISN'T light!
 
I'm dying to hear what it sounds like!  I know there are a lot of people who are gung-ho on Coco Bolo for having a great sound, and it's definitely one of my very favorite woods for looks.  And the fact that Alembic holds the Coco Bolo/Mahogany sandwich is such regard that they call it their house recipe is meaningful.
 
So I spec'ed this with Coco Bolo on both the front and back, and spec'ed it BTC on both -to maximize the Coco Bolo sound.
 
And then I tweaked the neck, upgrading one of the Purpleheart lams to Ebony, and swapping two of the Maple lams for Vermillion, and two others for Mahogany.  Mica and Valentino both agreed that this would produce a great sounding bass with a very noticably different sound from my Europa.
 
My Europas' sound is dominated by the 6 Ebony laminates in the neck -and then by the Maple lams and Maple body... an Ebony/Maple sound.  The Ebony is so dominant it subsumes the Purpleheart sound; I can't hear the Purpleheart.
 
I'm told this bass should have a richer and more complex sound, though not a boomy and thundrous as my Europa.  I'm sure looking forward to finding out.
 
Shouldn't be long, now!  I hope I enjoy the sound of Coco Bolo as much as everyone else does.  One thing's already clear... this bass is a formidable contender in the looks department!
 
Take care, gang!
 
P.S. Jim, again, I LOVE your Anniversery Electronics enhanced Balance K, it looks incredibly awesome!