Author Topic: Series 2 K Balance Buckeye (Read 5824 times)

geepee · « **Reply #15 on:** July 20, 2015, 03:00:27 PM »

A couple of iPhone teasers until I get my SLR going. You'll have to hang on till George's 21st to hear it. Couldn't resist the battery cover made of no less than 17 pieces of wood. Amazing.

(Message edited by mica on July 21, 2015)

smokin_dave · « **Reply #16 on:** July 20, 2015, 06:22:47 PM »

Hey GeePee.I'm up for adoption and need a new Dad.Can I be your new son?

All kidding aside that is a terrific find.What a bass.Your son will be so happy.I would be.

moongerm · « **Reply #17 on:** July 20, 2015, 06:58:09 PM »

All I can say is WoW!

sonicus · « **Reply #18 on:** July 20, 2015, 07:06:28 PM »

Absolutely Superb !

jazzyvee · « **Reply #19 on:** July 21, 2015, 12:24:32 AM »

That is a great 21st birthday present GeePee. Does your son know about the bass or is this a surprise present for him? Either way it's awesome!!!

5a_quilt_top · « **Reply #20 on:** July 21, 2015, 11:13:37 AM »

A stunning visual feast loaded to the brim with Series II sonic goodness.

Just a guess - although you are giving it to your son, I suspect your fingers will eventually find their way onto that fretboard...

How could they resist - ?

geepee · « **Reply #21 on:** July 21, 2015, 12:04:30 PM »

I might have had a little bit bit of a play. Ok - quite a lot.

He doesn't know about it and unless this finds its way to Facebook he won't. Alembic is so far off his radar he's pretty unlikely to find his way here. His 21st is in December.

The tone is just gorgeous unplugged. I see why people say the tone is Hi Fi. It's crystal clear, loud and sustains for ever. Being almost totally hollow it is very light and supremely comfortable to play. There is no neck dive and it sits in the optimum place for both hands to be comfortable. Balance K has to be the ultimate in comfort. The electronics add a wide range of nuances which gives an amazing versatility - but the tone still resembles the unplugged sound. Weird!

This thing has been breathed on by the gods.

I want one of my own now. The F jazz in the corner now feels like a clumsy plank and sounds like it has a pair of socks wrapped round the strings.

5a_quilt_top · « **Reply #22 on:** July 21, 2015, 12:41:17 PM »

Couldn't have said it better myself.

FWIW: you have now been assimilated, further resistance is futile. It's best to just simply give in and place your order.

You can placate yourself with this mantra:

It will make me a better player because I will want play it more and because I will need to become a better player in order to do it justice.

JuancarlinBass · « **Reply #23 on:** July 21, 2015, 03:20:47 PM »

That will surely be the nicest 21st birthday present ever. May George (And you) enjoy it in full health and pleasure! It certainly is a magnificent instrument!

Enzo · « **Reply #24 on:** July 22, 2015, 08:37:46 AM »

Haha, I guess we all had the same experience, going back to a basic off the shelf Fender (or what ever brand) bass an think it's been severely damaged by a mysterious creature that lives in the case, for playing that bad.
It's a stunning bass, there's nothing like Alembic, welcome to the addiction!

geepee · « **Reply #25 on:** October 04, 2015, 02:49:25 AM »

Young George's 21st is looming so I'm going to have to give it to him soon. It'll need new strings and a clean!! - and I might just be tempted to get another one for me.

I find the mains powered DS5 a bit of a bind and I expect he will too. So I've made a battery version that works with 5 to 16 volts in. It works including powering the blue LEDs from a laptop lithium polymer power station 5 volt port and lasts weeks continuously on a charge.

It also works from my Macbook USB port which I find very useful.

It supplies +-15 volts to the bass. It draws 5v at 450mA. Sometimes the Mac complains about the power surge but if the unit is connected to the mac before the guitar it works OK.

I also included a stereo out socket which the DS5 doesn't have. A stereo to twin mono insert lead works ( or a Chapman stick lead ) instead of the 2 little grey mono leads that came with the DS5. headphones can be plugged in too.

Nice.

It's in a temporary plastic box at the moment but I've ordered a nice alloy one to make it robust.

Anyone interested in the details/pictures?

sonicus · « **Reply #26 on:** October 04, 2015, 05:22:21 AM »

This creation deserves to show design and form in pics indeed ; please and thank you !

geepee · « **Reply #27 on:** October 05, 2015, 03:09:42 PM »

Ok. The alloy case came today so I just made this up. Its not labelled up yet and I'm short of a couple of nice screws for the XLR socket but its just about done. It weighs 12 oz as opposed to 2lb 6oz for the DS5. It has a headphone socket. It has separate outputs for each pickup. It has the same switched mixed mono output as the DS5. It works from any USB source. It works from any pin positive wall wart that fits the socket capable of 450ma at 3 -15 V DC. It's electrically inaudible in terms of noise. All in it cost ?25 to make. Theres a pic working with the battery and another working from a Macbook USB socket. It even runs from an iPhone charger.

moongerm · « **Reply #28 on:** October 05, 2015, 03:20:02 PM »

Wow that is great work! Nice!

geepee · « **Reply #29 on:** December 24, 2015, 10:49:50 AM »

Well,
He's got it and I think he likes it.
Videobomb courtesy of Lucy dog.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga61B6YWK4I
This is just demo for his friends. More to follow I should think.