Rusty's Series II Europa

[rustyg61]

Here's my new Series II Europa.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[pauldo]

I know who was a good boy this year!
Merry Christmas Rusty.
:-D
That is truly an electric blue!
Beautiful.

[rustyg61]

Thanks Pauldo! Hope you had a Merry Christmas too!

[bigredbass]

I think this is just fabulous.  I love the color.  Interestingly, with side jacks, it somehow doesn't have that 'too busy / too many knobs' look (I know to say that is blasphemy . . . ).  The smaller knobs help. The ruthenium and Cosmo Black hardware goes well with the blue.
 
I really think this is a different look that says Alembic in a different and non-traditional way that works very well.
 
Many, many congrats, Rusty.  There's nothing like having one you spec'd yourself.  Remember, you have the only one of these in the whole world.  One of One.  Ain't it a hoot?
 
Joey

[pace]

Awesome, Rusty!!!!
 
I absolutely love how you (bob & crew) kept the neck lams natural~ quite the defining feature!...
 
Play 'er in good health, as I'm sure you will, and don't let the distance keep you away from next northeast gathering!...

[tncaveman]

Possibly the most awesome looking Alembic ever?   The blue is incredible!   It looks like a narrow neck at the nut. What is the width?   34 inch scale?   Weight?  I would not mind one like this.  :-)  
 
Stephen

[tncaveman]

I can't stop looking at this bass!!!  How do they get the dye in the back wood with out getting it on the neck through section?  Tape?  And I just noticed matching center plate!!!  Wow!!!  A work of art.
 
Stephen

[rustyg61]

J o e y, you are correct about the side jacks, & that was exactly my reason for having them side mounted. I wanted less clutter on front. That is also why I eliminated the selector switch, I can perform the same function by turning the volume knobs down, & I doubt I will ever run on one pup or the other. I will cut the volume on one or the other to taylor my sound for a particular song, but don't think I will ever have a need to completely turn one off. I have the Master Volume to kill the whole bass, but I also have a mute footswitch on my tuner to do that. I never used to could see why anyone would paint an Alembic, but now I'm a believer! The blue really brings out the quilting in the Maple. I love the Ruthenium hardware. Like the blue paint though, it is impossible to photograph & get the color right. It changes with the light, but if I had to describe it, I would call it a grey chrome. I'm glad they weren't able to exactly match Steve Wood's blue Europa because now we both still have a one of a kind!

[rustyg61]

Mike & Stephen, one of the things I love most about Alembics is the look of the neck going through the body. The neck laminates add to the beauty of the instrument, so I couldn't see painting over that, especially with these laminates. I saw this neck recipe on one of Will Gunn's basses & loved the way it looked, so I chose it more for appearance than sound, but the sound benefit is an added plus! Here are some pictures of how they taped off the neck to keep it natural.  

 

[rustyg61]

Here's a video of the amazing 3D effect of the Quilted Maple.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzd16GnE8G0&list=UUsWZpLXbzB1PV8eFJcTJADA

[bigredbass]

Stephen, Rusty may have gone with a custom width (so, didja?).  If not, I'd guess it's Alembic's Classic Taper, which on fives (both of mine are this style) it's 2 at the nut by 2.5 at the 24th fret.  I'm not much for those wide-flaring necks (think Yamaha), and this slight taper makes the strings feel virtually parallel all the way up the neck, which is my preference (and maybe Rusty's as well).
 
IF you are VERY experienced, you can mask off and shoot a guitar this way, but the experience and expertise displayed in that paint job speaks volumes.  NOT for the faint of heart.  
 
If I'm seeing this correctly, the REAL killer?  See the little red purpleheart pinstripe lam that's NOT blue?  The 'donor wood' covers I think are one more cue that this ain't no 'off the rack' axe.
 
Obviously Alembic uses lots of woods that would not look right tinted.  But with the light woods, you can certainly see what's possible with Rusty's new axe.  And in those cases, I always say 'Alembics Look Better in Color'.
 
Joey

[rustyg61]

Stephen, sorry, I forgot to reply to your question on the neck width. It is a custom width built with dimensions I gave Susan, & they got it perfect! It is 1.77 at the nut, 2.5 at the 24th fret & .9 thick at the 7th fret. I love thin narrow necks & like J o e y, do not care for the wide flaring necks. The nut width is the same as my Schector 5 string so I knew I liked that, & the 2.5 is as J o e y pointed out, the Classic Taper offered by Alembic. I played a Rougue at Guitar Rez that had the thin neck I liked so I measured it with my calipers & that is where I got the .9 thickness. So my neck is a combination of 3 different necks & it is perfect!
 
As for the sandwich recipe, no Purpleheart trees were killed during the building of this bass! LOL! It is 5A Quilted Maple on front & back, next is Vermillion, then Maple pinstripe, then Walnut core. The neck is Maple, Vermillion, Maple pinstripe, extra wide 3/8 Ebony, Maple pinstripe, Vermillion, Maple.

[rustyg61]

The sun finally came out for the first time since I got my Europa, so I took some outdoor pics.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[pauldo]

Matches the bike!
:-D
 
I should move to Texas . . . .

[rustyg61]

You probably don't get many T shirt days in January in your neck of the woods, do you Paul?!!