Author Topic: The Alembic without a logo (Read 1225 times)

sscastro · « **on:** February 04, 2005, 03:21:50 AM »

Hi everybody. I purchased this bass quite some years ago, circa 1996, and I was told then that it came from Electric Lady studios, after the recordings of that incredible "In From The Storm" album, with the music of Jimi Hendrix. With this bass there is a couple of preamps, one on the pictures, whic is a rack mount and serial number 9 and a little portable one I found inside the case.Here are some pictures I took from the bass:

and the bass head

the bass seen from the back

the next picture shows clearly the amount of wood layers used to build the bass, 10

the last picture is the rack mount stereo preamp

sscastro · « **Reply #1 on:** February 04, 2005, 03:28:17 AM »

Hi again
something must have gone wrong with the upload. One picture is missing and another went twice. Here is the missing one.

adriaan · « **Reply #2 on:** February 04, 2005, 04:49:40 AM »

It does look like a pretty early Alembic, everything appears authentic except the peghead, the horns and the body laminates. All the important bits do look spot-on. Love that subtle omega, you don't see many of those around!

Perhaps an employee project?

With noone in the club owning a California Special (guitar model started in the 1980s) I guess this beauty might as well step up to claim the title.

marcm · « **Reply #3 on:** February 04, 2005, 05:10:41 AM »

hi sergio

welcome to the club!

it's a fascinating instrument, very beautiful. it seems to me that your bass has several interesting features. first of all, it's a 'series' instrument, which means that it has single-coil pickups with a dummy humbucker (the black rectangle between the pickups) and special electronics, designed by alembic founder ron wickersham, that make make them work together. series electronics have been discussed at great length and in great detail by many contributors who are far better-informed than i am; just do a search and you will have a library of information to read

the peghead is unique to my eyes, and indeed all of the woodworking is pretty special. i've not seen a 'hippie sandwich' (that's alembic-speak for the sequence of ten wood laminates) quite like yours: it's asymmetric, which is unusual in itself (though not unprecedented), and woods are striking. the neck laminates are also very cool

the body shape, especially the slender horns and the shallow omega-cut, is also a bit different from anything i've seen. the brass backplates look much newer than the rest of the instrument, but that's just a guess

is there a serial number on the instrument itself, in addition to the s/n on the preamp? alembic keeps an information file on every instrument they've ever built; if you can find the serial number, mica can tell you when it was built, what woods were used, and many other interesting details. also, there are many experienced members who probably can provide more detailed information about your bass

congratulations! you have a beautiful vintage alembic

marc

serialnumber12 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 04, 2005, 06:27:35 AM »

Very interesting oldie! however it could possibly be an early employee project if there's no s/n,but nevertheless still an alembic indeed,employee projects (which there were quite a few of)were not stamped with s/n's & very old guitars (well atleast mine, build records were kept on q cards,)and from what i understand are probably lost in rons attic somewhere.

serialnumber12 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 04, 2005, 06:31:08 AM »

It's also good to see these old alembics popping up now & then now i dont feel so all alone!

endryq · « **Reply #6 on:** February 04, 2005, 08:56:12 AM »

The body is amazing! What a sandwich!

sscastro · « **Reply #7 on:** February 04, 2005, 02:29:47 PM »

thanks everbody. I can see there's a lot of Alembic users out there that know a lot about the subject. This instrument has no serial number. Removing the big back plate I could find the single Alembic pots 475-006 and the double ones 475-007. On one of the 007 there's a number written by hand: 946. The electronics and the plate from the internal side look pretty old, I mean from the 70s. Apart from the noise caused by a problem in the selector switch this bass plays incredibly. I hope some one else can throw a bit more light on this.

kungfusheriff · « **Reply #8 on:** February 04, 2005, 03:11:45 PM »

Wow! That's the first Input Module I've ever seen--those puppies are rare. I vote employee project, too, and ambitious at that. Stunning laminate work.

sscastro · « **Reply #9 on:** February 09, 2005, 12:32:33 AM »

Hi

Is there anyone else that may have an idea of the date of construction of this apparently unofficial instrument?
Does Alembic have any register of this bass being made, or who it did belong to?
Is there also any chance of having a complete circuit diagram so that we can try to remove the noise?
Maybe Mica can answer to some or all of these questions.

dela217 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 09, 2005, 06:23:51 AM »

I love it! The bass is an early one, but not that early. I would put it at 1978 or 1979. I would also guess that the bass was made by Bruce Becvar. Although it is not his typical headstock, he did make some like this with no logos. None of his basses (that I know of) have any serial number stampings on them either. The neck woods used in this bass seem typical of his constructions too. I would bet this was one of his basses. Probably made AT Alembic, but by Bruce. Those electronics and parts are obviously Alembic. If it is not a true Alembic, it is the next best thing. You have yourself an interesting bass there!!! You obviously have been inside of the bass. Does it have silver shielding paint inside of the cavity, or is it black? I have a Becvar bass too, and if anyone is interested, I can send pics.

What everyone on this thread is referring to as a preamp is actually an Alembic IN-2 Input Module. It is just a fancy version of a power supply. It was made between 1974 and 1978 in that configuration. Note the blue casing and the red capped knob. What it did was just help split the signal better. With a switch, you could send you signal in several different directions, to the stage and out to the mains. I have one of these units and I find them VERY useful. I think everyone with a series bass and a rack should have one! It took me years to locate one. They are hard to find indeed.

(Message edited by dela217 on February 09, 2005)

bucky · « **Reply #11 on:** February 09, 2005, 10:56:35 AM »

Hey Michael!

This bass fascinated me too! Could you post some pictures of yours? And while you're at it? I haven't been alble to find any pictures of Series I basses here at the Alembic Showcase that feature the mustache tailpiece that my Small Standard does. I know you said once that you had a Small Standard close in Serial# to mine (74-52) that has one. Could you post a picture so my bass and I don't feel so alone in our mustachiness?

Thanks!

serialnumber12 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 09, 2005, 11:20:30 AM »

here's that link buck!:http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/1145.html?1049497080

dela217 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 09, 2005, 11:31:18 AM »

Bucky - How about this one too:

http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/1113.html?1026683770

The two I had with moustaches were number 47 and 49 by the way.

Michael

bucky · « **Reply #14 on:** February 09, 2005, 03:33:40 PM »

Michael, SN12:

THANKS Bros. . .cool. I'll save these pics to my Alembic Picture Library . .so Michael. . you said had. . am I to understand you sold them?!?!? To who? Wow. . .I'll bet it was to invest in some other super-unique-collectable Alembic, maybe? 47 and 49 huh. . Wow that IS close. Did we ever talk in emails about the possibility that Rick Turner had made these? When I had my long conversation with Susan W I think she said she thought he had. But she wasn't sure. Any ideas on that?

Jeff