Author Topic: Crown of Creation - Featured Custom, June 2013 (Read 1152 times)

5a_quilt_top · « **on:** July 10, 2013, 12:29:34 PM »

As promised, here are some additional photos showing the incredible Alembic craftsmanship and attention to detail.

Enjoy!

FRONT:

BACK:

Note the purple heart veneer on the back of the headstock.

3/4 w/ LEDS:

POINT & BODY CONTOURS:

This is a great photo and really captures the essence of this detail. Note the vintage-style top hat control knobs.

VERMILION, FLAME MAPLE & PURPLE HEART CORE HIPPIE SANDWICH DETAIL:

HEADSTOCK CONTOUR:

NECK / BODY CONTOURS:

I tried to show the complex curves of the body carving - especially the area where the neck meets the body. This is difficult to show in photos and is truly breathtaking in person.

TURQUOISE & STERLING SILVER OVALS:

In reality, these glow as if lit from within.

TURQUOISE, MOP & STERLING SILVER ALEMBIC LOGO:

Contrasts nicely with the rich warm orange/red of the vermilion veneer.

fmm · « **Reply #1 on:** July 11, 2013, 05:16:58 AM »

I saw this bass when I toured Alembic in April. Truly stunning.

artswork99 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 11, 2013, 01:06:05 PM »

Another beauty, great looking recipe all around!

5a_quilt_top · « **Reply #3 on:** July 12, 2013, 04:38:44 PM »

Let's try this again - for some reason, the photos have vanished, so I'm re-posting them. As promised, here are some additional photos showing the incredible Alembic craftsmanship and attention to detail. Enjoy! FRONT:

BACK:

Note the purple heart veneer on the back of the headstock. 3/4 w/ LEDS:

POINT & BODY CONTOURS:

This is a great photo and it really captures the essence of this detail. Note the vintage-style "top hat" control knobs. VERMILION, FLAME MAPLE & PURPLE HEART CORE HIPPIE SANDWICH DETAIL:

HEADSTOCK CONTOUR:

NECK / BODY CONTOURS:

I tried to show the complex curves of the body carving - especially the area where the neck meets the body. This is difficult to show in photos and is truly breathtaking in person. TURQUOISE & STERLING SILVER OVALS:

In reality, these glow as if lit from within. TURQUOISE, MOP & STERLING SILVER ALEMBIC LOGO:

Contrasts nicely with the rich warm orange/red of the vermilion veneer.

Enzo · « **Reply #4 on:** October 02, 2013, 07:13:35 AM »

Gorgeous bass, congrats! Did you choose to have the p/ups this close for a particular reason?

5a_quilt_top · « **Reply #5 on:** October 02, 2013, 11:42:18 AM »

Thanks!

Yes - COC pickup placement was a conscious decision.

72-01 originally had movable pickups that slid on brass rails. This provided a great deal of tonal flexibility and allowed Mr. Casady to fine-tune the sweet spot between pick-up placement, fingers and strings.

Since I did not have the budget (or patience) to explore recreating that feature, I opted for the next best thing - permanently placing the pickups where I thought they'd work best for me.

The unorthodox locations were a bit of a gamble, but I trusted the fine folks at Alembic to determine the exact best placement after I provided them with a rough idea of where I thought they'd work best.

As it turned out - it was perfect for me (and for the 32 scale of this bass).

The larger gap between bass pickup and fingerboard accommodates my rudimentary slap/pop technique and the bass pickup is placed just slightly behind where I naturally play most of the time. As a bonus, I can rest my thumb on the upper edge of the bass pickup when necessary.

Since this bass is heavy / dense (vermilion and purple heart are dense woods) and has ebony in the neck - there is no lack of low end or sustain and the Fatboy treble pickup allows me to dial in even more girth when needed.

I think of both pickups placed closer together as a kind of super humbucker and the blend / filter controls of the Signature electronics as tone controls that allow me to approximate how I think the sliding pickup system might have sounded.