Author Topic: What Alembic is this? (is it even an Alembic?) (Read 389 times)

sjhoffma · « **on:** April 25, 2012, 02:14:16 PM »

http://www.tuneyoursound.com/collection/alembic-early-70-jerry-garcia-bill-spooner-tubes

Looks more like an oasis guitar to me, but clearly has the Alembic logo inlaid in abalone, and the headstock shape looks right. Was this an early Alembic? Was this an early oasis? The site says it was one of the first 30 Alembics ever made, but I don't recall ever seeing binding on an Alembic body.

Please someone enlighten me here.

sjhoffma · « **Reply #1 on:** April 25, 2012, 02:22:44 PM »

You have to click on the photo gallery section to pull up the photos.

Is it the same guitar Ed Roman is seen with here? ...

serialnumber12 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 25, 2012, 03:06:23 PM »

Dude is just gettin fugged up with his Old Alembic........i can relate.

(Message edited by serialnumber12 on April 25, 2012)

sjhoffma · « **Reply #3 on:** April 25, 2012, 03:58:52 PM »

hah I think a lot of us can relate

(everything in moderation) lol

afrobeat_fool · « **Reply #4 on:** April 25, 2012, 04:25:40 PM »

Yeah, it looks the same. The headstock inlay looks dead on Bill's #10. I would sell a kidney for that guitar. Damn.

David Houck · « **Reply #5 on:** April 25, 2012, 05:09:24 PM »

Look at the close up shot; the logo doesn't look like Bill's when you look at them both close up.

[Edit: ok, I looked at the logos closer; and I do see the resemblance now.]

(Message edited by davehouck on April 25, 2012)

mica · « **Reply #6 on:** April 25, 2012, 06:04:31 PM »

I'm not entirely convinced on this one. There are lots of things that look close, but then others that look way off. Without a serial number, I can't tell what record to compare the pictures to.

From the front only, if I saw a small picture of this, I would probably think it was an Alembic. But, up close and seeing the back gives me doubt.

Here's the things that don't seem all that convincing when you look closely:
1. pickups - we don't have a mold this shape*
2. switches - wrong shape*
3. bridge - not our manufacture
4. tailpiece - not our manufacture (but cool looking!)
5. body back / heel construction just doesn't look quite right
6. logo looks almost right, but again, there are little nagging things on it

If the logo wasn't on there, I would guess more of a Gary Cooper (Oasis) vibe to this guitar. If anyone gets a serial number I'll investigate what I can.

*I've seen old guitars with the guts changed out, so the presence of these parts alone doesn't concern me as far as is it an Alembic? goes.

cozmik_cowboy · « **Reply #7 on:** April 25, 2012, 06:15:25 PM »

In 1987, a former Billy Graham employee, acquired this Alembic guitar from Bill Spooner (the Tubes), who previously acquired it from Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead.

If it was Jerry's that would explain the non-Alembic p/ups; he was known to do that once or twice. I'm just curious about the Billy Graham employee - was this played at one of the Crusades?

Peter

lbpesq · « **Reply #8 on:** April 25, 2012, 06:25:05 PM »

The logo is actually quite different from #10's. Look at it closely, it looks like a poor copy of an Alembic logo. Especially the lower portion which is just a round abalone inlay inside a circle. And the back looks all wrong to me.

Bill, tgo

bluplirst · « **Reply #9 on:** April 25, 2012, 07:14:22 PM »

Ed Roman has been known to copy famous guitars and pawn them off as the real thing. He's done it with PRS and Steinbergers so I would be suspicious here.

bigredbass · « **Reply #10 on:** April 25, 2012, 09:47:43 PM »

'Ed Roman' and 'authentic' in the same sentence . . . Ancient Alembic history, Rick Turner, whatever, to me there's more things that say NO than yes. It's layered alright, but so are lots of axes that aren't Alembics. Bound with a flat bottom? UhUh, says I.

J o e y

terryc · « **Reply #11 on:** April 26, 2012, 01:31:33 AM »

Still it's a nice piece of woodworking though with some good detail.

dela217 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 26, 2012, 03:37:21 AM »

I am with Mica on this one. Some of that stuff just don't look quite right.

The logo is not inlaid, but sits proud of the surface of that headstock. Sure it looks a lot like Afrobeat's Series II logo, but not quite.

I would say that it also looks like a set neck to me. From the front it looks neck through, but check out the detail on the back. Someone sure went through a lot of trouble with that heel design. Did Alembic do a set neck back in the 70's ? Maybe.

As far as the electronics goes, I guess someone could have changed out all of that. But I would think that if it was originally Alembic, it would have more holes in the body. Where are the holes for the filters, trim pots, Q switches, etc...

Cool piece though and I really like that little cameltoe at the bottom of the body.

elwoodblue · « **Reply #13 on:** April 26, 2012, 01:19:39 PM »

It has a raw Becvar vibe to me.
...maybe not the best Becvar for comparison-
Met museum link
...The tailpiece is similar , though the bridge looks to be a Stars Guitars bridge(?), while the mystery guitar has more of a beefy Mosrite design
to me.

Looks like the guitar had other pickups and rings on it, notice the lighter 'frisketed' area below the bridge pickup ring-

Bradley Young · « **Reply #14 on:** April 26, 2012, 08:09:51 PM »

Elwood-- thanks for that word (frisketed), it's a keeper.

Author Topic: What Alembic is this? (is it even an Alembic?) (Read 389 times)

afrobeat_fool