Hey Richard, I'm sorry but I saw your bass in the other thread, and it looks like your Elan is one of (I think...?) the older Elans which lacked the Q switch.
I think your Elans electronics are (just) (master) volume, balance/pan with center detente, and the exclusive (main tone control) Alembic low-pass filter -which acts as a horizontal sweeping filter, gradually filtering out increasing lower (from the higher) frequencies, eventually filtering out all/most of the frequencies -except the lows, which are passed (hence the term/function low-pass filter. Alembic has another wonderful device called a universal superfilter that they sell. If you don't know about this, you'll want to find out about it for sure -and possibly get one (at the least).
Anyway, most (later?) Elans also have the Alembic Q switch, which, when activated, adds a boost to the specific frequency selected by the low-pass filter.
You can't describe it meaningfully. You'd have to hear it. But it modifies you sound in a fundamental way... on a fundamental level. It lets your bass sound like a dozen different basses -or more.
At some point, when you have the opportunity, play an Alembic with a Q switch so you can experience it. The good news is that, while you could buy or even commission an Alembic with a Q switch, you could also have them retrofit it with a Q switch at some/any point. They've done this before, it's no trouble for them, and not really too expensive. And this would greatly increase the versatility of your already most awesome bass.
Yeah, sorry, the info I gave you earlier was imprecise. MOST Elans do have the Europa controls minus the boost/cut switches, but your Elan seems to be what I think is a small majority of Elans that don't have a Q switch.
If I'm incorrect here, I'm figuring someone more knowledgable will set me straight.
Congrats again on a wonderful and gorgeous bass, and of course, on the fact that it's your first Alembic!!!
