Wew ...
THAT's a question!
I WILL answer WITH the risk I got all the blasfemies of brothers and sisters over me but ... what the %&*****>)--??/?/?/?* I care.
You have to understand that Series electronics are build around SINGLE COIL pick-ups and the other electronics around HUMBUCKER-type PU's.
The best thing you can do is ring your colleague musicians and 1: ask a dude 1 for a tiny guitar practive amp, 2: ask another dude for a Gibson Les Paul or PRS, 3 the last dude yoyu ask his Fender Strat.
Now put up the amp with 1 of the 2 guitars to a sound that you really like (I hope you play SOME chords, otherwise you ask the dudes WITH their guitars). The best thing you can do is select 1 PU, if possible the neck PU. Please put the tone knob and volume at full open. Now do the same with the other guitar without touching the knobs on the amp. Do the same with the tone knob closed.
You hear the difference?
I bet you do!
Now take notes of the setting of the amp settings for guitar 1. Now try to adjust the settings ON THE AMP for an acceptable tone for the 2nd guitar. Or better to IMITATE with the 2nd guitar the 1st.
This routine (yes-yes I know I'm talking too much) will give you insight in the difference between single coil and Humbucker. What are the sounds you seem to bother. MOst of the cases I did this routine and people say to me There is 'somthing' with the highs.
I always comparise sounds of guitars with triangles (I have to write a thread about this once but I still don't have the courage ...but ...it will come one day).
Without discussing the volume or shape of the triangle, one can say that single coil PU are triangles with rasor-sharp corner edges, normal Humbuckers have more rounded corners. So Humbuckers always sound a little bit more wooly. Single coils are ...well ..sharper. There is no other word for it. The difference is in the treatment of the HIGH (even super high) sounds.
You have to understand that there is a REASON why S1's and S2's have a dummy humcanceller that is in fact a NOICE GATE! If you compare the single coils on a Strat and hear the hiss they naturally make due to the magnetic field they have. A PU for a Series bass is about 6 to 8 times that magnetic surface. Can you imagine the hiss without the dummy humcanceller?? Back in time Ron W. wanted the characteristics of a single coil with the magnetic force of a Humbucker WITHOUT the hiss. Well ...it is THAT trick that makes the Series Elctronics so expensive and ...special. You have to realize it's a concept of about 35 YEARS OLD!!!!!!
HOLD ON!
Alembic DON'T MAKE HUMBUCKERS THE WAY THE OTHER BRANDS DO! So returning to my triangle concept: the corners of an Alembic non-series PU-sound are A LOT more edgy than a standard humbucker! And really, I DO admire them for achieving this! But alas ...it is physically impossible to have the same sound on a non-Series as on a Series. Again ...play the dude-and-them-guitars-with-one-tiny-amp-trick.
Now, about the knobs being in Tweak Peaks.
Considering the fact that those Series are special in treating the highs (because of the simple fact they are Single coil). Now if you all take a look at your Alembics (HA ...that's why we're here no???) you will see that thoses basses (AND guitars) have LOW-PASS filters.
( In fact they imitate on an active way the passive electronics. So you say: why not use passive electronics? Answer: because of the extended range you can control.)
Yessir-indeed sir, because of the simple reason that Alembicians start from the concept of the neutral PU sound a rasor sharp, full range pickuping PU (that's not English Paul). The low pass filter tops off what the PU delivers in sound and (originally) that sound info has A LOT of highs! Also, for those brothers who have Q switches on their basses (Q or VQ not important) you will notice that also THAT device threats the ...highs!!!!
Now this is in guitarland. Now for those who are lucky enough to work with a SF-2 (like this lucky bastard) you will notice that that ting is nothing more than a Series with AN XXXXXXXXXXL RANGE (and some more focus abilities to work with well chosen frequencies).
Conclusive.
(HAAAAAAAAAA at last ...he's going to stop)
Do I like the non-series electronics?
Yes, with a preference for Europe/Rogue who are basically the same.
Are they the same as Series?
No way, but they are the closest you can get!
Where do they differ?
In the threatment of the high frequencies.
Is an Alembic Humbucker different from other humbuckers (other brands)?
Yes ..tremenduously! In the same domain: they threat the highs differently. More: it is a completely different sound shaping concept based on magnets who are diffenently made.
Beware ...this is pure gut feeling, just my heart and ears speaking. It could be that Ron find this the biggest rubbish ever written about his invention but again ...well ...the ears are mine!
And now ... I'm going back to work!
Paul the bad one
Pffffffffffffffffffff ...they should me paying for this!
Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-san?!?!?!??!?!?!
(Message edited by palembic on September 25, 2003)
