QuoteDid the rest of the band see the Dragon Wing yet?

they were agog. especially given the parade of alembics that i rotate into our rehearsal/show carousel.  they haven't seen the front LEDs yet, tho.  not sure when the right moment for those is yet. 😱

 ive been trying to keep it to only 2 on stage with me, a 5-string fretted and a fretless. now that i got a 4-string in the mix, it's getting complicated.

Part II: Short Scale.

He managed to make a set with a perfectly balanced low E.

Stay hydrated!
Did the rest of the band see the Dragon Wing yet?

Flea and the Honora Band on Tiny Desk.

QuoteBreak a leg!

thanx!  it was hot as a $2 (USD) pistol but we made it.

looks like the dragon wing will be making its public debut this weekend, saturday the 18th from 7 - 11pm in parker, colorado USA at some outdoor venue i've never played before:

https://www.studioatmainstreet.com

gonna have a fretless for the fretless stuff and the 5-string status with me for the drop-tuned stuff, gonna try to make it on a 4-string for the rest of hte show.  should be interesting.  and hot as heck.  again.  and again.

cheers!

Quote from: arjen on July 12, 2026, 06:17:44 AM

Quote from: Barend on May 25, 2026, 09:31:03 AMHi fellow Dutchie, that's a great looking bass! Really the Distillate shape. Had some gas for one this year but I decide to go on the hunt for a series 1 (medium or short scale). Still hunting though.

Curious how close your preamp comes to the real deal? And how does it compare to the ACG? Does it still have the Alembic pickups? And is the JTEX modeled after the series 1 electronics?

... Hi Barend, sorry for the late reply. Yes it still has its original Alembic pickups. Works great. The JTEX Distiller is indeed modeled after the Alembic electronics. Please refer to the JTEX website and read what Jerry says about this.

By tge way, I've listed to one of your albums. Great music, great bass playing!

Thanks Arjen!!

Quote from: mica on July 13, 2026, 11:52:46 AMCustom electronics can't be scheduled for about 3 months. I can set the time aside for you then if you like.

The text of the pan preamp describes that you need to add the one volume harness - you pick with size jack in the drop down box. Sorry it's confusing.

Thank you for clarifying, Mica! Yes, please put me on the custom electronics list. I believe this will be the best use of the Activators I have. Thank you.

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on July 13, 2026, 12:20:24 PMthe biggest challenge isn't the scale, it's finding the right gauge strings so the tension feels right. I guess it's just dumb luck that I've never had a bass with a dead spot.

As someone who played guitar for years, the variety and differences between bass strings blows my mind. Since I've been playing, I've probably tried 15 different types (maybe more). It's an adventure.

I think my entire perspective is warped by having grown up playing upright bass. Every Alembic I've ever owned has been medium-scale and immediately it just felt right. I have a couple other basses that are either long (34") or extra-long (35") but the biggest challenge isn't the scale, it's finding the right gauge strings so the tension feels right. I guess it's just dumb luck that I've never had a bass with a dead spot. 

My upright bass - the one I call my my gig-bass... that thing has more weird little eccentricities in it than you can keep up with. But I just know them. It would drive somebody else crazy. 

My experience on my medium scale has been that it doesn't suffer from the G string issues I have with 34" necks, and doesn't have the floppy/weak E string issues I find on short scales. I use relatively heavy gauge pure nickel strings, which might be part of it.

I'm not a great bassist, so my opinions about this might not be as accurate as some other people around here.