Here's a different Alembic guitar.  Not sure what "RST" stands for?


https://reverb.com/item/21505592-alembic-rst-1987-natural


Bill, tgo

"Relatively Strat-like Timber"?

Peter

Does that sure look like a fender shape.

I think it's ugly as balls. At first I was convinced it was a shop night special and that RST was the builder's initials. But those aren't supposed to have logos, right?

Quote from: jalevinemd on April 05, 2019, 10:15:33 AM
I think it's ugly as balls. At first I was convinced it was a shop night special and that RST was the builder's initials. But those aren't supposed to have logos, right?

Also felt it is a pretty ugly looking instrument, okay maybe not ugly but other than the nice Zebra wood(?) nothing at all appealing about the body. My first thought was shop night special but as far as I am aware those shouldn't have logos or serial numbers either.

Kind of looks like a Strat with a case of gout. 

Bill, tgo

Dealer just bought it in UK auction a couple of weeks ago.

Specs are here:

https://club.alembicguitars.com/index.php?topic=6056.msg66229#msg66229

According to the specs that dgansz linked, "RST is a designator for R (Rokkomann) and ST (Strat-style body shape)".  Exported to Japan.

See also:  https://club.alembicguitars.com/index.php?topic=22818.0

I looked for the oldest thread I could find to repost. There may be another older one. 

https://reverb.com/item/92422200

You would think after all this time inflation would cover the spread, or a fair offer would be accepted. Guess not. 🤔

Anybody know what we are looking at, control-wise? (asking for a friend) A volume, two filters, and a blade switch? Assuming 3-position. What else would it be? 

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on Yesterday at 04:01:23 AM...Anybody know what we are looking at, control-wise? (asking for a friend) A volume, two filters, and a blade switch? Assuming 3-position. What else would it be?

In one of the threads linked above Mica says "controls: AE-3 (that's usually a volume, 5-way switch, bass, treble)". Not knowing anything about guitars, I don't know what that means. 

Jimmy J

Quote. But those aren't supposed to have logos, right

my A-bass is a shop night instrument with a logo and a serial number. but it had its neck replaced at the mothership, so it's probably an exception.  it's quite lovely if i say so myself.   somebody had a vision.  nicely complements the blue LEDs in the neck.

i haven't seen a fender-shaped alembic htat i like yet. not that it matters.  good luck to all!

Quote from: JimmyJ on Yesterday at 07:19:37 AM

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on Yesterday at 04:01:23 AM...Anybody know what we are looking at, control-wise? (asking for a friend) A volume, two filters, and a blade switch? Assuming 3-position. What else would it be?

In one of the threads linked above Mica says "controls: AE-3 (that's usually a volume, 5-way switch, bass, treble)". Not knowing anything about guitars, I don't know what that means. 

Jimmy J

I don't know all the guitar controls either Jimmy J, just the two I had which were basically just like our Series basses; 2 volumes, 2 filters, 2 switches. 

I wonder if the RST guitar Mica was posting specs for had three pickups, by the STR pickup designation? Those are Strat single-coil shapes, and usually arranged for three of them, which would explain a 5-way switch. This one though, looks to have maybe an early version of HGR's, kinda' Gibson-y shaped, but four screw adjustment instead of two. I'm not sure I've ever seen these on another Alembic. Maybe a Japan only item, like the guitar? So volume, and bass and treble rotary controls I could go along with. A filter would have been more fun. 

Curious-er! It would be nice if they posted some description of what they got there. Might actually sell it. 

ST is the body shape, not the pickups. The body shape got more refined over time, eventually turning into the California Special.

Quote from: BeenDown139 on Yesterday at 07:51:51 AM

Quote. But those aren't supposed to have logos, right

my A-bass is a shop night instrument with a logo and a serial number. but it had its neck replaced at the mothership, so it's probably an exception.  it's quite lovely if i say so myself.  somebody had a vision.  nicely complements the blue LEDs in the neck.

i haven't seen a fender-shaped alembic htat i like yet. not that it matters.  good luck to all!

That logo is just about perfect!

Peter

Quote from: mica on Yesterday at 01:24:26 PMST is the body shape, not the pickups. The body shape got more refined over time, eventually turning into the California Special.

Roger that. The guitar in the serial number thread you looked up (like almost 20 years ago!) is an '87 RST like this one, but with STR shaped pickups. 

https://club.alembicguitars.com/serial-number-history-requests/x-87rst4588/msg66229/#msg66229

This guitar has two, bigger square ones. I guess there must have been some variations on the model for the dealer? There wasn't a picture, so hard to say what it was beyond the lookup. 

Cool the backstory about these being the forerunner to California Special. 😎