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10-17-2012, 05:54 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by esa372  Here's my 1990 custom Élan:   | Wow, bummer than the finish bubbled up on you like that! Maybe Alembic can refinish it for you.  I keed, I keed.
Your maple top is spectacular. I have a quilt Rogue, but not the 5A like yours. Beautiful - I love big blondes. |
10-17-2012, 11:32 PM
|  | Endorsing Artist : SFARZO STRINGS | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Petaluma, California 94952 | | | Sub'd
OK - Here is a good question for this thread, and a can of worms to follow.
I am looking to have another custom built. I have owned many Alembics and Peavey Cirrus's. Most Alembic owners I know have a Cirrus in their arsenal.
Here's my question - I want to have booming, growly, tight lows, with crisp highs.
I have always found the walnut Cirrus to be a bit thin sounding and the alder to be more of what I like. I am leaning towards alder, but I have this "thing" in my head that alder is not for boutique basses.
I know Alembic uses mohagony on nearly all body woods, but I don't want or like "hog" too much.
I know I want flamed maple with purple heart neck thru and maple or myrtle top.
Should I go with maple wings or alder wings ? I play mostly Mark King kind of stuff as opposed to some metal guy ... |
10-17-2012, 11:44 PM
| | Banned | | Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Ohio | | | I would recommend the Alembic first, but you want something different. The absolute king of maple body wing basses has to be the Woodstock-made Spector NS. There is no laminate top, just the two big chunks of solid figured maple connected to the neck. If you can afford an Alembic, the Spector is also attainable. Yes, I've owned one. |
10-18-2012, 12:10 AM
| | Endorsing Artist : SFARZO STRINGS | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Petaluma, California 94952 | | Quote:
Originally Posted by chef wong I would recommend the Alembic first, but you want something different. The absolute king of maple body wing basses has to be the Woodstock-made Spector NS. There is no laminate top, just the two big chunks of solid figured maple connected to the neck. If you can afford an Alembic, the Spector is also attainable. Yes, I've owned one. | It's not that I don't *want* an Alembic, I do love the tone. If the Epic was available in a 35" 4 string and 2nd hand, then I'd own it. I LOVE the Epic controls way more than the low pass filter. I don't necessarily like the Pbass feel of the necks, either.
My thing is 35" scale is where it's at, hence a more affordable custom. Maybe I'll just put Epic electronics in my Cirrus and call it a day. |
10-18-2012, 09:28 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Holland | | Alembic with Alder body: 
Neck woods will have the biggest impact on the sound of neck through models, from the Alembic site: Quote:
The single most important wood decision you make about your custom built Alembic is the neck, for the neck is the foundation of the sound. The choice must be made for the desired sonic outcome. Neck woods are more limited in variety than woods for other tasks because the neck must be strong and stable, and certain woods are just not suited for the purpose.
On our neck through guitars and basses, the neck woods are largely responsible for the tone, though every part of the instrument will contribute. For set neck models, the neck is still the most important wood in determining the sound, but the body comes into play more than on the neck throughs. The observations we present relate only to Alembics, other makers will surely find differing results with their own techniques
| Link Info for body woods: http://www.alembic.com/info/wood_body.html
Flamed Maple with Purpleheart laminates sounds good! 
If you custom, you might be surprized when you get the final quote from your dealer. There's the monthly special (average of -$1300) and dealer discount, the neck is going to be pretty expensive though. (in 2009 it was $600 for the 3 PH lams and $800 for the Flamed Maple on the quote from Alembic before the discounts) |
11-18-2012, 07:34 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH | | Count me in, just picked this up the other day... 
2005 Dragon Wing, Cocobolo with LEDs
Had this one for years and still love it.... 
1998 Essence 5 string, Tiger Maple top |
11-18-2012, 09:13 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by GBassNorth 2005 Dragon Wing, Cocobolo with LEDs | Congratulations! That's a beautiful bass! |
11-18-2012, 09:23 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mount Vernon, Illinois | | | Both beautiful basses, but that DragonWing is just ART!!! |
11-18-2012, 09:24 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Hunts-Vegas, Alabama | | Quote:
Originally Posted by GBassNorth Count me in, just picked this up the other day...
2005 Dragon Wing, Cocobolo with LEDs
Had this one for years and still love it....
1998 Essence 5 string, Tiger Maple top | Fantastic! |
11-18-2012, 09:26 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Covington, WA | | Mine:  
__________________ Random Desiderata, Thoughts on communication, email, gadgets, and the occasional bass guitar
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11-18-2012, 11:56 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by wideload Wow, bummer than the finish bubbled up on you like that! Maybe Alembic can refinish it for you. I keed, I keed.
Your maple top is spectacular. I have a quilt Rogue, but not the 5A like yours. Beautiful - I love big blondes. | lol - Thanks, wideload... she's my #1, for sure. |
11-18-2012, 12:36 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: The Motor City | | Quote:
Originally Posted by byoung Mine: | Even though I believe I am not likely to order another custom bass, if I did, I would definitely go with the Omega cutout on the headstock. Balance K with Heart Omega tail cutout and Omega cut headstock.
Was that Rory's old bass or did you order that?
__________________
Politics PA-luh tiks; from the Greek word Poly , meaning many and the English word Tick , a small bloodsucking pest.
(saw this on a board in an office in Lansing, MI) |
11-18-2012, 01:10 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Toronto, ON | | | What about balance issues on some of the older designs...any guys have problems with neck diving? |
11-18-2012, 01:37 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: The Motor City | | Quote:
Originally Posted by zortation What about balance issues on some of the older designs...any guys have problems with neck diving? | I have a 2000 Series II and a 1987 Series I, both large bodies. No problems with balancing either. Here's a video of my 13-year old playing the 1987. No neck dive here. Headstock is at 1:00 position the whole time. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qM-awj0Wbdo
__________________
Politics PA-luh tiks; from the Greek word Poly , meaning many and the English word Tick , a small bloodsucking pest.
(saw this on a board in an office in Lansing, MI) |
11-18-2012, 01:41 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by zortation What about balance issues on some of the older designs...any guys have problems with neck diving? | No problem with mine (1990). |
11-18-2012, 01:45 PM
| | Registered User
Endorsing Artist: Fender Basses, Ampeg, Curt Mangan Strings | | Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: South Shore, Massachusetts | | | My 1995 Epic 5 string & 1997 Epic 4 string
__________________
"If you don't want the truth don't ask. Make up your own like everyone else does". (Michael Pare as Eddie Wilson/Joe West in Eddie and The Cruisers II).
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11-26-2012, 03:26 PM
|  | Supporting Member | | Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: La Crosse, WI and Mpls, MN | | | I Finally Get to Join!
I've been searching for an Alembic Exploiter for a long time....and I finally found one. It is a beauty.
This is my "new" '96 Essence Exploiter with a flamed maple top. The person I bought it from took great care of it and it is almost like new.
I apologize for the quality of the pics, but it's the best I could do on short notice.   
__________________
I am not a "yes" man. If my wife says no...I say no. |
11-26-2012, 05:40 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH | | Quote:
Originally Posted by peabody I've been searching for an Alembic Exploiter for a long time....and I finally found one. It is a beauty.
This is my "new" '96 Essence Exploiter with a flamed maple top. The person I bought it from took great care of it and it is almost like new.
I apologize for the quality of the pics, but it's the best I could do on short notice. | Sweet!
I know you've been looking for one of these for quite a while. Is it living up to your expectations? |
11-26-2012, 07:17 PM
| | Supporting Member | | Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: La Crosse, WI and Mpls, MN | | Quote:
Originally Posted by GBassNorth Sweet!
I know you've been looking for one of these for quite a while. Is it living up to your expectations? | So far, so good. I have to admit, after playing Fender-like basses (with an upper horn) all of my life, it is taking a little getting used to playing this because of the strap button location. Regardless, it feels great.....
__________________
I am not a "yes" man. If my wife says no...I say no. |
11-26-2012, 07:35 PM
|  | Thanks to Alembic, I'll have G.A.S. until I die. | | Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: New York City | | Not the prettiest Alembic on here, but I still love it!  | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
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