Alembic Basses

[lfmn16]

Please, do tell! I didn't know there was anything "bad" about Alembics...

They are only bad if you don't bond with them. I've had 4 or 5 over the years. I finally realized that despite them being fantastic basses, they just aren't for me. Not a knock on Alembics, I have the greatest respect for those basses. I couldn't even identify exactly what it was, I just never bonded with one.

 

[zombywoof5050]

I bought my first Alembic (medium scale Series I w/point) from Music Emporium back around 1982, it was a used instrument and the price I paid was $1,400. It was very heavy and had neck dive, so I sold it.

Then around 1983 I ordered a brand new short scale Series I (again from Music Emporium), and their price at that time for a brand new one was $2,110. I eventually offed it because of neck dive, but I really wish I had it back now.
Below is a pic of me playing it back in 1984. Behind me in the pic, my rig consisted of an Alembic F2-B preamp, a Crown DC300A II, and an EV B215-M cabinet. I also owned two EV B115-M cabinets that I would use to play the Alembic in stereo with the F2-B.

Edit: Upon closer inspection, I see that the cabinet in the pic is one of my B115-M cabs (not my B215-M).

 

[Gilmourisgod]

IMO, THIS is among the most beautiful bass body shapes ever devised. I wanna go out on a Date with this thing, minus one string and half the knobs. Nobody does Hippy Sandwich better. I've only ever held one Alembic in my hands, a very early Series 1 bass that felt like it weighed 15 lbs. Gorgeous, but stupid heavy and overly complex controls. IME, anything past 5-6 knobs gets into Silly Zone. I'll never have the spare scratch to buy a legit one, planning on a build inspired by this one next:

 

[Kevin Teed]

I've never played one, but have lusted after a Distillate forever. Any opinions on those?

 

[jazzyvee]

I love the tones this guy gets from his Alembics

I have been to one of his gigs over here in the UK he is a great player and like me is a big big big big fan of alembic basses.

 

[StephenR]

I have owned a 1978 Series I five-string since 1984. Guessing it is among the first five-strings made. Awesome sounding bass but not terribly comfortable to play for me partially because I was never comfortable playing a medium scale bass and the neck/string spacing is way more narrow than the rest of my five-strings all of which are 35" scale.

I recently got a second after looking for quite a long time for a used long-scale Balance K Series five-string with either a Cocobolo or Walnut top. The first time I saw the Balance K body shape I knew that if I was to get another Alembic that was the body shape I wanted. The shape totally corrects what I found to be deficiencies in the ergonomics of the early designs while staying true to the unique look and vibe of the early Alembics, it balances beautifully (as the name indicates), plays great and sounds amazing. I never had the RF upgrades done to my 78 Alembic so it is great to have one with upgraded electronics and finding one with an ebony neck laminate, side LEDs and continuous wood backplates was a big plus. I love the look and punchy sound of Walnut for basses so all good. The bass was originally ordered as a Series I bass with an electronics upgrade to Series II and came with a Jan-Al flight case. Sounds very different from my Rosewood 78 Series bass so a nice compliment tonally.

IMO Alembic electronics are second to none and as been mentioned numerous times the Wickershams are wonderful people, a family business that treats all customers as members of the family.

 

[jazzyvee]

Alembics are the only basses I play. I think the are absolutely amazingly rewarding to play both the feel and the sound. I have both series and signature models and wouldn't dream of gigging with anything else.
These are my bass weapons of choice after years of saving and wise choices. The Series II was an alembic custom of the month [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Series II on the left and the other are Series I all Europa bodies.
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They are totally unforgiving of any bad technique and if I can paraphrase a quote from Stanley Clarke "these basses are totally honest and don't lie".

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

What the hay, if we're posting pics, here's my current clutch of dragons...

L-R;
1989 Persuader 5-string w/Essence + 3-position Q-switch, 2017 Custom fretless 5-string w/East-Meets-West electronics, 1985 Distillate fretless w/Custom 'longhorn' Standard Point body, figured bubinga top and back, 1981 walnut-topped Distillate with its 4-position pickup selector switch replaced with a Pan module.

...and most recently:

...this 1977 Series I Medium-scale Standard Point.

Just so I'm not doing a ring and run, here's a little testimonial-

Can't say enough good stuff about the Staff at Alembic. From Day 1, when I bought that quilted maple Persuader 5 only to discover its electronics were a bunch of hinky aftermarket junk, they treated me like I had been a customer my whole life. (hat-tip @FC Bass) I still remember during our first conversation, Mica told me they would much rather me have a good experience with one of their instruments for my first one, and she sold me every part I needed to put it back to better than original spec at the best discount she could offer. She then gave me step-by-step instructions for installation. Then she called me back to ask how I liked it once it had some proper activator circuitry in there. I made up my mind if I could ever feasibly do it, I was going to order a brand-new one, a fretless companion to it... hence, the Omega-cut Custom. Since then, I've had dozens of interactions with them, each time better than the one before. Yes, they are expensive, extremely so if you get one new. But I'm not sure how you put a price on the kind of personal attention you get from people that actually care to that degree about what they make and who their customers are.

 

[ihaveaquestion]

I have been to one of his gigs over here in the UK he is a great player and like me is a big big big big fan of alembic basses.

You're lucky. What is the name of his band?

 

[jazzyvee]

You're lucky. What is the name of his band?

He is in a few. The one i saw was called the second sons
George Price Bass

 

[Mark 63]

Not necessarily “bad;” but, they can have some challenging ergonomics.

I've been learning to deal with weird ergonomics since buying a '77 Series I (34" with point) this past Christmas. Sometimes the first fret seems like it's in another room, and the bass feels heavier than it is because of the leverage. I nearly put it back for sale, but the clarity of sound, versatility and playability is truly amazing. The fingerboard feels alive. The tone is pure from a whisper to a thunder clap. It's good motivation to get into better physical condition.
Phil Lesh is playing Alembic at 79 years of age. That's a role model I hope to follow for at least the next 24 years.

 

[Jeff Scott]

The fingerboard feels alive.

Fungus growing on it?

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

I've never played one, but have lusted after a Distillate forever. Any opinions on those?

My first firsthand experience with an Alembic was a Distillate 5-string, in Nashville about 1996. It's fair to say the encounter branded me for life... I had never seen anything built quite like it, and never heard a bass that sounded quite like it. Another 20 years went by before I had one of my own, but I never forgot about that bass.

The whole concept behind the model is really ingenious... They took the best parts of a Series bass, their only model to that point, and made it into a simpler, easier to use model, that just ran on a 9v battery. Sorta' condensed (or distilled!) the classic Series sound a bit.

*The Distillate was phased out, I think in the early 90's, but the modern equivalent would be the Rogue or Europa model.

Mine is a plain-jane 1981:

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Never played an Alembic bass but listening to Rocho Westmoreland and his incredible playing and tone with Santa Fe & the Fat City Horns. Would love to play one sometime.

I’ve playe a couple over the years. Truly awesome instruments BUT..... just a little outside of my price range......

 

[bucephylus]

I've been learning to deal with weird ergonomics since buying a '77 Series I (34" with point) this past Christmas. Sometimes the first fret seems like it's in another room, and the bass feels heavier than it is because of the leverage. I nearly put it back for sale, but the clarity of sound, versatility and playability is truly amazing. The fingerboard feels alive. The tone is pure from a whisper to a thunder clap. It's good motivation to get into better physical condition.

One of the best summaries I’ve ever read. That’s it. Well written.

 

[Manticore]

What the hay, if we're posting pics, here's my current clutch of dragons...

I'll play as well. Obviously, I have an affinity for the Elan body, and I prefer the simpler electronics. All three of mine have wide string spacing. Looking at the backs, it should be easy to tell which has been my No. 1 for the last 27 years...

And what others have said is absolutely true: the Wickershams are fantastic people that truly care about their instruments and the people playing them.

 

[FC Bass]

Pic time?

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I have two in the pipeline currently, fretted and fretless Spoiler 5 with heart Omega, knobby headstock, Flame Maple top/back, Flame Maple/Purpleheart neck, stained black see through finish, red side leds and Series II electronics.
The fretless will be set neck and will have a pan pot (instead of two volumes) and bass control for bridge pickup only. Hope to see these somewhere in 2020

 

[FC Bass]

...and these are the ones that got away....

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'83 Spoiler, traded for a Gibson The Ripper

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'90 Elan and '06 fretless neck through Orion, traded for the Series I in the above pic + a great trip to the Geneva area incl meet and greet with an awesome Alembic collector/player:

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[EdwardofHuncote]

I have two in the pipeline currently, fretted and fretless Spoiler 5 with heart Omega, knobby headstock, Flame Maple top/back, Flame Maple/Purpleheart neck, stained black see through finish, red side leds and Series II electronics.
The fretless will be set neck and will have a pan pot (instead of two volumes) and bass control for bridge pickup only. Hope to see these somewhere in 2020

It only lets me 'like' that once... that fretted Spoiler 5 / SII sounds pretty scary!

Exciting news.

 

[Slevage]

If Ronco made instruments, those musicians could make them sound good.