Any Alembic Love over here?

[malthumb]

Malthumb will be checking in soon, I'm sure.

Huh? Somebody say something? What?

Mucho Alembic love & respect here.

Alembic was the original super high-end premium bass guitar. Many new makes have sprung up during the past 40+ years. But IMO, none has surpassed the original.

If Fodera is the Lexus of bass guitars and MTD is the Mercedes-Benz, then Alembic is the Rolls Royce.

MM

Must agree, I owned a Series One back in the mid 80s. The Rolls Royce of bass guitars.

I highlighted parts of MysticMichael's and sanderic's posts for the irony included......

There used to be this band called Rose Royce, ....recorded, among other things, a little tune called Car Wash...

Well, the bassist, Lequient Jobe, recorded that song (and many others) on an Alembic Series I. When I saw them in concert in Buffalo decades ago, it was the first time I had seen or heard an Alembic live. That pretty much sealed the deal for me.

 

[lyla1953]

and play it every day!

 

[MaddAnthony_59]

Yeah, Lots of Alembic Love! I've got an Epic, which I'll never part with, and several "Hybrids" which feature Alembic electronics. Aria SB LTD, and a 1991 SB-1000, which is pretty much an SB LTD among them. I've had an Excel, an Elan, and a Triple Omega. They were all too pristine for my "Touch", and I sold or traded them off to more deserving players.

Currently I've got a MIJ Aria 5-String bass that I'm going to mod and make a Black & Gold SB LTD Hybrid-Clone out of. I'll replace the black Tuners & Bridge Saddles with Gold pieces and upgrade the electronics (Which sound EXCELLENT!) with Alembic 5/6 string pickups (Routing Required!) and an Alembic preamp with Q-Filter. I just need to get my oldest daughter married so I can free up my Cash-Flow.

 

[bassman10096]

I think the Rolls Royce analogy is pretty good.

Alembic has the industry's longest history of building its own, iconic designs while offering customer-defined customization in every possible area. While a few other high end builders offer similar customization, Alembic was the pioneer in this regard. Having visited their shop in Santa Rosa, I was knocked over by the level of detailed quality control that goes into Alembics, from wood selection (lots of it gets tossed out) to hand-crafting every model and every guitar (I personally don't care if rough cuts are CNC's when the carving is done by real, highly skilled hands). Alembic doesn't have a custom shop vs factory operation. They build a limited number of guitars and basses, using the same, hand-crafted method for an Epic or a Series II.

Alembic pioneered active electronics and still builds its own, unique pickups and preamps. When people talk about the "Alembic sound", it's often without regard for which Alembic sound they are hearing. Jimmy Johnson? Stanley Clarke? Phil Lesh? John Entwistle? John McVie? Germain Jackson? Stock Alembic electronics get you the broadest range of sounds I've ever heard.

Alembics are expensive, too. When you build a limited number of units and your material and labor costs are high, you can't spread the costs very far, so - high sticker prices. On the other hand, used prices on Alembics are pretty accessible.

I'm an Alembic guy. I get slightly irritated at the haters on TB who "don't understand" or don't approve of Alembics cost, style, etc. But nobody's forcing anyone to buy anything. And, who cares what anybody else thinks about what bass I play?

Here's my current Alembic (my third):

 

[jazzbo58]

I love my Alembics!
My 1979 Series II with Modulus Graphite Neck.

My 1983 Spoiler.

Cheers,
Jim

 

[Twocan]

My Epic made me a believer - truely the best bass I've owned. Unfortunately, now I'm gassing for an Alembic Essence because of it. **Sigh...**

 

[Roscoe East]

I love 'em. If I could afford a new 32" scale small-body Series I 4-string, and/or a 34" scale large/omega Series II 8-string with ebony stringers, I'd own them in a heartbeat

...and my wife would divorce me in the next heartbeat.

 

[Doctor J]

I became a believer this year

 

[M.R. Ogle]

I've owned two, and I thought they were fantastic, beautiful instruments. Love the basses. love the company, love their history .

The only reason I don't have them anymore is that I just drifted to favoring a more simple vintage sound, passive pickups and the immediacy of just having that sound right THERE in an instant. Okay, I'm lazy....

But if I hit the lotto or something, I'll probably find another Alembic. That electronics package is amazing in a high-volume situation.

That dark wood one of Doctor J's is mighty appealing.

 

[justjake]

been an alembic lover for the past 15 years, best basses I've ever owned.

 

[Sleepwalker42]

LOTS of love for Alembic here

 

[bigsnaketex]

Mucho Alembic love & respect here.

Alembic was the original super high-end premium bass guitar. Many new makes have sprung up during the past 40+ years. But IMO, none has surpassed the original.

If Fodera is the Lexus of bass guitars and MTD is the Mercedes-Benz, then Alembic is the Rolls Royce.

MM

best analogy ever for this brand in my opinion!

 

[Tomkat8]

I dream of owning a alembic.. I've had several sets of activators over the years but, just can't come up with or justify the money. In 1981 a series II was @2500. Now they are 25000, I'm not increasing my income as fast as they go up!

 

[Lee Moses]

An Alembic Elan has been my primary bass for the past 23 years since I bought it new. I can't imagine anything taking its place as my #1 axe . . . unless I somehow come into another Alembic.

 

[sowilson]

I love my '87 Spoiler, just a wonderful, acurate, versitile bass to play

 

[Deburgh]

I've never played one, but I dig them from afar.

This might be one of the most beautiful basses ever made:

More: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I don't get this, though:

That bridge, while highly polished, is a student machinist project. The hardware is McMaster. The basic design is nice, but the execution is just awful at this price point. If a guy on the luthiers forum did that in his basement, I'd be impressed - on basses that cost 10-20K, that bridge is a joke.

The Leap of Faith bass is mine It's even more amazing in person that in pictures!
Since then I've picked up 3 more Alembics, a custom short scale

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Another custom Series II, this one in Quilted Cocobolo with tighter string spacing, an asymmetrical neck carve, and a couple of inlays, and a Little Darling guitar. In my opinion, there's just nothing that compares to these things

 

[GBassNorth]

Lots of Alembic love here as well!
I've had my Dragon Wing for about a year and love it more every time I play it... The looks are only surpassed by the sound

And there's my Essence bass that I've had for about 10 years. It was my first 5 string bass and visually as well as sonically fits in any venue.

In fact, I love the Alembic electronics so much I've recently considered putting their pickup and preamp combo in one of my Spector basses.

 

[tsar nicholas]

I dig Alembics. Still kicking myself for not buying the Series 1 they had for sale at Uncle Funky's in Orono, Me in 1993, priced at like $800 or something

p.s. their hardware is GREAT, what's not to love?

 

[IGotGas]

I think the Rolls Royce analogy is pretty good.

Alembic has the industry's longest history of building its own, iconic designs while offering customer-defined customization in every possible area. While a few other high end builders offer similar customization, Alembic was the pioneer in this regard. Having visited their shop in Santa Rosa, I was knocked over by the level of detailed quality control that goes into Alembics, from wood selection (lots of it gets tossed out) to hand-crafting every model and every guitar (I personally don't care if rough cuts are CNC's when the carving is done by real, highly skilled hands). Alembic doesn't have a custom shop vs factory operation. They build a limited number of guitars and basses, using the same, hand-crafted method for an Epic or a Series II.

Alembic pioneered active electronics and still builds its own, unique pickups and preamps. When people talk about the "Alembic sound", it's often without regard for which Alembic sound they are hearing. Jimmy Johnson? Stanley Clarke? Phil Lesh? John Entwistle? John McVie? Germain Jackson? Stock Alembic electronics get you the broadest range of sounds I've ever heard.

Alembics are expensive, too. When you build a limited number of units and your material and labor costs are high, you can't spread the costs very far, so - high sticker prices. On the other hand, used prices on Alembics are pretty accessible.

I'm an Alembic guy. I get slightly irritated at the haters on TB who "don't understand" or don't approve of Alembics cost, style, etc. But nobody's forcing anyone to buy anything. And, who cares what anybody else thinks about what bass I play?

Here's my current Alembic (my third):

I have to totally 100% agree with your statement!! I own several Alembics and find them to be incredible instruments. I own two very fine series II basses. I bought them used and they were still quite "expensive". But, I will say this; my Alembics, bar none, are built better, play better, and IMO sound better than ANY other bass I've ever owned or played period end of story. I'm hoping to start a new custom build next summer and I'm really looking forward to the process. As one poster intimated earlier in this thread, an Alembic run through an Epifani rig is superlative and very hard to beat!!