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Dream Bass Let-Down

#41
sleddogn said:
yep me too, i had a ric, sold it, missed it, bought another, tried to love it, sold it, bought another one, tried to love it, now have it for sale, i really tried, lol there are more switches than spocks computer panel on that alembic
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I feel like Rics are MADE for this! At least that has been my experience on the guitar side. They are beautiful, unique, and somewhat scarce, all of which makes them very desirable from a distance. Then I manage to afford one and realize quickly that they are quirky, kind of odd guitars. That cures me of my Ric dreams... for about six months or until I watch a Jam video on YouTube, then the cycle begins again!
 
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#47
Sorry to hear about this disillusionment. I think what happens to a lot of bassists is that we start off with whatever we can afford. Often times it's firewood. That gets traded in for your first decent bass, which is usually a Fender copy. The next step up from there is quite a step financially, so you get used to the first decent bass from playing it for so long. When you finally pull the trigger on the dream bass, it's a disappointment because you're used to the decent bass and the dream bass is different in tone and feel. I wanted a Ric since I first playing back in '74. I got one a few years ago after playing P basses for decades. When it arrived the setup included stout round wounds, bridge cover in place and high action. I was disappointed until I ditched the cover, put on light gauge Ric strings (which, as a side note, are designed for use with these basses. They are good strings that bring out the best in the instrument.), and lowered the action. Now it's comfortable and sings. To get a bass set up according to your personal specs is the key to enjoying your new instrument. That isn't to say the concept of a dog, the norm and THE ONE can be found among all instruments. That seems to be true regardless of make, model, country of origin or year.
 
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#48
I felt the same thing with every Dingwall I've owned. They feel amazing at first, but about an hour into playing it, it feels like I turned an upright on its side the reach was so long. Fantastic instruments...just not for my physical dimensions. Turns out Lakland 5 strings and Ibanez SRs are the perfect instruments for me.
 
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#50
Been through that with Warwick.

Wanted to like them. Finally admitted I didn’t really care for them at all.

Beautiful basses. Just not my kinda bass.

(Just for the record, I really liked my Alembic when I still had it. I could get that bass to give me anything I wanted from it.)
 
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#55
Kevin Teed said:
Has anyone else gone through something like this?

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For DECADES I had the same feelings towards Alembic, but actually playing a couple in the wild has changed my mind. They are not for everyone!

And I recently "thought" I had found my dream bass (last year I custom-ordered a Status Streamline from England)... but when it arrived it turned out it wasn't for me. The ancient Kramer aluminum-neck that I was (optimistically and perhaps unrealistically!!) hoping it would replace - actually played rings around it.
 
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#56
Was in a very similar boat. I saw Stanley play when I was in High School, came home that night and vowed to buy an Alembic. Saved every penny until I had enough to buy a new Distallate(looked exactly like yours!)
It was so nice, i just couldn't stand to take it out of the house. Didn't want to scratch it. It was just too much bass. I had a POS 70's P-bass that felt right and I didn't mind scratching...in fact I tried to beat it up for more character. I've always bonded with cheap basses since.
 
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#58
Brad Maestas said:
Absolutely. For me it has usually come down to string spacing. I tried two different Alembics, one four and one five string and both were just way too narrow for me. I know you can get them at 18 or 19mm spacing but I bought them used with their 'normal' narrow spacing. My vintage Hofner was narrow as well but I was able to cope with it. I also tried Warwick Thumbs and a Series II and they were too narrow for me as well. Every so often I have found an instrument that's acoustically dead. In other cases I just couldn't vibe with the electronics (EMG P/Js in a Fodera Emperor) or sometimes it was the woods (heavily lacquered maple FB on a Precision).
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thanks
 
#59
D.A.R.K. said:
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Nice that you have chrome plated hardware - no monthly ritual of disassembly and polishing of brass parts. :thumbsup: I did just that for several years with the two Alembics I owned in the '90s. Glad I no longer have that pleasure. :D
4001 said:
I really like the way Jimmy Johnson's Alembics sound....
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Flim is who got me into Alembic basses! :hyper: Love the tones he gets with his.

Kevin, we should get together before you decide to off the Alemblc.
 
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