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how was the Alembic basses in your opinion???

#2
Whaddya wanna know?

I love my S1 and SC but for different reasons and if I could afford it, I'd order a new custom with all the specific details I want. None the less, I'm very happy with both and have never played a significantly better bass. Tone, feel, quality and playability are all excellent. But, they're not for everyone; people either love them or hate them, and if you're considering one, I'd suggest spending an hour or two with it first to decide if it's what you're looking for, suits your playing style and musical preferences. They're all different, depending on model and options as there's really no such thing as a 'standard' Alembic, they're all effectively customs.
 
#5
Finger Blister said:
how are Alembic basses in your opinion???
Click to expand...
The original question is so broad that I thought there might be something specific that b.a.s.s. wanted to know which might help by narrowing down the response, but I added some generalities from my experience anyway.
 
#8
Finger Blister said:
how are Alembic basses in your opinion???
Click to expand...
no no, he said in your Onion....................

anyhow, i've liked all of the 4-strings that i've played. except the epic. The essence is really nice on the low end of the price scale. I really don't like their 5 string and 6 string basses. They just aren't comfortable to me.
 
#9
I've played an Alembic for about 8 years now and they are my favorite bass. Currently, I own, in addition to my Alembic, a Sadowsky Metro, a Lakland Skyline JO5, and a Stingray 5 fretless. When it came to my band's CD project, I thought I would use each of my basses. However, once I got my Alembic into the studio, there was no reason to use anything else. The Series I electronics really came through aces.

If this is your first Alembic, I'd give a try to an Essence. This bass has the low pass filter that is the heart of the Alembic sound. In the used arena, they can be had for a very reasonable price.

Best Wishes,
Bones
 
#10
I dont own a Alembic but i tried two Alembic orions in the bass centre in London and i didnt like them at all. I found that there was not enough space between the string and the body i found it very hard to slap on. Maybe it was just how the action was set. I was expecting to love them but i was surprised how much i didnt like them. It didnt feel comfortable to play at all. Thats only in my opinion. :)
 
#11
Your question is very general, so I'll just point you to a couple threads where you might find some of what you're looking for....

If you do a search on "Alembic", you'll get 34 pages of threads. It wouldn't make sense to try to go through them all until you've narrowed down your question.

Try this thread Alembic Thread or this thread Another Alembic Thread

and also try [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Peace,

James
 
#12
IMHO Alembics (I've tried a few used Series-I's, and I own the lower-priced 'Europa' model) are the most responsive basses I've personally tried. They have a really playable neck, and thier quality is among the best I've seen.

They're a small family-owned company, so their customer service is great.

Their sound is really pure, you'll certainly want to try one for yourself (of course).

They aren't cheap, I'd like to own a Series-II one day, but I'll most likely buy a used one to save some dough.

-Art
 
#14
I have owned an Epic 5 string, I have an Exploiter style Spoiler, and I have played a Series I. They all had exceptional workmanship and attention to detail. The neck on the Epic was too wide to be comfortable for me, I have small hands and like close string spacing and small necks, I do not slap and I like very low action. The Spoiler sounds awesome, simple controls but they are very versatile. The neck is a little fatter than I like, and the action on it cannot be set as low as on my old Epic, but the sound it has is worth it. The Series I played was not as good as I had expected. Many controls, more than I wanted to deal with. I couldn't get it to sound as good as my Spoiler. Maybe if I had more time to experiment with the controls I could have. I would love to custom order one with a neck more like a Fender Jazz, but I doubt I will ever be able to afford it. They can be found used for reasonable prices, but new they are much more than I could afford.
 

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