• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

My first Alembic... An in-depth first impression

#23
neurotictim said:
Now for the first impressions. Average case, plush lined, seems pretty sturdy, though I’ve had better cases, it’s definitely enough to protect the bass from anything short of a car crash or airplane travel. Locking case, but the seller didn’t have the keys… Of course, he was the original owner from 1995, so I suppose I can understand… :grumble:

The bass is just gorgeous sitting there. Mahogany body, zebrawood top with maple accent, 34” scale 5-layer laminate maple neck with ebony fretboard and that funky heel stop at the end. Active electronics, dual MXY56 pickups, volume, blend, bass, and treble on knobs that I’ll probably replace, just because I like the knobs to match the hardware. Alembic-etched Gotoh tuners, 3 + 2. Construction is one of my sticking points – if I feel like it’s going to break, I automatically don’t like it. No problem there – this thing is solid! Heavy, too. One of the heaviest basses I’ve ever hefted, but I suppose that’s the price you pay for the quality of construction. Fit & finish were far above my usual expectations, though a few (very) minor dings give it some character, notably in the back where it looks like a belt buckle rubbed the wrong way, just denting the wood slightly. Nothing noticeable, except on close inspection. The fretboard will definitely get a solid cleaning & conditioning, as it was slightly faded between frets, especially down low, and lots of dust had collected throughout. Pickups are a little closer to the strings than I particularly like, but since I haven’t played it at this point, we’ll leave them alone. Knobs feel solid, pots turn smoothly, output jack is tight but not marring the finish, which I’ve run into before. Bridge is very cool-looking, and seems like it’s pretty sturdy, though I’m unfamiliar with how to adjust it… Looks similar to the tune-o-matic on my SG guitar, though, so it shouldn’t be too hard. No straplocks, either, which is the absolute first thing I’m going to change. Gold hardware, which I’m not particularly fond of, but it matches the top wood very well. I pulled the control cavity cover off, noticed right away the threaded inserts on the body – very nice, no worries about stripping out the wood as on less thought-out basses. Wish there weren’t five screws, though – changing a battery mid-set would be a long process. Electronics seem pretty clean, solder joints look good, and everything is neatly shielded with copper…. and paint? That about covers my first impression, appearance-wise.

Sonically, after plugging into my home amp, a Fender Rumble 100 (which, IMO, has a very good preamp section), and setting the eq to flat with the volume at 5, I turned this sucker up and let an open E ring out. Initially, had to stop myself for a moment, in awe that I actually owned this bass. :) I played a quick Dmaj scale, to check the tuning, and was immediately noticed how even the tension was across the each string. My Cort Curbow 6, by comparison, has very even string tension across the EADGC strings, but the B suffers, and I have always attributed that to the 34” scale and heavy strings (.130 low B). The Epic is also 34”, I don’t know the brand of strings on it, but they’re definitely lighter… Might have to try lighter strings on the Cort.

The bass really has a defined low end, very clear and noticeably easier to fret than my P bass or Ibanez. The frets are very well dressed, though I think I’d like them to be a little taller, personally. Everywhere under the 5th fret, on any string, is tight and punchy, with the bottom end having a little growl to it, and loads of warmth. Definitely different from the luthite body Curbow, not necessarily better, but a lot warmer. I like a hi-fi, more pristine sound for some situations, and try as I might, I couldn’t really get that sound I was looking for from the Epic, but that’s why we have a bunch of gear. ;) The mids are my favorite part, because they’re really tight, have a wonderful woody sound to them, and sustain for a looong time. The slightest vibrato from my fingers translates clearly, and (as a result of the even tension, I suppose) nothing really “booms” out. This bass is a lot of fun to play between the 5th and 12th frets. Amazing sound, for what it is. Up above 12, I’m going to need to change the strings and adjust the intonation, as it has been sitting for a while, but I think this bass will get used less for the high end than my Cort does. Not that it sounds bad, by any means, but I don’t feel that the growl that I like so much, the woody sound, will translate well to my solo playing style in the high range. Plus, most of the use I get out of the C on the 6 is on the higher end, 12th fret up. Went knob-twiddling, looking for a good jazz tone, and with the blend set almost completely to the bridge pickup a little less bass, and a little more treble, I found it. Great, growly without being obnoxious (like my Cort, when I go looking for a jazz tone). Not exactly overwhelming, but unique (in a good way) and better than what I'm used to. Now I just have to find a jazz group to hang out with and jam. :groovy:

Took the bass to practice with my band, and once I got it hooked into my rig (BBE Bmax solid-state preamp, AutoCom compressor, QSC RMX1450 power section, Gallien Krueger Backline 4x10… Saving for Dr. Bass cabs) and fired up, this bass really sang out. Amazing how much of a difference volume makes in the tone of this bass – as good as it sounds quiet, it doesn’t really hold a candle to the turned-up sound. It’s probably just that I can’t hear all the subtleties at lower volume, but the sound of this bass at volume is far more complex than my Cort, and fuller-sounding. I brought the Cort along for a side-by-side (I rarely use the C string with my band) and really noticed two completely different animals. The Cort has a much heavier sound, more metal, more antiseptic, and will continue to be the bass of choice for me when doing anything metal. It's also a much better bass to run with effects, IMO, because of how much more "solid-state" it sounds, if that makes any sense. During practice, I kept fiddling with the preamp, the bass controls, the compressor settings (I let the attack out a little bit, and drew in the release, ultimately). I always play at full volume on the bass, and adjust the preamp to the rest of the band. (This keeps us from progressively getting louder, and sounds better on the bass, IMO) I was really impressed with how well this bass cut through the mix, as compared to the Cort, which required a lot more volume. The bottoms were too heavy most of the time, I eventually eq'd them down to about half of what I normally run them at, and needed a bit more treble, but once I was set and happy, it was great.

Bottom line is that the Alembic Epic 5 was a great deal, and I'm ecstatic with it. It's a great bass, with a great voice, but it's very unique. If you have a particular sound in mind, you may have trouble making that sound with the Alembic, but you may like the new sound so much you don't mind.

PROS:
Very well made, solid bass
Unique and amazing tone, one of the warmest tones out there.
Cuts through the mix like a hot knife through butter
Good-looking bass, right from the start.

CONS:
Heavy. Very heavy.
Versatile tone, but definitely it's own beast... Don't expect to copy anyone.
$$$
Click to expand...


Glad to see you like your new (to you) Alembic. As you've already found, it's a great bass, but as you note, has a particular voice that isn't suitable for everyone.

As for the knobs, I'd recommend you contact Roger at THG knobs or perhaps Alembic. If you like knobs the same color as the hardware, they might be able to do something that really suits your bass rather than off the shelf stuff. Of course, budget is alwasy a concern, and off the shelf stuff will do fine, but you might want to look into it anyway.

www.alembic.com is a great resource. You can register your bass there, and they can also give you a bit of history on it if you ask. Go to the Alembic Club and it's all there. You'll also find a wonderful community of fellow Alembic owners to share tips with, troubleshoot when necessary, etc.

Congrats again. I own five Alembics currently, have owned two others I've sold, and have a custom Series II on the way. I think you'll really like this bass as time goes on - there really isn't anything out there exactly like them.

Alan
 
#25
As a casual-hardcore gamer, as in I play A LOT but really don't do anything (lol), and as a semi-revitalized PS3 Fan (mine used to collect dust too, then Assassins Creed and Heavenly Sword gave me new hope) my stomach like dropped out of my torso when i saw that deal XD. And the selection of games, save NFS: Carbon, hurt even more but a great bass is a great bass, and sir, that is a great bass :D
 
#27
Congrats from a fellow Alembic owner. You mentioned that you weren't sure how to adjust the bridge- can I suggest you check out [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] on the Alembic site? It's a great overall setup layout for Alembic basses.

Another tip- take a photo with a digital camera before you disassemble the bridge the first time. It helps when the time comes to put all them little pieces back together.
 
#28
Heck of a deal on a great bass. I also really like all the time and thought you put into your review.

I need another bass like I need another nostril, but if I were to see an Epic for $800 within 3 states of where I live, I'd be all over it.

Peace,

James
 
#29
You guys all rock. The advice will come in handy, I'm sure, and after practicing again with my band today, I'm sort of in a daze, waiting to wake up, almost. I make a decent living, but a new Epic, or any Alembic, for that matter, would be waaay beyond my price range, so I just dreamed about them... along with all the other really fine basses out there. (Which puts to rest the "Second Alembic" thread...)

I've already registered with Alembic, and I'll definitely take heed the good advice on the bridge and replacing the knobs. I'll keep the originals, of course, but I'd like something a little less... retro...

Anywho, it's funny that at practice today, my bandmates didn't really notice the quality of the sound I was getting from this bass until I mentioned it. Guess that's the bass player's lot in life. They were all like, "you paid how much for that thing?!?!?"

Guitarists... geez. :rolls eyes:

All I've got left to get now is that Geddy clone SX, a rack mount tuner, and my Dr. Bass cabs, and I'm done... For now...
 
#30
phatduckk said:
you guys should use my craigslist search helper ;) its a basic looking site but it can search 100+ craigslist cities at the same time

http://www.phatduckk.com/clmm/msg.php

... and no i dont make any $ off the site at all. i just did it for fun and to help people like us find gear
Click to expand...

That's an awsome search function. It has been added to my favs and sent to my GAS support group; which is like bringing a bottle of Jack to an AA meeting. lol.
 
#31
...So the knobs have grown on me. I really like the way they're done, with the collet construction, and I don't think I'm going to fool with them.

First show with the Epic was this last Sunday, a Battle of the Bands, and I gotta tell you, it was a dream to play, sounded awesome through my BBE and DI'd to the house. My initial impression is a long-winded thing, but my first few notes at the bar spoke louder than the essay I typed up for this thing.

:hyper:
 
#32
My second bass was a 1981 Alembic Spoiler fretted four. I paid $600 for it used in 1990. The sales guy at the store that had taken it in trade was a hair metal guy who said, and I quote "I wouldn't paddle a ****in boat with that thing." Fair enough. You keep your Kramer with the rainbow under black crackle paint, I'll take the alembic.

It's one of those basses that is part of the family. I loved it so much that I ended up buying an alembic P style Activator for my first bass, a Yamaha BB300.

I love the Alembic sound. Heck, it's so "distinct" it's one of the modeled basses on the Variax basses. I've got a set of Alembic J style activators awaiting a project.

You'll love the Epic more each passing year.
 
#34
Crap---now I'm going to HAVE to get one NOW. I've been thinking of getting a medium scale Stanley Clarke for over a year, but had been OK waiting until you just HAD to describe the great sound of your Alembic SO WELLand DETAILED. NOW, I am going to have to sell my first born to get one----THANKS A BUNCH!!!;):)
 
#38
I've owned a few Alembics, and am still a huge fan of them. The ONLY reason I sold mine was that I found myself gradually moving towards more simple, passive sounding instruments. I kinda felt silly twiddling $3000 worth of electronics to find a sound that my $300 Mexi-Fenders had inherently right when first plugged in.

That being said, heck, yeah, I'd buy ANY Alembic for $800 that was in one piece!
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back