NBD - My most Epic bass yet!

[ajkula66]

Congratulations on your "new" bass. May it serve you well.

Alembics are something that each bass player should experience, whether they end up liking them or not.

If the bass were mine, I'd leave the rust and everything else "as-is", but you are the rightful owner so proceed as you deem fit.

Play it in good health and enjoy!

 

[Hot Rats]

Maybe I got yours?

Nah, I already looked to see if you did. The flame stripes are all different. Would have been neat if you had!

 

[rickdog]

Indeed I have but I haven't yet received a response. What kind of information would this be?

Alembic keeps a file of records for (almost) every instrument they've built. It will tell you things like all the woods used, custom details (like the fret markers) and its official birthday.

Mica waits until a "reasonable" number of records requests stack up and she has some time, then goes into the files to look them all up. It can take several months for the response (mine took from mid-August until early November), so be patient!

 

[Iridescentone]

That looks like a nice one, grats.

Thanks for reminding me I still have a bass on my Bucket List!

 

[MAJOR METAL]

Very cool! Rock it in good health!

 

[Killing Floor]

Congrats!

 

[StevieMac]

This is so great, huge congratulations to you.

 

[bassist4dalord]

Congratulations!

 

[MrAB4003]

Hailing from Mumbai in India, I never thought I'd be in the same room as an Alembic bass, much less own one. I don't know of any other Alembic in India before or since although I could be wrong.

I am the proud owner of an Alembic Epic IV Limited Edition bass.

It's only minutes since the bass arrived from a seller in Portland Oregon, after being stuck at customs for days on end. It's much lighter than my Music Mans but this could be attributed to the Mono Betty strap I'm using. The tone is as clear as advertised and the bass really holds up for something this old. I love everything about it so far.

I plugged it in and the clarity is as advertised. I know people say that an Alembic highlights your mistakes, and I suppose I know why they may feel that way. Excited to jam with it at some point with my band and see if it holds up as compared to the modern Elrick and Sadowskys I've been playing recently. Should I take the rust off, or let it show the wear and tear?


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Congrats on your Alembic Epic! You weren't lying when you said it was your most epic bass yet!

Play it in good health and keep having fun!

 

[CaptainLeisure]

Congrats! I bought a five-string twin of yours a few months ago. (Except, regrettably, no fret markers). It's hard to believe this is the cheapest model they ever made -- it just oozes quality. Mine needed a little setup tweak after being shipped halfway across the US. I added a little relief to the neck, adjusted the pickup height, and lowered the bridge. All were extremely easy to do, much easier than other instruments I've had. A little polish on a rag brightened up the brass in a few seconds. My only gripe is the invisible fret markers on the side of the fingerboard. I've had to rely on stick-on dots. Also, you mentioned that yours is surprisingly light -- mine, not so much.

 

[direktor]

Congrats, mang.

I know what it’s like to get that rush from successfully importing something. Not so bad after you do it once.

 

[Rdore2000]

Congrats, mang.

I know what it’s like to get that rush from successfully importing something. Not so bad after you do it once.

Haha third time this year. And it's far worse in India from what I know because you pay 50% of the instrument cost in customs. I thankfully found a deal I could afford thanks to Reverb to make this one happen. Since it was UPS, it was delivered to my doorstep. When I ordered my Elrick, I had to visit the post office to collect it and clear all customs costs. The postman was like - can't you just get a cheaper bass at a local store? LOL.

 

[Rdore2000]

Congrats! I bought a five-string twin of yours a few months ago. (Except, regrettably, no fret markers). It's hard to believe this is the cheapest model they ever made -- it just oozes quality. Mine needed a little setup tweak after being shipped halfway across the US. I added a little relief to the neck, adjusted the pickup height, and lowered the bridge. All were extremely easy to do, much easier than other instruments I've had. A little polish on a rag brightened up the brass in a few seconds. My only gripe is the invisible fret markers on the side of the fingerboard. I've had to rely on stick-on dots. Also, you mentioned that yours is surprisingly light -- mine, not so much.

It is 9.4 lbs, which is a lot more than I'm used to (my Sadowsky is 7.7 lbs and Elrick is 8.3) but I believe it's a good weight for an Alembic?

 

[Rdore2000]

I own a lot of premium basses - Sadowsky Metroline and an Elrick NJS which are absolutely brilliant, but it just feels like the Alembic smokes them in every single department. The preamp is so different from the Sadowsky and Bartonini preamp which are both brilliant in their own right.

 

[rickdog]

It is 9.4 lbs, which is a lot more than I'm used to (my Sadowsky is 7.7 lbs and Elrick is 8.3) but I believe it's a good weight for an Alembic?

My Epic-shaped custom is 10 lbs. 6 oz. according to the information provided by the shop where I bought it; it's the heaviest bass I own. Yet I don't notice it's especially heavy when I'm playing it, probably because of the comfortable body shape and its balance.