Amazing basses guys, thanks for sharing and thanks Mrfstop to wake this thread up again. Keep 'em coming, even previously owned, with specs and and details. It's always a source of ideas especially for who's planning to place an order.
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Show me your Alembics
- Thread starter echo008
- Start date
I can see an Elan 4, birdseye top in amberburst in the near future...
or maybe with a highly figured ziricote top...decishuns decishuns..
How about something like this one?
Jazzyvee
Roy Vogt
Supporting Member
- Sep 20, 2000
- 4,433
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- Endorsing Artist: Kiesel Basses, Ampeg Amplification, Hotone Ampero II effects
Roy, nice Series I. Do you still have it? Have you ever had any issues with older electronic, like unwanted noises?
Roy Vogt
Supporting Member
- Sep 20, 2000
- 4,433
- 537
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Kiesel Basses, Ampeg Amplification, Hotone Ampero II effects
There's an RF whistle in the high pass of the bridge pup if you crank it all the way, and the 5 pin Belden is getting a little tottery. I've just opted to use a stereo to mono cable and run on the internal 18 volts for now. I do have a Boogieman circuit card I may try in there a little later this year and see if it cleans things up. I may also get one of his power modules at some point and see how it works. She still sounds great, just a really heavy bass even with the hollow body wings!
I'm having similar issues with my '83 SII, the neck pickup was all the way down when I got it, raising it had a huge improvement on the noise but I'm not sure what ever is left is due to the blue power supply or there's more. I'm in the middle of some testing, but most likely I will ship it to Alembic for a general refurb.
Roy Vogt
Supporting Member
- Sep 20, 2000
- 4,433
- 537
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- Endorsing Artist: Kiesel Basses, Ampeg Amplification, Hotone Ampero II effects
Let me know what that costs and how that works for you. The last estimate I got was about 10 years ago and it was $1200, which was the purchase price of the bass.
Have you tried adjusting the hum-cancelling circuit. There are two adjustment screws on the back of the bass, and in my experience fiddling with them can make Series basses a good deal quieter. Here's a link to the Alembic website that shows how to do it...it's easy! Five minutes or less and a jeweler's screwdriver is all you need.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I've had Alembic do the Series upgrade on one of my older basses and it really does make them a lot quieter. I wouldn't think about it until I adjusted the hum-cancelling circuit, though.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I've had Alembic do the Series upgrade on one of my older basses and it really does make them a lot quieter. I wouldn't think about it until I adjusted the hum-cancelling circuit, though.
Roy Vogt
Supporting Member
- Sep 20, 2000
- 4,433
- 537
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Kiesel Basses, Ampeg Amplification, Hotone Ampero II effects
I have used the gain and hum adjusting trim pots with good results. The problem is a high pitched whistle when the Q switch is all the way up and the frequency sweep is at the high end of the frequency. I control it by keeping the Q in the middle position right now.
Swood, that was my next test, thank you for the link. When you say that the upgrade made them a lot quiter, do you mean it still has some hum but it's considered normal?
Roy, I spoke to Mica and the full upgrade is $1500. She said it would make it dead silent, better than when it came out of the factory back then.
Roy, I spoke to Mica and the full upgrade is $1500. She said it would make it dead silent, better than when it came out of the factory back then.
To me, the way is now, after raising the neck pickup is almost tolerable for the use I do of it. If I can reduce it a bit more by playing with the trim pots on the back, I'm more than happy, we'll see.
That high-pitched whistling Roy is describing sounds like something other than single-coil hum. I would suggest calling Alembic (don't e-mail) and describing the problem to them.
My post-upgrade Series bass is as quiet as any bass I've ever played. Certainly it's much more quiet than it once was, and much more quiet than, say, the typical Fender Jazz.
My post-upgrade Series bass is as quiet as any bass I've ever played. Certainly it's much more quiet than it once was, and much more quiet than, say, the typical Fender Jazz.
edwinhurwitz
Supporting Member
This is probably a different problem than what the updates address. My guess is it's a bad dual pot (probably the Q pot, but it could be the frequency pot) so that the two sections aren't tracking together. When they get out of whack, it can cause resonances, essentially electronic feedback, that sounds like whistling noises.
