| Author | Message | ||
| wishbass
Intermediate Member Username: wishbass Post Number: 159 Registered: 5-2011 |
Was just watching ELP,and wondered,just how many scorpions ar there? They seem to be the rarest of body styles.I can only think of one member who has a distillate w/a scorpion(my fav version)body.Anyone ,esp those of you who've been around awhile,know of anymore? (besides the one at GC in Hollywood).Just curious. | ||
| pauldo
Senior Member Username: pauldo Post Number: 790 Registered: 6-2006 |
+1 on the Distillate you mentioned Karl. I think Dave owns it - it is a beauty, certainly drool worthy. Paul TDO | ||
| wishbass
Intermediate Member Username: wishbass Post Number: 160 Registered: 5-2011 |
Yes Paul,that is the one! My current wish list is to build a EMW Spoiler,but of all the old school small bodies,that's my fav.It would be very tempting to switch to that, or something like it.Maybe just a smidge bigger for balance..... | ||
| adriaan
Moderator Username: adriaan Post Number: 2911 Registered: 6-2002 |
A Spoiler is not exactly a small body ...  | ||
| wishbass
Intermediate Member Username: wishbass Post Number: 161 Registered: 5-2011 |
Whoops! Good catch Adriaan.Let me clarify,If I were to go with something like Daves Distillate,I would want to make it a little bigger,like a Spoiler.It appears to me that Daves Scorpion is closer in size to a Stanely than a Spoiler. Of course I may be mistaken.=) | ||
| wishbass
Intermediate Member Username: wishbass Post Number: 162 Registered: 5-2011 |
By the way Adriaan,I thought I'd read somewhere that these scorpion Distillates were more common in Europe.Have you noticed this to be true? | ||
| adriaan
Moderator Username: adriaan Post Number: 2912 Registered: 6-2002 |
They might be less uncommon here, but that doesn't make them any more common than hen's teeth ... In any case, I've never seen one in the flesh. I'd even guess you stand a better chance finding one in Japan than in Europe. By the way, there are also 3/4 sized Spoilers out there - serial number with an R referring to the Japanese distributor at the time. | ||
| wishbass
Intermediate Member Username: wishbass Post Number: 163 Registered: 5-2011 |
Looking on the web I did find an 8st zebrawood, a 10st cocobolo, and a Series 1 w/a whammy,but they are all like Greg Lakes Scorpion.I think it would be nice if the Mothership posted some pics of some of the variations,as well as some of the more unusual builds they've done that have never made it to the Forum.Can't ever get enough.... | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 5097 Registered: 7-2004 |
Rarest of body styles? I suspect the pretzels could give the scorpions a run for their money for that title. Bill,tgo | ||
| wishbass
Intermediate Member Username: wishbass Post Number: 164 Registered: 5-2011 |
Pretzels? Any pics? I am still very much a newbie (1 year in July since my Elan came into my life),so I'm unfamiliar w/them. | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Senior Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 1175 Registered: 10-2006 |
And I seem to remember Mica or Susuan saying somewhere here that they made 6 peanuts - pretzels & peanuts; it's bar-food time! (Did they ever make a pickled egg?) Peter | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 2180 Registered: 10-2003 |
Compared to a Standard Point, the Spoiler is significantly smaller (and lighter). I've never seen a Scorpion up-close, except walking past the stage at an ELP show back in the day, so I have no real grasp of how large they are. I would assume very, and heavy. Definitely beautiful though. John | ||
| funkyjazzjunky
Senior Member Username: funkyjazzjunky Post Number: 752 Registered: 5-2007 |
Please show us pictures of the Scorpion | ||
| wishbass
Intermediate Member Username: wishbass Post Number: 167 Registered: 5-2011 |
My computer is my phone,so I haven't the ability to post pics from it(at least I haven't figired out how) to the forum. Perhaps Adriaan could.There are at least 2 variations I know of. | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 2182 Registered: 10-2003 |
http://www.ipass.net/jthrush/lake.jpg http://www.flickr.com/photos/stickk/3435706004/ | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1044 Registered: 1-2005 |
Karl asked me to post a pic for him, a sweet 10-string scorpion!!!  | ||
| wishbass
Intermediate Member Username: wishbass Post Number: 168 Registered: 5-2011 |
Thanks Harry! I wonder who owns this.I've not seen it in the showcase. | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 5099 Registered: 7-2004 |
Karl: Here's a link to my pretzel guitar, Old #10. And here's Johnny Winter's Guitar. These are the only two pretzels I am aware of, though I suspect there are more. Bill, tgo | ||
| wishbass
Intermediate Member Username: wishbass Post Number: 169 Registered: 5-2011 |
Wow.Those are high on the cool factor.I love wood carving,and it's always interesting to see it incorporated into musical instruments. | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Senior Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 1177 Registered: 10-2006 |
Don't forget pretzel 72-14. Peter | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 5100 Registered: 7-2004 |
Dohhh!!! Of course I should have remembered #10's fraternal twin. (Dope slap) Bill, tgo | ||
| rustyg61
Senior Member Username: rustyg61 Post Number: 456 Registered: 2-2011 |
Dave DeMarco has a really nice one too -  Featured in this thread - http://alembic.com/club/messages/65124/100679.html?1305582164 | ||
| wishbass
Intermediate Member Username: wishbass Post Number: 170 Registered: 5-2011 |
As mentioned above,I'm a big fan of Daves' Distillate.Sure wish he'd post more pics.=) (hint hint Dave!) | ||
| rustyg61
Senior Member Username: rustyg61 Post Number: 457 Registered: 2-2011 |
I wasn't sure which Dave you were talking about, I thought it might be Dave Houck since he has many more posts than Dave De Marco. | ||
| wishbass
Intermediate Member Username: wishbass Post Number: 171 Registered: 5-2011 |
That's fine.I'm glad you posted the pic. | ||
| rustyg61
Senior Member Username: rustyg61 Post Number: 459 Registered: 2-2011 |
This pic was the first Scorpion I had ever seen. If I ever get a custom made, this is the body I want! | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 2379 Registered: 5-2009 |
 This is the one that I played at Guitar Center in Hollywood in 5/09 (the number seems to a GC stock number) | ||
| rustyg61
Senior Member Username: rustyg61 Post Number: 460 Registered: 2-2011 |
That's an interesting wood pattern in the neckthrough part of the body! | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 2380 Registered: 5-2009 |
Rusty, yes , It is an interesting Bass. It is medium scale as I remember. When you look at it very closely it has some finish crackling but otherwise seems to be in decent shape. Who knows, ____it might still be hanging there @ the Holly Guitar Center. | ||
| rustyg61
Senior Member Username: rustyg61 Post Number: 461 Registered: 2-2011 |
We are coming to Hollywood to visit our son Easter weekend & I was hoping to go by GC while we're there so I'll see if it's still there. I'll post some pictures if it is. Thanks for the info Wolf! | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1050 Registered: 1-2005 |
My doubleneck has the pistol-grip - isn't that half of a scorpion?  | ||
| afrobeat_fool
Senior Member Username: afrobeat_fool Post Number: 431 Registered: 7-2009 |
That's the pic I'm using as a background for my laptop! | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 3119 Registered: 10-2002 |
Looks like you caught your knee on the jaggedy horn of your bass harry. I can come round with some sandpaper if you want it smoothed off :-) Graeme | ||
| rustyg61
Senior Member Username: rustyg61 Post Number: 463 Registered: 2-2011 |
Good one Graeme! | ||
| pauldo
Senior Member Username: pauldo Post Number: 794 Registered: 6-2006 |
I believe that is Nick playing Harry's bass. Dave DeMarco! He's the one I can never remember with the bass that I can never forget. Thanks for digging that up Rusty! That is one sweeeeeet Distillate! | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 5103 Registered: 7-2004 |
I just realized that pic was taken in my home studio! So Rusty, will your California trip include a venture north? If you're going to be this close, you really should check out the mothership if you can swing it. Bill, tgo | ||
| rustyg61
Senior Member Username: rustyg61 Post Number: 464 Registered: 2-2011 |
Paul, Dave plays with one of my favorite bands, Crack The Sky, as well as several other bands. You can check him out at http://www.davedemarco.com/ Bill, unfortunately we are only going to be in Hollywood for the weekend, so we won't have time to head to Santa Rosa. I toured the Mothership last June when we moved my son out there. It was an experience of a lifetime! I do plan to go back someday when I have more time! Rusty | ||
| afrobeat_fool
Senior Member Username: afrobeat_fool Post Number: 432 Registered: 7-2009 |
Yeah, that's me with the torn pants leg. I was going for that 80's look. :-) Really, my dog and I were scrapping earlier in the day and he took me out.  | ||
| jzstephan
Junior Username: jzstephan Post Number: 45 Registered: 1-2012 |
Nice piece of buckeye...  | ||
| wishbass
Intermediate Member Username: wishbass Post Number: 173 Registered: 5-2011 |
Boy! Wouldn't that look great on a Scorpion?I've not really been drawn to buckeye,but I can see the possibilities w/the right shape.... | ||
| jzstephan
Junior Username: jzstephan Post Number: 46 Registered: 1-2012 |
Oh, sorry, that was your dog. Never mind. | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1053 Registered: 1-2005 |
Another couple of pics from Karl:   The second one looks like a graphite neck maybe? | ||
| dfung60
Senior Member Username: dfung60 Post Number: 545 Registered: 5-2002 |
Indeed, Greg Lake's Pirate 8-string is graphite. If you have Bass Culture, the Entwistle collection book, you'll see that John owned this bass as well. In that book there is also another graphite Scorpion bass with a Bigsby vibrato! And the two basses in the previous post are different basses as well! I always called these "gunslingers". I believe they referred to this form at Alembic as the "pistol grip". Mica hasn't mentioned it yet, but way back in the 80's she visited me at my office with Greg Lake's guitar, which was the sibling of the bass in the first picture. If I remember correctly, it was also pistol grips and had amazing mythical beast inlays (I particularly remember a manticore on there, which was the symbol of ELP's record label). I'm a huge Greg Lake fan, so I should have bought this, but it had a signficant pricetag (just imagine what those inlays would cost today) and I wimped out. David Fung | ||
| wishbass
Intermediate Member Username: wishbass Post Number: 174 Registered: 5-2011 |
If you google images Alembic Scorpion,that bass w/the Bigsby shows up as well as the other 2.I'd post a pic but I'm unable from my phone. Very cool stuff about Greg Lake.Thanks for sharing David.(would love to see that guitar!) | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1054 Registered: 1-2005 |
I wonder when the earliest pistol grip was? Mine (the doubleneck) is from '75... | ||
| room037
Senior Member Username: room037 Post Number: 437 Registered: 9-2003 |
Santana's 73'-028 has pistol grip. | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1058 Registered: 1-2005 |
"Santana's 73'-028 has pistol grip." Thanks Eiji san! That would be this thread in which I was an active participant! I forgot that my question had already been answered. Maybe this guitar (Santana's) could be viewed as the earliest embryonic form of the Scorpion? | ||
| daved
Junior Username: daved Post Number: 34 Registered: 12-2002 |
Hi folks, I just saw this thread and will post some pix of my beloved Distillate/Scorpion when I get home. Coincidentally, I'm in the Napa Valley at this moment on a spur of the moment trip and I thought I'd take a chance and call Alembic to see if I could pop by for a quick visit. Wouldn't you know it - they close at 4pm and I called at exactly 4:01 so I missed them. It's just as well - I probably would have made an equally spur of the moment purchase. | ||
| wishbass
Intermediate Member Username: wishbass Post Number: 191 Registered: 5-2011 |
Hi David,can't wait! Your Scorpion is legendary, and there are far too few pictures of it! Would love to see it from all angles....... | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 7666 Registered: 6-2000 |
Awww shucks! I'm still here! but Napa is a good hour away. I will probably be here in the morning tomorrow, so email me if you will be in THIS valley then. I promise to only tempt you a little  |
