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Alembic Club » Alembic Basses & Guitars » Archive through March 01, 2013 » The origin of the adjustable brass nut.Warwick,Alembic,who?? « Previous Next »

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smokin_dave
Advanced Member
Username: smokin_dave

Post Number: 356
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Thursday, February 21, 2013 - 8:23 am:   Edit Post

According to this video posted by Warwick it's an in-house invention......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LWRosmx4HVY

I've alway's thought it was an Alembic creation.
It sure is a great thing but who should get credit?
811952
Senior Member
Username: 811952

Post Number: 2272
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Thursday, February 21, 2013 - 8:47 am:   Edit Post

Alembic. At the time, Beverly told me that my bass (811952) was the prototype for it (in the shop in '82 for some work), and that the idea was Entwistle's. There's been some discussion on this site about it, and some dispute over when Alembic started it but it's agreed that Alembic was the first..

John

(Message edited by 811952 on February 21, 2013)
nnek
Member
Username: nnek

Post Number: 85
Registered: 8-2009
Posted on Thursday, February 21, 2013 - 9:06 am:   Edit Post

Curious....Warwick as a company did not exist before 1982.
tubeperson
Senior Member
Username: tubeperson

Post Number: 409
Registered: 5-2005
Posted on Thursday, February 21, 2013 - 9:22 am:   Edit Post

They may using Framus as how long they have been in business. Framus was owned by Mr. Wilfer's father, and then he assumed control of that company, which was a predecessor to Warwick. Not that I am defending their claim mind you.....
nnek
Member
Username: nnek

Post Number: 86
Registered: 8-2009
Posted on Thursday, February 21, 2013 - 9:26 am:   Edit Post

Well Framus is quite a bit older... my first guitar was a Framus and that was purchased new in 1962. They were'nt a new company even then.
adriaan
Moderator
Username: adriaan

Post Number: 3020
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Thursday, February 21, 2013 - 11:35 am:   Edit Post

My grandfather built a mandolin for my mother, could easily be 75 years ago, and as a skilled carpenter and clarinet player (and a father of five with a small budget) he had to improvise. So instead of a bone nut, it has a little L-shaped metal plate, with slots for the strings, which is suspended by two screws (originally, one is now missing) and is therefore a height-adjustable nut.

The mandolin has a nice inlay of a butterfly in a flamed Afrormosia top veneer. (That is an actual wood species, I looked it up as I wrongfully doubted my mom's memory!) The body is plywood. but the back and sides have a beautiful walnut veneer, and the neck looks like it may be solid mahogany. Too bad the top looks so cracked, and the tuners are in bad shape, I don't dare to string it up completely.
jarlmos
New
Username: jarlmos

Post Number: 8
Registered: 1-2013
Posted on Thursday, February 21, 2013 - 12:35 pm:   Edit Post

The first warwick was made in 1982. I have a Warwick Streamer from 1983/84. It has a brass nut, but it isn't adjustable. I don't know when they introduced the "just-a-nut" (thats what they call their adjustable brass nut) but that was later, maybe in the late 80's.
jarlmos
New
Username: jarlmos

Post Number: 9
Registered: 1-2013
Posted on Thursday, February 21, 2013 - 12:46 pm:   Edit Post

I did a little research and found page on talkbass
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f238/warwick-difference-our-just-nut-iii-adjustable-nut-960151/
where warwick officialy states that they introduced the adjustable nut in 1987
tubeperson
Senior Member
Username: tubeperson

Post Number: 413
Registered: 5-2005
Posted on Thursday, February 21, 2013 - 1:13 pm:   Edit Post

This should make for a lively exchange between Warwick and Alembic. Warwick seems to copy several manufacturers.
nnek
Member
Username: nnek

Post Number: 87
Registered: 8-2009
Posted on Thursday, February 21, 2013 - 7:06 pm:   Edit Post

According to that link Warwick invented it in 87?
There seems to be plenty of Alembics prior to 87 with factory installed adjustable brass nuts as original equipment.
harald_rost
Advanced Member
Username: harald_rost

Post Number: 228
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Thursday, February 21, 2013 - 11:30 pm:   Edit Post

I have a Warwick Thumb from 1987 and it already has an adjustable brass nut. But other than the new one every string is running over a screw for moving up or down the string.
smokin_dave
Advanced Member
Username: smokin_dave

Post Number: 357
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Friday, February 22, 2013 - 4:48 am:   Edit Post

It seems to me that if there is a patent on it that there would be a cease and desist order on the horizon aimed at whomever falsley makes the inventor claim ya' think?

(Message edited by smokin dave on February 22, 2013)
pauldo
Senior Member
Username: pauldo

Post Number: 934
Registered: 6-2006
Posted on Friday, February 22, 2013 - 5:22 am:   Edit Post

This whole thread sounds nuts to me. . . .
tncaveman
Intermediate Member
Username: tncaveman

Post Number: 159
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Friday, February 22, 2013 - 5:24 am:   Edit Post

I just posted a few pics of pre-87 Alembics on the TB forum. I figured "what the heck".

And, by the way, I'm also a French model - bonjour. (you know - everything on the Internet is true ;o)

Stephen
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 5350
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Friday, February 22, 2013 - 1:05 pm:   Edit Post

Bond Electraglide guitars, perhaps the most innovative electric guitar ever produced (approximately 1400 made in Scotland in 1984-85) have adjustable nuts. That certainly predates Warwick's 1987 claim.

Bill, tgo
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 7930
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Friday, February 22, 2013 - 1:19 pm:   Edit Post

Warwick's adjustable nut is different from ours, is it not?

I'm not exactly sure when we started installing them regularly, but I think it was 1982. At least that what the 5 minutes I was willing to spend on this today revealed.

added:
Well, I looked at the video, and these are not the "just-a-nut" type, they certainly do resemble our adjustable nut a good deal.

(Message edited by mica on February 22, 2013)
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 11019
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Friday, February 22, 2013 - 4:47 pm:   Edit Post

1982 is my recollection from previous discussions and from looking at instrument pictures for when Alembic started putting them on as standard. As Stephen suggested, you can get a pretty quick idea by looking through the Showcase section.
edwin
Senior Member
Username: edwin

Post Number: 1429
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Friday, February 22, 2013 - 9:00 pm:   Edit Post

I remember those Bond guitars. There was a shop in Boston that was blowing them out really cheap and sometimes I regret not picking up one for fun.
hifiguy
Advanced Member
Username: hifiguy

Post Number: 361
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Friday, February 22, 2013 - 11:08 pm:   Edit Post

Alembic. Period. No question - at least for instruments that anyone ever saw in any quantity. I owned a 1992 German-made Warwick Corvette Pro that I bought new back in the day and promptly noticed that it had an Alembic-style nut, though the execution was different. The Warwick nut had individually adjustable brass screws for each string that were secured into a brass plate at the head end of the neck.
mario_farufyno
Senior Member
Username: mario_farufyno

Post Number: 880
Registered: 9-2008
Posted on Saturday, February 23, 2013 - 6:00 pm:   Edit Post

Warwick copy designs from everybody, Spector body shape, Steinberg headless...
alembickoa
Intermediate Member
Username: alembickoa

Post Number: 122
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Sunday, February 24, 2013 - 9:41 pm:   Edit Post

I had a 1981 Series I and a 1982 Spoiler, each of which had an adjustable nut. My 1999 Orion also has one. They are a magnificent tool.

Blessings...Steve
that_sustain
Intermediate Member
Username: that_sustain

Post Number: 113
Registered: 8-2012
Posted on Monday, February 25, 2013 - 6:02 am:   Edit Post

How low can one go? Much lower with that adjustable brass nut.
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 5353
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Monday, February 25, 2013 - 9:04 am:   Edit Post

Edwin:

You want a Bond? I have an extra one, if you're interested.

Bill, tgo
edwin
Senior Member
Username: edwin

Post Number: 1434
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Monday, February 25, 2013 - 10:15 am:   Edit Post

It's tempting but I'm actually needing to sell more gear (Anyone want a 1956 ES140T with early patent number humbuckers?). This whole thing of continuing medical trauma in the family and then taking a year off before I start working is taking a toll.
rusty_the_scoob
Member
Username: rusty_the_scoob

Post Number: 53
Registered: 6-2008
Posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2013 - 9:01 am:   Edit Post

Double-post, sorry!

(Message edited by Rusty_the_Scoob on February 26, 2013)
rusty_the_scoob
Member
Username: rusty_the_scoob

Post Number: 54
Registered: 6-2008
Posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2013 - 9:08 am:   Edit Post

The story I heard - and take it with a grain of salt because I can't verify it - was that it was Phil's bass tech in the late 60's/early 70's. He set up one of Phil's basses and Phil complained that the nut was too high. So the tech filed it down and he complained that it was too low. He filled the slots and again Phil complained that it was too high. So one of the other techs said "why don't you make it adjustable so he can set it himself?"

No idea if it's true and can't remember where I heard it, but I liked the story.
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 2797
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2013 - 5:00 pm:   Edit Post

Dan ( rusty the scoob) I have heard the same story !

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