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rustyg61
Senior Member
Username: rustyg61

Post Number: 1257
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Monday, July 07, 2014 - 1:26 pm:   Edit Post

Last week I was on vacation in California starting at The Mothership, then driving up the Pacific Coast Hiway seeing sights along the way. We made a stop in Carmel By The Sea & I saw on the map that there was a vintage guitar store in town, so I decided to stop in & see what they had. To my great surprise they have a custom Alembic guitar that was built for Dickey Betts of The Allman Brothers! The guitar was built around '73/74, but I couldn't find a serial number, so it may have been a one of a kind custom hand made by Rick Turner that had no serial number. Mica can probably shed more light on the origins, but they did have a letter from Rick Turner talking about the build & in it he says there would be no record at Alembic of this guitar. on the same letter there is a hand written note from Dickey Betts telling how he got the guitar & what he did with it. The binding around the guitar is all brass & the headstock doesn't look like any Alembic I've ever seen, but it does have the Alembic logo. It is a Series I guitar & the owner of the shop said he has the DS5 & cable & that everything works on it. Currently the guitar is not for sale, but he said if he did ever sell it he would ask around $30K. The shop is Rumble Seat Music in Carmel. Their number is 831-293-8299 if you want to call & ask about the guitar. They have a nice selection of guitars & basses, so I recommend checking them out if you are ever in Carmel.













davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 11410
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Monday, July 07, 2014 - 2:51 pm:   Edit Post

Great that you got to see this guitar in person; and great pics too!

Roger posted a couple of threads on this guitar a few years ago; here and here.
hammer
Senior Member
Username: hammer

Post Number: 528
Registered: 9-2009
Posted on Monday, July 07, 2014 - 3:04 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks for the history lesson. Very interesting story.
cozmik_cowboy
Senior Member
Username: cozmik_cowboy

Post Number: 1727
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Monday, July 07, 2014 - 3:19 pm:   Edit Post

The 2nd pic in the 1st thread Dave links is in Gregg's autobiography ("Dickie showing me his Alembic guitar"); nice to see more of it! (An Alembic with the TRC on the headstock! I wonder how few of those there are.)

Peter

(Message edited by coZmik_cowboy on July 07, 2014)
pauldo
Senior Member
Username: pauldo

Post Number: 1208
Registered: 6-2006
Posted on Monday, July 07, 2014 - 3:47 pm:   Edit Post

Awesome find Rusty!
Thanks for sharing the pics and info.
She is a beauty.
jazzyvee
Senior Member
Username: jazzyvee

Post Number: 4116
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Monday, July 07, 2014 - 3:59 pm:   Edit Post

Great looking guitar, something I'd imagine Bill tgo would like the look of too. Did you get a chance to plug and play?
That mushroom on the back of the headstock looks familiar for some reason. I must have seen it on another guitar or logo.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 11414
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Monday, July 07, 2014 - 4:03 pm:   Edit Post

The mushroom is an Allman Brothers logo.
rustyg61
Senior Member
Username: rustyg61

Post Number: 1258
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Monday, July 07, 2014 - 5:17 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks for the links Dave. I figured there was probably something on here about the guitar, but at least we know who the current owner is now & where it can be seen if anyone happens to be in Carmel.
rustyg61
Senior Member
Username: rustyg61

Post Number: 1259
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Monday, July 07, 2014 - 5:20 pm:   Edit Post

Jazzyvee, I did not plug the guitar in, but I did play it a little. The action was a little high by Alembic standards, but it played very well!
rustyg61
Senior Member
Username: rustyg61

Post Number: 1260
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Monday, July 07, 2014 - 5:25 pm:   Edit Post

Correction on the binding, I was told by the shop owner that it was brass, but according to Roger it is sterling silver. The finish has yellowed so it looks like brass now.
dead_head
Junior
Username: dead_head

Post Number: 18
Registered: 5-2014
Posted on Monday, July 07, 2014 - 8:28 pm:   Edit Post

That's beautiful, Rusty. Thanks for sharing the pics and the story. Very interesting.
edwin
Senior Member
Username: edwin

Post Number: 1797
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Friday, July 11, 2014 - 9:58 pm:   Edit Post

Looks good on you, Rusty. I say you go back and snap it up. You don't have to tell the wife, it will be our secret.
rustyg61
Senior Member
Username: rustyg61

Post Number: 1271
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Friday, July 11, 2014 - 10:16 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks Edwin, but my wife was nice enough to let me have a custom Europa being built now, so I'm not going to push my luck!
oddmetersam
Advanced Member
Username: oddmetersam

Post Number: 361
Registered: 7-2008
Posted on Saturday, July 12, 2014 - 12:57 am:   Edit Post

Rusty, thanks for this cool thread! Man, that guitar looks REALLY good on you. Next time I'm in Carmel for the Pebble Beach Concours I'll make it a point to swing by, myself...
rustyg61
Senior Member
Username: rustyg61

Post Number: 1272
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Saturday, July 12, 2014 - 1:18 pm:   Edit Post

Glad you liked it Sam!

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