| Author | Message | ||
| flaxattack
Senior Member Username: flaxattack Post Number: 966 Registered: 4-2004 |
WHAT CAN ONE SAY? its a beautiful stunning masterpiece for one of the nicest people i have ever met...... mazel tov my friend,.,,, play long and prosper....... i had to copy the continuous wood everything on my tribute bass after seeing this months ago... | ||
| crgaston
Member Username: crgaston Post Number: 68 Registered: 11-2005 |
Dang it, Jeff, you beat me to it! Congratulations, Valentino, and great photos and writeup, Mica! | ||
| flaxattack
Senior Member Username: flaxattack Post Number: 967 Registered: 4-2004 |
my only comment i think a lighter background would bring out the bass more | ||
| lidon2001
Member Username: lidon2001 Post Number: 95 Registered: 4-2005 |
Congratulations Valentino! So many great instruments to show, yet long overdue. Tom | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 3060 Registered: 6-2000 |
I love this bass, even changed my wallpaper this month! Well, I can't do anything about the carpet, it is what it is. But just for you, Jeff, here it is on a white background. Enjoy! | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 659 Registered: 10-2003 |
Wow. I want Val to design one for me. I probably will need Santa Claus to pay for it though. Nice bass. Niiiiiice bass. John | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3169 Registered: 5-2002 |
Wow!!!! | ||
| keurosix
Junior Username: keurosix Post Number: 30 Registered: 10-2005 |
That is a stunning work of art! Absolutely breathtaking! Love the 5 point body shape, the tailpiece, the continuous coco everything.... | ||
| tubeperson
Junior Username: tubeperson Post Number: 12 Registered: 5-2005 |
Quite outstanding for an all around good guy. Val, this is even better than the perfect woman, no need to fuss over diamonds or fur coats. It gives you back unconditional love. Play her well, often and in good taste. You are the envy of us all. | ||
| the_8_string_king
Member Username: the_8_string_king Post Number: 77 Registered: 9-2005 |
Quite a stunning beauty, Val! I especially love the precision BTC on the back! | ||
| jaysimon
New Username: jaysimon Post Number: 4 Registered: 1-2006 |
Unreal. Just spectacular. Okay, I'll stop hitting you with adjectives. | ||
| dwmark
Member Username: dwmark Post Number: 67 Registered: 1-2005 |
Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. Also happy that a long-standing, mature company can still find the end of the envelope and push way beyond it. dw | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 991 Registered: 3-2004 |
Sweetest bass on the planet. It's amazing that such an out there instrument can also be so understated. Glad to see it finished and ready for action! | ||
| valvil
Moderator Username: valvil Post Number: 852 Registered: 7-2002 |
Thank you all, I can safely say in retrospect, that I got EVERYTHING right this time. No " I should have done this..". Of course working at the place helped a bit... Playing it is truly a blissful experience. Now if can just send my Low B2 to Andy at Acme and get it back soon, (it got raided, pillaged & pretty much rendered useless by some pesky mice), things would be even better....  At least Andy thanked me for making him laugh, he hadn't heard that one yet...didn't someone in the club go through this? Valentino | ||
| flaxattack
Senior Member Username: flaxattack Post Number: 969 Registered: 4-2004 |
 | ||
| flaxattack
Senior Member Username: flaxattack Post Number: 970 Registered: 4-2004 |
if i only had photo shop........ basssssssssss in sppaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaccccccccceeeeeee ok you kids breaks over back to work.,... lol | ||
| dejan
Junior Username: dejan Post Number: 24 Registered: 1-2006 |
Ciao Valentino,great bass.Beautiful wood and original tailpiece!I would like to ear the sound,if you recorded something,send it to me.Auguri! | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 504 Registered: 10-2002 |
Another fantastic COTM. Congratulations Val, it really is a stunner. I especially like the tailpiece. Is this now a standard Alembic body shape? Graeme | ||
| foth
Member Username: foth Post Number: 67 Registered: 12-2004 |
Hey Valentino, I love this bass! I've had the picture that you took for your FTC thread on my work computer for a long time. Nice to see it as the February COTM. | ||
| mpisanek
Intermediate Member Username: mpisanek Post Number: 151 Registered: 1-2005 |
What a beautiful bass!!! It amazes me that you can still even find a company that will work with a customer, any customer, to get them what they want, and not just try to get the customer to buy whatever it is they are selling! It would appear that even customers have great ideas!!!!!! Val, you have a truly amazing bass!! | ||
| ajdover
Advanced Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 311 Registered: 11-2003 |
Val, Congratulations on what must be a dream bass for you. While points, pistol grips, and omegas aren't my thing personally, I've got to admit your bass is beautiful. I love the bridge - the ebony saddles are cool. Enjoy it in the best of health. Best regards, Alan | ||
| dadabass2001
Senior Member Username: dadabass2001 Post Number: 526 Registered: 6-2002 |
Congratulations Val! Play her in excellent health and enjoy every note. Mike (another jealous one) | ||
| keith_h
Advanced Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 332 Registered: 2-2005 |
All I can say is it's beautiful (as I turn green with envy). Keith | ||
| zuperdog
Junior Username: zuperdog Post Number: 22 Registered: 11-2005 |
Contgrats, Val! A beautiful companion! | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 1728 Registered: 9-2003 |
Very nice, Val. Your taste is impeccable! | ||
| lowlife
Advanced Member Username: lowlife Post Number: 204 Registered: 12-2003 |
The "Bird of Prey" must have an awesome sound. Congrts Val! Ellery (Lowlife) | ||
| rami
Senior Member Username: rami Post Number: 532 Registered: 6-2002 |
Val, your Bass is just spectacular. I'm getting more of those ideas for a "potential" future project - after I vowed that the "Black Byrd" would be my last. Congrats, Rami | ||
| tom_z
Advanced Member Username: tom_z Post Number: 286 Registered: 7-2004 |
Val - Your bass is stunning! What a triumph of Art and Engineering. Congratulations. I eagerly look forward to your future instruments. =) Tom | ||
| tom_z
Advanced Member Username: tom_z Post Number: 287 Registered: 7-2004 |
By the way - I'd love to see a gallery of the "Valentino Series" of instruments some time. | ||
| southpaw
Junior Username: southpaw Post Number: 45 Registered: 12-2004 |
Val, How does the ebony sustain bar differ from the brass one? tone, weight, sustain?... I am interested in changing to ebony and would like your opinion. Stunning bass Val, congrats. | ||
| rklisme
Advanced Member Username: rklisme Post Number: 289 Registered: 5-2004 |
Val Very cool, enjoy! Rory | ||
| jaysimon
New Username: jaysimon Post Number: 5 Registered: 1-2006 |
i also wonder about the ebony vs the brass, might this become a new option on upcoming instruments? | ||
| valvil
Moderator Username: valvil Post Number: 853 Registered: 7-2002 |
Well, even though I have a second bridge with brass saddles, as well as a second nut made of brass, I must confess that I've never tried putting those on to hear the difference. Part of the reason is that I love the sound of it as it is, the other part is that I just never got around to it. But soon I'll be taking a week off work and among other things I plan to try that combination. So far my impression ( and James' as well) is that you get a slightly woodier sound with ebony saddles and nut. Also open notes and the fretted notes sound very similar. In regards to ebony saddles being available for order, the answer is yes. We already have a customer that has requested them for his bass after seeing them on mine. Paul, I'm not sure if you are referring to the saddles or the bridge block. The saddles are ebony but the bridge block is regular brass, just covered by a piece of coco bolo. Valentino (Message edited by valvil on February 08, 2006) | ||
| bob
Senior Member Username: bob Post Number: 579 Registered: 11-2002 |
Here's another little nudge to get you to swap out the saddles. The difference between open and fretted notes should only be affected by the nut (you know this, of course), so I'm mostly curious what difference the saddles make. Of course, if future saddles will be ebony on top of brass, then this might not tell us as much, but it would still be quite interesting. Much as I generally dislike pointy things, this is a beauty, Val. Enjoy. -Bob | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 623 Registered: 9-2002 |
Over the course of the Featured Customs, there's always some I like, a few I really love, yet more than I would expect fall into the 'What WERE they thinking???' file. No reflection on ALEMBIC, just the side effect of someone being able to get just EXACTLY they wanted. And I'm very 'old school'; some of the new shapes are I'm sure necessary, but I could NEVER warm up to some of them. But . . . leave it to an Italian ! ! Double V, I am just dumbstruck looking at this bass. The 'tailoring' if you will is just so precisely balanced among the colors of the woods and the woods you selected. And I'm really not usually inclined towards the dark woods. I really like the tailpiece, and the idea of ebony nut and saddle echoes the idea of a brass nut to match the sound of the metal frets. I would like to suggest that this become a Signature model in fretless only. I can only imagine what Alain Caron or Gary Willis would sound like on this remarkable instrument, not to mention you, paisan! I'm really amazed at the shapes you've conjured up, and just how much they 'hit' me. I can scarcely imagine the line that would have formed at NAMM to see this bass. J o e y | ||
| jeff
Intermediate Member Username: jeff Post Number: 117 Registered: 12-2003 |
Valentino, Ever since I first saw the pictures you posted of this bass on the club website, I have been in awe. Your bass has to be one of the most beautiful Alembics ever made and is truly inspiring. I'm so glad that a good guy like yourself is the proud owner. Congratulations my friend. Jeff | ||
| jack
Junior Username: jack Post Number: 37 Registered: 11-2005 |
Really dig that tailpiece. Awesome. What does this mean: "Since the string nut and saddles are made of Ebony (more on that later), the tailpiece needed that little Ebony shim under it. " Is that because the ebony is a bit more delicate than brass, so less of an angle to the tailpiece? Does that effect tension? Why not make the tailpiece taller rather than slip a shim under it (unless the brass was already machined, I guess)? Or did I misunderstand shim? -Jack | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 3073 Registered: 6-2000 |
I need to reword that - it's referring to the decorative feature of the Ebony shim. On some of the models, the tailpiece is made from a chunk of Ebony with a brass overlay. Many of the early instruments we build were made this way out of necessity. Now we do it only for decoritive purposes. | ||
| kenbass4
Advanced Member Username: kenbass4 Post Number: 203 Registered: 10-2003 |
Jack, I may be mistaken, but I think the "need" was an asthetic one, to give it a more balanced appearance. Valentino - Congratulations on the FC. And thank you for letting me play it when I visited. It made me order my current Series 2. HEY!!! I guess I was right! It happens occasionally. (Message edited by kenbass4 on February 09, 2006) | ||
| jack
Junior Username: jack Post Number: 38 Registered: 11-2005 |
I got it. "needed that ebony shim" not as in required but demanded. Like my girlfriend 'needs' a new handbag to go with a new dress (and new shoes, and new jewelry...). Thanks for clarification. I checked it out on the original Factory to Customer thread too. What a bass! | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 960 Registered: 7-2004 |
Hey Val, Congrats! Beeeeeeeauuuutiful bass. I got back from NY last night. For some reason every time I checked the site on my mom's computer in NY, the FOTM was still Owl (no slouch either). I was reading all this stuff about your bass, but the only picture I saw was Scott's Further. I just went on line at home and "voila" there's the Bird! Awesome. I especially love the headstock omega. May you play it in good health for many years to come. Bill, tgo | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 512 Registered: 10-2002 |
Bill. You may just need to click refresh on the explorer bar. Sometimes all you're seeing is the cached images. Graeme | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 964 Registered: 7-2004 |
Graeme: I tried that, but it didn't work. My mom uses AOL, so maybe that had something to do with it. Bill, tgo | ||
| byoung
Advanced Member Username: byoung Post Number: 203 Registered: 12-2004 |
Bill, AOL uses caching pretty agressively. This has been known to cause problems; fortunately, it saves on their bandwidth bills so they can let more spam in. Sarcasm aside, you were viewing a cached copy from AOL's servers, rather than what was on the actual Alembic site. Brad | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 966 Registered: 7-2004 |
Brad, thanks for clearing up the mystery. I was hoping it wasn't my mother's fault! LOL Bill, tgo |
