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Alembic Club » Alembic Basses & Guitars » Archive 2006 » Archive through August 29, 2006 » Twillight Zone or Alembic Magic? « Previous Next »

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lg71
Member
Username: lg71

Post Number: 58
Registered: 3-2006
Posted on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - 6:47 pm:   Edit Post

This is what I got yesterday, all Alembic original parts, hidden in boxes inside boxes inside some other boxes... a real treasure. I understand some of you my laugh about it, but to me it is very precious, and there is nothing for sale here! This is NOT going on eBay, I have in fact already find use for most of it. My four Arias are going to have nice brand new inserts + new screws on their back plates. Then the two harness (filter, volume, balance) are going to form one harness, with Q-switches and 2 very very Fatboys, in fact, I have ordered the fattest in the whole factory:-) onto the SB 900...

Ok, this was my time to show off, I know it is not much for some of you, because when I see those beautiful Alembic basses that you guys have, I admire and just hope, wish, dream... one day maybe... on day, if not in this life... next life maybe... But I am not jealous, so please don't be jealous of my little collection:-)

alembicmagic
57basstra
Advanced Member
Username: 57basstra

Post Number: 249
Registered: 4-2005
Posted on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - 6:55 pm:   Edit Post

Hey LG...I have an Aria Pro II SB 900 I would never sell that I've had for many years. (As I've said before, if that bass could talk I woud be in a whole lotta trouble.) Your SB will be a monster with that setup. Matsumoku rocks!
lg71
Member
Username: lg71

Post Number: 59
Registered: 3-2006
Posted on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - 7:35 pm:   Edit Post

Hi 57basstra, what are you saying, that bass can't talk? Are we talking about the same specimen here? that bass can talk, but in Japanese, that's why most of us can't understand it! lol I am joking:-) these SBs rock to my taste, and I reckon, they were trying to copy Alembics it looks like.

I forgot to mention that one of the reason that convinced me to upgrade the pickups + electronics is because the SB 900 1982 models had the MB2 pickups, which were a downgrade and you can hear the difference if you A/B with the MB1s, all SB 1000s had MB1s, and in fact all pre 1980 models had MB1s, even SB 600/700 and so on, but after that it looks like they started to cut the cost for some reason... Same goes for the tunings, the newer one look and feel cheaper than the older ones, which had a sort of "locking" system, the newer where sealed. My SB 700 1980 has got the MB1 + better tunings then my SB 900 1982, (which was a more expensive model at the time), It doesn't make sense to me... But at least, I am aware of this little "secret". I got all mine second hands thru eBay in fact!

So, here is an advice for people looking for an old SB, if it is not a SB 1000, try to get an 80s made the latest, if you can. Well, I am not saying that the post 1980 are not good, but I am just saying that the pre 80s are better, you can recognize it by the head stock, the older one look like "bat ears" as opposed to an "open book" look, and first number of the serial number indicates the year i.e: should be 8, 9 or 0 (1978/1979/1980)
57basstra
Advanced Member
Username: 57basstra

Post Number: 252
Registered: 4-2005
Posted on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - 7:43 pm:   Edit Post

Actually there were a few gigs I played in the 1980s where I do believe I did hear the Aria talk.
lg71
Member
Username: lg71

Post Number: 61
Registered: 3-2006
Posted on Thursday, August 24, 2006 - 4:46 am:   Edit Post

Ah! I thought so. Check this out then: Marvin Gaye Live in Montreux 1980! with Bassist Frank Blair (who has played with Robert Palmer as well) on Aria SB 900 (looks customized though) and over here you can hear several snippets from that concert (with better sound quality than the video)...

I have to get the DVD, it's gonna be though to find one in the UK!
udo
New
Username: udo

Post Number: 1
Registered: 8-2006
Posted on Sunday, August 27, 2006 - 9:23 pm:   Edit Post

What is the name of those type of screws?
dfung60
Intermediate Member
Username: dfung60

Post Number: 198
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Sunday, August 27, 2006 - 11:38 pm:   Edit Post

The reason the screws look funny is that threaded inserts are threaded onto a lot of them.

In almost all instruments out there, you used small wood screws that screw into the body to attach the hardware, and you hope that you don't strip the threads in the wood when you remove and replace the screws. In Alembic's case, most of the screws are machine screws rather than wood screws. They put a "threaded insert" into the wood which is a little brass piece that has sharp wood screw threads on the outside of it's body and machine screw threads on the inside. When you attach something like the back plate, you now have a very precise and solid metal-to-metal attachment.
udo
New
Username: udo

Post Number: 2
Registered: 8-2006
Posted on Sunday, August 27, 2006 - 11:45 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks for the explanation, that was very helpful :-) Very nice idea that is.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 4348
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 - 6:04 pm:   Edit Post

Hi Udo; welcome to the board!

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