| Author | Message | ||
| series_iii
Member Username: series_iii Post Number: 74 Registered: 8-2005 |
i recently relocated my alembic collection from seattle to denver. they've been getting played alot, the ebony fingerboards are looking a little dry and it's about time for a fretboard oiling and string changing party (plus it's gray and misty here in denver today - makes me wax nostalgic for my huge music room with the big bay window in my old house....sigh) i sent my wife out for lemon oil and she came back with this stuff called weiman natural lemon oil. i checked the ingredients and it has no wax or silicones in it. however it does have white mineral oil in it. i looked in the lemon oil thread and i didn't see anything in particular mentioned about this. what say you? is this ok to use or should i hunt around for some pure unadulterated stuff? | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 4375 Registered: 5-2002 |
In this thread, Mica makes a distinction between the two which indicates to me that you should continue to "hunt around". | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 4376 Registered: 5-2002 |
There's also a mention of mineral oil in this thread. (Message edited by davehouck on September 02, 2006) (Message edited by davehouck on September 02, 2006) | ||
| series_iii
Member Username: series_iii Post Number: 77 Registered: 8-2005 |
dave, the link you gave is broken, i believe the correct one is: http://alembic.com/club/messages/393/7061.html btw - we were just at wild oats ( http://www.wildoats.com/u/home/ ) and they have small bottles of lemon essential oil which mica says "...pure essential lemon oil is the lemon oil I'm talking about. Just a few drops along the board works great. " looks like that's what i got! | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 4378 Registered: 5-2002 |
Sorry about that! And glad you found the lemon oil! | ||
| series_iii
Member Username: series_iii Post Number: 79 Registered: 8-2005 |
ok i spent about 4 hours last night eating smoked salmon, lemon oiling fretboards and restringing 3 alembics and a martin B1. the apartment smells nice and lemon-y now. those fingerboards were way overdue for a treatment and i could almost hear the basses breath sighs of relief after i was done. here's a little wood porn for you ebony afficionados. the lighting and angle really bring out the grain in the series I fretless neck.  the series II is much blacker with almost no hint of coloration.  | ||
| tbrannon
Intermediate Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 140 Registered: 11-2004 |
That shot of the Series II is gorgeous- the inlays have some beautiful color in them! Nice of you to shine up that headstock and get all them fingerprints off the tuners and nut before you snapped the photo. =) The ebony on the fretless is beautiful. Two series basses plus the Spider?!! You are sitting in a pocket of bliss aren't you? Congratulations and play 'em in good health~ | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 4382 Registered: 5-2002 |
Very nice!! | ||
| bob
Senior Member Username: bob Post Number: 701 Registered: 11-2002 |
Is there a full shot of that fretless somewhere? (yes, I could search...). Beautiful piece of wood, I can hear it sighing from here. | ||
| series_iii
Member Username: series_iii Post Number: 80 Registered: 8-2005 |
^^^^ http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/31037.html?1157113521 | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 664 Registered: 2-2006 |
That's a very nice fretless Tim. I played nothing but fretless in the 80's. Still have my old MM Sabre fretlees but wouldn't mind having an Alemic. Man I have got to stop looking at these pix. I'm running out of room in my music room. LOL | ||
| series_iii
Member Username: series_iii Post Number: 81 Registered: 8-2005 |
guess this thread has gone a little OT on the fretless. it's a sweetie. it was an incredibly lucky catch. back in 2000 i had a fretless essence that gave me deire to step up to a series instrument. it was in the waning days of the .com frenzy and i had perhaps a little more money than sense at the time. bunnybass has 3 fretless series I's up for grabs, this being the most expensive one. there was a graphite neck one that i made a play for but was sold before i could get the transaction completed. the gentleman who ran the site at the time (i forget his name) apparently felt kind of bad about it and let me have this one for the price the other one sold for. i couldn't get my checkbook out fast enough. the photos of this bass are probably still up there it their archive but it's now a pay site :-( those guys sure knew how to shoot bass porn! btw oiling the neck on this bass brought out the top end again. i really should have done it a long time ago.. | ||
| adriaan
Senior Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 1037 Registered: 6-2002 |
I've heard that if you ask nicely they'll send you a login and password for free. They sure know how to photograph musical instruments, but they were perhaps a little too optimistic - musicians that will pay to look in the shop window? There has to be a taboo on the merchandise if you want that business model to work.<g> | ||
| bkbass
Intermediate Member Username: bkbass Post Number: 108 Registered: 11-2003 |
Hey long in the tooth club members, I seem to recall Rick Turner speaking on lemon oil brands. Something like lemon grass extract or something like that.He also had commented on Canare cable and Flitz brass polish. I don't know where I read that stuff maybe Bass Player Mag.? Did Rick have a column at one time? Since he was a founding partner at Alembic I take him on his word. I use Canare cables and flitz. Can anyone out there remember his comments? | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 3563 Registered: 6-2000 |
Rick had a column in Bass Player. Clarification- he wasn't a founding partner of Alembic. He came on when the company was changed from a partnership between my parents (the founders) into a corporation. I recommend the lemon oil and Flitz, aren't I good enough for you, Barry ;-) Oh yeah, and Canare cable is good stuff too (though I personally prefer a heavier jacket). Reoiling really does wonders. It looks and feels so nice to play compared to a board that's all dried out. I love how the oil dissolves the dead skin cells that accumulate at the edges of the frets and cleans that gunk all away. Plus, if you use the pure lemon oil, it's got that great scent. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 4413 Registered: 5-2002 |
I prefer heavier jackets in the winter. | ||
| bob
Senior Member Username: bob Post Number: 704 Registered: 11-2002 |
I prefer climates where winter doesn't require heavier jackets. | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 709 Registered: 2-2006 |
ME TOO Bob, maybe even NO jackets. | ||
| longhorncat
Intermediate Member Username: longhorncat Post Number: 110 Registered: 8-2005 |
Just to add another source for lemon oil: Whole Foods Market They carry the Aura Cacia brand 100% Pure Essential Lemon Oil, for about $5 for a half ounce.  (Message edited by longhorncat on September 19, 2006) | ||
| groovelines
Advanced Member Username: groovelines Post Number: 361 Registered: 4-2003 |
Yup, same brand, same store I found it at. It does a wonderful job. But yeesh, it's gone up $3 in two years. Must be only the best lemmons... Ah, now you made me edit my post...$5 sounds much better. (Message edited by groovelines on September 20, 2006) | ||
| byoung
Advanced Member Username: byoung Post Number: 371 Registered: 12-2004 |
What do you expect at WholePaycheck, um, I mean WholeFoods? | ||
| bkbass
Intermediate Member Username: bkbass Post Number: 109 Registered: 11-2003 |
Sorry Mica, I don't know my Alembic history as well as I thought.(Damm your tests are hard!)Your lemon oil was never in question,if anybody knows anything about anything it is you.I take your word as the last word. SOOOO.....what cable gives your ears a tickle? | ||
| rockbassist
Member Username: rockbassist Post Number: 92 Registered: 8-2005 |
Believe it or not, you can find Pure Lemon Oil in most Bath & Body Stores. | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 3605 Registered: 6-2000 |
Barry - I like the old Belden 8424 for the 5-pin cables. It had a natural rubber jacket and it was HEAVY. If you were nice to that wire, it wouldn't curl and it always rested flat on the stage. I don't like cables where they go all coily even with proper storage techniques. For pure lemon oil, you can also get it at most health food stores in the aromatherapy section. | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 1025 Registered: 9-2002 |
About twice a year I do the 'fingerboard job': I tape off the f'board between the frets with that blue 3M lo-tack masking tape and use a very fine grade sanding sponge to shine up the frets, followed by steel wool to get that mirror finish. I'll run a toothpick (although those bamboo skewers work better and are virtually unbreakable) at the foot of the fret on each side to collect that crud. Then I pull the tape and put the lemon oil on and let it soak for about 20 minutes. Then I wipe off the remainder, new strings put on, tune, check the action/harmonics (waste of time, my neck has not appreciably moved in five years), and play the stretch out of the new strings. Done, it feels great! J o e y |
