| Author | Message | ||
| rusty_the_scoob
Junior Username: rusty_the_scoob Post Number: 13 Registered: 6-2008 |
UPS just delivered my custom-built, sorta Alembicish 5-string Phil bass! Huge thanks to everyone here for answering my questions during the design phase. I used a Warmoth 5 piece neck, of birdseye maple and purpleheart with a Ziricote fingerboard. That's bolted onto a homemade Batwing body with a center section fo the same woods as the neck, an ebony strip on either side of that, and body wings made of Mahogany with accent layers of maple, purpleheart, and a Cocobolo top and back with continuous wood backplate. The hardware is Gotoh GB7 tuners, a Warwick bridge and adjustable nut (both Alembic copies IMHO) with Bartolini's original series pickups and an ACG filter-based preamp. Sensing a theme yet? Yep, I made it as close as possible to an Alembic but unfortunately my budget didn't allow any real Alembic parts. The sound I'm after is Phil's Godfather or Mission Control. Here is my Flickr photo album, with captions so you can follow this from beginning to end if you're interested. http://www.flickr.com/photos/danfcrea/sets/72157606940563012/ Or just check out the finished product: [img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3008/3002157786_99d2e99bfa_b.jpg[/img] [img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3204/3002188360_745dfdc0fe_b.jpg[/img] | ||
| llobsterbass
Junior Username: llobsterbass Post Number: 35 Registered: 5-2004 |
wow, gorgeous! tell us more about the ACG filter preamp. links? thanks. | ||
| llobsterbass
Junior Username: llobsterbass Post Number: 36 Registered: 5-2004 |
(Message edited by llobsterbass on November 07, 2008) | ||
| llobsterbass
Junior Username: llobsterbass Post Number: 37 Registered: 5-2004 |
never mind, I found it ACG/East preamp | ||
| rusty_the_scoob
Junior Username: rusty_the_scoob Post Number: 14 Registered: 6-2008 |
Yep, that's the one! I got the 5k version rather than the J-retro, and that's the same site I bought it from. http://www.bestbassgear.com/acg-eq-02-two-pu.htm As I understand it it's very much like the Series preamp except without a blend knob (which I would love to have). I also added switches for the pickups to give the options of Single/Humbucker/other-single, but would eventually like to find a way to make them Single/Series/Parallel. | ||
| edwin
Advanced Member Username: edwin Post Number: 363 Registered: 5-2002 |
I have the same preamp in my Starfire. Edwin  | ||
| keurosix
Advanced Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 379 Registered: 10-2005 |
Dan, Very impressive! I too have an ACG EQ-02 preamp 4K/T version on my Dean Edge fretless 6 string. It is a very high end quiet quiet quiet preamp - no audible hiss whatever - and quite a lot of tonal control. The filter is different than the Alembic filter - it has a broader sweep, from ultra low to extremely high - almost like the SF-2, but with a different tonal center frequency, almost as if the "Q" switch was up an octave. Not exactly the Alembic sound, but really great nonetheless. Here are some pics:   Enjoy! Kris | ||
| rusty_the_scoob
Junior Username: rusty_the_scoob Post Number: 15 Registered: 6-2008 |
Thanks for that info, Kris... I've only ever played an Epic... I'd been wondering what the differences were. Looks like you've got a nice big electronics cavity too... How's that Starfire sound, Edwin? That might end up being my next project in a year or two... pretty much exactly what you built. | ||
| edwin
Advanced Member Username: edwin Post Number: 364 Registered: 5-2002 |
It sounds wonderful. I am fantasizing about an ebony fingerboard, though...... Edwin | ||
| edwin
Advanced Member Username: edwin Post Number: 365 Registered: 5-2002 |
It sounds wonderful. Out of all my instruments, it's the one that people seem to comment the most about. Engineers love it. I am fantasizing about an ebony fingerboard, though...... Edwin | ||
| flaxattack
Senior Member Username: flaxattack Post Number: 2115 Registered: 4-2004 |
 | ||
| rusty_the_scoob
Junior Username: rusty_the_scoob Post Number: 18 Registered: 6-2008 |
Yeah. I found that bass here while doing research for my build. I did what I could with my humble imitation, and bow to the real masters. | ||
| llobsterbass
Junior Username: llobsterbass Post Number: 38 Registered: 5-2004 |
Holy Moses, flaxattack! too beautiful to be real, it must be Photoshop. Or Alembic. what year was it built? I want to check out the build files. more pictures! | ||
| 3rd_ray
Intermediate Member Username: 3rd_ray Post Number: 131 Registered: 2-2008 |
That is a beautiful bass... http://alembic.com/club/messages/631/36825.html?1211001141 | ||
| rogueman
Junior Username: rogueman Post Number: 24 Registered: 1-2006 |
Nice wood and I like the way the pickups are the same as the wood. What is that little pear shaped Knob slightly above the two toggle switches? | ||
| flaxattack
Senior Member Username: flaxattack Post Number: 2125 Registered: 4-2004 |
bass control- pickup selector- master volume ind volume and q filters |
