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Alembic Club » Owning an Alembic » Fun Stories » Archive through April 24, 2003 » How does a Series I sound? Alembics in Boston-area? « Previous Next »

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Ken O (ken)
New
Username: ken

Post Number: 1
Registered: 7-2002
Posted on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 7:03 am:   Edit Post

Hi Everyone, this is my first post, so I'll get the stupid question out of the way! Hi Mica! Hi Spose!

Anybody know where I can try out a Series Alembic bass in the Boston Area?

Excuse my ignorance. I have a Exploiter/Spoiler now...does it sound like an Alembic Series bass? It certainly can mimic some recorded sounds I've heard on Stanley CDs and on Entwistle/Who tracks when he used an Alembic. Do Spoiler electronics enable a subset of the Series I/II tone or is it completely different?

Just curious Ken. ;)
Mica Wickersham (mica)
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 116
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 3:17 pm:   Edit Post

You can think of the Spoiler as a subset of the Series I/II experience. The Series sound a bit different because of the single coil pickups and the flexibilty introduced by having an independent filter control for each pickup. If you replace the AXY pickups in your Spoiler with FatBoys (AXYs wound on Series magnets), you'll get a little closer to Series on what you've already got (these are $140 each), but there is nothing like a full blown Series instrument, as nice as all the other models we make are.

It's a heck of a day trip, but you can play both a new Series I bass (in Burl Maple) and a Series I guitar (in Quilted Coco Bolo) at G Guitars in New Haven CT. To see what around Boston, ask Seitu at Performance Music. They aren't an Alembic dealer, but Seitu knows everything about Alembics and he might know if there are any used pieces around Boston.

Good luck!
Ken O (ken)
New
Username: ken

Post Number: 2
Registered: 7-2002
Posted on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 9:16 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks, Mica! will definetly give Seitu a call!
Daniel Tracey (dannobasso)
New
Username: dannobasso

Post Number: 1
Registered: 7-2002
Posted on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 7:37 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks to Mica for fixin' me password and such. I am new to the club but not new to Alembic. I have grown my family to 8. Expecting delivery on the 8th next week or so! I can now boast 4,5,6 and 7 string Alembics. The family is as follows:
83 Spoiler 4 solid Koa and maple neck
87 Custom Spoiler 6 Quilted Maple / Purpleheart w MOP dragon inlay,
87 Stanley Clark 4 Signature Deluxe Rosewood/purpleheart/Maple
88 Spoler Exploiter 4 Quilted Maple double P pickups
93 Custom Spoiler 6 Jazz spacing Flame Koa/Purpleheart initials on 12th fret
00 Custom Spoiler 7 fretless Cocobolo/ Purpleheart Jazz spacing (really friggin' wide bros!)
02 Custom Spoiler 6 Figured Walnut/ Purpleheart no inlays initials in sliver ring at 12th
02 Custom Excel 5 dual fatboys flame maple w almost black paint custom controls.
Eight is Enough? Perhaps not!
My next project is to have my 3 pickup Les Paul Alemicized! I just returned from summer Namm and I only played one bass. That was Trip's 8 string Alembic! (see custom archive)Fantastic with the zero radius! Thanks to Mica for all her attention to my babies over the years. This is a company that is unique in the music industry. Intelligent, gifted, friendly, personable, and willing to extend themselves and take the time and deal with us non-conventional customers. Alembics are not just wonderful instruments, they are a way of life. If anyone is interested, I will post pictures in the future. If I get a deal with Doom Tree (latest project I worked a bit on) I promise to continue to represent the Wickershams!

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