| Author | Message | ||
| ajdover
Advanced Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 210 Registered: 11-2003 |
Gents and Gals, Well, I've been trying to have an Alembic get-together for a while here in Fayetteville. I finally succeeded, and the turnout was 100% of what I expected. Of course, it was only Keith and I, but hey, 100% is 100%! Keith came down from Holly Springs today, and was kind enough to bring his Brown Bass and his Orion 5. I countered with my Dragon's Wing, Spyder, and Europa. We played each other's instruments (Keith was especially fond of my Europa), and swapped stories about all things Alembic. Keith even explained what a byte was to me (I am somewhat "technically challenged" when it comes to technology!). However ... Once I got my hands on his Brown Bass, I knew what my next Alembic would (will) be. Man, that thing is absolutely amazing. I tried hiding his bass while he wasn't looking, but to no avail! I even offered to trade - he wanted my Spyder and Europa for his Brown Bass! There's no pleasing some folks I guess! :-) BTW, Keith is a great player, and a far better slapper/popper than I am. I learned a few things today - thanks, Keith! Anyway, wanted to share pics with everyone. If you ever get a chance to get together with another Alembic owner, do so. Keith is not only an Alembic owner, but a great player and person to boot (not to mention dinner companion). I look forward to visiting him and his family in Holly Springs soon. Thanks again Keith for making this a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Ahh yes, yet another reason to buy an Alembic ... Alan\Al with Keith's Orion}                  (Message edited by davehouck on May 14, 2005) | ||
| richbass939
Advanced Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 255 Registered: 11-2004 |
Cool collection of basses. We had a really good time in Salt Lake City a couple of months ago. Looks like you guys had fun too. Rich | ||
| ajdover
Advanced Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 211 Registered: 11-2003 |
Rich, We did. Keith had the first five string I've ever felt comfortable with (his Orion) ... uhh, I feel a GAS attack coming on ... His Brown Bass is nothing short of astonishing. I just loved it. I thought the short scale would be a problem, but it wasn't. My next Alembic will be an SC model. It's that good. Alan | ||
| keith_h
Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 59 Registered: 2-2005 |
I had a real good time. Alan was a great host and is a pretty good cook too. If you think he has a bass collecting fetish you should see the cooking gear. :-) It was fun playing the different basses and being able to compare the different electronics side by side. Not something you get to do unless you live close to a stocking dealer. While they all have that Alembic sound there is quite a difference in how you dial in the tones. It did confirm my thoughts that I would like the Europa electronics on my next bass. Alan had enough amps so I left mine at home. It was nice to play through a different rig in a laid back atmosphere. I have never been much into hanging out in the big box stores and trying to test out equipment. The Ampeg stack with SF-2 sounded awsome. I would realy like to hear it one day where it can be openned up without having to worry about the neighbors house foundations. :-) All said I had a great time and look forward to another one. Keith | ||
| serialnumber12
Advanced Member Username: serialnumber12 Post Number: 219 Registered: 12-2004 |
Wow that RD Artist!(gibson),brings back memories!,that's a real Relic! | ||
| ajdover
Advanced Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 212 Registered: 11-2003 |
Barnes, Well, I guess that makes me a relic then! :-) Oddly enough, that RD sounds great. I think it was Gibson's answer to Alembic back in the 70's, but it never really caught on. It's a beast, but it does have some very useful sounds, and it's surprising comfortable and easy to play. Alan | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 408 Registered: 9-2002 |
ajd: I had an RD Artist back in the day, and was without a doubt the heaviest bass I ever owned. Nothing else was even close. And it was very long. I also endured no end to the jokes about the 'Flying Shrimp' logo on the headstock! Incidentally, about your sunburst DynaBass: Is it the earlier version with the thin pickups in mounting rings, or the PJ setup? I think these are terribly underrated (and terrific buys on the used market) basses, American made by one of my true heroes, Hartley Peavey. Looks like y'all had a good time! J o e y | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 2011 Registered: 9-2002 |
Great you two had a wonderful time. And about Alan's cooking gear ...I already had a glimpse of his cooking knives and his taste is as excuise as his taste for basses. Paul the bad one | ||
| ajdover
Advanced Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 213 Registered: 11-2003 |
Joey, My Dyna Bass is the P/J set up, and it has a Kahler tremelo. Oddly enough, it does not have a serial number, but an inscription on the headstock dedicating the instrument to someone named Mike. I asked Peavey about this, and they told me all of their instruments have serial numbers ... looked all over and couldn't find it. In any event, it's a nice instrument, and was relatively cheap to boot. Alan | ||
| senmen
Senior Member Username: senmen Post Number: 443 Registered: 7-2003 |
Alan,Keith, I think you had a great time. Unfortunately it is soo far away to join you.... :-) The picture with Keith playing the Spyder is really great. Hey guys, this headstock is most sexy or? Alan, I am waiting for my DW too. It will be a special one with birdīs eye maple top and back and a dummy hum canceller to remind a bit to Johns Spyders..... Oliver (Spyderman) | ||
| exploiterplayer
Member Username: exploiterplayer Post Number: 58 Registered: 12-2002 |
I'll bet you guys had a blast. I would have had a lot of fun playing all of those different basses. The Jazz bass brings back pre-Alembic memories for me. I mostly played Pre-CBS L-Series Jazz Basses until I found my Exploiter. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 1726 Registered: 5-2002 |
Paul; what language is excuise?? | ||
| bob
Senior Member Username: bob Post Number: 430 Registered: 11-2002 |
In English it would be "exquisite". Verbally, Paul is remarkably fluent in several languages (I can only respond to English, but can often make reasonable guesses to fill in the blanks), though his writing isn't quite as strong, especially when his wonderful imagination is running wild. What I'm really curious about are the knives, and whether Paul actually saw them, or if there's a photo out here somewhere. Personally, I favor Henckels Professionals, but there are some other nice ones. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 1734 Registered: 5-2002 |
I'm thinking that those Henckels Professionals are probably a bit too big for the gig bag, so I just carry a Swiss Army Knife. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 1735 Registered: 5-2002 |
Oh, and I figured "excuise" would be French; but the Babel Fish didn't find it. | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 2013 Registered: 9-2002 |
BROTHER BOB!!! always happy to have you on my side. Exquisite quite right. Alan is a professional cook and while E-mailing through this club from time to time privately I asked Alan about his knives. He gave me a VERY impressive listing. I have 1 Goldhamster 32 cm, an English brand of filleting knive, 2 Globals (a 25 cm all-round and a 13 cm Djelba) and 3 Japanese knives who were VERY cheap but are EXTREMELY sharp. Paul the bad one I know ...I am a bit of a knive-freak. Me too I am always wearing a Swiss-knive of Victorinox though I have the other brand Wenger too. | ||
| ajdover
Advanced Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 214 Registered: 11-2003 |
Bob, I have pics at home, and I can take some as well. I've added to my batterie de cuisine as of late ... I have over 60 pieces of professional cutlery. They range from a 10" Wusthof Grand Prix Model chef's knife, to a 3" Wusthof fluting knife. I have knives from Wusthof, Henckels, F Dick, Messermeister, Global, Kasumi, Mac, Kyocera, Shun, and Forschner. And I have four knife bags to carry them around them in, my favorite being my Messermeister attache-type case. Do I have a favorite? Probably my Shuns and my F Dick 9" Competition Model Chef's knife. I also really like my 10" Henckels Four Star hollow ground slicer I picked up in Bahrain for $40, as well as my Wusthof parer and Forschner boning knife. I'll post pics later, probably in the miscellaneous section for those interested in my Batterie de Cuisine. | ||
| dadabass2001
Advanced Member Username: dadabass2001 Post Number: 376 Registered: 6-2002 |
Soooo..... Can you make me a cheeseburger stuffed with swiss cheese and sliced mushrooms? j/k Mike, the culinary barbarian  | ||
| byoung
Member Username: byoung Post Number: 61 Registered: 12-2004 |
If you like knives, and haven't tried a santoku yet, you're missing out. Extremely versatile (great for spreading mayonnaise!). Wusthof is my brand of choice-- I love 'em. Speaking of Victorinox, they also make the best computer bags I've ever seen. Retractable wheels, well laid out. They are expensive (you get what you pay for, though). My Victorinox bag has a couple hundred thousand miles on it, and it's still going strong. It has protected my laptops perfectly (it actually suspends the laptop in elastic). Brad | ||
| ajdover
Advanced Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 215 Registered: 11-2003 |
Brad, I have a Santoku, a Henckels Four Star model that I traded for with a German Bundeswehr soldier (he got a leatherman in return). I'm not a huge fan of Santokus - for me the blades are too short, and since their tips tend to be curved downward, they are not as well suited (for me, at least) for more precision knife work. I do know that a lot of Japanese chefs love them (as do some non-Japanese chefs), so maybe it's in the way that I'm utilizing it. I'm more of a German-style, heavy knife affcionado, but that's just me. BTW, Rachel Ray has made this type of knife very popular. Of course, her knife skills are less than stellar (I'm waiting for her to chop off her fingertips someday), but there's not much I can say - she has a show and I don't! Alan | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 2014 Registered: 9-2002 |
Well ...I told you. When I would visit Alan I don't think you would find me with the basses. I'll be in the kitchen definitely. Trying some weird and sursprising/original food combinations. I am not only creative with words and languages you know HA! Paul the bad one | ||
| ajdover
Advanced Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 217 Registered: 11-2003 |
Gents, I've posted pics of my gear and some of my culinary handiwork in the Miscellaneous section. It's listed under Alan's Batterie de Cuisine. Enjoy. Alan | ||
| haddimudd
Intermediate Member Username: haddimudd Post Number: 129 Registered: 6-2002 |
Paul, that's a mighty huge Goldhamster you have there! I guess the biggest one I ever saw was not more than 12cm. (haha)... Nevertheless, this is a great collection of pictures! Thanks for letting everyone being part of the mini convention this way! |
