| Author | Message | ||
| johnbob
New Username: johnbob Post Number: 5 Registered: 11-2004 |
Hi guys... I can buy a beautifull custom spoiler bass 1987 sn 87S4519 USA I have send this info to almbic but no replies so far. Is there anybody who can tell me something about this (kind of) bass? Has it a single or double truss rod? thanks....kind regards from holland.  (Message edited by johnbob on January 22, 2006) | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3044 Registered: 5-2002 |
Hi John; nice looking bass! This bass almost certainly has two truss rods. The only reason I can think of that it might not would be if for some reason someone custom ordered it with only one. | ||
| johnbob
New Username: johnbob Post Number: 7 Registered: 11-2004 |
Thanks for your quick response ;-) I hope my English is understandable....I'm dutch you see. Thanks Dave | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3045 Registered: 5-2002 |
Your English seems pretty good to me! | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 579 Registered: 9-2002 |
Welcome and congratulations to you in The Netherlands. ALEMBIC will get to your serial number request during the upcoming business week, I'm sure. As I own a 92 Custom Spoiler very similar to yours, I can give you the 'guided tour' of your new instrument. ALEMBIC refers to this shape as the Standard Point body, with a Crown 4 (-string) headstock. This is the original, classic ALEMBIC shape, and fairly rare in a Spoiler. Check the 'Showcase' section in the ALEMBIC CLUB to see the traditional Spoiler shape. In the posted photo, I don't see any of the thick purpleheart laminations in the neck, so I'm guessing that you have the all maple laminations usually seen on a Spoiler. Nor can I see the back of the instrument to see what the back sides of the body wings are made of. I'm guessing the top to be possibly zebrawood, with the matching laminations on the front and back of the headstock (any better ID on this top wood, Dave?). If you look closely at the laminations on the headstock faces, you'll see the layers they add in to strengthen this traditional fragile spot on a guitar or bass. Right below this you'll see the adjustable brass nut. These last virtually forever, and the adjustability REALLY speeds up your set-ups. This is a feature found on VERY few instruments. Your fingerboard is slab ebony with mother of pearl oval inlays. You'll notice the ebony is thicker than most other instruments you'll see. ALEMBIC traditionally does not finish the ebony fingerboard, so you will need to apply a high grade lemon oil to it every six months or so. Like Dave, I'd be VERY surprised if this axe only has one truss rod. With two truss rods you can control your action very closely, much better control than a single. The truss rods are beneath the little brass plate of course. When you pull this, you'll notice that they are NOT secured with wood screws. ALEMBIC uses machine screws into threaded inserts in the body, so you will never worm out a screw hole no matter how many times you use it. If memory serves, the only wood screws on ALEMBICs secure the tailpiece, the locating holes in the tuning keys, and the strap buttons. Your bass uses ALEMBIC AXY4 pickups. These are stacked humbucking pickups. The control circuit is volume/tone/pickup switch/Q-switch. The pickup switch proceeds thru four spots: Off(mutes the bass)/bridge pickup/bothpickups/neck pickup, unless the previous owner reversed the pickup switch order as I did; then it would be off/neck/both/bridge, the order I prefer. The 2-way switch is a normal tone control in the up position, makes the circuit work just like the tone knob on any PBass you ever tried. When you throw the switch down, now it becomes a high pass filter plus 'Q'. Turn it all the way down, there's virtually NO highs, you sound like organ pedals. As you turn the control up, you get more and more highs to a point where's it's just unbelievably trebly, like a huge clavinet. The 'Q' refers to a hump/boost at the particular point in the frequency range anywhere the control is turned to. In other words, this hump travels up and down as you turn the control up and down. This one switch gives LOTS of different tones. My favorite is front pickup only, control about half open, play with a pick and you get that Chris Squire tone in spades. You've got a lot of experimenting ahead! The bridge is cast to match the curve of the fingerboard (like a TuneOMatic), and the tailpiece is fixed. The down angle at the head, the down angle over the bridge to the tailpiece, the thick ebony and the neck thru all combine to give you LOTS of sustain, regardless of amp gain. Your battery (one 9v) is beneath the back plate. You'll notice two little blue blocks with white screw adjustments in the bottom right corner of the cavity. These adjust the gain of the pickups relative to each other. So now you can adjust the pickup heights and angles to what sounds just right to you, THEN set your relative gains without having to use the heights alone to set your blend. Again, a feature found on damn few instruments outside of ALEMBICs. And the pickup adjustments: There is NO foam or springs between these pickups. It's confusing at first as you think 'Where are the other two pickup screws?). They're beneath the 'empty' holes! To adjust ALEMBIC pickups: LOOSEN the two screws you CAN see FIRST. Then reach through the empty holes and use THESE two to set your height/angle. THEN snug them in place with the two screws you CAN see. You DON'T tighten them super-tight, just snug enough to stay in place. You can BREAK the housings if you get crazy tightening them up way to tight. Raise them right up to the strings, sink them deep in the body, whatever sounds good TO YOU is what we're after here. There is no 'correct' height. Then set your outputs thru the blue boxes and you're done. Again, this is something found NOWHERE else. Hope this helps you out, and ENJOY your new bass! J o e y | ||
| johnbob
New Username: johnbob Post Number: 8 Registered: 11-2004 |
Hey guys, and Joey ....thanks for this enlightening story. I will post som more pics tonight. I'm at work now...it's 07:06 and my bos expects me to do some work here pfffff. By the way, I've allways played Jaydee. See my pic/rig in the topic "Speaker size: 10" vs 15" " I hope this is no problem here ;-) Kind regards John (Message edited by johnbob on January 23, 2006) | ||
| johnbob
New Username: johnbob Post Number: 9 Registered: 11-2004 |
(Message edited by johnbob on January 22, 2006) | ||
| johnbob
New Username: johnbob Post Number: 10 Registered: 11-2004 |
Here's a pic of my Jaydee Bass, made for me by John Diggins. I've allways played Jaydee...so this one will never leave unless it gets stolen. In the back my Eden 410XST cab and a small Trace combo. Soon there will be an Alembic standing next to this Jaydee. (sorry for posting this JD on a alembic forum hahaha) But now you know a little bit more from me....my gear that is! Kind regards John  (Message edited by johnbob on January 23, 2006) | ||
| pas
Member Username: pas Post Number: 57 Registered: 3-2003 |
The top looks like Bocate to me. It also appears to be medium scale, as most spoilers are. John - if you don't close the deal for this bass, please let me know who is selling & how to contact them. I've been playing medium scale for 20+ years now & this bass is of interest to me. Thanks! | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3046 Registered: 5-2002 |
Joey; I don't have a guess on the top wood. I'm looking forward to seeing the report card on this one. | ||
| adriaan
Senior Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 719 Registered: 6-2002 |
Looks like you've been waiting for over a year - http://alembic.com/club/messages/393/14702.html - can't decide huh? | ||
| johnbob
Junior Username: johnbob Post Number: 11 Registered: 11-2004 |
Hi, Yep, it took al long time to buy this bass. It was not planned to take so long...but something seriousely bad happend... Now hings have quiet down around here, there for I posted this thread over a year later. I was stunned that the bass was still there...waiting to be sold for an even lower price! Sorry for the cross post. Pas....I have decided to buy this beauty. I hope to get more info on the history of this bass... Thanks again Joey (Message edited by johnbob on January 23, 2006) | ||
| johnbob
Junior Username: johnbob Post Number: 12 Registered: 11-2004 |
   How do you usally setup a double truss rod? Is the oe closest to the E sring mor tigtened then the one closest to the G string? I can imagine that the neck can "twist" by doing this wrong!? (Message edited by davehouck on January 23, 2006) (Message edited by johnbob on January 23, 2006) | ||
| the_mule
Senior Member Username: the_mule Post Number: 572 Registered: 1-2004 |
Hey John, that's quite a surprise! Couldn't get this one out of your head, so it seems! Congrats, and you know where to post a little message and some pics too, don't you? ;-) Wilfred | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3049 Registered: 5-2002 |
John; you'll want to read our FAQs and Must Reads section. You'll find all kinds of useful information about setting up Alembics. From the Must Reads section, here is a note from Val about truss rod adjustments. In that same post is a link to a good thread on the subject as well. | ||
| adriaan
Senior Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 721 Registered: 6-2002 |
The official version is that you should adjust both in rougly the same amounts. Also, you should give both 1/8 of a turn at a time, and wait until it settles - but check the FAQ / Must Read section! There's a link to the best possible description on doing your own setup: "Joey's post on setting up your bass". | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 2985 Registered: 6-2000 |
Hi John, We received your email on Saturday the 21st. We usually are closed on the weekends. Here is the information in the file for 87S4519: top: Bocate body: Mahogany neck: Maple, 32 inch medium scale fingerboard: Ebony with pearloid oval inlays custom features: Standard Point body shape and Crown peghead originally made for: Kenman Company, Switzerland birthday: August 26, 1987 The truss rod number isn't recorded, but that's not unusual, since we started using 2 rods in the late 70s, we'd only make a note if the bass had something other than 2 rods. So it's very likely this bass has two rods. Once you get the truss rod cover off, it will be obvious to you how many it has. You've got some other great replies to your inquiry. Please post again if you need any other assistance. | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 580 Registered: 9-2002 |
JohnBob I KNEW MIca would be in touch once they returned to work. Nice Jaydee. Now with your ALEMBIC, you are REALLY on top of the world. Besides the Standard body Spoiler, you and I also share Eden in common. I play thru a DC210XLT Metro with a 115XLT extension cabinet to help fill out those low C's and D's as my Spoiler is a five. J o e y | ||
| johnbob
Junior Username: johnbob Post Number: 13 Registered: 11-2004 |
Thanks Mica.... I still have to pic my bass up....so that's the reason why I couldn't take the truss rod cover of ;-) It's nice to know it's "birthday". Hi Bigredbass.... Your the first who talks about my Jaydee...why is that? hahahaha ....It's a Jaydee and there for unique just like an Alembic but so diffirent in setup and sound! So...thanks Bigredbass, the Jaydee really playes like a hurricane. It's very fast. The Alembic just makes things "complete"... Eden DC210XLT and a 115XLT is a nice stack. Gives you lot's of "bottem". I'm looking for an extra 2x10 cab to go with my 410XST...not that I need it, the XST is 1000W RMS, but I want to use it as a monitor! I never played on a 15" eden, how would you discribe it? I dont miss the 15"...the low end on this 4x10 is stunning. Can you send me some pics of you(r) gear? I allways try to find out who I'm talking to... My adres is a.mike@nutsonline.nl So every one who want's to....please send your pics...and on request I will send mine to. Thanks guys ;-) | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 587 Registered: 9-2002 |
JB I prefer the 15. The Metro by itself was just not sufficient in the lowest octave without running way too much bass boost. Not a surprise for a cabinet that's not much bigger than a Twin Reverb. I A/B'd the Metro atop a 410 and the 115 and it was no contest for the sound I preferred, the 15 just added so much . . . so now this stack is the 2 10s, 1 15, and the two high freq horns, though I turn the one off in the 15. Very hifi, yet very full sounding. And very portable for a 600watt stack. I'm old-school enough to think that if 10s by themselves were the end all and be all for bass, all concert subwoofers would use them instead of banks of 18s. Now LOTS of people are perfectly happy with multiple 10 cabs and they sound great, but it's just not for me. I would never leave myself with a 'tone only' rig that MUST be run thru a PA, unless I were in a long-term deal with a tour that would allow this. I always have to be ready to carry the room by myself if necessary, and I prefer a 15 in the mix to do this, because it just comes down to keeping them dancing! J o e y | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 588 Registered: 9-2002 |
JB Incidentally, there's more than a few Mark King fans here, so we are all very aware of the Jaydees (and Status), and you'll find that lots of us own other basses beyond our ALEMBICs. But we all find that we ALWAYS come back to our ALEMBICs, as there's just nothing else like them. J o e y | ||
| johnbob
Junior Username: johnbob Post Number: 14 Registered: 11-2004 |
Yep. you're right bigredbass. This Alembic got me in it's grip...and it would not let go hahahaha The Eden however has lots of warm deep. But I first need to hear the 15"cab before I know what I'm talking about. The TE 1818x was deeeeep, but verry undefined (is this the right word?) It didn't got the fast responce I wanted. Maybe I will try a Eden 15" next time I go for a new addon for my rigg. Thanks for all your replies guys. Kind regards John |
