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dnburgess
Member
Username: dnburgess

Post Number: 52
Registered: 1-2003
Posted on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 3:53 pm:   Edit Post

I am now in possession of a tracking number which Mica assures me relates to a Spyder 8 string heading my way.

I know other club members appreciate the "expectent parent syndrome" regarding the pending arrival of a new instrument - let alone one as exceptional (even by Alembic standards) as this. Check out http://www.alembic.com/info/featured_custom.html

Stand back guitarists!
senmen
New
Username: senmen

Post Number: 1
Registered: 7-2003
Posted on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 11:23 pm:   Edit Post

HI,

I am also waiting on my Spyder 4string coming over from the States.
That was a good statement from you:
Stand back guitarists!
We are coming!!

Many greetings from Germany
Oliver Baumann
jet_powers
Junior
Username: jet_powers

Post Number: 33
Registered: 2-2003
Posted on Wednesday, July 09, 2003 - 6:07 am:   Edit Post

A very nice instrument. Can't wait to hear the reports on how it plays and sounds, although I think we already know.... still nothing quite like stimulating the senses of touch and hearing is there?

John Paul
palembic
Senior Member
Username: palembic

Post Number: 500
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Thursday, July 10, 2003 - 12:15 am:   Edit Post

Germany ...Australia

Hey brother Oliver welcome to the club by the way: our official welcomer Paul the good one will be here soon and say a lot of beautiful things.

Asutralia - Gemany

Brother Oliver and Brother Dean. Her is Belgium I will have thundering eartquakes day (a Spiderbass in Germany) and night (a Spiderbass in Australia).
I'll have to warn the Seismographic Institute.
LOL

Paul the bad one

LOL or no LOL the Belgian Seismographic Institute INDEED registred anomalies a couple of years ago. It seemed to be resulting from the "Biggest DANCE Party" in the Sportpaleis in Anwerp (Sportpaleis = big venue hall).
No joke!!!
senmen
New
Username: senmen

Post Number: 5
Registered: 7-2003
Posted on Thursday, July 10, 2003 - 1:06 am:   Edit Post

Hi Paul, now here I found your post. :-)
By the way:
wij kunnen ook in vlaams spreken als dit is
beter voor jouw!

Tot dan
Oliver
senmen
New
Username: senmen

Post Number: 7
Registered: 7-2003
Posted on Thursday, July 10, 2003 - 2:13 am:   Edit Post

Guys,
my Spyder arrived just a few minutes ago.
What can I tell: GGGGRRRREEEEAAAATTTT!
Very heavy and the case is soooooo big.
Will keep you updated later with my first impressions and scan.

Many greetings from a proud SPYDER owner
Oliver Baumann
dnburgess
Member
Username: dnburgess

Post Number: 56
Registered: 1-2003
Posted on Thursday, July 10, 2003 - 5:11 pm:   Edit Post

Beaten by the krauts, grrrr!

According to UPS tracking, mine is sitting at an airport in California.

David B.
harald_rost
Junior
Username: harald_rost

Post Number: 19
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Thursday, July 10, 2003 - 11:42 pm:   Edit Post

Hi Oliver,

good to see that there's one of the Spyder here in Germany landed. Where are you located? I'm sitting with my Series 1 in Bamberg, North Bavaria.

David, don't worry. Your defeat would be much more dramatic if it would be a competition in football
;-))

Harald
senmen
New
Username: senmen

Post Number: 10
Registered: 7-2003
Posted on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 2:06 am:   Edit Post

Hi David, hi Harald,

David donīt mind. We Alembic players are all a big family arenīt we?
Harald, I am located in Dueren, near Cologne.
Maybe we can meet some day for an earthquaking Alembic meeting!? :-)

Oliver
harald_rost
Junior
Username: harald_rost

Post Number: 20
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 5:04 am:   Edit Post

Hi Oliver,

far away from Bamberg, but yes, may be one day ...

Harald
mattheus
Junior
Username: mattheus

Post Number: 20
Registered: 5-2003
Posted on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 11:01 am:   Edit Post

What about a european alembic meeting..... Perhaps it's time for the Wickersham's to come over to the Music Messe in Frankfurt next year, so we can all meet there....

Just an idea,

Mattheus
senmen
Junior
Username: senmen

Post Number: 12
Registered: 7-2003
Posted on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 11:29 am:   Edit Post

Hey Mattheus,

great idea!!!!!
I am there as always each year....

Oliver
dnburgess
Member
Username: dnburgess

Post Number: 57
Registered: 1-2003
Posted on Saturday, July 12, 2003 - 12:22 am:   Edit Post

Harald

Ha ha...and to think, people say Germans have no sense of humour!

As Oceania was robbed of a World Cup quota, your assertion probably won't be put to the test for a while.

Regards
David B.
mattheus
Junior
Username: mattheus

Post Number: 21
Registered: 5-2003
Posted on Saturday, July 12, 2003 - 8:55 am:   Edit Post

I will try to be at the Frankfurter Messe next year, an a little voice inside my head tells me that maybe some folks from Alembic will be there too....
So this could turn into a secret european Alembic meeting....
Don't tell anyone, otherwise there won't be enough beer. Especially when Paul (The Belgium One) comes..... ha ha ha
dnburgess
Member
Username: dnburgess

Post Number: 60
Registered: 1-2003
Posted on Sunday, July 13, 2003 - 5:28 pm:   Edit Post

The Spyder has landed!

...at Sydney airport, awaiting customs clearance.
senmen
Junior
Username: senmen

Post Number: 19
Registered: 7-2003
Posted on Sunday, July 13, 2003 - 11:36 pm:   Edit Post

Dnburgess,
keep us updated when you received it.
I will post some scans of mine tomorrow.

Many greetings
Oliver
palembic
Senior Member
Username: palembic

Post Number: 509
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 12:14 am:   Edit Post

Beer ...beer ??? Beer ...Beer...?
Somebody said beer here?

Paul the bad one

PS1: I'm not THAT beerdrinker. I mean, I don't drink huge quantities. I LIKE beer, Duvel is my favourite!
PS2: good idea that Frankfurter Messe thing. However: that kind of exhibitions always give me a headache!
dnburgess
Member
Username: dnburgess

Post Number: 62
Registered: 1-2003
Posted on Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - 10:50 pm:   Edit Post

The bass was delivered to my office in a HUGE box. Initial visual impression - this is one of the best looking instruments - correction, THE best looking instrument that I have ever seen! The flame maple has a three dimensional quality which isn't conveyed in the photographs.

Once home, much tuning (next acquisition - a rack mount tuner) later, first note is a glorious open E - sounds something like a grand piano. I quickly discover limitations of my playing technique - being used to a very fast short scale S1 I have developed some sloppy habits. The longer scale is a stretch - plus I need to improve my fingering to ensure both strings in the pair fret properly - something I hadn't thought about.

The sound is huge and beautiful - but will take a lot of getting used to before I can take full advantage. I think the sound will improve further when the strings settle down and lose a bit of brightness.

Interestingly, lots of fun was had with fingerstyle playing above the 7th fret where there lives an almost electric piano like sound.

I'll get back to you in about a year...
senmen
Junior
Username: senmen

Post Number: 22
Registered: 7-2003
Posted on Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - 11:38 pm:   Edit Post

David,

many congrats on your new baby.
This is great, isnīt it?
I will post scans of mine soon.

Many greetings
Oliver
dnburgess
Member
Username: dnburgess

Post Number: 63
Registered: 1-2003
Posted on Wednesday, July 16, 2003 - 5:15 pm:   Edit Post

OK, I'm starting to come to grips with this instrument - never having played an 8-string before.

I have christened it my WMD. Not only must guitarists stand back, but keyboardists too - yet another surprise, this is an amazing funk machine - imagine a Superstition style Clavinet with SLAM. This morning I rewrote and funkified one of my band's songs.

As expected, this is the bass of death on heavier lines.

Am thinking how cool it would be to have a matching 4-string...but then that would be too indulgent. Wouldn't it?
valvil
Moderator
Username: valvil

Post Number: 156
Registered: 7-2002
Posted on Wednesday, July 16, 2003 - 6:55 pm:   Edit Post

No, it wouldn't..makes perfect sense to me...I bet Rami would agree...:-)


Valentino
senmen
Junior
Username: senmen

Post Number: 34
Registered: 7-2003
Posted on Monday, July 21, 2003 - 5:11 am:   Edit Post

HI Dnburgess,

so how is your new baby doing?
How is your 8string strung?
Octave string behind the bass strings (E,Eoctave,A,Aoctave,D,Doctave and G,Goctave) or the octave strings before the bass strings like the original Entwistle 8string was?
I am planning to buy a Spyder 8string also to match my 4string and am thinking how to what string setting to use...
Can you send me some scans of your 8string?

Oliver
dnburgess
Member
Username: dnburgess

Post Number: 66
Registered: 1-2003
Posted on Monday, July 21, 2003 - 4:43 pm:   Edit Post

Oliver

Yes - octave strings behind the bass strings.

I am having a lot of fun exploring this instrument - there is a huge range of tones available via the tone controls and pickups. Insterestingly it responds very well to subtle fingerstyle playing - as my original motivation was obtain a WMD against my guitarist. [You should have seen his look of stunned disbelief when I opened the case - he readily admitted it was the most amzing instrument he had ever seen. The piece de resistance was when I turned on the fingerboard side LEDs - he nearly fell over. (I may have sold an Alembic 6 string guitar.) ]

The comments in the Entwhistle thread about his light touch was a useful insight.

Regards
David

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