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bstark110
New
Username: bstark110

Post Number: 1
Registered: 8-2003
Posted on Monday, August 18, 2003 - 7:25 pm:   Edit Post

Great to be here!

Its really neat to have something in common with the rest of you. I've been playing electric bass for a very long time. I've owned and enjoyed playing many truly great instruments, so I've been there and done it. In fact, I'm still here and still doing it!

I've heard many stories about the many thousand dollar Alembic basses that only the great recording stars could afford to own. With all of this custom stuff you can get on them, I couldn't imagine! When I saw pictures and studied the Alembic culture, I knew I had to own one!

Now I have the means to own and enjoy such great basses. I must say, I'm really impressed. I've visited the factory to see how such greatness begins. I hope all of you can visit sometime. The website does a good job, but its not like being there. Mica was really nice to me even though I wasn't there to buy a bass.

Now I have something to share with the rest of you. Here are a few pix of my collection of Alembics. They're leaning agains part of my amplification system. I've had the Spoiler for about ten years, and I just got the Series I about two months ago. Among the ones that I have seen from the rest of you, they may seem plain, but they are Alembics and for five string basses, I need this kind of quality. They pass with flying colors!

If I can't own some of your Alembics I've seen, at least I can look. Like my friend says, "each one is a work of art." Please keep sending in those pictures beause if no one else is looking at this eye candy, I sure am!

Bob StarkBottomsBass Headstocks
valvil
Moderator
Username: valvil

Post Number: 163
Registered: 7-2002
Posted on Monday, August 18, 2003 - 10:36 pm:   Edit Post

Great to have you with us Bob,

lovely instruments you have there; I like that fan peghead, nice to see an example of it...don't think we 've got many on the site, if any at all. You should post these pictures in the showcase section as well, that's where most folks go Alembic picture hunting.

The "Paul" brigade will surely soon be here to greet you properly. But at least you pre-empted their request for pictures. :-)


Valentino
mattheus
Junior
Username: mattheus

Post Number: 43
Registered: 5-2003
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 1:13 am:   Edit Post

Nice piece of art!! What's that on your Spoiler; instead of a swich a pan-pot?? Way cool. Gotta go, because a bunch of Pauls are coming. Hope to see more soon!

Mattheus tDo
dean_m
Intermediate Member
Username: dean_m

Post Number: 161
Registered: 7-2002
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 7:35 am:   Edit Post

Hey Bob,

Looks like the other Pauls haven't made it yet. My real name is Dino, but I'm referrd to as Brother Paul The Fake One/The Artist Formerly Known As Dino.
Welcome to the club!!!!!! Great looking basses!!! I love it when we don't have to ask for pictures!!!!
Gotta go, the other Pauls will be here soon!!!

Peace,
Dino (bptfo/tafkad)
jet_powers
Member
Username: jet_powers

Post Number: 51
Registered: 2-2003
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 7:47 am:   Edit Post

Nice basses. Welcome to the club. I'm only a "partial" Paul but this will have to do until the other Pauls get here.....

John Paul
rami
Advanced Member
Username: rami

Post Number: 216
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 8:45 am:   Edit Post

Nice Basses Bob. Welcome to the "Culture".

We really are a culture, kind of like Harley owners. All we need is our own "Sturgis" where we can all meet and show off our Basses/Guitars.

Rami
dean_m
Intermediate Member
Username: dean_m

Post Number: 162
Registered: 7-2002
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 9:35 am:   Edit Post

Oh Man,

You're not gonna go there again are you!?!?!?

HAHA!!!

D
elzie
Intermediate Member
Username: elzie

Post Number: 181
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 11:09 am:   Edit Post

Oh no, not more Harley/Alembic references!

Welcome aboard Bob! You are blessed to have two beautiful Alembics!! You are among some great, albeit strange, company. Yes, I included myself in the strange category before The Bad Paul Of The East corrected me :-)

Rami makes me feel uneasy by putting culture in quotes. All I can think of is that swab the doctors use on your throat when you are ill......


By the way Bob, good job on beating us to the picture request!

Paul II, TGO
alembic76407
Intermediate Member
Username: alembic76407

Post Number: 167
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 1:48 pm:   Edit Post

At least I did'nt post another Porsche/Alembic reference, it was hard, but!!!!!! I wont do it

Bob, welcome to the club, love your basses

David T (big Amp, small car)
hup
New
Username: hup

Post Number: 10
Registered: 1-2003
Posted on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 - 2:58 am:   Edit Post

very nice vey nice love the spoiler big fan
welcome to the club

alembicise the world

Hup (aussie)
echo008
New
Username: echo008

Post Number: 9
Registered: 2-2003
Posted on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 - 1:08 pm:   Edit Post

Hi!.... welcome.
these basses definaitely DO NOT seem plain, they are awesome!!
palembic
Senior Member
Username: palembic

Post Number: 552
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Friday, August 22, 2003 - 3:39 am:   Edit Post

Hail-hail thee brothers and sisters of this weird convent of low frequency.
Welcome to the new Brother Bob (Hey Pauls it's getting loaded with Bob's here - be cautious - did you know that all goldfishes are called Bob too?).
Nice basses! I love the "fan" shape!

Paul the bad one
bstark110
New
Username: bstark110

Post Number: 2
Registered: 8-2003
Posted on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 12:04 pm:   Edit Post

Hi Everybody,

Wow, I want to thank you all for your responses. I've been really busy around here so I'll try to answer some of your questions.

Originally, I wanted to post these pix to the Showcase newsgroups, but I wasn't exactly sure how to do this with the pictures of both of the basses together. I guess I could post one to each of the different groups. I'll try that and see how that works.

I'm really glad you like the Spoiler. I've always thought that I would like a Series II with the Spoiler body shape. I've had this one for about ten years. About a year after I got it, I wanted to replace the pickup selector switch with a pan pot. After consulting with Alembic, I was told that I could do this with electronics used in the Elan. Mike Lull guitar works in Bellevue WA. did the installation work, as there were some body modifications required to accommodate the new electronics. I replaced the chrome plated machine heads with gold plated heads. I think the gold plating does a better job of complementing the Walnut headstock.

I bought the Series I from this guy in Texas. He had it on Ebay in May and no one bid on it! After the auction expired, I contacted him and was able to make a deal. The fan head was one of the really big selling points for me. You don't see many of those. The fan head front is Zebra Wood, and the body front is Koa. The bass is a 1977 (sn 77-875). I'm quite happy that it has been well cared for. The finish has aged really well. I'm thinking about some customization to elevate this bass to "dream bass" status. For roughly $2000 and a month of waiting, I can have Alembic install fret markers, and side LEDS. Ever since I saw an Alembic bass with the side LEDS, I was hooked! I couldn't imagine owning something like that, hence the "dream bass" status! I may do this next year.

Did someone say Alembic convention? I’ve heard that one before. I would be game for that! Like I’ve said before if I can’t own some of these beauties I’ll sure be looking! That would be fun to attend something like that.

Now I have a question for the rest of you. What is a "Paul"? Does this have something to do with John Paul Jones and his association with Alembic basses?

Again, thank you all for your responses.

Bob
groovelines
Member
Username: groovelines

Post Number: 96
Registered: 4-2003
Posted on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 12:51 pm:   Edit Post

What's a "Paul"? That's funny, no one has asked that before. Unless one of the Pauls wishes to elaborate, I think you'll just have to visit the club more often and pick up on the good, the bad, the fake...
In general terms: you couldn't find a better group of guys.

Oh yeah, great looking basses, love the fan.

adios,
Mike
elzie
Intermediate Member
Username: elzie

Post Number: 184
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 7:57 pm:   Edit Post

What IS a Paul? That is a deep question......( yeah, right)

Simply put, it is a name :-) But more in depth, there are a few Pauls in here, some natural and some adopted.

The natural Pauls(myself included) are a rare and strange breed. We are very similar in our demeanor and likes. For example, general craziness, Alembics, fine beer and good friends. Okay, maybe it's just our strange humor and approach that seperates us......



However, there is a bit of this in everyone, so even those without Paul in their name ( poor souls, no offense Dino :-) ) are incuded.

We are really a cult, so join us now! You can start by donating that nice Spoiler to me and the delectible Series I to Palembic.

I hope this explains it. Maybe my counterpart from the land Bonnie will explain it better.......

Paul, The Perplexed One

Join us...... Join US.......

(Message edited by elzie on August 23, 2003)
palembic
Senior Member
Username: palembic

Post Number: 557
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Monday, August 25, 2003 - 1:38 am:   Edit Post

Once it was that bassplayers conquer the world in a most sympathetic and friendly way producing the glueing low frequency sound that let people let stick together in a litteral and figural way.
That breed of bassplayers played weird sandwiched guitars, offsprings from a flower-powered company Al-and-something (it has to do with beer brewing) . At the head of this worldmoving wave were standing PAUL's: "Prelats of the Al-something Using League". On this moment these Pauls already appear on earth and are called Paul (of course) and they play bass (well ...playing ...eur ... we try) on Alembics (thát's the name: those weird sandwiches made of the most beautifull kind of wood you can imagine).
Beware: everybody can be a Paul!
We already have a Fake One!
(Brother Paul the fake one/the artist formerly known as Dino).
We have a "Good one" who live at the west side of the ocean and we have a "Bad one" living at the east side and a "Partial one" somewhere ...eur ... (oh ...we didn't find an "Ugly one" yet).
We have Paul's with the name of Bob, Joey, Manfred, David, MIchael, Mica, Ron, Susan, Valentino, Rami ...well you name it.
Join us!

Paul the bad one



PS, Hey Brother Paul the good one, my explanation is maybe not better but surely sounds weirder. Well ...everybody who runs out the house screaming after reading this is doomed to donate his Alembic to onbe of the Paul's -who will take good care of her- and must go flyfishing.


Jeezzz - I have to write a book with this nonsense. However ...I have to be carefull ...will there anybody take me serious ever? I DO write some serious reactions you know ...well ...that is to say ....from time to time ...mostly on tuesdays ....
LOL

(Message edited by palembic on August 25, 2003)

(Message edited by palembic on August 25, 2003)
elzie
Intermediate Member
Username: elzie

Post Number: 187
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Monday, August 25, 2003 - 5:04 am:   Edit Post

ROFL! That was great Paul!

You know, half way through reading that I thought to myself, "Paul should be writing books". Then I read the rest and got a good laugh.

Your explanation is quite good. Especially the "Prelats of the Al-something Using League". LOL.

Ah, start the day off with a smile. Thanks Paul!
I think we need to find a new title to go with your name........

El Pablo
dean_m
Intermediate Member
Username: dean_m

Post Number: 165
Registered: 7-2002
Posted on Monday, August 25, 2003 - 7:56 am:   Edit Post

I think it should be Paul the Elder!!!
Sort of like you have elders in certain organizations. Paul can be our "Elder Statesman"!!!!

Bob, I adopted (and was accepted by the other Pauls) my name as Brother Paul The Fake One out of pure jealousy!!! You know the saying "If you can't beat 'em join 'em. There you go!!! But because I'm not really an authentic Paul, I have to put the discloser of "The Fake One" as to not confuse the issue with the actual true Pauls.
Then somewhere along the lines, Brother Paul The Bad One also dubbed me "The Artist Formerly Known As Dino" further accepting me into the Brotherhood of Paul. Now as of late there was another reference from Brother Paul The Bad One comparing me to Kermit the Frog. I have no idea where that came from but being it from the Brotherhood of Paul and especially Paul the Elder, I have to accept it!!!
So now you will see me signing off as:
Dino(bptfo/tafkad/ktf)
(Brother Paul The Fake One/The Artist Formerly Known As Dino/Kermit The Frog).
Whew!!!!
I do hope this clears things up a bit. I've got to back to work!!!

Peace,
Dino (bptfo/tafkad/ktf)
groovelines
Member
Username: groovelines

Post Number: 97
Registered: 4-2003
Posted on Monday, August 25, 2003 - 8:44 am:   Edit Post

Well, that just about clears that up!
LOL

Mike
palembic
Senior Member
Username: palembic

Post Number: 561
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Wednesday, August 27, 2003 - 4:22 am:   Edit Post

Where "Kermit" came from?
Well ...
("O-oh I can hear somehwer)
Well ... VISUALLY I see thi sclub also as a kind of theater "Muppet-show"style. The stage is for all these fine brothers and sisters-owners of Alembics being proud, eager to help, tryting to learn, willing to share.
I don't want Mica to be considered as Miss Piggy and Ron as the Bald Eagle nad Rami as Scooter but I DO consider Elzie and myself as the Waldorf and Slater of the bunch: the two grumpy old guys in the back giving comment (I added the beers and the yelling "pictures-pictures").
Just by coincidence it was Dino who was in the neighbourhood when I started the Waldorf/Slater thing and I considered him Kermit. Just ...well ...I dunno (I even dunno if the color green suits Dino).
I have maybe a weird taste of humor but ...well As long as the name Dino should be more in the Flinstones world but ...well ...I didn't think about thát one.
mmmmmmmm....

Paul the bad one
Paul the Elder?????????????? huh....
dean_m
Intermediate Member
Username: dean_m

Post Number: 167
Registered: 7-2002
Posted on Wednesday, August 27, 2003 - 7:41 am:   Edit Post

AHHH!!!! Now I get it. I didn't relate to the Waldorf and Slater reference that's why!!!
Yes Paul, green does fit me although, because my nickname is Dino, purple does fit me a bit better because of Dino in the Flintstones. HAH!!!!
Anyway, now that we've gotten way off of the subject.... HAA
See Bob, we are a crazy and weird bunch.

Join us, join us join us!!!

Dino(bptfo/tafkad/ktf)
elzie
Intermediate Member
Username: elzie

Post Number: 188
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Wednesday, August 27, 2003 - 8:07 am:   Edit Post

It must be hot out, I didn't get the Dino/Flintstones reference until I read Dino's post.....doh!

Has anyone seen my brain???? I need it back!
Maybe I was cringing and distracted when I read this line:

"I don't want Mica to be considered as Miss Piggy and Ron as the Bald Eagle nad Rami as Scooter"

All I can say is WOW! Now I know Paul would never mean to compare intentionally.........

Dino, I hope you don't cramp up your hands typing out all those alliases ;)

Paul The Junior Elder

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