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keith_h
Senior Member
Username: keith_h

Post Number: 1489
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Saturday, January 16, 2010 - 8:03 am:   Edit Post

The gig went well last night. Around our second song a patron of the venue comes up and starts looking at my Brown Bass. He looks at the logo and tries to read wording on the pickups. He does this another time or two. After the gig he comes up and asks me, "Is that an Alembic?". I say yes, somewhat surprised to hear the name pronounced correctly. The guy said when he was in the back room he heard a bass that was too good for the normal stuff he hears in the place and had to find out what it was. He then continues that he has not seen one in a long time and never recalls seeing one in Chapel Hill.

It just goes to show there are folks out there that realize the difference between a national park in Washington and a fine instrument.

Keith

(Message edited by keith_h on January 16, 2010)
jbybj
Advanced Member
Username: jbybj

Post Number: 258
Registered: 6-2006
Posted on Sunday, January 17, 2010 - 12:01 am:   Edit Post

Was he a bass player? I'd guess yes............
keith_h
Senior Member
Username: keith_h

Post Number: 1491
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Sunday, January 17, 2010 - 5:06 am:   Edit Post

I think he said plays guitar. Around here I have yet to run into any bass players other than Alembic owners that even know what they are.

Keith
pauldo
Senior Member
Username: pauldo

Post Number: 412
Registered: 6-2006
Posted on Sunday, January 17, 2010 - 1:24 pm:   Edit Post

Keith is right - I was at an open jam once and as soon as I lifted the lid on my case another bassist came over and said "Is that a Ken Smith?"
bassilisk
Member
Username: bassilisk

Post Number: 68
Registered: 4-2009
Posted on Monday, January 18, 2010 - 6:55 am:   Edit Post

We did a show this past summer with several other bands on the bill. I was using my Rogue and after our soundcheck one of the other bassists (not a young novice I might add) came over and commented on what a nice bass it was. "What kind is it?"
I told him and he wrinkled his brow, looking very puzzled as he tried to read the headstock. "Alembic", I repeated.

He was clearly mystified.
jacko
Senior Member
Username: jacko

Post Number: 2556
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 4:26 am:   Edit Post

Neither my Rogue nor my Sig dx have the Alembic script on the headstock. At a gig about a year ago, two student aged guys came up after the first set and asked if my basses were Warwicks! Luckily for them I'm quite a mellow guy. imagine if they'd asked Flax the same question ;-)

Graeme
keith_h
Senior Member
Username: keith_h

Post Number: 1495
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 5:11 am:   Edit Post

If it had been Flax they would have gone on to ask how much it cost.

Keith
bassilisk
Member
Username: bassilisk

Post Number: 69
Registered: 4-2009
Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 7:45 am:   Edit Post

"Neither my Rogue nor my Sig dx have the Alembic script on the headstock."
Neither does mine.
dannobasso
Senior Member
Username: dannobasso

Post Number: 1196
Registered: 3-2004
Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 5:09 pm:   Edit Post

Only an Alembic club member Jack knew when he came out to the Delancy in NYC. He wrote a very nice review here and I forwarded it to the band and got smack because he was very favorable of the bass tone and my singing.

And this "what is that thing" has been the case since 1983 people.
Isn't it funny that we here almost every make and model bass out there?
bigredbass
Senior Member
Username: bigredbass

Post Number: 1353
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - 1:58 pm:   Edit Post

Welcome to Nashville.

'So . . . ya didn't want a Fender?'

Joey
2400wattman
Senior Member
Username: 2400wattman

Post Number: 763
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - 8:46 pm:   Edit Post

Welcome to Knoxville.
Man...I got this Ibanez that'll kill anything out there...,anything man! and that ain't no s*#t! (said in my best ig'nant sounding red neck voice)
gregduboc
Advanced Member
Username: gregduboc

Post Number: 306
Registered: 11-2008
Posted on Friday, January 29, 2010 - 2:21 pm:   Edit Post

And I was thinking that sort of stuff only happened here in Brazil...

- "Nice paint job on that bass, man!", referring to the Buckeye Burl top of my bass...

- "Is that a custom Fender?"

and so on...

Greg
hifiguy
Advanced Member
Username: hifiguy

Post Number: 204
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 - 12:33 pm:   Edit Post

I've gotten only three responses to my Alembic over my infrequent gigs over the last couple of years. Sound man (a former bassist, it turned out) at The Fine Line club in Minny immediately recognized my Stanley Sig Standard and complemented my taste. Young guy who played a Carvin 5 and a Steinberger electric upright (_really_ well, I might add) did the same a couple of years ago.

In January a guy asked me what it was. I said "an Alembic." "Oh, an OLYMPIC! Cool!"

And so it goes, as Mr Vonnegut said.
mario_farufyno
Senior Member
Username: mario_farufyno

Post Number: 424
Registered: 9-2008
Posted on Sunday, February 21, 2010 - 4:40 pm:   Edit Post

Sometime ago I've heard this compliment from an other bassist:

- "Nice Bass, it looks like my Rockbass and sounds good, too"
- "Do you really think so?"
- "Well, you know... They are nice, but someday we will be able to get a real good Fender"
- "Wow... Yeah, I hope so... Thanks"

What could I say? It just occured me if our sound man made something wrong that night...

(Message edited by Mario Farufyno on February 21, 2010)
benson_murrensun
Advanced Member
Username: benson_murrensun

Post Number: 240
Registered: 5-2007
Posted on Friday, March 12, 2010 - 9:33 am:   Edit Post

Last night after our set a guitar player asked me if my bass was an Alembic. I was happy that it was recognized. Then he asked if it was made in the USA! Many possible responses raced through my brain... but I simply told him that yes, they all are.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9166
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Friday, March 12, 2010 - 4:51 pm:   Edit Post

You didn't tell him they're made my elves?
s_wood
Advanced Member
Username: s_wood

Post Number: 310
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 8:00 am:   Edit Post

I do most of my playing in bars, and most of the patron don't know the difference between a bass and a bratwurst. So, imagine my surprise a few years ago when a guy came up to me and said "cool, a Series II." He turned out to be the bass player in the band with which we were sharing the bill, and he was an Alembic guy.

By that, I mean he was an ALEMBIC GUY. He was playing an Elan with a cocobolo top, and after he showed me his bass he showed me his back, which was filled with a huge and picture-perfect tattoo of his Elan. The wood grain on his back was perfect.
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 782
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 8:53 am:   Edit Post

Speaking of Alembic Tattoos , I wonder how many folks have just the" Alembic Logo " tattooed on them ? I think that I have seen 2 examples here on the forum on forum members . I bet there are quite a few more .
jcdlc72
Junior
Username: jcdlc72

Post Number: 45
Registered: 11-2009
Posted on Monday, March 15, 2010 - 6:55 pm:   Edit Post

I've been thinking on doing it myself. :P Been wanting a tattoo companion for the bass clef star on my shoulders :-)
chalieholmes
Junior
Username: chalieholmes

Post Number: 23
Registered: 11-2009
Posted on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - 4:06 pm:   Edit Post

I just started playing in an 80's rock band.I was suppossed to start at the of this month but their bassist bailed on them to play in a C&W band. I got in like three rehearsals before the bass player left. I had to learn and chart out 50 tunes in a month! My first gig with them was March 13th and when I plugged my Distillate Series everyone in the band said that my axe sounded great and it gave them a new dimension! The drummer asked me what kind of bass it was and I said Alembic and he said oh, then he asked how much it cost and I told him it cost me 5G's used....dazed..he walked away with a smile saying "nice bass man"! I'm on a mission for a 5 string series now!
artswork99
Senior Member
Username: artswork99

Post Number: 1026
Registered: 7-2007
Posted on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - 6:44 pm:   Edit Post

Good luck with the new gig Chalie!
jazzyvee
Senior Member
Username: jazzyvee

Post Number: 1983
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 - 12:00 pm:   Edit Post



(Message edited by jazzyvee on June 15, 2010)
keith_h
Moderator
Username: keith_h

Post Number: 1632
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 - 2:43 pm:   Edit Post

Well isn't that a fine "How do you do?". While I was posting my response Jazzy deletes his post. :-)
Removed my reponse.

Keith

(Message edited by keith_h on June 15, 2010)
jazzyvee
Senior Member
Username: jazzyvee

Post Number: 1984
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 - 11:18 pm:   Edit Post

Sorry Keith but thanks for your email response.

Jazzyvee
oggydoggy
Advanced Member
Username: oggydoggy

Post Number: 201
Registered: 3-2003
Posted on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 - 7:58 am:   Edit Post

Link to Tattoo postings
http://alembic.com/club/messages/449/53627.html
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 1068
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 - 9:24 am:   Edit Post

Cool ink !
rockbassist
Intermediate Member
Username: rockbassist

Post Number: 196
Registered: 8-2005
Posted on Friday, September 24, 2010 - 1:05 pm:   Edit Post

I was recently in a privately owned music store. They have been in business for 15 years. The owners asked me what kind of bass I played, I said Alembic. They looked at each other with a confused look on their faces and then one of them said "never heard of it". I was surprised that someone who has been in business this long has never heard of Alembic.
bassman4
Junior
Username: bassman4

Post Number: 16
Registered: 3-2009
Posted on Monday, February 07, 2011 - 7:25 pm:   Edit Post

This one probably should be an ongoing thread with it's own heading...(Hint hint moderators!)...];-}

I did an outdoor gig this past fall in VA with 4 other groups on the bill...we opened up early with improvisatory Jazz Fusion; next band was old school 70's soul, then a New age fusion group; and closing down with an Electronica / Rap group...

Over the course of the evening, all three of the other bassists ended up at my shoulder at some point; asking; "What kind of Bass is that you're playin'?!"...only the cat from the 70's soul group knew what it was; and he was actually asking about the model, since he realized my Essence 5 had more than the standard electronics package...

The other guys were just freaked out when dusk came on, and I fired up the LED's...];-} (Though the Electronica / Rap Bassist wanted to buy my Eden Monitor rig outright...'til I told him how much!...];-})
rustyg61
Member
Username: rustyg61

Post Number: 74
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Tuesday, April 05, 2011 - 9:38 pm:   Edit Post

I had just finished setting up my amp at my last gig & was playing my SC Signature Deluxe to make sure everything was working, & a guy came walking through the door & yelled across the room "That's a mighty fine Alembic you have there!" I was surprised that he not only knew what an Alembic was, but that he could also identify one all the way across the room. He said he heard me playing before he came inside, & recognized the Alembic sound! Turns out he was a former bass player from years ago. He never had an Alembic, but always wanted one & was very familiar with their sound. He asked what model it was & I told him it was a Stanley Clarke Signature Deluxe. He said he was a Stanley fan too, so I played School Days for him. That put a smile on his face!
allyourbass
Junior
Username: allyourbass

Post Number: 13
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Friday, April 08, 2011 - 8:38 am:   Edit Post

That's the thing, anyone who could identify an Alembic can do so across a football field. Without fail, and easily spot if it's not the standard package. They're so... distinct.

It's funny. Last month I told my band I was saving up for the holy grail of basses. An Alembic. My guitarist smiled and nodded his head, like he knew what I was talking about. I asked him and he said he was familiar with the brand, but when I try to talk about it, he knows absolutely nothing about them, and for the past few weeks he kept saying "can't wait 'til you get your ambelic"

Kids are hilarious.
rustyg61
Member
Username: rustyg61

Post Number: 77
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Friday, April 08, 2011 - 8:51 am:   Edit Post

My guitar player was pretty unfamiliar with Alembic too. I insists on calling it an "Olympic!"
terryc
Senior Member
Username: terryc

Post Number: 1545
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Monday, April 11, 2011 - 5:35 am:   Edit Post

yep here in the UK the majority of people have never heard of them either unless they are seasoned bass players.....even after 40 years Alembic still has the unique label of being 'unheard of'
jazzyvee
Senior Member
Username: jazzyvee

Post Number: 2397
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Monday, April 11, 2011 - 11:58 am:   Edit Post

I would imagine that even less people here in the UK know that Alembic make guitars too and not many here will have even seen one live because I still have the only Alembic Guitar in the whole of the UK ... hehehe :-)

Seriously though it would be interesting to know the spread of Alembics worldwide. I don't imagine those stats are at Mica's fingertips but could be extracted from Alembic's registration database if the time & desire was there to do it. That said I don't imagine there are a lot in the UK.

Jazzyvee
jacko
Senior Member
Username: jacko

Post Number: 2894
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 1:41 am:   Edit Post

Jazzy. I'm assuming you were joking about your guitar as Mark Stannage in robin hood's bay has a rather tasty further. I'm pretty sure I've seen a couple of others mentioned sometime in the past.

Graeme
terryc
Senior Member
Username: terryc

Post Number: 1549
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 7:54 am:   Edit Post

Robin Hoods Bay.. a mere short m/cycle ride for me!
jacko
Senior Member
Username: jacko

Post Number: 2895
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 7:56 am:   Edit Post

Yep. I met up with Mark the same day I met you a couple of years ago. Nice guy.

graeme
jazzyvee
Senior Member
Username: jazzyvee

Post Number: 2398
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 1:30 pm:   Edit Post

Yeah Jacko I was kidding I too have caught wind of a few UK guitars on the forum. Though It would be good to hear one played live.
If all fails, I may have to lend mine to a trusted guitarist just so I can hear one front of house.


Jazzyvee
alembicman
Junior
Username: alembicman

Post Number: 12
Registered: 5-2011
Posted on Thursday, May 19, 2011 - 6:51 pm:   Edit Post

Since Doctor Ron, Nurse Susan and their staff birthed Ali, my Series II short scale four string back in 1982, there have only been a few gigs where someone hasn't inquired about the brand of my bass and the full rich tone. I was in a battle of the bands some years ago. There were 18 bands in this event. Before it was over 17 bassist, most of the guitarist and several of the drummers and keyboardist came up and ask me what kind of bass I was playing.
The tone and sustain are unmistakable. And for you guys like me that have been playing Alembics all the years....think back when you played lesser instruments...remember the term "DEAD SPOTS".
rustyg61
Advanced Member
Username: rustyg61

Post Number: 232
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Thursday, May 19, 2011 - 8:50 pm:   Edit Post

The 1st thing I noticed about my Alembic was that it had no "dead spots!" Every note is crystal clear!

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