| Author | Message | ||
| eos35mm
Junior Username: eos35mm Post Number: 22 Registered: 2-2006 |
Do Not the Serial # of this S1. Does anyone have any info on this bass, the types of wood etc....?  (Message edited by eos35mm on April 16, 2006) | ||
| eos35mm
Junior Username: eos35mm Post Number: 23 Registered: 2-2006 |
If a PickUp has a hiss, could the cause be related to a bad I.C. in the preamp??? How much would it cost to have the IC in the pre amp replaced? Thanks. (Message edited by eos35mm on April 16, 2006) (Message edited by eos35mm on April 16, 2006) | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3639 Registered: 5-2002 |
Roger; the neck is probaly Maple and Purpleheart. The back body laminate might be Walnut. Have you ruled out that the hum cancelling trim pots might need adjusting? | ||
| eos35mm
Junior Username: eos35mm Post Number: 24 Registered: 2-2006 |
Thanks, Dave. I'll try that. How do I go about doing the hum canceling trim pots? Would a pickup may also be contributing to this noise? It seems as though one pickup is making a hissing noise. I sort of remember seeing a post on these adjustments on this site. I have enclosed another pic of the body that night make identification of the woods easier.  Thanks, Roger | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3641 Registered: 5-2002 |
Nice bass! Go here for the hum cancelling procedure. The body is probably Mahogany. The top might be Vermilion. The serial number should be on the very top of the headstock. My guess is that it is mid-70's and that the original bridge has been replaced with the newer version. But I'm just guessing. | ||
| eos35mm
Junior Username: eos35mm Post Number: 25 Registered: 2-2006 |
Thanks, will see if the owner can try the adjustments, i'll also see if I can get the Ser #. A/p the owner it's a 77 and the body made of Mohogany. Does it look as though it has Laminates? Also, are the 4 little knobs for intonation adjustment? Can't remember seeing these types of knobs before. (Message edited by eos35mm on April 16, 2006) | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1133 Registered: 3-2004 |
Yes, the "knobs" on the bridge will let you move the individual saddles forward and back for intonation adjustment. If the hum cancelling procedure doesn't make it quiet enough, then this bass might need the series electronics upgrade procedure to become quiet. That will probably be in the neighborhood of $1500 if it needs doing. Early basses typically had a core body wood and only a single laminate each for the top and back. It was later that they started adding the intermediate laminates. Oddly, I'd say that the picture shows the fretboard as lighter than I would expect for ebony. It could be the color rendition of the pic/computer, the ebony could be in need of some oil, or the board could be something else (rosewood?). -bob | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3643 Registered: 5-2002 |
Bob; I noticed the fretboard color too! Intriguing. | ||
| eos35mm
Junior Username: eos35mm Post Number: 26 Registered: 2-2006 |
Thanks guys: There is definitely different colours with respect to the front/back and the side. The fret board looks the same Brownish-Red colour in the smaller pics I have looked at. How does an Ebony fretboard compare to say a Rosewood, Mohogany or Cocobolo? The upgrade would not include pickups only internals circuitry, correct? (Message edited by eos35mm on April 16, 2006) (Message edited by eos35mm on April 16, 2006) | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1134 Registered: 3-2004 |
Ebony will be black, though maybe slightly pale. If it is ebony, it looks like it could use a few drops of lemon oil. If it isn't ebony, it is rosewood. There wasn't as much experimentation going on with fretboard woods 30 years ago compared to what they're doing today. I believe that the upgrade typically doesn't touch the pickups unless there's something wrong with them. If you do a little searching on the boards, you should be able to find more information about this as well. | ||
| eos35mm
Junior Username: eos35mm Post Number: 27 Registered: 2-2006 |
Thanks, I read some of the links. I got a distance from the nut the 12th being 15.5". Would that make it a medium or short scale? Short being 30.5 and medium 32"? Thanks | ||
| kungfusheriff
Senior Member Username: kungfusheriff Post Number: 505 Registered: 8-2003 |
That would make the bass a short-scale instrument; your understanding of scale lengths is correct. Nice bass...does the seller have another? ;) | ||
| eos35mm
Junior Username: eos35mm Post Number: 28 Registered: 2-2006 |
Nah that's the only one. I am still trying to figure the various woods and get a sense if anything is wrong with the bass. He is a little reluctant to give out the Ser# I have to ask him more about that hissing noise. Thanks. | ||
| eos35mm
Junior Username: eos35mm Post Number: 29 Registered: 2-2006 |
Does the back pickup look higher towards the "G" string? Like it's set at a steep angle. Or is this an opitical illusion? Has anyone notice this? | ||
| olieoliver
Advanced Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 229 Registered: 2-2006 |
Looks higher to me too Roger. If you look at the wood in the pickup cavity you can see that it is definantely higher at the first string. More of a "dillusion " than an "illusion " I'd say. | ||
| kungfusheriff
Senior Member Username: kungfusheriff Post Number: 506 Registered: 8-2003 |
If the pickup tabs aren't broken, that's a quick setup fix addressed in the FAQ section. Will the seller give you a trial period? | ||
| eos35mm
Junior Username: eos35mm Post Number: 30 Registered: 2-2006 |
Nope, he is selling it as is, trying it out would be the best things. He mentioned that previous owner had a light touch, if you have a heavy touch it will buzz a little????? still doesn't explain the odd angle. Might the p/u be broken thus creating more of a hiss, just guessing. He never mentioned which p/u and I.C. was creating more hiss. Would a broken p/u tab mean getting a new p/u? | ||
| kungfusheriff
Senior Member Username: kungfusheriff Post Number: 507 Registered: 8-2003 |
>"if you have a heavy touch it will buzz a little?????" That would depend on how high your string action is set, not where the pickup is set. >"Might the p/u be broken thus creating more of a hiss" Could be...a close inspection by someone who knows Alembics or a good electronics repairperson should suss that out. It sounds like the bass should go back to Alembic for service, which is expensive. What's he asking for it "as-is?" >"Would a broken p/u tab mean getting a new p/u?" That would depend on how badly it's broken, if that's indeed true. I had one that was Krazy Glued after being cracked, which worked fine. | ||
| keith_h
Advanced Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 399 Registered: 2-2005 |
One thing you said would make me a little suspicious and that is the reluctance to give out the serial number. Is the bass nearby so you can go look at it in person? If yes I would go by to look at and check the serial yourself. I would also look it up on the stolen list. Keith | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1135 Registered: 3-2004 |
The pickup angle is a perfectly normal thing for a player to do to get the tonal balance they prefer from string to string. You really need to read all of the FAQs on this site. In particular, you need to understand how to adjust pickup height before you try it so that you don't break something. The comment about the touch means that the action is probably set very low. That's just a matter of setting the bass up to play the way that is most comfortable to you. Also, I would stop worrying about what woods are in the instrument. At this point, it doesn't matter. If you can hear it before you buy it, you will either like the tone or not. If you've seen it, either you will like the way it looks or not. The wood content of a 70s Alembic really has no bearing on the value. You didn't really say for certain, but your messages suggest that the seller is local to you and that you could try it before you buy it. Is that true? If so, then go try it out. That will tell you if it's the bass for you better than any chat here. If you can't play it before you buy, you have to decide how much risk you're willing to accept. It sounds like the seller won't take it back under any circumstances, so you need to be ready to walk away if you're not comfortable with the deal. | ||
| eos35mm
Junior Username: eos35mm Post Number: 31 Registered: 2-2006 |
Guys, thanks for your feedback. The bass is not local, getting to try it out and hear it would be a little difficult and expensive. The string height I know about, I mentioned to see whether the rear pickup height & angle, the string height and hiss had anything in common. Faulty pickup...lower strings....raise pickup, something I've tried. I also lowered string height for more speed. That being said, it doesn't have LEDs, the asking price might be a little high. Alembic said that it needs an I.C. If I could get it at a lowere price it might be worth the gamble. Keith, it would definitely help in the comfort level dept. if I had the Ser # to do a search. It would be invaluable if I could play it. I don't want to "buy a cat in a bag", "throw good money after bad". No one does. | ||
| olieoliver
Advanced Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 234 Registered: 2-2006 |
While I do agree with Bob about pickup heighth adjustment to get a tonal balance the adjustment I see in the photo of this bass seems odd to me. It has the bridge pickup much close to the 1st string than the 4th and has the neck pickup even. I have always had to adjust my pickups the exact opposite of this. I usually have the bridge PU. closer to the bottom strings and the neck closer to the 1st and 2nd strings. But I've never has to make this extreme of an adjustment. I'm not saying there is a problem with the bass just that this seems like an odd set up. | ||
| dela217
Senior Member Username: dela217 Post Number: 648 Registered: 6-2002 |
Roger, check your email. Michael | ||
| eos35mm
Junior Username: eos35mm Post Number: 32 Registered: 2-2006 |
Hi Michael, I've sent you an email. If you sent me one I didn't get it. Roger |
