| Author | Message | ||
| brb9911
New Username: brb9911 Post Number: 7 Registered: 10-2007 |
Wow. http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-1977-Vintage-Alembic-Series-I-6-strng-Elect-Guitar_W0QQitemZ160189520792QQihZ006QQcategoryZ2384QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Wish I were in the market right now ... this one is a beauty, and at a nice starting price. | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 2766 Registered: 7-2004 |
This one does look to be in excellent shape and has all the case candy. Nevertheless, IMHO, the starting price is a little high. I picked up "The Other One", my '76 Series I guitar in Feb., '06, and "Big Irv", my '77 Series I 12 string last April, both off of ebay. Both in very good to excellent shape. Both in the $2500-$3000 range. I wouldn't be shocked if this ones sells to a single bidder for the opening price, but I would be surprised if it gets bid up much higher. And I wouldn't be surprised if it receives no bids and comes around again at a lower price. Bill, tgo | ||
| brb9911
New Username: brb9911 Post Number: 8 Registered: 10-2007 |
Very interesting. Good to know that some of these older ones do pop up on occasion -- I'll be looking to buy again in a couple of years. | ||
| paulman
Advanced Member Username: paulman Post Number: 266 Registered: 2-2005 |
Oh, drool! | ||
| barryr1
New Username: barryr1 Post Number: 3 Registered: 10-2007 |
Ok guys. No Laughing but I bought the series 1 on ebay. I looked at Gbase and saw that it was priced a little high but it looked really nice and with all the gear. I've never played an Alembic before but have loved the sound that I have heard when that odd pro plays one on the road. I'll take any tips the experienced heads have. thanks Barry | ||
| tbrannon
Senior Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 600 Registered: 11-2004 |
Barry- Congratulations. I'm sure that the concern over price will be forgotten once the case is opened the first time. Have fun! | ||
| brb9911
New Username: brb9911 Post Number: 9 Registered: 10-2007 |
Congrats on the purchase! Enjoy it! | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 2782 Registered: 7-2004 |
Barry: Congrats and welcome to the club! It appears to be a very nice guitar in excellent shape. And wait until you plug in. There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING that sounds like a Series guitar. As for tips, I can offer a couple. First, you may find that it picks up RF interference. There is a lot more of these frequencies floating around than back in the '70's. Depending on the instrument, and where you are situated, this may be a problem. If so, first try adjusting the hum canceller. If that doesn't work, Alembic can do an electronics upgrade to fix this problem, but it ain't cheap. I seem to remember somewhere around $1500, but I'm not sure. I can tell you that I live in an urban area - San Francisco Bay Area - and I have not experienced this problem with either of my Series guitars ('76 and '77). Second, if your guitar is wired standard and hasn't been modified, the 1/4 output jack is stereo, so that if you plug in a regular mono guitar cord, you only get one pickup. If you want, this can easily be modified to provide a standard mono output with both pickups in the signal, just like a "regular" guitar. Alembic can do this mod for you, but you can also do it yourself fairly easily. If you contact Mica, she will forward the instructions and schematic. You can find more info about the upgrade, hum canceller, 1/4" jack, and other Series related issues here One other thing: your technique is about to improve. After playing the Series a bit, you'll understand this last point. You've made an excellent purchase, one that will undoubtedly bring you much joy for many years to come. Enjoy and play it in the best of health. Bill, the guitar one | ||
| 57basstra
Senior Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 709 Registered: 4-2005 |
Barry: I bought the last (that I can remember) Series I six string that appeared on eBay (a year or so ago). It's a '78 Myrtle. I have not taken it to Nashville yet to show it to my friends at Gruhns Guitar, but I shall do that soon. Some of those guys have never seen one of these guitars in the flesh. I would not sell my 'Myrtle' for the price you paid for yours. To make a long story even longer, I think you got a great deal! | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 5826 Registered: 5-2002 |
Congrats Barry!!! We thought the price was a little high just based on what we had seen the few that had traded go for over the last few years. But they trade rarely; and if you had passed on this one, you might not have seen another for a while. So given the rarity, the price you paid is not unreasonable; and I imagine that as more people become aware of them, the trading range will move up. | ||
| barryr1
New Username: barryr1 Post Number: 4 Registered: 10-2007 |
Thanks Guys I can't wait to get it here. Been thinking about it for a long time. I also bought a set of alembic strat pickups on ebay last week. Will they need to be played thru the special pre amp or whatever is included with the series 1 | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 2784 Registered: 7-2004 |
Barry: I also have a few guitars with Alembic guts, including a 12 string Strat with the Alembic Strat set (to which I added a "Q" switch). The Alembic Strat set should come with a volume (pre-amp) and a filter. The power supply for the Series guitar is just that - a power supply. The Series' preamps and filters are all on board. Furthermore, while the Strat pickup system and, indeed, all non-series guitars run on 9 volts, Series instruments run on 18 volts - hence your new guitar will require two 9 volt batteries. Bill, tgo | ||
| barryr1
New Username: barryr1 Post Number: 5 Registered: 10-2007 |
Hi Bill This is what I got. I really don't understand it all but maybe I will when I get the Series. If the power supply is external then are the batteries external as well? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140189629127&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=004 Barry | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 5834 Registered: 5-2002 |
Barry, the Alembic strat set that you picked up runs off a single 9v battery that attaches to the battery clip shown in the picture on the Ebay listing. This set does not use the external power supply. Series electronics differ from all other Alembic electronics in that they require 18 volts. And because they run through batteries fairly quickly, most people use the power supply instead of the batteries. The other great thing about the power supply is that the same 5-pin cable that brings the power from the supply to the guitar, sends the neck and bridge pickup signals to the supply separately so that the pickup signals can be input into separate channels of a stereo preamp. | ||
| barryr1
New Username: barryr1 Post Number: 6 Registered: 10-2007 |
Thanks Dave So in looking at the power supply in the picture one is 5 pin going to the guitar and the other 2 are output to amps? Then would i take those two outputs to two amps (or two channels of an amp)? thanks | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 2787 Registered: 7-2004 |
Barry: First, your Strat set looks complete. For a small charge you can easily add a "Q" switch which is something you may want to consider after you try out the "Q" switches on your new Series guitar. By the way, if you are planning to install these in a Strat, I can offer a little trick as to how to mount the battery. Let me know. As for the Series power supply, it has both a mono out (used like a "regular" guitar - plugged into one channel of an amp with both pickup signals), or you can take two cables out, one for each pickup. These can be plugged into two channels of the same amp, or two separate amps. You'll probably do better with two separate amps as you can adjust each completely independantly and also attain more separation. Personally, I just use the mono out. Bill, tgo | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 5837 Registered: 5-2002 |
I use "two channels of an amp", the purpose for me being to have a little more EQ adjustment available for each pickup. Bill; wasn't there also some kind of trick for mounting the jack plate which created some extra space? | ||
| barryr1
New Username: barryr1 Post Number: 7 Registered: 10-2007 |
Thats great help guys. I appreciate it. I'm having a guitar made and am putting a Novax neck and bridge on it as an experiment. Thats where the strat pickups will go. thanks again | ||
| barryr1
Junior Username: barryr1 Post Number: 12 Registered: 10-2007 |
Hi Guys I thought that I saw here somewhere that I should "register" the serial number of my series but now I can't find how. thanks | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6018 Registered: 5-2002 |
That would be here. | ||
| artswork99
Advanced Member Username: artswork99 Post Number: 263 Registered: 7-2007 |
LOL - Dave beat me to it. Text removed (Message edited by artswork99 on January 15, 2008) | ||
| barryr1
Junior Username: barryr1 Post Number: 13 Registered: 10-2007 |
WOW Thanks That was fast. br |
