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mack_sanders
New
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 1
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Sunday, December 25, 2011 - 11:55 am:   Edit Post

I purchased #1045 new in 1978, after reading an article in Rolling Stone in the early 70s. My dream came true. I had originally placed an order for a series 2 guitar in walnut/maple. When this one was offered due to an order cancellation, I accepted without question. I had no way to imagine how good an instrument could be. It is resonant and responsive like nothing else. To this day, this instrument is the only one that surprises me with every note. It is truly a lightning rod for passion.Mack with #1045
rustyg61
Advanced Member
Username: rustyg61

Post Number: 344
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Sunday, December 25, 2011 - 12:06 pm:   Edit Post

Welcome to the Club Mark! You have a beautiful guitar! It looks like my Stanley Clarke Signature Deluxe!
mack_sanders
New
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 2
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Sunday, December 25, 2011 - 12:59 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks Rustyg61. As fate would have it, this guitar has been a constant companion through all these years. My connection to it borders on a peaceful kind of madness. I have always struggled to describe what it actually does in a musical mix...until i broke a D string on this gig and picked up the red Strat behind me. My brother David with the LP, said he wondered if the Alembic had been too low in the mix all night...till I put it down and a huge wall of sound fell down out of the mix. Best description I've heard. The Strat with all due respect, felt like a toy in my hands.Mack with #1045
rustyg61
Advanced Member
Username: rustyg61

Post Number: 345
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Sunday, December 25, 2011 - 1:05 pm:   Edit Post

There is a definite difference in the sound & clarity of Alembics VS "mortal" guitars & basses! The 1st gig I did with my Alembic, my drummer commented that he heard notes from me that he had never heard before even though I was playing the same exact parts I always play! The Alembic just cuts through the mix like nothing else!
mack_sanders
New
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 3
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Sunday, December 25, 2011 - 2:09 pm:   Edit Post

Agreed Rusty, it seems to me that all other instruments revolve around the lone Alembic in a mix.
rustyg61
Advanced Member
Username: rustyg61

Post Number: 346
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Sunday, December 25, 2011 - 3:18 pm:   Edit Post

Nice shot of the sideways "Alembic Buckle!" I wear my belt like that too!
mack_sanders
New
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 4
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Sunday, December 25, 2011 - 3:38 pm:   Edit Post

Yes Rusty, i also cut the rivets out of my jeans on the right side.. Disciplines become rituals for the sake of playing of this guitar.
rustyg61
Advanced Member
Username: rustyg61

Post Number: 348
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Sunday, December 25, 2011 - 3:45 pm:   Edit Post

You've taken amazing care of your instrument, it still looks brand new!
mack_sanders
New
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 5
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Sunday, December 25, 2011 - 4:19 pm:   Edit Post

Thank you Rusty. Great pride in the keeping of this instrument. The frets are like jewelry. Besides for an early issue with back bow, which was solved, it has had no failures of any kind.
mack_sanders
New
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 6
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Sunday, December 25, 2011 - 7:05 pm:   Edit Post

Uncle Bob's Rock Shop, left to right. Steve Reel, Mark Rewis, Bob Dibble, David & Mack Sanders
artswork99
Moderator
Username: artswork99

Post Number: 1637
Registered: 7-2007
Posted on Sunday, December 25, 2011 - 7:36 pm:   Edit Post

Mack, Welcome to the forum. Absolutely beautiful guitar! The Band looks like a lot of fun. Let me know if you get up to the Asheville, NC area (seems to be a popular stop here with folks from Charleston, vica-versa too). Play it Healthy! Art
mack_sanders
New
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 7
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Monday, December 26, 2011 - 9:11 am:   Edit Post

Thanks Arts,
Living every note.
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 2207
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Monday, December 26, 2011 - 9:17 am:   Edit Post

Welcome ,
Great instrument and pics!
dadabass2001
Senior Member
Username: dadabass2001

Post Number: 1606
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Monday, December 26, 2011 - 9:37 am:   Edit Post

The band sounds great, Mack. Welcome to the club.
Mike
mack_sanders
New
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 8
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Monday, December 26, 2011 - 9:42 am:   Edit Post

Sonicus, Mike, thank you,
It's a pleasure to meet you.
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 5015
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Monday, December 26, 2011 - 11:30 am:   Edit Post

Mack:

Welcome to the club! Always nice to have another 6-stringer around these parts. Most of the people around here seem to like 4 or 5 bridge cables and giant speakers, but they're a cool bunch anyway.. Would love to see some more and closer pics of your guitar.

Bill, the guitar one
mack_sanders
New
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 9
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Monday, December 26, 2011 - 12:25 pm:   Edit Post



Hi Bill,
My close up files are too large to fit here. I'll work on that.
mack_sanders
New
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 10
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Tuesday, December 27, 2011 - 11:44 am:   Edit Post

"Form follows function" is an appropriate term when attempting to describe the many positive attributes of this instrument. The lines of reasoning on response and resonation are well founded IMHO. One attribute i have only recently come to grasp is the sense of a complete absence of latency when compared to the softly mounted components of the instrument in the foreground. The Alembic simply produces chords and notes with a bang as well as subtle notes in which the lines on the finger tips can be heard and integrated into a passage. The over all result being a feeling of confidence because of the ability to eliminate the constant and habitual adjustments for maybe 1 or 2 milliseconds of latency, which make it easier to lock into a groove with the band. Small increments of time are hard to measure, though they can often be evaluated by a slight feeling of an annoyance. In this day and age ,1-2 milliseconds is an entire universe, though I'm guessing Ron was probably on to that, more than 35 years ago.
jazzyvee
Senior Member
Username: jazzyvee

Post Number: 2657
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Wednesday, December 28, 2011 - 8:22 am:   Edit Post

Any chance of some close up photo of the guitar Mack?

Jazzyvee
mack_sanders
Junior
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 11
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Wednesday, December 28, 2011 - 9:01 am:   Edit Post

Hi Jazzyvee,
Will have to convert some files so they fit. Got some down time coming, off line for a relocation.
Hope to be back soon.
mack_sanders
Junior
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 12
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2012 - 2:17 pm:   Edit Post



Mack with #1045
rustyg61
Advanced Member
Username: rustyg61

Post Number: 357
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2012 - 3:25 pm:   Edit Post

Great shot Mack! And my apologies for calling you Mark in my 1st post!
charles_holmes
Intermediate Member
Username: charles_holmes

Post Number: 172
Registered: 3-2009
Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2012 - 7:21 pm:   Edit Post

"Mortal Basses and Guitars".....Ha! Ha! I really like that description!! Kudos Mack! That's a slammin' axe you got there dude!....The guitar of the..the Gods! Not for Mortals!
mack_sanders
Junior
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 13
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2012 - 7:30 pm:   Edit Post




Mack with 1045
rustyg61
Advanced Member
Username: rustyg61

Post Number: 358
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2012 - 8:14 pm:   Edit Post

Glad you like my description Charles! To put a twist on a friend's Harley shirt, "If God made anything better than an Alembic, He kept it for Himself!"
mack_sanders
Junior
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 14
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Monday, January 09, 2012 - 6:01 am:   Edit Post

Well said Rusty! Hi Charles!
mack_sanders
Junior
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 15
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Monday, January 09, 2012 - 10:04 am:   Edit Post

It has been said of modern formula one racing cars ,that they are designed in such close keeping with the fundamental laws of nature that they tend to behave almost as living things. The same can be said of the Connection between the "Queen"(1045) and I, the depth of which cannot be over stated, nor can the joy be over stated.
cozmik_cowboy
Senior Member
Username: cozmik_cowboy

Post Number: 1134
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Monday, January 09, 2012 - 1:28 pm:   Edit Post

Love the strap!

Peter
mack_sanders
Junior
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 16
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Monday, January 09, 2012 - 6:46 pm:   Edit Post

Photos by Cathie Bowes Reel and Amber Rewis.
mack_sanders
Junior
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 17
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Monday, January 09, 2012 - 6:52 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks cozmik_cowboy
The strap was made by Ralph Rivera in 1978. It has been with the guitar since that time.
mack_sanders
Junior
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 18
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Monday, January 09, 2012 - 7:16 pm:   Edit Post


Mack with 1045
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 10510
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2012 - 3:14 pm:   Edit Post

Beautiful guitar!!!

Welcome to the club!
mack_sanders
Junior
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 19
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 - 10:17 am:   Edit Post

davehouck, thank you!
slawie
Advanced Member
Username: slawie

Post Number: 392
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Tuesday, May 08, 2012 - 4:43 pm:   Edit Post

Is that a triple walnut stringers in the neck recipe?
Welcome to the club
slawie
edwin
Senior Member
Username: edwin

Post Number: 1201
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, June 20, 2012 - 10:41 pm:   Edit Post

I checked out the videos on your website. Great job! As a bass player I have to say that I really appreciate your drummer. Mad skillz, but also knows when to just lay that backbeat in just the right place. The Alembic sounds great, too!
tncaveman
Member
Username: tncaveman

Post Number: 100
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Saturday, June 23, 2012 - 7:52 pm:   Edit Post

The vids are really cool - great mixing and playing. Everyone in the band is good - a rare sight.

Stephen
mack_sanders
Junior
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 20
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 12:55 pm:   Edit Post

Slawie, 1045 is a purple heart, maple neck with rosewood fret board. Front & back are cocobolo, maple and mahogany. Edwin, Tncaveman, thank you.
I re-fretted recently and it has be come a test bed for experimentation with fret crown profiles (Fibonacci)micro tuning and work hardening.
It stays on the bench until all notes are dead on.
mack_sanders
Junior
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 21
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 1:47 pm:   Edit Post

PS, does anyone have suggestions on how to cure a noisy f2-b? Changed out the power supply caps and tubes. lots of hiss.
edwin
Senior Member
Username: edwin

Post Number: 1258
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 2:59 pm:   Edit Post

If it's an older unit, I would suggest looking at the plate resistors. That's the classic place where the Fender preamp designs get noisy after a number of years. It's an opportunity to try different resistor types.
edwin
Senior Member
Username: edwin

Post Number: 1259
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 3:22 pm:   Edit Post

If it's an older unit, I would suggest looking at the plate resistors. That's the classic place where the Fender preamp designs get noisy after a number of years. It's an opportunity to try different resistor types.
mack_sanders
Junior
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 22
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Tuesday, September 04, 2012 - 9:09 am:   Edit Post

Edwin,thank you. The F2-b is #857, somewhere around 1980. I have difficulty understanding tubes, but I have noticed that a recent installation of Fender/Russian/12AX7/7025's sounded good but had fry noise and a pair of Russian/ Mullard 12AX7/ECC83's seemed softer with richer even order harmonics, but with a lot of hiss. Any guidance is appreciated.
elwoodblue
Senior Member
Username: elwoodblue

Post Number: 1449
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Saturday, September 08, 2012 - 5:28 pm:   Edit Post

Great Photo's Mack,
I have a close cousin of #1045, a series one guitar-serial #1100,
....joy :-)


It's good to see 1045 ( and You ) in action.

Keep it up !!
Elwood
mack_sanders
Junior
Username: mack_sanders

Post Number: 23
Registered: 12-2011
Posted on Thursday, February 14, 2013 - 11:09 am:   Edit Post

Hey elwoodblue, thank you . Do you have photos posted of 1100?
Edwin, I recently found TAD 7025 W/A RT080 tubes from The Amp Dr. The F2B improved dramatically.

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