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ed_zeppelin
New
Username: ed_zeppelin

Post Number: 1
Registered: 1-2010
Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 2:52 pm:   Edit Post

Hey, Alembiphiles!

I've been a pro bassist and repairman since the early 70s. In the early 90's, I was working as a repairman for the world's largest (at the time) purveyor of used musical instruments.

One day, while dropping off some repairs at one of our stores, I saw an Alembic bass pulsating on the wall, surrounded by a blue-green aura which seemed to be quietly chanting my name... suddenly it floated across the room to me (or vice-versa, I'm not sure which) into my naked, steaming hands and looked up at me and said; "Papa!"

The geek behind the counter said; "I think it's called an 'Olympic...'" and I plucked my credit card out of my wallet and slapped it on the counter. "RING IT UP!" I screamed.

Then he fetched the custom Anvil flight case... Listen, I'd tell you the mere pittance I forked over, but I don't want to make people smack their monitors with their foreheads.

Later, when I got the "pedigree" from Alembic I found out that it is a '75 custom Series II, with top and back made of zebrawood on a koa core, and maple/walnut neck.

I rewired the quarter-inch plug to mono, and built a splitter/power supply in an ancient "Star Trek" metal lunch box. I've played thousands of gigs with it since, running the neck pickup through an 18" cab with a 600-watt amp, and a 4x10 w/piezo tweeter cab with a 500 watt amp for the bridge pickup. (I send the mono line to a direct box into the main mixing board and for the monitors). I also use an upright bass most of the time, with its own setup.

Here's a pic. Sorry about the quality, but I had to kinda stand it up in my gear closet, squeezed in next to my upright.my "Olympic"
ed_zeppelin
New
Username: ed_zeppelin

Post Number: 2
Registered: 1-2010
Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 2:55 pm:   Edit Post

For some reason, the pic came out sideways.
dluxe
Junior
Username: dluxe

Post Number: 44
Registered: 11-2009
Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 4:24 pm:   Edit Post

That is a beauty! Love the case interior too. I had a chance to buy a '76 in the early 1990's but but could not afford it then. I had 2 in the late 1990's and now have a '76 Series 1 bass. There is just something about the early basses.
pauldo
Senior Member
Username: pauldo

Post Number: 415
Registered: 6-2006
Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 6:47 pm:   Edit Post

Super awesome!

Would love to see more pics of that beauty!
pierreyves
Senior Member
Username: pierreyves

Post Number: 530
Registered: 11-2006
Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 7:09 pm:   Edit Post

it's a serie I.
dluxe
Junior
Username: dluxe

Post Number: 45
Registered: 11-2009
Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 8:26 pm:   Edit Post

That seems correct. Also, the photo is titled 75574. Maybe it could be a 1976 bass as the 574 number would coincide with that year.
ed_zeppelin
New
Username: ed_zeppelin

Post Number: 3
Registered: 1-2010
Posted on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - 12:31 am:   Edit Post

Odd. That's just coincidence, like "666" in the serial number or something. Just a random number generated by this site, I suppose. (The actual title is "My Olympic," btw.)

It's a 1975 Series II, like I said. Sandi King sent me the pedigree in '92.
fc_spoiler
Senior Member
Username: fc_spoiler

Post Number: 1050
Registered: 5-2006
Posted on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - 1:30 am:   Edit Post

I would love to get that Alembic (666)

Your bass does look like a Series I (2 x Q switch instead of CVQ controls)
ed_zeppelin
New
Username: ed_zeppelin

Post Number: 4
Registered: 1-2010
Posted on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - 12:34 pm:   Edit Post

Upon doing some research, I'm convinced that you're right; it is a Series I. In particular, this post from talkbass.com:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-23594.html

"...The diff between Series I & II are:

a) Series II has more body & neck laminates
b) Series II has continuously variable Q controls, Series I has two 3-position switches
c) Series II has a master volume control in addition to the individual p/u vol controls. ..."

Sure sounds like mine, to be honest. In '92, when I asked Brad T (Tuttle?) at Alembic for schematics for the power supply and for rewiring the quarter-inch plug for mono, he sent Series II schematics.

It's obviously a Series I, though, so I've been gloating for nearly twenty years in complete ignoramousness.

That's it; I'm going to build a bonfire out back tonight, and soothe my poor betrayed heart with the smoky stench of charred cocobolo and zebrawood. Maybe I'll throw a spotted owl on the pyre for good measure...
mike1762
Senior Member
Username: mike1762

Post Number: 441
Registered: 1-2008
Posted on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - 6:48 pm:   Edit Post

Malthumb drops by from time to time... he'll get a kick out of the 2001 TalkBass reference.

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