| Author | Message | ||
| ed_zeppelin
New Username: ed_zeppelin Post Number: 1 Registered: 1-2010 |
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.  | ||
| ed_zeppelin
New Username: ed_zeppelin Post Number: 2 Registered: 1-2010 |
For some reason, the pic came out sideways. | ||
| dluxe
Junior Username: dluxe Post Number: 44 Registered: 11-2009 |
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 |
Super awesome! Would love to see more pics of that beauty! | ||
| pierreyves
Senior Member Username: pierreyves Post Number: 530 Registered: 11-2006 |
it's a serie I. | ||
| dluxe
Junior Username: dluxe Post Number: 45 Registered: 11-2009 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
Malthumb drops by from time to time... he'll get a kick out of the 2001 TalkBass reference. |
