| Author | Message | ||
| sscastro
New Username: sscastro Post Number: 1 Registered: 2-2005 |
Hi everybody. I purchased this bass quite some years ago, circa 1996, and I was told then that it came from Electric Lady studios, after the recordings of that incredible "In From The Storm" album, with the music of Jimi Hendrix. With this bass there is a couple of preamps, one on the pictures, whic is a rack mount and serial number 9 and a little portable one I found inside the case.Here are some pictures I took from the bass:  and the bass head  the bass seen from the back  the next picture shows clearly the amount of wood layers used to build the bass, 10  the last picture is the rack mount stereo preamp  | ||
| sscastro
New Username: sscastro Post Number: 2 Registered: 2-2005 |
Hi again something must have gone wrong with the upload. One picture is missing and another went twice. Here is the missing one.  | ||
| adriaan
Senior Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 484 Registered: 6-2002 |
It does look like a pretty early Alembic, everything appears authentic except the peghead, the horns and the body laminates. All the important bits do look spot-on. Love that subtle omega, you don't see many of those around! Perhaps an employee project? With noone in the club owning a California Special (guitar model started in the 1980s) I guess this beauty might as well step up to claim the title. | ||
| marcm
Member Username: marcm Post Number: 78 Registered: 12-2003 |
hi sergio welcome to the club! it's a fascinating instrument, very beautiful. it seems to me that your bass has several interesting features. first of all, it's a 'series' instrument, which means that it has single-coil pickups with a dummy humbucker (the black rectangle between the pickups) and special electronics, designed by alembic founder ron wickersham, that make make them work together. series electronics have been discussed at great length and in great detail by many contributors who are far better-informed than i am; just do a search and you will have a library of information to read the peghead is unique to my eyes, and indeed all of the woodworking is pretty special. i've not seen a 'hippie sandwich' (that's alembic-speak for the sequence of ten wood laminates) quite like yours: it's asymmetric, which is unusual in itself (though not unprecedented), and woods are striking. the neck laminates are also very cool the body shape, especially the slender horns and the shallow omega-cut, is also a bit different from anything i've seen. the brass backplates look much newer than the rest of the instrument, but that's just a guess is there a serial number on the instrument itself, in addition to the s/n on the preamp? alembic keeps an information file on every instrument they've ever built; if you can find the serial number, mica can tell you when it was built, what woods were used, and many other interesting details. also, there are many experienced members who probably can provide more detailed information about your bass congratulations! you have a beautiful vintage alembic marc | ||
| serialnumber12
Member Username: serialnumber12 Post Number: 87 Registered: 12-2004 |
Very interesting oldie! however it could possibly be an early employee project if there's no s/n,but nevertheless still an alembic indeed,employee projects (which there were quite a few of)were not stamped with s/n's & very old guitars (well atleast mine, build records were kept on q cards,)and from what i understand are probably lost in rons attic somewhere. | ||
| serialnumber12
Member Username: serialnumber12 Post Number: 88 Registered: 12-2004 |
It's also good to see these old alembics popping up now & then now i dont feel so all alone! | ||
| endryq
Junior Username: endryq Post Number: 33 Registered: 3-2004 |
The body is amazing! What a sandwich! | ||
| sscastro
New Username: sscastro Post Number: 3 Registered: 2-2005 |
thanks everbody. I can see there's a lot of Alembic users out there that know a lot about the subject. This instrument has no serial number. Removing the big back plate I could find the single Alembic pots 475-006 and the double ones 475-007. On one of the 007 there's a number written by hand: 946. The electronics and the plate from the internal side look pretty old, I mean from the 70s. Apart from the noise caused by a problem in the selector switch this bass plays incredibly. I hope some one else can throw a bit more light on this. | ||
| kungfusheriff
Advanced Member Username: kungfusheriff Post Number: 261 Registered: 8-2003 |
Wow! That's the first Input Module I've ever seen--those puppies are rare. I vote employee project, too, and ambitious at that. Stunning laminate work. | ||
| sscastro
New Username: sscastro Post Number: 5 Registered: 2-2005 |
Hi Is there anyone else that may have an idea of the date of construction of this apparently unofficial instrument? Does Alembic have any register of this bass being made, or who it did belong to? Is there also any chance of having a complete circuit diagram so that we can try to remove the noise? Maybe Mica can answer to some or all of these questions. | ||
| dela217
Senior Member Username: dela217 Post Number: 493 Registered: 6-2002 |
I love it! The bass is an early one, but not that early. I would put it at 1978 or 1979. I would also guess that the bass was made by Bruce Becvar. Although it is not his typical headstock, he did make some like this with no logos. None of his basses (that I know of) have any serial number stampings on them either. The neck woods used in this bass seem typical of his constructions too. I would bet this was one of his basses. Probably made AT Alembic, but by Bruce. Those electronics and parts are obviously Alembic. If it is not a true Alembic, it is the next best thing. You have yourself an interesting bass there!!! You obviously have been inside of the bass. Does it have silver shielding paint inside of the cavity, or is it black? I have a Becvar bass too, and if anyone is interested, I can send pics. What everyone on this thread is referring to as a preamp is actually an Alembic IN-2 Input Module. It is just a fancy version of a power supply. It was made between 1974 and 1978 in that configuration. Note the blue casing and the red capped knob. What it did was just help split the signal better. With a switch, you could send you signal in several different directions, to the stage and out to the mains. I have one of these units and I find them VERY useful. I think everyone with a series bass and a rack should have one! It took me years to locate one. They are hard to find indeed. (Message edited by dela217 on February 09, 2005) | ||
| bucky
Intermediate Member Username: bucky Post Number: 128 Registered: 6-2003 |
Hey Michael! This bass fascinated me too! Could you post some pictures of yours? And while you're at it? I haven't been alble to find any pictures of Series I basses here at the Alembic Showcase that feature the "mustache" tailpiece that my Small Standard does. I know you said once that you had a Small Standard close in Serial# to mine (74-52) that has one. Could you post a picture so my bass and I don't feel so alone in our "mustachiness"? Thanks! | ||
| serialnumber12
Member Username: serialnumber12 Post Number: 99 Registered: 12-2004 |
here's that link buck!:http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/1145.html?1049497080 | ||
| dela217
Senior Member Username: dela217 Post Number: 494 Registered: 6-2002 |
Bucky - How about this one too: http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/1113.html?1026683770 The two I had with moustaches were number 47 and 49 by the way. Michael | ||
| bucky
Intermediate Member Username: bucky Post Number: 129 Registered: 6-2003 |
Michael, SN12: THANKS Bros. . .cool. I'll save these pics to my Alembic Picture Library . .so Michael. . you said "had". . am I to understand you sold them?!?!? To who? Wow. . .I'll bet it was to invest in some other super-unique-collectable Alembic, maybe? 47 and 49 huh. . Wow that IS close. Did we ever talk in emails about the possibility that Rick Turner had made these? When I had my long conversation with Susan W I think she said she thought he had. But she wasn't sure. Any ideas on that? Jeff | ||
| dela217
Senior Member Username: dela217 Post Number: 496 Registered: 6-2002 |
Jeff - I sold number 49 a year or so ago. I sold it to a guy in England, who didn't like it and sold it right away to a friend of his. I have toyed with the idea of parting with #47, but I keep changing my mind. My thoughts were that if I don't really use them, why keep them. But I have had #47 for so long now, it would be strange not having it around. I think that Rick probably worked on those basses back then. That was when he still worked there. Makes sense to me anyway. | ||
| valvil
Moderator Username: valvil Post Number: 644 Registered: 7-2002 |
I moved the thread over to this folder, since this is definitely not a California Special guitar; although it is a 'special californian' so to speak. I figured this was a more appropriate place for it. Valentino | ||
| bucky
Intermediate Member Username: bucky Post Number: 132 Registered: 6-2003 |
Val: Thanks. . sometimes we get off-topic or go off on tangents! Michael: HOLD ON TO #47. . .that's all I can say. You know in your heart-of-hearts our Small Standards are very special. . .and if you ever DO feel like you absolutely NEED to part with it, let me know first, o.k.? I would defintely be interested in having such a "close relative" of my bass living here in the house with it(-; But don't sell it. . .you know you don't want to. . Jeff p.s. And believe me. . it would get played(-; I would use her as my gigging bass. | ||
| 57basstra
Advanced Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 392 Registered: 4-2005 |
Was this one ever positively identified as an Alembic or employee project? Fascinating!..and thanks | ||
| dtrice
Junior Username: dtrice Post Number: 33 Registered: 10-2006 |
To me it looks like it might be a Becvar. | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 510 Registered: 5-2009 |
I really like the 'IN-2"unit _____________!!!! YES! | ||
| bucky
Intermediate Member Username: bucky Post Number: 179 Registered: 6-2003 |
That is really a great bass you have there! What a treasure. . . |
