| Author | Message | ||
| keurosix
Junior Username: keurosix Post Number: 19 Registered: 10-2005 |
After playing this beautiful guitar for almost a year, I finally will post some pics. G-Guitars provided some excellent digital photos on their web site which sold the guitar. I love the wide string spacing. It plays like butter!  | ||
| keurosix
Junior Username: keurosix Post Number: 20 Registered: 10-2005 |
Here are some more pics     | ||
| smokin_dave
Advanced Member Username: smokin_dave Post Number: 256 Registered: 10-2002 |
WOW.That is beautiful. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3041 Registered: 5-2002 |
Nice!!! | ||
| speicky
Member Username: speicky Post Number: 94 Registered: 3-2005 |
Hello, Kris, wow, this really is an outstanding beauty ! Congrats, and thank you for all your recent tipps and tricks, appreciate it very much ! Christian (the faker) | ||
| mchristie
New Username: mchristie Post Number: 3 Registered: 6-2005 |
Lordy, Lordy, Lordy I want one of these..So tell me the truth, have you had any problems with the bridge or protruding frets? thats the only thing thats scaring me away from buying an Alembic..My God this bass is gorgeous... the purpleheart in the neck is standard I know, but it really does look very nice. Btw Alembicites, is the problem with protruding frets only with ebony fretboards or is it a phenomenom that occurs regardless of the wood being used? sorry about going slightly off topic. If this bass had chromed hardware, I would say it is the best looking bass I have ever seen in my life, bar none. | ||
| george_wright
Member Username: george_wright Post Number: 68 Registered: 3-2005 |
I bought an '87 Spoiler about a year ago. Judging from the way the fretboard absorbed lemon oil, it probably hadn't been oiled in a long time, if at all. The ebony had shrunk noticeably. One can feel the difference all along the ebony/maple seam along the length of the neck. And the frets! Both sides of the neck were like a saw! But this was easily fixed. I wasn't interested in trying it myself, so I took it to Washington Music Center. They charged me ~$30USD for a re-string (I provided the strings), set-up, and fret-file-down. Now I oil the fretboard every solstice, and it seems as if the ebony has expanded a bit. The fret-ends now even seem slightly recessed when you run a finger nail over them. | ||
| keith_h
Advanced Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 335 Registered: 2-2005 |
Both of my fretted basses ended up with exposed fret ends the first winter I had my bass. It ran me $20.00 to have the ends filed and a high fret taken care of. Haven't had a problem since. I don't think it is a big issue or problem and consider it just part of the natural process of the wood acclimating. It occurs on my other basses but you don't notice it as much due to neck bindings. Keith | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3188 Registered: 5-2002 |
There is a post in the FAQ section on the topic of protruding frets. | ||
| jlpicard
Advanced Member Username: jlpicard Post Number: 364 Registered: 7-2002 |
Beautifull!! I love the way the outer Purpleheart lam curves up as it reaches the headstock! | ||
| keurosix
Junior Username: keurosix Post Number: 34 Registered: 10-2005 |
Hello Fellows, To catch up on the comments: Mike: The frets on this bass did indeed protrude out the edges of the fretboard, and were judiciously taken care of by G-Guitars' luthier just before I took delivery of her. Explained by Chris Sewel of G-Guitars and confirmed by Mica, this occurs when the humidity changes drastically and the ebony fretboard shrinks while the frets do not. A common occurance if you talk to most wood craftsmen. A one-time fix to file the frets on the edges is all that is required to correct it. I also noticed a slight uneven feeling along the laminates on the back of the guitar as if the finish were sucked into the wood by unequal amounts - a greater amount to the purple heart rendering a "low" area to the maple "high" area. Mica explained to me that it takes about 10 years for the trees to start acting like guitars and behave so that the movement finally subsides. She also said a typical finish really should have a respray about 10 years later, but most of us won't part with our guitars for this to practically happen. I suppose I will eventually send it in for a respray when I also add LED's to the neck, but not just yet! I still have about 6 years to go since it's 02 birth year! I wouldn't let a minor thing like wood shrinkage stop you from getting the best bass guitar made in the world. Imagine how your playing will improve with such a guitar? To jlpicard: Mike, The PH laminates curve up as the headstock contours around, and adjacent to this the maple laminate thins out to a hairs width below the ebony fingerboard at the first fret. (Just barely noticible in the photo) I checked this on both sides of the neck, and it is perfectly symmetrical. And to think this guitar is hand crafted! Awe inspiring! I previously had a vintage Series 1 - 4 string which had a chunckier neck front-to-back, and the standard narrow string spacing. While it was an inspiration to play, I am blown away by the wide comfort neck on this guitar. It is so easy to play and lightening fast. Forget what you have heard about unplayable 6 strings, not true! Sorry, I can't go back to just 4 strings. | ||
| byoung
Advanced Member Username: byoung Post Number: 212 Registered: 12-2004 |
As far as the respray goes (and I'm not really suprised to hear it): is that a refinish (i.e. stripped to bare wood), or just additional coats (i.e. wet sanding and additional coats of finish)? Mica or Valentino, care to qualify this? Should I go ahead and make my 10 year appointment for 2018? Brad | ||
| keurosix
Junior Username: keurosix Post Number: 35 Registered: 10-2005 |
Brad, I think it was additional coats rather than a complete stripping refinish job. However, it must depend on the condition of the guitar, the wear, and or damage, shrinkage or cracking, etc. Too, if you want to add features, LED's, or more knobs or bells, whistles, tints, colors, etc. Skies the limit! | ||
| roberto
New Username: roberto Post Number: 5 Registered: 3-2006 |
Keurosix,would you please be kind enough to measure the distance from the stringball end at the tailpiece to the mid point of the bridge;and the distance from the nut outer tip to the centre of the low B tuning peg.Im trying to get the optimum distances for my future custom 7str Alembic with medium scale.Your bass seem to be a good example for me to show to Val. BTW the quilted maple looks gorgeous Thanks a lot. Robert | ||
| keurosix
Junior Username: keurosix Post Number: 41 Registered: 10-2005 |
Sorry Robert, I was away and did not realize you had posed a question to me. Distance from outside edge of tailpiece (string Ball-end side) to mid-point of bridge: 2.140" Distance from nut (top edge?) to Center of low B tuning peg: 2.580", or 2.850" from center of peg to edge of fingerboard (past nut). Hope this helps, and is not too late. Kris | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 565 Registered: 6-2002 |
You use the phrase, "Plays like Butter"... I've seen that phrase used many times on the forum and I'm guessing it's an American phrase. As someone from the other side of the pond having not heard that phrase used here, Can you tell me what it means? Jazzyvee | ||
| keurosix
Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 68 Registered: 10-2005 |
Yeah, it's an American phrase allright. I'm not sure where it originated, but imagine chewing on a dry corncob rubbing all over you and sticking to your face, then buttering it up and it gets REAL smooth and flies away. It's sorta like that. I mean that the action and the neck profile is so comfortable, so refined for such a large neck that there is no hinderance - nothing holding you back. You want to play 1/16 or 1/32 note triplets? It's as fast as any guitar I've ever played. Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. Sorry, gotta go play that baby right now, it just plays like BUTTA! | ||
| richbass939
Senior Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 717 Registered: 11-2004 |
I don't know where "like butta" originated but it seems to have been popularized on Saturday Night Live. SNL is a 30-year-running comedy/music TV show in the US. There was a guy named Mike Myers who did a series of skits based on his Jewish mother-in-law and her friends and how they talked. They just loved Streisand. She sings "like butta". Oh no. "I'm getting verclempt. (Sorry, wrong spelling; means all breathless.) Talk amongst yourselves." Rich | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1588 Registered: 7-2004 |
Oy vey, yiddish comes to Alembic! I'm kvelling! (For the yiddish impaired, this is a good thing). Bill, tgo | ||
| keurosix
Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 84 Registered: 10-2005 |
Here is an update to my Europa. I have added FretFX Blue LED's! Now she is a real show stopper! Here is a pic that is also on the FretFX website.  Here is another pic that shows the intensity of the lights:  As soon as I get my Epic 5 sting fretless back from the shop, she's gonna get red LED's installed too. I will post a new thread showing them both all lit-up! Kris | ||
| keurosix
Advanced Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 241 Registered: 10-2005 |
It seems right to add the pics with the THG knobs on the guitar to this thread too. Now this bass is killer in sound AND looks!     A little fuzzy, but it shows the knobs front on.  Kris | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 1647 Registered: 10-2002 |
I'm thinking you need to send her back to the mothership to get some blue laser leds inserted into the front of the fingerboard. THEN she'll be really amazing (not that she isn't already). Graeme | ||
| keurosix
Advanced Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 246 Registered: 10-2005 |
That's part of the plan - down the road. It'll take an Anvil road case, a new fingerboard, LED's on the side & Laser's on the front, another back plate, a new switch, and a complete refinish, so it will be like buying a whole new guitar! |
