| Author | Message | ||
| jalevinemd
Senior Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 890 Registered: 12-2003 |
I've been a member of the Alembic family for over ten years now and just finally made the trip to Santa Rosa. Bill Panzer was gracious enough to pick me up in downtown San Fran and the two of us headed north to Alembic for a little visit capped off with In and Out Burger on the way back. I'd met Ron and Mica before at various Gatherings but it was almost surreal to finally meet Susan after all the emails and phone conversations that have taken place during my few builds. Mica gave us a great tour, only some of which I remember thanks to the five minutes we spent in the spray booth. Hahahahahahahaha!!!! Seriously though...it was amazing to finally see where all the magic happens. The club (especially the FTC thread) only gives you a glimpse of what really happens up there. And I have to admit. I've cursed under my breath over the years several times during my builds because of the wait. But when you see in person what they are doing and how few people they have doing it, you gain an entirely new appreciation for the process. It doesn't necessarily make it easier. After all, most of us are impatient by nature. But it helps you gain a new understanding. I strongly recommend that anyone (especially those doing a build) make the trip if you can. Anyway, here's a pic of me holding my latest. It was hard to let it go. Thanks again to everyone for a great afternoon!  | ||
| rustyg61
Senior Member Username: rustyg61 Post Number: 1016 Registered: 2-2011 |
I agree with you completely Jonathan! When I toured the Mothership I also gained a whole new appreciation for these incredible instruments, & for why they take so long & cost so much! They are worth every minute & every penny! I'm just fixing to start my 1st custom build (Susan is picking out wood next week!), so I am glad I have toured the factory & know what to expect. It may not make the wait any less painful, but it does help me understand it. Congrats on your new guitar! It is gorgeous! Rusty | ||
| tbrannon
Senior Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 1588 Registered: 11-2004 |
I really like the body shape on your new guitar- gonna be gorgeous! | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 11215 Registered: 5-2002 |
Beautiful guitar! (Nice t-shirt too!) Glad you got to take the tour. Oh, and that's a nice smile on your face as well. | ||
| rraymond
Advanced Member Username: rraymond Post Number: 391 Registered: 6-2002 |
I was about to say "Beautiful guitar!" Then I saw Dave's post! I agree with Dave and I'm glad to see a Fan headstock. Right on! | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 5576 Registered: 7-2004 |
The picture doesn't do the guitar justice. The wood is incredible in person - almost liquid-like and not as dark as it appears in the photo. This one's going to be sweet when it's done. Bill, tgo (Message edited by Lbpesq on October 26, 2013) | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Senior Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 1605 Registered: 10-2006 |
Is that Rippled Satin? Peter | ||
| jalevinemd
Senior Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 891 Registered: 12-2003 |
Thanks guys. Peter, I'm not sure if it's Rippled Satin. Sure is a strong resemblance on the back, though.  | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 2068 Registered: 9-2002 |
When I had my green Elan Five built, I made a choice to never call and ask about it: This wasn't their first rodeo, and a small shop like Alembic doesn't work like a steady production line operation like Gibson or Fender. The work is sequential for sure, but with far fewer people hopping from one guitar to another, spending a LOT more time getting it right, as the various pieces pass this step to the next, you get a lot of leap-frogging at the much slower pace required for this level of work. Nobody can speed up how long it takes glue to cure, paint to dry, etc., plus it will have to wait for this guy to do his thing, then wait to go to Ron, etc. Then there's flu season, holidays, vacation, you name it, and the bench is not very deep: People who can do this don't grow on trees, and you can't get inlay artists at the local Temp agency. Then they have their own targets internally. I just described the color to Susan over the phone; we never exchanged paint chips or anything, I trusted her to 'get it'. Well they shot it once, and decided 'this ain't it', and started over, with NO input from me, they just decided to try again. Again, I knew nothing about it. When I got it, it was exactly what I'd had in mind. Unbelievable. But see, I knew this going in, so I said 'I'll get it when it's finished', and that was that. I knew I couldn't stay that excited for ten or eleven months, but geez did it hit me when Will and I took it out of the shipping box and opened that case for the first time ! Nice axe, Doc, and I dig you went with the Fan head too. J o e y | ||
| pace
Senior Member Username: pace Post Number: 955 Registered: 4-2004 |
Love the notches in the horns!!! Little Bear was the first "Darling", is this one a "first" too?!?!? | ||
| jalevinemd
Senior Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 892 Registered: 12-2003 |
Joey, Thanks. Yeah...I think the fan headstock is perfect for this guitar also. Mike, I love the curled horns as well. Wish I could take credit for the idea but I stole it from an old Series bass that's somewhere in the archives. | ||
| serialnumber12
Senior Member Username: serialnumber12 Post Number: 1049 Registered: 12-2004 |
The next time any of you (club members)happened to go to the mothership my bass old #12 is currently there already fixed up..... mica has my approval to let anyone give it a test drive!......i'm serialnumber#12 and I approve this message!  |
