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Alembic Club » Miscellaneous » Archive: 2006 » Archive through February 21, 2006 » Rick Turner Renaissance Basses « Previous Next »

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jack
Junior
Username: jack

Post Number: 29
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Wednesday, January 04, 2006 - 3:34 pm:   Edit Post

Hey all,

Anyone ever own one of these basses? There's a semi hollow 5 str fretless in my neighborhood for 1300. Internet search shows this to be a fair price, I think.

I've never owned a fretless or even played one regularly. I think the added bonus of the semi hollow is I'd pick it up everytime I walked in the room and play acoustically.

Anyway I see the subject has come up, and some of you have owned one of these (mik, jaurigemma). I'd greatly appreciate any thoughts on sound, reliability, playability, etc.

Thanks,
Jack
edwin
Intermediate Member
Username: edwin

Post Number: 117
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, January 04, 2006 - 5:19 pm:   Edit Post

I've never owned one, but I've played one and heard them played live (through a great system at the Boulder Theater by a great player, Derek Jones). They are simply awesome. Built like a classical guitar and they sound somewhere between a fretless bass guitar and an upright.

HTH
Edwin
Can you tell that I want one? :-)
jlpicard
Advanced Member
Username: jlpicard

Post Number: 307
Registered: 7-2002
Posted on Wednesday, January 04, 2006 - 7:43 pm:   Edit Post

If you can get your hands on one BUY IT! imho they are the best! And you'll be getting a bit of Alembic in the process! (Mr. Turner) I actually passed on one on Ebay about a year ago for $800 (lefty) and I've been kicking myself ever since.
811952
Senior Member
Username: 811952

Post Number: 607
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 6:20 am:   Edit Post

I spent about half an hour with one and loved it. Very organic sounding, and ridiculously sweet neck.

John
palembic
Senior Member
Username: palembic

Post Number: 2213
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 7:28 am:   Edit Post

IFF I am well informed Dela has/had (seen the New Orleans area disaster) such a bass.
My "Chi" is a Rob Allen MB-2 and that is a similar instrument.
I am not in the market for a collection of basses but this bass -well ...in this case read "this type of basses"- is very rewarding to have: the tone is COM-PLE-TE-LY opppostite on an Alembic. If I can see it well the bass you propose is strung with Bronze-wounds. In my case I have the Labella nylon flatwounds.
Don't panic about that fretless issue: just start with your ears and heart, not with your eyes and -in time- the rest will come.
I would advice the use of a good tone control system if played live! "CHi" and my SF-2 are made for each other.
Just some thoughts.

Paul the bad one
jack
Junior
Username: jack

Post Number: 30
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 8:12 am:   Edit Post

Well I played one (4 str. fretless) on at a 48th St. store last night after work, just to get an idea. Must say is sounds a little thinner than I was expecting. It was wound with nylon-core bronze strings from Thomastik-Infeld (the guy said they were the factory strings and the internet backs him up); I assume the bass shown above is wound with the same.

I didn't have much time (the store was closed when I walked in) but it certainly seems to be well made and very playable (nice neck). The sound seemed a little thin to me, but maybe I just need to sit down and work with the controls a bit. In retrospect, I should've tried it unplugged; maybe I'll go play the one above tonight.

For 800 it'd be a no-brainer. As it is, buying this would probably put me out of the instrument market for another couple years at least. My Epic is really all I need in the fretted dept., but I've secretly been on the lookout for an Alembic with the low-pass filter.

Maybe the answer is buy this baby and send the Epic back for an upgrade? Not a bad idea...

On another note, the one I tried at the store did not have a thumb rest, and this one does, an absolute must for me.

Anyway, thanks for the input, and I'd appreciate any other contributions.

-Jack
kungfusheriff
Senior Member
Username: kungfusheriff

Post Number: 448
Registered: 8-2003
Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 2:12 pm:   Edit Post

Jack,
RT says there's a trimpot on the circuit board that adjusts low-end output.
T-I Acousticores are the stock strings, and unless my memory's tripping me up (again), RT is credited with that design, too.
jack
Junior
Username: jack

Post Number: 31
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 2:20 pm:   Edit Post

Yeah, I saw that, that's good news.

There's also a neat interview that discusses the history of Alembic and etc.

http://www.renaissanceguitars.com/interview.html
kmh364
Senior Member
Username: kmh364

Post Number: 1593
Registered: 9-2003
Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 3:38 pm:   Edit Post

Cool interview! Thanks for the link!
spose
Member
Username: spose

Post Number: 86
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 3:44 pm:   Edit Post

Hippies with routers!

heehee
kmh364
Senior Member
Username: kmh364

Post Number: 1594
Registered: 9-2003
Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 6:29 am:   Edit Post

Yeah, that is a good quote! It's a wonder some of them still have all their fingers (and toes?), LOL! Anybody that spends time in a wood shop around rotating machinery knows what I'm talking about.
kmh364
Senior Member
Username: kmh364

Post Number: 1595
Registered: 9-2003
Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 6:47 am:   Edit Post

Yeah, that is a good quote! It's a wonder some of them still have all their fingers (and toes?), LOL! Anybody that spends time in a wood shop around rotating machinery knows what I'm talking about.
gbarchus
Intermediate Member
Username: gbarchus

Post Number: 158
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 10:42 pm:   Edit Post

I use T-I Acousticores on my Washburn AB40 fretless acoustic/electric. They were designed for basses with piezo pickups. You have to get used to their feel but they WILL change the sound of your bass in a positive direction!
jorge_s
Member
Username: jorge_s

Post Number: 62
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Monday, January 09, 2006 - 2:59 pm:   Edit Post

I own two of Mr. Turner's basses. All I have to say is: 100% good bass, worth every penny. I'll stop with that being the Alembic site and all.
jack
Junior
Username: jack

Post Number: 34
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 - 9:07 am:   Edit Post

Thanks for the input everyone. Took the plunge on Sat. Love it. Sounds beautiful and easier to play than I thought. Quite a looker as well. Took it to band practice last night. Rave reviews from bandmates.

Thanks again,
Jack

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