| Author | Message | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1271 Registered: 7-2004 |
Hey everyone. After nearly two years of living at the luthier's, I picked up my modded Fernandes Masterhand yesterday to play at the Cannabis Freedom Day gig. It's still not finished, but the Alembic guts are all installed and the inlays completed. The bridge saddles are RMC piezos, but aren't hooked up yet. The guitar will have a blend knob to go back and forth between the Alembic magnetic pickups (electric sound) and the piezo (acoustic sound). The Piezo will also be wired to operate a guitar synth. The Alembic guts are three pickups that look just like the ones in my Series 1, low pass filter, and 3-position Q. The pictures don't really do the color on the inlays justice. They are a lovely green (with, my wife insists, some blue tint, though I don't see it). I'm thinking about knobs from Roger at THG, perhaps rosewood or something to match the fingerboard, with green abalone tops to match the leaf inlays. May I also take this opportunity to suggest a new category in "Showcase" called "Alembicized Instruments". I also have an Optek Fretlight Tele with Alembic guts I would post. Mica? Dave? Any interest out there? +        It will soon be going back to the shop for the rest of the work. (yea and boohoo!) Bill, tgo (Message edited by lbpesq on May 07, 2006) | ||
| speicky
Intermediate Member Username: speicky Post Number: 122 Registered: 3-2005 |
Wow, Bill, what a breathtaking piece of art. Thanks for sharing the pics with us... Christian (the faker) | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3789 Registered: 5-2002 |
Love the inlays! So what are the woods? | ||
| tom_z
Advanced Member Username: tom_z Post Number: 382 Registered: 7-2004 |
Great looking guitar Bill! kind of strat-like - I love it. Congrats and enjoy! =) Peace Tom (Message edited by tom_z on May 07, 2006) | ||
| csissom
Member Username: csissom Post Number: 78 Registered: 11-2005 |
Cool guitar Bill! And I second that motion for a Showcase featuring "Alembicized" instruments. I don't have one, but would love to see what other folks have done. Curt | ||
| applejuice
Junior Username: applejuice Post Number: 25 Registered: 1-2006 |
I like the inlays, man. How does the guitar play? | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 779 Registered: 9-2002 |
I think your inlays have gone to pot. J o e y | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1272 Registered: 7-2004 |
The work is being done by Gary Brawer who did lots of work for Jerry. He has one of the few pleck machines (I think they're called). The guitar is mounted on it and the computer reads the frets and levels them accordingly is how I believe it works. All I know is every time Gary sets up a guitar for me, I'm blown away at how well it plays. He puts a curve in the side of the frets (perpendicular to the frets) so your hands glide smoothly up and down the neck. And oh the neck on this guitar! It must have been designed with me in mind! When all is said and done, I'm going to have a lot of fun switching between this one and my custom Further. Bill, tgo | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 1881 Registered: 9-2003 |
Pretty *'n nice, Bill! That'd cost a pretty penny to do as an Alembic. Enjoy! | ||
| flaxattack
Senior Member Username: flaxattack Post Number: 1089 Registered: 4-2004 |
sweet stuff bill lets hope young punks continue to get busted so you can pay for all this,. :-) | ||
| dadabass2001
Senior Member Username: dadabass2001 Post Number: 577 Registered: 6-2002 |
very, very sweet. Definative inlays and a classic look. Congrats, Mike | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1274 Registered: 7-2004 |
Thanks guys. It was quite a trip playing it for the first time on stage. I literally picked it up on the way to the gig! But how could I not play this one at a cannabis event? I really looking forward to spending some time with her in the studio. Dave: I'm not sure of the woods. They are certainly nothing special by Alembic standards, but the construction is definitely "Hippie Sandwich". The top and back might be walnut. The core appears to be maple, but might be ash. The neck stringers are a little red, so I'm thinking vermilion. I'll be bringing her up to Santa Rosa when I get a chance and I suspect I'll get the definitive word on the woods then. So how about it, "Alembicized Instruments" added to "Showcase"? Bill, tgo | ||
| spliffy
Junior Username: spliffy Post Number: 42 Registered: 3-2003 |
hee hee, if one of your "pots" need to be replaced, you will have a hard time figuring out which one... sorry bad joke, but I am spliffy! | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3797 Registered: 5-2002 |
Bill; that's not something I could just up and do, but I'll bring it up at our next "meeting". | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1429 Registered: 7-2004 |
HALLELUJAH ... FAR OUT ... YEEEEAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!! IT'S FINISHED!!!!!! After two years "Tina" (named after my wife) is done! (At least until I figure out the next tweak). Here she is:     The controls are a master volume; filter; 3-position Q; 5 position pickup selector; magnetic/piezo pan; synth volume; and synth patch selector. Mods by Gary Brawer, electronics by Alembic and RMC, inlays by Larry Robinson, knobs by THG. I'm stoked. If I get this excited from this one being completed, I could be in serious trouble when my Further comes home! Bill, tgo | ||
| flaxattack
Senior Member Username: flaxattack Post Number: 1171 Registered: 4-2004 |
so many guitars so little time.... sock knocker there my friend stunning........ | ||
| fc_spoiler
Junior Username: fc_spoiler Post Number: 44 Registered: 5-2006 |
Maybe you should get leds into this one... then you can 'light' it up! | ||
| tom_z
Senior Member Username: tom_z Post Number: 418 Registered: 7-2004 |
Oops, sorry - double post. (Message edited by tom_z on June 30, 2006) | ||
| tom_z
Senior Member Username: tom_z Post Number: 419 Registered: 7-2004 |
Beautiful Bill! Very elegant guitar. Congrats! Peace Tom | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1432 Registered: 7-2004 |
Thanks guys. I get to fire her up tomorrow (Saturday). I put together an informal "Dead-type" jam a month and a half ago ... 2 guitars, bass & drums and we were all meeting for the first time. It went surprisingly well, so we're doing it again tomorrow. FC: I'll forgive the pun! LOL Actually I'm thinking about getting Hotdotz or Fret FX or whatever they're calling the stick-on LEDs these days. Several members of this club have tried them and the reviews have been very positive. Flax: If I can get things straightened out with JetBlue in advance, I'm bringing her to NY with me. Bill, tgo | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 512 Registered: 2-2006 |
Man I miss those kind of jam sessions. If your ever in the DFW area Bill drop me line. By the way with two guitars and you playing this axe, I bet it'll be hard not to "Bogart" the lead time. (Sorry man I couldn't help it)  | ||
| fc_spoiler
Junior Username: fc_spoiler Post Number: 45 Registered: 5-2006 |
I was also thinking of the Fret FX, but also mentioned in the posts is that they are fragile... Sorry, I forgot: Beautiful guitar! Is it a one-only project, or can we order some lbpesq Fine handcrafted basses and guitars in the near future? | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1433 Registered: 7-2004 |
FC: You can order a guitar or bass anytime you want. You can send me $ any time you want. Cash, money orders, checks, credit cards, diamonds, gold, silver, first borns all accepted. Just don't hold your breath waiting for an instrument! hehehehehehe Bill, tgo | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 513 Registered: 2-2006 |
What no COD's?! | ||
| fc_spoiler
Junior Username: fc_spoiler Post Number: 46 Registered: 5-2006 |
I agree, let's keep it stricktly COD! (Spinal tap!) Lead times: Late August for Disappoint, Insipid, Sirius and Sealark Mid September for Vigilante, Africa, Bootleg, Less and Disgrace Late September for Unique I and Unique II February for Modern In the year 2176 I guess? Cheers! F.C. (Message edited by fc_spoiler on July 01, 2006) | ||
| fc_spoiler
Junior Username: fc_spoiler Post Number: 47 Registered: 5-2006 |
Bill tgo, I was thinking of having my Spoiler customized by you, I love the botanical inlays! But I'm a bit worried about the "hehehehehehe's" -LOL- Can't be said enough: Beautiful guitar! (Message edited by fc_spoiler on June 30, 2006) | ||
| jalevinemd
Senior Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 469 Registered: 12-2003 |
Bill, It really is Alembic beautiful all the way! Who did the MOP capped knobs? Though it'll be 11 years this July since I last "partook", those are still my favorite fretboard inlays. | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1437 Registered: 7-2004 |
Jonathan: The knobs are rosewood with green abalone tops to match the rosewood fingerboard and green abalone inlays. Roger at THG knobs did them for me, as well as a set of cocobolo hat knobs with gold MOP markers that are currently sitting in a drawer in Santa Rosa awaiting installation on my custom Further. If you're not familiar with THG (they've been mentioned numerous times in these parts - that's how I found them), check out their web site. They do just about anything you can come up with. Roger is a joy to work with and their turn around time is surprisingly quick. http://thgknobs.com/ By the way, if you're not going to partake, at least you can get inlaid! LOL Bill, tgo | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 515 Registered: 2-2006 |
Bill, how long did it take for your knobs to get to you? I've ordered some for my basses and am really looking forward to getting them. Roger had some cool ideas too. On the Splated Maple MK (the one that an eBay scammer has made famous the world over) with the front fret board red lasers, he suggested we put red LED's in the knobs. This should be way cool. Your Fernbic (or maybe Alembandes) rally look great. I bet it sounds as good too. Maybe you can send some audio clips. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 4014 Registered: 5-2002 |
Congrats Bill! | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1442 Registered: 7-2004 |
Olie: I'm not sure, but I seem to recall it was maybe a little less than a month from order to delivery for the knobs. Bill, tgo | ||
| foth
Intermediate Member Username: foth Post Number: 104 Registered: 12-2004 |
Bill Do you use two amps with this guitar? Paul | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1446 Registered: 7-2004 |
Paul: The guitar and synth offer several options: 1. I can plug in the 1/4 inch jack only, like a regular guitar, and go through a single amp. Both the magnetic (Alembic) and Piezo (RMC) pickups work and I can pan from one to both to the other. 2. I can plug in the 13-pin synth and the 1/4 inch, run the 1/4 inch (magnetics) to a guitar amp and the synth sound (piezos)through the P.A. or keyboard (read CLEAN) type amp. 3. I can plug in the 13-pin only. Both synth (piezo) and guitar (magnetic) signals are carried to the synth which adds a "guitar amp" sound to the magnetic pickup signal and outputs both guitar and synth sounds to the P.A. 4. With the 13-pin only, I can run a guitar out from the synth unit, go through my effects and then on to a guitar amp while the synth signal goes to the P.A. 5. I can run the guitar out from the synth through my pedal board, then back into the synth, then send both signals out to the P.A. as in 3 above. 6. I can play without plugging into anything. This is especially useful while watching TV late at night when a commercial comes on with some great background music! LOL Seriously though, whenever I try out a new electric, I ALWAYS play it unplugged first. If a solid body guitar doesn't sound good unplugged, it will never sound great plugged in, no matter what you do to the electronics. A solid body guitar thats sounds excellent unplugged can always have the electronics tweaked to get a great electric sound. Bill, tgo | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 520 Registered: 2-2006 |
I agree 100% Bill. The same goes for Basses or any other solid body instrument. I'll always play a bass unplugged first. I'll play it seated with my chin on the upper horn and you can tell right away if it's going to sound good or not. I've owned Steinbergers in the past but could never get a sound I liked from them, I assume do to the lack or body mass. Good electronics are a waste (IMHO) on cheap wood! | ||
| foth
Intermediate Member Username: foth Post Number: 105 Registered: 12-2004 |
Bill The Bose PAS would be nice for the synth side. You could also mike the guitar amp speaker and blend it into the Bose system. I know what you mean about playing unplugged. I played the newly arrived Orion for 2 days before I ever plugged it into an amp. Paul |
