| Author | Message | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 2553 Registered: 7-2004 |
Here's an Alembic Employee Nightshop Guitar I found at the World Guitar Show this weekend in San Rafael. Bill, tgo          (Message edited by lbpesq on July 30, 2007) (Message edited by davehouck on July 30, 2007) | ||
| dadabass2001
Senior Member Username: dadabass2001 Post Number: 802 Registered: 6-2002 |
Is that a chrome plated electronics cover and a two lam mahogany neck? Sweet Mike | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Intermediate Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 179 Registered: 10-2006 |
Very cool. Define "I found", please - is this now yours? Peter | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 2554 Registered: 7-2004 |
Mike: You are correct on both. Peter: Yes, I grabbed it up. Very nice player with a built in Stratoblaster. Bill, tgo | ||
| southpaw
Intermediate Member Username: southpaw Post Number: 180 Registered: 12-2004 |
Congrats Bill, I bet it sounds as good as it looks! | ||
| fc_spoiler
Senior Member Username: fc_spoiler Post Number: 595 Registered: 5-2006 |
Nice catch!  | ||
| tom_z
Senior Member Username: tom_z Post Number: 539 Registered: 7-2004 |
Nice guitar Bill! It has a nice blend of Strat and Tele. What kind of pickups are in it? | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 2555 Registered: 7-2004 |
Tom: Alembic pickups, of course. The interesting thing is that they are wired in without any preamp (unless you flip the blaster on). I'm looking forward to getting down to the studio this week so I can play it loud through my main rig and compare and contrast to other guitars with similar pickups plus a preamp/filter setup. I'm also kicking around the idea of pulling off the Kahler tremelo system and retrofitting a good ol' Alembic bridge and bird. Bill, tgo | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 1495 Registered: 2-2006 |
Very cool Bill. I agree, pull the Kahler. | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1721 Registered: 3-2004 |
Aren't those things are inset into the body, so you'll probably need some sort of bridge block if you do it? | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Intermediate Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 180 Registered: 10-2006 |
Glad you got it, Bill - we were worried about you running short of guitars  Peter | ||
| lidon2001
Advanced Member Username: lidon2001 Post Number: 326 Registered: 4-2005 |
Great guitar! Just curious, what does the lady of the house get in return for the permission of the purchase? ;) | ||
| tom_z
Senior Member Username: tom_z Post Number: 540 Registered: 7-2004 |
Ahhh... so they're probably stacked hum canceling pups rather than single coil? but you say they're not active? I'm looking forward to your comparison. Ditto on changing the bridge and tailpiece. | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 2556 Registered: 7-2004 |
My lovely wife was with me at the show and she liked it too. I recently helped out a good friend of hers, no charge, so I had free reign (within reason) at the show. Also, as she remnds me from time to time, California is a community property state, so it's her guitar too! (Of course I then remind her that my Strat, ES335 and Taylor 810 pre-date her in my life and, therefore, are still my separate property, as are "Tina" the leaf inlaid Ferlembic, and Woody, my custom Further, as these were gifts to me. All in good fun, of course). The PUs appear to be the stock Alembic strat-type PUs which, I believe, are a single coil stacked with a dummy hum cancelling coil. I'll be bringing it up to the mothership later this week to see if Susan or James or anyone recognizes it. One thing I've never understood about these locking tremolo systems: what happens if you break a string at a gig? "Uhh, hmmm, excuse me while I pull out my toolbox and remove the locking nut, etc. - hmm - talk amongst yourselves". I must admit, however, that the fine tuning knobs on the bridge are pretty cool. Nevertheless, if it's doable without too much hassle, I think the Bird & Bridge are in it's future, as well may be a preamp, filter, and some knobs from Roger at THG. Bill, tgo | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 5374 Registered: 5-2002 |
Cool!!! | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 2565 Registered: 7-2004 |
Well, I brought the employee guitar to rehearsal tonight with my dead band, Rough Around the Edges and played it through a real amp (Mesa Mark I) for the first time. I discoverd that the Alembic pickups definitely do not put out nearly enough signal on their own when used passively. The way this guitar is set up is that it uses the Stratoblaster as the preamp and then has a regular volume and tone pot. With the Blaster engaged it sounds great, just like an Alembic ... duh! It plays great too. It's like having an Alembic Strat, something I must admit I have considered should I get another custom. Now I've got one. I also have to admit that I love the fine tuners on the Kahler bridge. I'll have to think some more about changing to an Alembic bridge and Bird. Bill, tgo | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 1277 Registered: 10-2002 |
"One thing I've never understood about these locking tremolo systems: what happens if you break a string at a gig? " Isn't that why you take 6 or 7 other guitars along to gigs then? Seriously though, congratulations on yet another nice guitar. Graeme | ||
| pace
Advanced Member Username: pace Post Number: 335 Registered: 4-2004 |
Luckily, the Khaler isnt double locking~ so no worries about having to snip balls. Bill, have you considered getting rid of the locking mechanism at the headstock, in exchange for locking tuners?!? Or do you like the old Fenders? | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 2567 Registered: 7-2004 |
I'm certainly not in love with the Fenders that are on it. I have yet to loosen the locking nut piece and test them out. I have Sperzel locking tuners on my Further and love them. I don't see that they would be any different from the Fenders as far as the tremelo goes, though. Also, the guitar didn't come with the whammy bar, so I haven't even tried it to see if this new-fangled kahler thingamajigee even keeps it in tune when you start playin' with the whammy. Bill, tgo |
