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mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 1847
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 2:07 am:   Edit Post

Found Tony carving your neck a few days ago:

carving 1

and a couple more while in carving:

carving 2

carving 3

I believe this is the first Balance K with the Fan peghead variation.
palembic
Senior Member
Username: palembic

Post Number: 1439
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 11:34 am:   Edit Post

Beau ...tiiiiiii- fuuuuuuul
People now this has STYLE
rraymond
Member
Username: rraymond

Post Number: 80
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 10:24 pm:   Edit Post

Good Golly, Miss Molly! It's a good thing this is a print medium, because my jaw just fell onto the floor! Mica, you must have been reading my mind, because this afternoon at 3:30 PST I called you guys for an update. Valentino, you don't have to return my call now! LOL
Thanks boatloads for the pix, I'm stoked! And thank you Paul BTO for the compliment!
the_mule
Intermediate Member
Username: the_mule

Post Number: 182
Registered: 1-2004
Posted on Friday, July 30, 2004 - 8:15 am:   Edit Post

I really start to LOVE that body style, very impressive, and the fan headstock works great visually!

Wilfred
groovelines
Intermediate Member
Username: groovelines

Post Number: 184
Registered: 4-2003
Posted on Friday, July 30, 2004 - 10:15 am:   Edit Post

Okay, I've got to find somethig better to do at lunch than check this site. You're killing me. I was just wondering what the K body and a Fan peg would look like and lo and behold I find one!

Great looking combination. :-)

Mike
malthumb
Advanced Member
Username: malthumb

Post Number: 266
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Friday, July 30, 2004 - 1:31 pm:   Edit Post

Leave it to Alembic to use a maple / purpleheart lamination set as a fixture holder. If you're gonna do it, may as well do it with class!!

fixture.jpg

Peace,

James
hollis
Advanced Member
Username: hollis

Post Number: 285
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Friday, July 30, 2004 - 6:32 pm:   Edit Post

Wow!
senmen
Advanced Member
Username: senmen

Post Number: 337
Registered: 7-2003
Posted on Saturday, July 31, 2004 - 5:18 am:   Edit Post

The new body style is really great.
Normally I donīt like the off-set fenderish
design that much, but this one looks real great.

Oliver (Spyderman)
malthumb
Advanced Member
Username: malthumb

Post Number: 267
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Saturday, July 31, 2004 - 9:27 am:   Edit Post

What's interesting about the Balance K is it looks great with any headstock option. I can't imagine the large standard bodies with anything but a crown or a knob headstock. The small standard needs to have the crown. Rogue and Essence basses look best with a cone. I never liked the fan headstock. Until I saw it on this Balance K. Every headstock I've seen on the Balance K basses looks great. If I were to go for a Balance K anytime soon, I'd be hard pressed to decide between crown, cone, or (gasp) fan headstock. Since I already have 2 with crowns, I'd probably flip a coin....cone or fan.

Peace,

James
rraymond
Member
Username: rraymond

Post Number: 81
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Saturday, July 31, 2004 - 2:37 pm:   Edit Post

I received email from a club member and in part of it he mentioned that he never liked the fan headstock, either. I always liked the fan, so "Why?" I asked myself. Well, it is simple and elegant, and next to the knobby and narrow cone, it is the smallest Alembic headstock I know of. That, of course, means less weight. But all of that is way too much thinking, basically, it caught my eye and I liked it from the start! :-) This headstock will be plenty busy in the end because, I'm having the bass finished in Wineburst and the logo will be the gold plated with mother-of-pearl and abalone inlay type. "Simple and elegant" turned "gaudy as hell!" LOL

Malthumb, I was amused by the maple and purplheart retainer, too. Makes you wonder what other mundane wood-type items around Alembic have been upgraded! ;-)

Have fun all,

Reid
rraymond
Member
Username: rraymond

Post Number: 82
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Saturday, July 31, 2004 - 4:14 pm:   Edit Post

As a follow-on to the previous post, I am the proud owner of an Alembic standard-point maple cutting board. It befuddles the heck out of non-musician types that come over for parties!

Have fun,

Reid
basstard
Intermediate Member
Username: basstard

Post Number: 106
Registered: 3-2003
Posted on Sunday, August 01, 2004 - 5:17 am:   Edit Post

Wineburst Fanhead Balance K??? Now that will be a one-of-a-kind bass! Please, please, when it's ready - PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES!!! ;-)

Me, when I order a Balance K Alembic (and I'm sure that day will come... somewhere in the future) it'll have a cone headstock.
rraymond
Member
Username: rraymond

Post Number: 83
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Sunday, August 01, 2004 - 7:25 pm:   Edit Post

Cone is good!
malthumb
Advanced Member
Username: malthumb

Post Number: 268
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Sunday, August 01, 2004 - 8:38 pm:   Edit Post

Gots me one o' them cuttin' boards, too! I'm sure that doesn't surprise anybody.

Peace,

James
bassman10096
Senior Member
Username: bassman10096

Post Number: 518
Registered: 7-2003
Posted on Sunday, August 01, 2004 - 9:45 pm:   Edit Post

Hey Reid, Sorry to jump in late, but your bass is amazing. I love the fan headstock too. I was considering it for my bass but decided to keep with the crown and go "traditional" since the K body was itself a big change. But it really works well. Congratulations on a great choice of wood, body and head design.

I can't help thinking that when I recover sufficiently from paying for this bass, I'll want a maple 5 string K to keep it company (with the fan top, too!).

Bill
palembic
Senior Member
Username: palembic

Post Number: 1442
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Monday, August 02, 2004 - 12:17 am:   Edit Post

I'm still president of the anti-cone league. Sorry buddies but I don't like that shape. But hey ...as I said, difference is a most beautiful thing. Can imagine all the bass players in the world having a strandard point Alembic ...yuk. (Oooh ... I can imagine two things: more earthquakes and Fender would be a high end brand LOL).
Sorry: I saw a picture with a six string bass large body with balanced point and omega cutout with a cone headstock and THAT WAS beautiful and VERY stylish.
Essences and Europas are ok with cones. Rogues and Elans have slanted bodies so I think they are better with "slanted" headstock.

Back to topic: the fan headstock REALLY works with this design.

Paul TBO
rraymond
Member
Username: rraymond

Post Number: 88
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Saturday, August 07, 2004 - 10:08 am:   Edit Post

As usual, the kudos for this bass's design ultimately go to Susan. I called to place the order, I had planned to order a Std. Pt. body - with the Fan peghead - and in Wineburst. In no time at all, Susan had me convinced that I should go with the Balance K body-style.

Man, was she ever right!
palembic
Senior Member
Username: palembic

Post Number: 1481
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 3:19 pm:   Edit Post

Susan is right most of the times and in th emost unusual woodworks: try "staircase" on her!
HA!

Paul TBO

Mmmm ...that internal joke could be to deeply hidden.
bob
Advanced Member
Username: bob

Post Number: 299
Registered: 11-2002
Posted on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 9:22 pm:   Edit Post

No, I think I remember: at some point, Susan designed a staircase, or perhaps a well (area containing) for a staircase... and I'm kind of wishing it was spiral, but I don't think that was the case. There may be a picture somewhere (not here), but I've never seen it.

I suppose I could search, but that's really slow and I'm working again tonight <sigh>.
palembic
Senior Member
Username: palembic

Post Number: 1487
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 12:46 am:   Edit Post

Brother Bob,

hang in there man... we know you can do it!
We are all backing you up.
You know ...you should start a website with alll those funny graphs to indicate were precisely you are located in the sea of work on you trip to completion.
Wink-wink.

Paul the bad one
adriaan
Advanced Member
Username: adriaan

Post Number: 282
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 1:05 am:   Edit Post

This is a bit off-topic, but since someone mentioned spiral staircases ... My grandfather was a carpenter, and apparently he was rather good at staircases. He left us a scale model of a spiral staircase, which is very nice - though it is collecting dust in my parents' attic, I'm afraid. Also a scale model of a big ocean steamer (S.S. Oranje) that he built from scrap pieces - this was in the depression years, when he was out of a job and money was short - nothing short of amazing. Plus he built a mandolin, which isn't tremendously playable but has a nice butterfly inlay near the soundhole (a la Gibson) and a 6 string banjo. There's also a violin lying around somewhere, but I'm guessing that was bought in a shop.
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 1883
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 2:59 pm:   Edit Post

Here's the Wineburst on:

wine front

wine back

I don't remember doing continuous wood plates with a burst finish before - it looks cool!

The staircase must be the one in my parent's house. It's got 2 ninety degree turns (so four of the steps are cut at 45 degree angles). The carpenters did not think we could fit a staircase there - but my mom designed it and they built it!

Adriaan, maybe you can give those pieces a vacation from the attic and share them with a local woodworking group for an evening. Right now at our Sonoma County Museum there's a show of "Artistry in Wood" so see if there's any wood shows around your area that could appreciate your grandfather's work.
adriaan
Advanced Member
Username: adriaan

Post Number: 285
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 3:36 pm:   Edit Post

Good grief - I thought the bass looked just spiffy in bare maple, but that's an amazing finish!

Mica, thanks for the suggestion. I do not dwell in carpentry circles, and don't know if there are any wood shows here in Holland. Sure sounds like a nice idea for a family outing.
hollis
Advanced Member
Username: hollis

Post Number: 320
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 3:40 pm:   Edit Post

Reid,

This project keeps getting cooler and cooler.... The pictures are awesome, and as we all know, they don't even come close to the real thing!

Wow!
rraymond
Member
Username: rraymond

Post Number: 98
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 10:36 pm:   Edit Post

Uhmm, Mica, Susan, Bob, et al - I don't know what to say... how about, "I'm astonished."

Reid
palembic
Senior Member
Username: palembic

Post Number: 1497
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 12:26 am:   Edit Post

GReat idea that wineburst on the maple!!!!! subtle and I keep saying ....now this HAS STYLE!!!!

Paul TBO
the_mule
Advanced Member
Username: the_mule

Post Number: 229
Registered: 1-2004
Posted on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 1:23 am:   Edit Post

That's looking very well indeed! The burst on the continuous wood plates is perfect! Definitely one of the best examples of a wineburst Alembic I've ever seen. Reed, you're such a lucky man!

Wilfred
kmh364
Senior Member
Username: kmh364

Post Number: 408
Registered: 9-2003
Posted on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 5:36 am:   Edit Post

Very nice, Reid!
4stringer
New
Username: 4stringer

Post Number: 2
Registered: 8-2004
Posted on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 4:26 pm:   Edit Post

beautiful work, folks! I love the burst scheme

I had to post just to also comment on the neck laminate used as hold-down fixture ...

I think I will try to commission Alembic to build me some maple / puple heart wood clamps! I would be the envy of every woodworker I know!
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 1900
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 7:07 pm:   Edit Post

It's getting reeeeeeal close, Reid:

logo

Even got the logo fitted today. I bet I'll be posting a finished shot on Monday, just hope you can stand it 'till then :-)

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