| Author | Message | ||
| rraymond
Member Username: rraymond Post Number: 99 Registered: 6-2002 |
Hi Mica, I can't believe you're about to ship! Cool! Time flies! Say, anybody know what a time fly looks like? Reid | ||
| rraymond
Member Username: rraymond Post Number: 100 Registered: 6-2002 |
Mica, you guys got me again...I'm speechless! OK, maybe I'm not. I can't believe how gorgeous that logo is, and I can't believe I'm going to be thumping on that bass within days! Thanks more than you guys can imagine! :-) Reid | ||
| rraymond
Intermediate Member Username: rraymond Post Number: 101 Registered: 6-2002 |
OK, get out the champagne, I'm about to Christen this here bass guitar. In honor of my favorite sunburst of all time, the WineBurst, and of the "most favored grape" status of the pinot noir varietal here in the Willamette Valley, "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you 'Pinot.'" Next, I'm going to order one in a tobacco sunburst and call it "Stout." Only kidding... Oh, and actually I'm not giving Pinot to anyone! My thanks to everyone that's worked on the bass, I know it's going to sound every bit as gorgeous as it looks! Reid | ||
| the_mule
Advanced Member Username: the_mule Post Number: 245 Registered: 1-2004 |
Reid, I'm also a wine lover, and both the Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are favorite wines of mine. Your beautiful Pinot is certainly amongst my favorite basses, cheers! Wilfred | ||
| adriaan
Advanced Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 289 Registered: 6-2002 |
Great name - and Alembic is situated in wine territory too, right? I can see the tint of the pinot noir. But the picture has a purple haze all over, could be due to the carpet. If it is more like purple in real life, perhaps you'd have to re-baptize her Merlot. | ||
| bsee
Advanced Member Username: bsee Post Number: 237 Registered: 3-2004 |
Yep, there are some great wineries within a few minutes of the Alembic shop. Santa Rosa is in the middle of the Sonoma wine region. Among other wines, it's the heart of Zinfandel country with lots of grape trees. They are really vines, but if you've ever seen a 100+ year old zinfandel vine, you know why I call them trees. I think they might be big enough to get a headstock laminate out of them. If you go for a factory tour and have an interest in wine, you will be torn between hanging out in the showroom and playing great instruments and racing off to the wineries before they close. The only solution is to plan to be there for multiple days. For an Alembic-area Pinot, Mayo family winery has their last vintage of a pinot made from grapes grown up the road at Kunde. Kunde ripped out the vines last year to plant something else, so this is Mayo's last year releasing this wine. We bought half a case of that, among other things, when we were there last month. | ||
| adriaan
Advanced Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 291 Registered: 6-2002 |
Unfortunately I don't have a wine budget to match my taste buds. But sometimes there's an opportunity where you get a taste of the real stuff. One comforting thought is that if you never get to drink top wines, you won't know what you're missing (sounds like sour grapes anyway [:D]). As far as California wines go, i once tasted a very velvety red Fetzer that I can sort of remember having in my mouth. And once a very, very nice white Benziger (not entirely sure about the spelling) probably a chardonnay. | ||
| bsee
Advanced Member Username: bsee Post Number: 239 Registered: 3-2004 |
I'll make a shocking recommendation then. Try Black Box wines. They're quality California wines sold in a box. The price is excellent at about $20 for a 3 liter box, equivalent to about $5 per bottle, and the box can live a month or more in the fridge. You don't have to worry about what to do with the other half of the bottle if you only drink two glasses, because the bag keeps it fresh. I'm not affiliated with them, but was pleased with their quality when we did a tasting back in May. -Bob | ||
| rraymond
Intermediate Member Username: rraymond Post Number: 103 Registered: 6-2002 |
Wilfred, I forgot about pinot gris, that is a fantastic white! I discovered it just a couple of years ago and it restored my interest in white wines. Well that and "Evolution," a special blend done by Sokol Blosser here in Oregon. It's purpose is to accompany hot food dishes, and it works really well! | ||
| rraymond
Intermediate Member Username: rraymond Post Number: 104 Registered: 6-2002 |
Adriaan and Bob, I also like California merlots, cabernets and zinfandels. Rodney Strong makes some great merlots and cabernets, and I liked Bonny Doon zinfandel so much, I have a framed poster based on their label in my dining room! The artwork was done by Ralph Steadman for their Cardinal Zin zinfandel, and was so controversial that it was actually banned in some places! I first came across Ralph's work in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," the book by Hunter S. Thompson. What a wild story! Reid | ||
| rklisme
Member Username: rklisme Post Number: 84 Registered: 5-2004 |
Reid Thanks for the compliment but your bass is pretty stunning as well. What a great idea I don't think I would have ever thought about doing something like that. What a beauty! Rory | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 424 Registered: 9-2003 |
Reid, Very, very nice! Another "surface mount" logo as well, and with the "Alembic" script"! What'll they think of next. I'm sure those pix don't even come close to doing this bad boy justice. Quilt tops are very hard to photograph without the figuring washing out (ask me how I know, LOL!). While I really enjoy Cali, including wine country, I'm not much of a wine drinker (I could tell you more about balsamic vinegar than I could wines, LOL!), but I am a stout fanatic (Guiness anyone? LOL!) so I am a little disappointed about it not being a tobacco sunburst (LOL! J/K). Never mind my authentic frontier gibberish, Good Luck with the thing: I can't wait to see it completed. Cheers, Kevin | ||
| rraymond
Intermediate Member Username: rraymond Post Number: 105 Registered: 6-2002 |
Kevin and Rory, Thanks for the compliments on Pinot, I'm stoked for sure! I love the natural quilted maple look too, and you guys have prime examples of that wood's eye-popping beauty. Kevin, I imagine it might be a bit frustrating trying to photograph that stunning top on your Orion. For what we spend of these basses, it isn't too silly to think of taking them to a professional photography studio to have them photo'd! Heck, they're members of the family! Another good/bad thing about living in Oregon is the fabulous micro-brewery scene out here. I like fine beer as much as fine wine and here there's dozens of locally brewed stouts, porters, bitters, amber ales, it goes on and on... I switched to wine as my preferred poison in part because of all the calories I was getting drinking the killer ales! Red wine is of course, a health drink, since it is good for your heart! Yeah, right! :-) Here's to ya, Reid P.S. I do drink beer when I'm out playing, since beer is the official lubricant of rock 'n roll! | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 1523 Registered: 9-2002 |
Woooof! I thought for a moment : "Wine??wine? Wine? What happened to the good'ol beer??" I was ready to start some beertalk but ...well ...brother Reid beated me in the end run! To your health! Paul the bad one DOH! Did I tell y'all that I like Irish whiskey too?!?!?! Bass-beer-women and whiskey ...that must be PTBO. Kiddin' ...well ..kindoff | ||
| rraymond
Intermediate Member Username: rraymond Post Number: 106 Registered: 6-2002 |
Brother Paul, educate me in the ways of Irish whiskey. Having grown up in Tennessee, I tended to stay close to home whiskey-wise. I like Jack Daniels, of course, and up in Kentucky, Makers Mark and Wild Turkey are good. As far as international whiskeys, well Canadian Club is about all I've sampled. After all that then, the question is, "What Irish whiskey do you prefer?" Top of the mornin' to ya, Reid | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 425 Registered: 9-2003 |
Hot-rod Bourbons and/or Sour Mash whiskeys are good stuff...there's a growing market for "boutique" whiskeys in this country, much like the demand for domestic wineries and micro-breweries (albeit on a much smaller scale). Even though I have a 100% Irish Catholic name... I'm actually 50/50 (Italian/Irish), I'm preferential to single-malt Scotch whiskey. I know, it's blasphemy I tells yah (say that with your best Brogue, LOL!). It's all good though....variety is the spice of life, no? With my life-long disposition towrd brutal migraines, however, my consumption of alcohol these days is minimal. Alcoholism runs in my family as well, but I seem to be about the only one on my Father's side that doesn't suffer from that malady (Thank God!). For those that can drink freely, enjoy and drink responsibly! | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 1524 Registered: 9-2002 |
Oh ...I am not really the "Conoisseur". Jameson (of course), Tullamore Dew, Old Paddy, Bushmills' Malt, and there is 1 I really enjoyed but forgot the name. Single malt scotches ...yep ...heerooo too ! You will not believe this but I am a "Laphhroaig" lover ...really. OTOH I do like soft tasting whisky's too: Cutty Sark is my altime favourite and is not to expensive in Belgium. Canadian Club, Tensessee's Jack Daniels, Four Roses and other Kentucky stuff but ...well ...I tried my parts but not enough to really know it. Drunk? Well ...I can handle a few but I am reluctant to alcohol these days. Alcohol sometimes after dinner, wine with a meal, beer for refreshment but ...well "quantum est venenum". So ...i try to be "sober" in all meanings of taht word. Paut the bad one | ||
| bracheen
Senior Member Username: bracheen Post Number: 565 Registered: 11-2003 |
OK Reid since this thread's already trashed I may as well jump in. Irish Whiskey: my favorite is Jameson with Tullamore Dew a close second. Bushmill's from the northern part of the island is the oldest operating distillery being founded in 1608. The word whiskey comes from the Irish "Uisce Beatha" meaning "Water of Life" Unfortunately my consumtion has been severly curtailed. The older I get the less prodigious quantities of whiskey agree with me. Sam | ||
| fmm
Junior Username: fmm Post Number: 42 Registered: 6-2002 |
Favorite Irish Whisky: Bushmills Millenium Malt (25 year old single malt, good luck finding any. I still have 7 bottles). Favorite Scotch: Cadenheads bottling of a 14 year old Lagavulin, cask strength. I don't think this is available anymore. Favorite widely available Scotch: Lagavulin. Favorite American Whiskey: Wild Turkey Rare Breed | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 428 Registered: 9-2003 |
You're in a LOT of trouble, Reid. Now you have to order TWO more custom Alembics: one finished in "stout" and one finished in "whiskey". This will complete the triumvirate with "Pinot", LOL! Cheers! | ||
| bracheen
Senior Member Username: bracheen Post Number: 566 Registered: 11-2003 |
I like how you think Kevin. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing in excess! | ||
| rraymond
Intermediate Member Username: rraymond Post Number: 107 Registered: 6-2002 |
It's enough to make your liver quiver! I will need a bass finished in "Champagne," maybe a "blush wine," then there are all the ales, IPA, amber, etc. My head - and wallet - hurt just thinking about it! Man, what a beautiful collection that would be!!! | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 429 Registered: 9-2003 |
Remember: You only live once, so make it count! When I was whining about all the money I lost during my divorce, a wise man told me something I'll never forget: "It's only money, and you'll make more!" Good words to live by Methinks, LOL! | ||
| bsee
Advanced Member Username: bsee Post Number: 246 Registered: 3-2004 |
You could even get an acrylic bass for those nights when you're in the mood for martinis or sambuca.... I strongly apologize for derailing this thread with a wine discussion and urge Mica to archive it soon so that we can get back to pictures of beautiful basses. -Bob PS - I will be hitting Chateau Ste. Michelle and the Yakima Valley during my free time in the Seattle vicinity. | ||
| rraymond
Intermediate Member Username: rraymond Post Number: 108 Registered: 6-2002 |
Bob, I just looked up Chateau Ste. Michelle on the web and noticed that they are in Woodinville, WA, also the home of Mackie. That could be a very interesting day, "Days of wine and mixers!" | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 1527 Registered: 9-2002 |
Ok ...the story goes that Brother Sam is ordering a new 5 string Excel with Darkgreen to yellow on AAAA-grade maple called "Jamesonburst". There will be front and side leds in red. The only problem Susan has is that he wants the PU's colored bright RED. Paul the bad one hehehehehehehehehehe ... oh yeah ...the SUBJECT ...this wonderful bass. Well ...it surely will have a fine nose and a full bouquet with a fruity afterdrink ... no ....wrong again??? | ||
| rraymond
Intermediate Member Username: rraymond Post Number: 109 Registered: 6-2002 |
Alright Paul, on my list of things to do this weekend: cut grass, clean sunroom, try Jameson whiskey... Fine nose = quilted maple = attack and bright tone Full bouquet = mahogany = warmth Fruity afterdrink (I think they call it "finish" in wine circles) = purpleheart = sustain and low-end Pinot will have all of that! | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 1529 Registered: 9-2002 |
CHEERS ...I'll drink to that ! To "Pinot"!!! PTBO | ||
| rraymond
Intermediate Member Username: rraymond Post Number: 112 Registered: 6-2002 |
Mica, I've been staring at the pictures of Pinot you published last week, and I continue to be astonished by that finish. When you buy a Fender, or Gibson 'bursted instrument, you get your run-of-the-mill sunburst. That Wineburst, I'm assuming Bob did, looks more like a Thomas Kinkade study in light, the bass just glows and radiates light and energy from its center. I'm sure that as is often said here, "It looks better in person." "Cheers," to everyone who has worked on Pinot, and I hope you all have a happy Labor Day weekend! Reid | ||
| rraymond
Intermediate Member Username: rraymond Post Number: 114 Registered: 6-2002 |
I thought I'd post some pictures, now that Pinot is mine! A, hah, hah, hah! ;)) I took it to a gig last night and freaked everybody visually, and sonically. This bass, is a hit! So, here's some pictures of Pinot at dawn, in my sunroom:     Good Golly, Miss Molly! |
