| Author | Message | ||
| Mica Wickersham (mica)
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 280 Registered: 6-2000 |
Here's the top candidates for the top of your new bass:  Choice 1  Choice 2 These tops are fresh off the bandsaw and the still look awesome. Wait until the paint hits 'em. Here's a piece typical of our Burl Maple stock for the pickguard.  For the Coco Bolo back, can you give me some idea if you have any preferences (light, dark, red, etc.) or would you like us to surprise you? | ||
| Jon Hirsch (ta2jon69)
New Username: ta2jon69 Post Number: 1 Registered: 9-2002 |
I believe Jim will have sent the wood preferences to you by now. Would it be possible to see a drawing of the pick-guard before the wood gets cut? I'm sure that will be some weeks down the road. Thanks. | ||
| Mica Wickersham (mica)
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 286 Registered: 6-2000 |
Absolutley! There's no way James is gonna drill holes in the top of a Burl Walnut custom Stanley Clarke bass before you both see and approve the design of the pickguard. Do you want it to wrap around one or both pickups? Any other guidelines you can give me before I start sketching? | ||
| Jon Hirsch (ta2jon69)
New Username: ta2jon69 Post Number: 2 Registered: 9-2002 |
I think you would be the best person to judge a proper pick-guard style that would flow with the body, though I prefer it wrap around only one pickup | ||
| Mica Wickersham (mica)
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 293 Registered: 6-2000 |
Chip found this awesome Burl Walnut today and wanted you to see it:  He also placed a suggested position for a Small Standard body on the right side - hope you can see it. Let me know if you want to switch to this super burl. | ||
| Jon Hirsch (ta2jon69)
New Username: ta2jon69 Post Number: 3 Registered: 9-2002 |
Two questions before I make my final decision: 1) What would this new piece of wood look like after it leaves the spray booth (would the wood appear darker, etc)? 2) Could a get a closer picture of the right piece of wood (I would like to get a better view of the wood figure)? I was set on choice 1 until you sent this.... | ||
| Mica Wickersham (mica)
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 298 Registered: 6-2000 |
1) It will look darker by a good bit. 2) Here is a closeup:  The pictures I showed you at the top of this thread are successive slices from the same log, and upon closer inspection, aren't really all that burly. Let me know what you think about this wild piece. | ||
| Jon Hirsch (ta2jon69)
New Username: ta2jon69 Post Number: 4 Registered: 9-2002 |
I believe I will go with your appraisal of the woods and pick choice #3, the newest piece of wood. | ||
| Jon Hirsch (ta2jon69)
New Username: ta2jon69 Post Number: 5 Registered: 9-2002 |
I wasn't quite sure if you received my Cocobolo preferences; so just in case you didn't, here it is: I would like the wood to be on the dark side with a bit of red. The grain does not have to be very straight. | ||
| Mica Wickersham (mica)
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 304 Registered: 6-2000 |
Cool! I'll let Chip know you liked the wood he found - it's really very unusual. Jim did relate your Coco Bolo preferences to me. I'm glad you're not looking for straight grain - it's harder to come by. We've got just about every flavor of Coco Bolo, so finding a nice darkish-reddish piece won't be a problem. Do you want a preview of it or do you want it to be a surprise? I've worked on the pickguard design, and so far I'm not happy with any of the concepts. I'll keep at it until I've got something I think you'll like. | ||
| Jon Hirsch (ta2jon69)
New Username: ta2jon69 Post Number: 6 Registered: 9-2002 |
Please surprise me with the Cocobolo, you have my supreme confidence | ||
| Mica Wickersham (mica)
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 308 Registered: 6-2000 |
Alright, Jon. I'm sure you'll like our selection and the excitement of the surprise. Chip plans to assemble the body of your bass in the next run, which starts on Wednesday. | ||
| Mica Wickersham (mica)
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 347 Registered: 6-2000 |
Well, your bass is ready to put on the pickguard. There's one sealer coat on the bass, and all that's left is to decide on the shape. Here is our first proposal mocked up on another bass:  We've come up with a couple of other related shapes, but I'd like to know if this is generally what you had in mind. Note that the truss rod cover will be continuous and the same shape as it is usually. This way you won't have to remove the whole pickguard to do a truss rod adjustment. Let me know what you think! | ||
| Jon Hirsch (ta2jon69)
New Username: ta2jon69 Post Number: 7 Registered: 9-2002 |
This is pretty much exactly what I was looking for. If you have another suggestion, I'm still open to ideas. I was wondering if you could post an in-progress picture of the bass (after the pick-guard is attached). | ||
| Mica Wickersham (mica)
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 355 Registered: 6-2000 |
Here are a couple of other ideas to at least eliminate before we cut the final design:   The idea is the echo the shape of the omega in the design around the pickguard. The one on the left eliminates the left side-shape, but is otherwise the same to the picture on the right. This also covers up a little less wood than the first design. Let me know if you like the first design, or the one or two- part from today's proposals. We'll get the pickguard cut and then get a photo of the result to you. | ||
| Jon Hirsch (ta2jon69)
New Username: ta2jon69 Post Number: 8 Registered: 9-2002 |
I like the original design you posted (from the 29 Oct post) the most. Please use this one. Thanks. | ||
| Mica Wickersham (mica)
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 357 Registered: 6-2000 |
Mike will get started on the pickguard today. | ||
| Mica Wickersham (mica)
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 397 Registered: 6-2000 |
Here it is!  But of course now we want to change things. Mike thinks (and I agree) that this would look best without any screws holding it on, meaning, we'd permanently glue it in place (except the truss rod cover of course). Also, one thing we didn't think about was the knobs that are mounted on the Maple. These will either ride higher than the other knobs by thickness of the Maple or we'll need to cut holes big enough for the skirts of the knobs so the caps all wind up at the same height. I don't know if you have a preference, I think either way will look good. So to review, we need from you: 1. Yay or nay on gluing the Maple in place, and 2. Knob heigh preference | ||
| Jon Hirsch (ta2jon69)
New Username: ta2jon69 Post Number: 9 Registered: 9-2002 |
First of all, the bass is beautiful! If it isn't too much trouble, could I also get a picture of the Cocobolo on the back? 1) I would like the maple to be glued in place 2) I would like all of the knobs to be the same height (drill the larger holes for the knobs) Many thanks!! | ||
| Paul Lindemans (palembic)
Advanced Member Username: palembic Post Number: 249 Registered: 9-2002 |
WOW! | ||
| Jon Hirsch (ta2jon69)
New Username: ta2jon69 Post Number: 10 Registered: 9-2002 |
Mica, I just had the bass sent by UPS on Tuesday March 11. I also noticed some damage done to the case (it wasn't immediately apparent because I was so concerned about my bass). One of the casters looks like it has been pushed into the body of the bass; the latches also do not line up properly. I will also send you an email with more details. Thanks, Jon | ||
| Mica Wickersham (mica)
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 727 Registered: 6-2000 |
OK thanks. I'm looking forward to repairing the shipping damage and getting this bass back in your hands. We'll be looking for it and your email. | ||
| Wayne McLemore (wayne)
Junior Username: wayne Post Number: 46 Registered: 5-2002 |
Ok, y'all, what gives? You can't post this teency little bit of info and not give us the whole story. I understand how traumatizing it can be. Sharing does help. We're here for you....... C-Ya........wayne | ||
| Googe Endeveronte (goooge)
Member Username: goooge Post Number: 55 Registered: 8-2002 |
Jon- incase you dont know- Wayne is from the "been there done that" DAMAGED section of the club- members of that club have had the misfortune of damage harming their axes in transit-Wayne put us all through a bad case of "damaged custom Alembic" trama with pictures he posted of a decapitated alembic (I am getting teary eyed here)But then he came back with another beautiful custom that left us all drooling and jealous- hopefully your axe is fairing better than a complete head chop. | ||
| Jon Hirsch (ta2jon69)
Junior Username: ta2jon69 Post Number: 11 Registered: 9-2002 |
The Omega tip on the left body wing broke off of the body during shipment. Thankfully, the break was very clean (which is why I didn't notice the damage immediately after opening the shipping box & case, it took a few minutes). I would have posted pictures a while ago, but I didn't want everyone to see a "damaged" Alembic. | ||
| Paul Lindemans (palembic)
Advanced Member Username: palembic Post Number: 328 Registered: 9-2002 |
Hell ...is it something that happens often, those transport damages? BTW: I truly like to hear about it. Can you imagine we in EU ordering an Alembic with such a risk at hand?? | ||
| ta2jon69
Junior Username: ta2jon69 Post Number: 12 Registered: 9-2002 |
I received the bass last week. Perfect timing; I returned the day before. It took me a week to actually plug it in and test it out (while Alembic basses are the best, I hadn't seen my daughter in two months). The bass both looks and sounds outstanding. Thanks to Mica and everybody in the shop, I can't even tell there was any damage. | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 891 Registered: 6-2000 |
Glad you received the bass (and the new case) in good order. I could not detect the repair either, and I am darned picky about such things. Damage like this is really quite rare, but the omega tips are considerably more fragile than the point body shape. Any time you ship an instrument, there is a risk for damage, but that is why we pack things very well and insure it to the max. |
