| Author | Message | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 3892 Registered: 6-2000 |
Your neck is underway now:  And up close:  Lookin' good. | ||
| tbrannon
Advanced Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 277 Registered: 11-2004 |
oooooo La La! Beautiful! | ||
| the_8_string_king
Advanced Member Username: the_8_string_king Post Number: 267 Registered: 9-2005 |
WOO HOO!!! That is one fabulous looking neck! Thanks a lot for that shot, Mica! I've been patiently checking the FTC threads pretty much every day for a while now, but figuring it would be weeks from now! And tomorrow's my freaking birthday, so happy birthday to me! It really looks fantastic... just like what I'd hoped for. Thanks so much!!! | ||
| pace
Advanced Member Username: pace Post Number: 297 Registered: 4-2004 |
Well, Happy Birthday Mark!!!!! That is quite a neck recipe! Aside from Walnut & Cherry, there's a little bit of everything to chew on! Nice to see you're off to a good start! | ||
| the_8_string_king
Advanced Member Username: the_8_string_king Post Number: 269 Registered: 9-2005 |
Yes indeed, it is QUITE a schuh-weet neck recipe! Since the neck is the largely the "heart & soul" of a bass, I really dig the idea of having a neck that is both unique in appearance & beauty AND highly functional. Structurewise, every other laminate is extra stiff, dense hardwood... this neck follows their standard lamination pattern (on the mid/high end basses) of every other lam being Purpleheart -except the middle one being swapped for Ebony (which is even stronger). Then I've swapped out 4 of the standard Maple lams for 2 Mahogany and 2 Vermillion laminates. I'm told that I'll still have plenty of highs from the remaining Maple laminates; and Valentino told me that actually the Vermillion, and even the Purpleheart and even Ebony actually contribute some highs as well; but they've told me the Mahogany will really round out the sound significantly, and add noticeable warmth, roundness, and richness to the sound. Mica's told me that the lone Ebony laminate will actually still be the biggest contributor/determiner of the sound -and then after that, the Mahogany. Since Vermillion is said to sound much like Mahogany, only a little more brilliant & with a mellow warmth, I'm figuring it should be largely subsumed within the Mahagony sound -while adding a touch of it's own flavor. I'm confident this blend of 5 proven tone-woods will rock -and will also be extremely compatible/complimentary with/to the Coco Bolo top and back! Yeah, I had to go to the computer and check it out again first thing this morning, to make sure I hadn't just dreamed it up! Thanks again for the pictures, Mica & gang!!! I'm really excited! Did'ja'll get the E-mail I sent with updated Coco Bolo details (sent to Val on 12/12)? I'll post 'em on a thread here in "Changes/Additions." (By the way, I don't expect more than a few, at most... I've got a real clear idea of what I want, and the specs I've provided should about cover it.) The neck is totally awesome!!! I really can't wait to see the Coco Bolo you come up with! You really COULDN'T have done a better job than you did with the Bocate top on my Europa... it was EXACTLY what I'd hoped for/imagined... only better. Everyone who sees it always flips over the top (and everything else, to be sure!)! | ||
| bassjigga
Member Username: bassjigga Post Number: 91 Registered: 8-2005 |
Lookin good 8SK | ||
| the_8_string_king
Advanced Member Username: the_8_string_king Post Number: 278 Registered: 9-2005 |
Wow, everytime I look at it, it looks a little better! I love seeing a beautiful concept go from the conceptual to reality! The concept of "3 sections of 3 woods", with the center 3 contrasting the outer sets of 3... it just looks awesome! The center Vermillion/Ebony/Vermillion section almost looks shocking visually, and almost seems to float above the other sections. And the contrast that it provides, the way it sets off the outer sections of 3, between the mahagony... wow! It looks awesome now... and I know full well it'll look SMA (significantly more awesome) when it's finished!!! | ||
| the_8_string_king
Advanced Member Username: the_8_string_king Post Number: 288 Registered: 9-2005 |
Hi Mica! I called a little earlier and spoke to Bill briefly. It sounded like the string issue is completely resolved, but I'm sometimes a little dense/thick, so I wanted to confirm what looked like a confirmation. The other thing is just to confirm that the "reach" concern -that I posted on the Omega/Reach thread- isn't a concern. I read (and re-read) your post on it, and understand the horn is a bit longer, but it wasn't clear whether than meant the reach was more, same, or less than that of a 34 inch Europa. Since the string spacing seems confirmed, this is the only other thing. (That would require a plan/decision before further production). And I'm curious about the width of the inner core of 9 laminates. Thanks for you patience and graciousness. I do not want to be a pain, and I know you're a busy woman. It's just that I'll be thinking/wondering about it the whole long weekend, and I figured I'd give it a quick shot to see if I could find out about/resolve the reach issue. Once we get this one issue resolved, ol' Mark'll just kick back patiently and let'cha do your thing! Hey, if you're too busy to respond today, please don't hurry! I just had to give it a quick respectful try! I'm thrilled that construction had begun, and much sooner than I'd hoped for! I had January 15th circled as the day I was gonna call or post respectfully asking if anyone knew how close it was getting in the pipeline! So when I saw "Mark's Custom 6-String" here in FTC, I just flipped! Hope you & your family and staff -and heck, their families too- all have a nice new years. You've already got mine off to a swingin' start!!! | ||
| 5stringho
Member Username: 5stringho Post Number: 60 Registered: 11-2006 |
King,... Dude, that is gonna be one MONSTER bass!!! The 'Ho... | ||
| the_8_string_king
Advanced Member Username: the_8_string_king Post Number: 292 Registered: 9-2005 |
Thanks, Mike! I'm looking forward to joining you in the Coco Bolo Club! I can't wait to see what they come up with for Colo Bolo for me -you can see what I've asked for here in FTC- but the neck is off to an awesome start! The Vermillion and Purpleheart they selected really have the significant and almost shocking quality of contrast I envisioned and asked for, and the beauty -and function- of the combination seems to speak for itself! This will be a monster bass!!! On one level, it will "merely" be just another of many beautiful Alembic basses; I'm "just" getting Alembics' "house recipe" of Mahagony sandwiched within Coco Bolo, with the simple, proven, and versatile Europa electronics. 'Course I am spiffing it up more than a little by BTCering the Coco Bolo front and back, and upgrading to continuous wood backplates... so none of that beauty is lost. And that will indeed produce a monster bass, by all accounts... and I just can't wait! But the real kicker, the thing that makes this bass already really special is this awesome neck! It just looks SO good... I know the sound will match, and boy, do I look forward to hearing it! I'll look forward to seeing YOUR neckxt project here in FTC in the hopefully near future! | ||
| 5stringho
Member Username: 5stringho Post Number: 63 Registered: 11-2006 |
Wazzup, Mark! Yep. No such thing as a "typical Alembic", she'll be special just like all of them! The neck looks great, should produce a wonderful tone besides the great look. Do me a favor,OK? Leave some really cool swirly CocoBolo for the Heart Omega MK5 DLX Balance "K" Purpleheart/Ebony that should be showing up middle/late Jan. on FTC (SHHHHHHHH! Don't tell anyone!) Thanx!! Can't wait to see the progress on your Beast! The 'Ho...... (Message edited by 5stringho on December 31, 2006) | ||
| bassjigga
Member Username: bassjigga Post Number: 96 Registered: 8-2005 |
Dang you and your fancy pants neck 8SK. Now I'm thinking about whether I should add some mahogany into mine. Looks like it's time for another friendly call to Susan. | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 3931 Registered: 6-2000 |
I measured the laminates on your neck, Mark. Measuring across the nine laminates is 1.318 inches. | ||
| the_8_string_king
Advanced Member Username: the_8_string_king Post Number: 308 Registered: 9-2005 |
Thanks a bunch, Mica. I'm pleased as punch with the way it looks, with the proportions and also how the overall colors and contrast meet the specifications I requested. I'd hoped for a little darker Mahogany, but it looks far too awesome for me to be able to be anything other than completely pleased. (And just for the record, Valentino DID advise me -actually I think you did too- that there were many different colors of Mahogany, and that if I were to be really picky, it would most likely entail additional time and expense. So even if there were a snivel on my part, it'd be groundless, 'cause I knew going in that the Mahogany would be based on availabilty and best judgement of the builders. But this is just to give Valentino credit for making this clear, the fact is, I'm thrilled with the appearance!) But I'm even happier now, because the inner core is wider than the minimum I'd requested. So... double thanks! Long-windedly yours, Mark! | ||
| the_8_string_king
Advanced Member Username: the_8_string_king Post Number: 323 Registered: 9-2005 |
NOTE: I'm submitting this post in 2 places: here, and in the "concerns over reach" thread in "changes/additions." Hi all. I just got off the phone with Valentino, and based on our conversation, I now feel COMPLETELY secure with my decision to stick with the Balance K Omega. Further, (again, based on that conversation) there doesn't seem to be any need for an extended horn/pistol grip. So I'm withdrawing the request for price info on that. So I'm giving you the go-ahead to proceed with the original plan, and I appreciate your having beared with me while I went through the necessary inconvenience of figuring it out and making sure I'd get the right thing for me. I now feel very confident about it. So at this point, I'm going to kick back and leave y'all alone for a while. The biggest pending issue is just the Coco Bolo, and again, I'd appreciate the opportunity to see & approve your choices. Other than that, the only other small things are the estimate for the 5-screw setup and a price for the peghead Omega; and both of these are minor details that can be addressed down the road when the bass is actually built, so there's no hurry. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled here on FTC, and anxiously anticipating and appreciating the updates as they come, however big or small! I look forward to the next stage -which I assume is putting on the body wings. Thanks again for everything, and have a great weekend, folks. Mark | ||
| the_8_string_king
Advanced Member Username: the_8_string_king Post Number: 369 Registered: 9-2005 |
Hey there Alembic elves! I'm dying of curiousity, and was wondering if there were any further developments! I'd love an update, even if it's just a quickie description, if you don't have time for pictures. Don't sweat it if you're too busy. I'm more concerned with getting a replacement quote for my 8-String for insurance purposes; but every day, I wonder if the body's been glued on, and/or if the Coco Bolo's been selected... Boy, you folks have been doing some particularily awesome and inspiring work recently! The recent FTCs are sporting some unsurpassed examples of you folks outdoing (or trying to outdo) yourselves! I'm really feeling like I lucked out timeframe-wise in commissioning my replacement 6-String at this time! I've got a feeling whenever the neckxt pictures get posted, people are going to be drooling over my bass like I've been drooling over theirs!!! | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 4040 Registered: 6-2000 |
Not yet. I actually do post pictures when something interesting happens. You'll be in the next group of work, these things tend to come together in clumps. The last group of assembly was primarily necks, and yours is already done. Sorry, but we don't work on every instrument everyday. Nobody who will be working on building your bass will be involved in preparing the replacement value for your 8-string bass, so it won't interfere. There should be something fo ryou to see in the next week or two. | ||
| the_8_string_king
Advanced Member Username: the_8_string_king Post Number: 374 Registered: 9-2005 |
Hey, thank's a bunch for that update, Mica! I'll look forward to my clump! | ||
| the_8_string_king
Senior Member Username: the_8_string_king Post Number: 432 Registered: 9-2005 |
Greetings, busy Alembic elves! When you folks get a chance, I'd love an update on the status of my bass. Even a brief discription would be appreciated, if you're too busy for pictures. Thanks folks, have a great weekend! | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 4206 Registered: 6-2000 |
Since I didn't get the work order back to the shop until the day after the last group of bodies was made, you're going to see stuff happening with the next group of body glue-ups, probably a week or so. I gave Bob a stack of reference pictures for your Coco Bolo, and he said he knows just the piece. | ||
| the_8_string_king
Senior Member Username: the_8_string_king Post Number: 433 Registered: 9-2005 |
Thanks, Mica, that's great, to hear, thanks for letting me know! It's exciting to hear Bob has something in mind! Just to "cover the basses"/communicate... I want to double-check/remind/make sure Bob knows the disguised BTC is an essential priority. I double-checked my postings here in my FTC thread with the Coco Bolo, and stand by them. I've added a comment or two here and there, -like adding Shim's bass to the list, especially his concentrics- but that list stands as a reference. Once again, I'm really excited, and look forward to seeing the front and back when it happens... and I'm betting the finish will really make the neck look awesome too! Thanks again, Mark. | ||
| jags
Member Username: jags Post Number: 93 Registered: 12-2006 |
hey mark what body style are you going with? with the nice neck lams. i say a balanced k with a stinger. the stinger point looks awesome with the nice colourful lams throughout my custom would prolly be something like val's "bird of prey" but with a "heart stinger" and a center vermillion strip flanked by ebony,maple,then mahoghany wide strips. close to yours | ||
| byoung
Senior Member Username: byoung Post Number: 514 Registered: 12-2004 |
Mark, What is a "disguised BTC"? Bookmatch to center, but disguised? Bradley | ||
| the_8_string_king
Senior Member Username: the_8_string_king Post Number: 438 Registered: 9-2005 |
Hey guys! I'm getting a Balance K Omega. I considered a stinger very seriously -but decided not to get it. I considered all the variations, and was more or less equally interested in all of them; and being sort of deadlocked, I just defaulted to the least expensive omega option -the standard circular omega cutout. And since then, I've decided to add a mini-omega in the peghead -and also the dual bevel. So at this point, I think it would be better to have an omega at either end -than to have the stinger at one end and the mini-omega at the other. Bradley, my intent for the BTC is for it to not be apparent that there are two halves of wood joined at the center. Sometimes it's REALLY obvious with BTCs that there are two separate pieces of wood, joined at the center. Quilted and Flamed Maple are notorious for this -something about how the light refracts differently on the figuring with the two different halves of wood. Even on the best Alembics, you'll see an obvious line down the middle... and I can't stand it. This is why I'd never choose Maple for a BTC top or back -it will always have this line. Now other woods disguise the "line of symetry" very well -especially "liney" woods like Zebrawood, or woods that at least are liney in the middle, or that have figuring that "lines up" on either side of the line of symetry. I specificed a disguised BTC for my custom 8-String, and they did a great job with the BTC Bocate top. You only notice it if you stick your face right up next to the top and look for the line... otherwise, it looks like one continuous piece of wood across the top. So, I've specified that detail for this bass too. I don't want the line of symetry to be obvious. The easiest way to disguise it is just to have liney figuring in the middle, or to have figuring that is more or less parallel to the neck in the middle -as opposed to figuring that goes from side to side across the line of symetry, and which may not line up, and draw attention to the fact that the top is really two pieces of wood. | ||
| byoung
Senior Member Username: byoung Post Number: 519 Registered: 12-2004 |
Oh, I get it. I think I inadvertently (and thankfully!) did that on my 6-string. I don't think I'm quite as sensitive to it (i.e. don't tell my wife about the quilted maple bass I intend to order someday), but I agree that it looks cool to have it look seamless. The one thing that was a bit of a disappointment to me was the interface of the fingerboard/neck to the BTC-- there's a gap at the edge of the fingerboard. In other words, the top laminate follows the outer edge of the neck, not the fingerboard (alternately, the neck interface is at right angles, but trapeziodal would follow the fingerboard). If I'd known this, I would have specifically ordered it flush to the fingerboard. You can see an example of this here: http://alembic.com/info/FC_tiger.html If you look closely at the neck joint, you'll see the edges of maple. You're early enough that you might want to think about it. It affects comfort taper more than classic spacing, for the fairly logical reason. Bradley | ||
| the_8_string_king
Senior Member Username: the_8_string_king Post Number: 439 Registered: 9-2005 |
Hey Mica, if you see this note and Bradley's post on the previous post, he's right about this. This was actually a minor disapointment on my 8-String... there is a little Maple visable between the BTC Bocate on the top, and the fingerboard. So, if at all possible, I'd prefer the BTC Coco Bolo go all the way to the fingerboard, so the outer (Mahogany) neck laminate won't be visible from the top of the bass. Bradley's example does show this clearly... Tiger, while looking awesome, does have a visible maple line on either side of the fingerboard, and it would look better without it... it would look better if the BTC top went all the way to the fingerboard. My 8-String also has a little Maple showing on either side of the fingerboard (and more on one side than on the other, too). It's a relatively minor snivel... but he's right, and I'd like to request y'all try and avoid/minimize it. I know it can be done, 'cause most BTC Alembics I've seen don't have this visible line on either side. Another greater snivel (for me) is that I've seen two otherwise great-looking BTCered Alembics that don't have the pinstrips line up. They are "Coco Bolo Fantasy", and "The Roman Conqueror." You can see the Maple pinstripes don't quite line up... they're slightly off. This is pretty rare for Alembics (in my experience) and it is pretty minimal... but these little details matter to me, so I would ask that, as much as possible please get these little details as close to perfect as you can. The 3 details, again, are: (1) getting the BTC flush with the fingerboard, so the outer (Mahogany) neck laminates aren't visible from the top; (2) making sure the pinstripe(s) line up at the line of symetry; and (3) getting the Bird tailpiece as centered as possible. Thanks again, sorry for being so picky. And Bradley, thanks a lot for pointing this out. This was/is a minor annoyance with/on my 8-String -but somehow it didn't occur to me to communicate it to Alembic until you mentioned it -so thanks a bunch. With this fancy and expensive Coco Bolo top, I'm even more concerned with it looking perfect -or as close as possible. | ||
| byoung
Senior Member Username: byoung Post Number: 521 Registered: 12-2004 |
Mark, Just for clarity, all the BTC basses exhibit this-- it is the way they are constructed. The one exception I'm sure of is Valentino's Bird of Prey (a.k.a. the pointy bass). Valentino confirmed for me that his was special in this regard. It may not be evident at all on a narrow spacing 4-string, but definitely becomes more prominent as you add strings and comfort taper. Bradley | ||
| 5stringho
Intermediate Member Username: 5stringho Post Number: 104 Registered: 11-2006 |
Hey, Mark! Just peeked at your question about finishes, and I'll try to give you a little heads up. I have a coupla basses with a hi-gloss polyester finish and "satin " finish on the back of the necks. And I've got 2 more (one being my Excel) that are going to Cincinnati in a few weeks to have the necks stripped and re-finished with the "Satin". This is pretty standard fare anymore. Matter-O-Fact, Mica 'splained to me that this is the "standard" recipe on Alembics these days. You have to specify if you WANT the hi-gloss on the neck. There is no drawback to this, that I have noticed. A kind of oil/wax is put on the neck,to protect the wood,and I , along with a lotta other playahs prefer the wood feel. I'm not sure exactly concerning materials, but I think the "oil" finish on the body is just the same as the "satin" finish. My 6 string Ibanez is the same all over, and it's really nice,and some say this finish allows the wood to "breathe", and therefore sound "better". I personnaly have not noticed this to have any affect on tone, and I believe, the Hi-Gloss is THE thing to have on an Alembic. Just turns a "10" into an "11", knowutimean?? Look at "Raging Bass". You can see the satin transitioning into gloss at the headstock. As with everything else, the Mothership does a flawless job on this. Hope my ramblings help. I'm sure Mica will give you all the specifics, answer any concerns,and help you make your final choice. Just though I'd give you a little personal experience info. Have Fun, Mike (the 'Ho)....... | ||
| dannobasso
Senior Member Username: dannobasso Post Number: 476 Registered: 3-2004 |
The combos you guys are coming up with are truly amazing. I would not have even considered anything other than an ebony lam or two. Isn't it also impressive that Alembic actually does these? Best of luck to you Ho and your fellow neck gourmets. I watch with great interest each day. Was 8 string the guy who initiated some of this back in 98-99?  | ||
| the_8_string_king
Senior Member Username: the_8_string_king Post Number: 453 Registered: 9-2005 |
Thanks for your input, Mike, I appreciate it! And I'm not worried about it. I'm certain Mica and the elves will advise me of, and produce the ideal option for me. It sounds like the combo of high-gloss for the body and the satin finish for the neck will be ideal -barring any downside/tradeoff I'm not aware of. Unless there is such a downside/tradeoff, this would probably be my preferred choice. Now, the reason for this combo is that the satin finish on the neck is easier to play, right? I HAVE had a few occaissions playing my 8-string -particularily when playing in the summer and being sweaty- that I've had to interrupt my playing and wipe off the neck because (yuck) stickieness had disrupted the smoothe flow of playing and shifting positions. I assume this is one of the things the satin finish is intended to address/reduce? The only theoretical downsides that pop into my mind (which may be nothing more than figments of my imagination, resulting from ignorance) are that the neck might not be quite as pretty without the glossy/shiney finish, and perhaps the finish doesn't protect the wood/"lock in" the moisture of woods in the neck -as well as the high-gloss finish? (Probably just silly-talk.) I'm more "function-oriented" than I am "appearance-oriented"... although I want this bass to be as pretty as possible. I'm sure the high-gloss finish over front & back BTCer'ed Coco Bolo should have quite a show-stopping appearance! I'm not overly-concerned about the neck not looking as good as it otherwise wood with the glossy finish instead of the satin finish; I can't imagine Alembic would choose to use this combo as their current "standard recipe" if the appearance wasn't up to snuff. One thing I'm pretty curious about... does the "satin finish" also cover the BACK of the peghead... or does it just go up to where the veneers begin? It seems like it would look better and make more sense to have the entire headstock/peghead be high-gloss, and have ONLY the back of the actually neck (the part my palm/hand/thumb contacts) to be satin finish. Does anyone know the answer to this? Thanks again for your feedback, Mike, gang. Danno, to my knowledge, I was the first person to have an Alembic commissioned with a combination of Ebony, Maple, and Purpleheart... but I've wondered about this too, and would be interested in confirming whether or not it's so. The neck on my 8-String is an exceptionally awesome blend of form & function; it's absolutely stunning appearance-wise... and the sound is phenomenal -the best I've ever heard, period. It's actually made up of 4 different woods, as the inner Maple lams are Rock Maple, and the outer laminates are Flame Maple (and also continueous pieces of wood which flow all the way up into the headstock from the body). To my knowledge, this is a feature which is unique to my bass. And the 3 sections of Purpleheart sandwiched within Ebony give the instrument unbelievable sustain and bone-crunching bottom... Ramis' all-Purpleheart/Ebony-necked basses are the only Alembics I've seen that might be able to top mine in sustain. Yeah, we're living in the age of cool necks... Alembics have been the most awesome sounding, playing, and looking basses since the beginning... we all know this. That said, I don't think they've EVER looked better than what they've been kicking out the past couple years. The elves are really outdoing themselves!!! I've got a feeling that when my Balance K gets its top & back, it's going to be a pretty formidable contender in the looks department! Hopefully, we'll know soon! This is a GREAT time to get an Alembic! Long live the empire!!! (Message edited by the 8 string king on March 11, 2007) |
