| Author | Message | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 5268 Registered: 6-2000 |
The post-op care took a little more attention than I thought, so dreams of working on custom inlays during that time didn't materialize. I'm probably not going to get to dedicate time to the final drawings until next week. I found some photocopies of one of the basses with the notes. We detuned the bass, and put the thing right on the photocopier! Answered all my nagging questions, so I think you'll be really happy with the result. | ||
| ajdover
Senior Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 614 Registered: 11-2003 |
Mica, Thanks, I can't wait to see it. Hope all is well on the home front, and as usual, that takes precedence over everything. Best wishes from Julie and I. Thanks, Alan | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 2247 Registered: 9-2003 |
Maj. D., That's a real beaut! Lot's o'luck with it. Cheers, Kevin | ||
| ajdover
Senior Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 626 Registered: 11-2003 |
Mica, Any news? Alan P.S. I love your picture on the "staff" section of the site. Captures the essence of who you are - a bright smile, personality, etc. as evidenced when I visited a while back. | ||
| ajdover
Senior Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 637 Registered: 11-2003 |
(Message edited by ajdover on July 11, 2008) | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 5409 Registered: 6-2000 |
I'll bring over some photos of cut letters for you soon. I think it's looking really good so far! | ||
| ajdover
Senior Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 640 Registered: 11-2003 |
Mica, Great, can't wait to see them. Alan | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 5434 Registered: 6-2000 |
Message in a bottle:  And a bass all prepped for inlays:  This will probably be finished while I'm on vacation, but you can be sure I'll post some finished pictures just as soon as I can. | ||
| ajdover
Senior Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 642 Registered: 11-2003 |
Mica, Wow. Just wow. It has been more than worth the wait. And I'm as giddy as can be. Enjoy your vacation. After viewing these pics, you, James, and everyone at the Mothership deserves one! Best regards, Alan | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 1902 Registered: 2-2006 |
Looking good Alan. OO | ||
| tbrannon
Senior Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 845 Registered: 11-2004 |
Looking real good Alan. I really like the tweaks to the body shape that you guys made in an effort to get as close to the original as possible. I know that was a painstaking process, but the results look fantastic. | ||
| altgrendel
New Username: altgrendel Post Number: 1 Registered: 5-2008 |
Excuse my ignorance. What's the "joke note"? | ||
| senmen
Senior Member Username: senmen Post Number: 783 Registered: 7-2003 |
Hey Altgrendel, the joke note was a wrongly installed note on Johns original basses, means a wrong note put on a wrong place of the fingerboard. Oliver (Spyderman) | ||
| ajdover
Senior Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 643 Registered: 11-2003 |
Guys, Thanks for the kind words. I do appreciate them. Oliver is (as usual) spot on about the joke note. In fact, Mica wanted to know if I wanted a "joke note" on my bass - I told her no. John had a very unique, dry sense of humor, and I thought it best to honor him by letting his basses be the only ones with a "joke" note. My bass will have "properly" made inlays, as it were, accurately reflecting note placement. It is, in my way, of paying tribute to John by making the inlays "correct." Alan | ||
| bigbadbill
Senior Member Username: bigbadbill Post Number: 443 Registered: 10-2003 |
Lots of us Brits have a similar sense of humour to John to be honest....I know Lemmy of Motorhead said it got him into terrible trouble when he first moved to the States. | ||
| bigbadbill
Senior Member Username: bigbadbill Post Number: 444 Registered: 10-2003 |
BTW...beautiful bass! | ||
| garethnh
Junior Username: garethnh Post Number: 22 Registered: 5-2008 |
This is just too exciting! Goodness knows how you're feeling Alan!!!! It's looking amazing. | ||
| elwoodblue
Senior Member Username: elwoodblue Post Number: 509 Registered: 6-2002 |
Looks like a candidate for a COTM... ...I second what gareth says. It's too cool seeing a fine instrument being created...thanks to Alan and Alembic for letting us see behind the veil. | ||
| ajdover
Senior Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 646 Registered: 11-2003 |
COTM - I should be so lucky! Thanks for all the kind words. The real credit, as always belongs to the elves at Alembic. Amazing folks, that lot. Alan | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 5454 Registered: 6-2000 |
Look what happened! Here's the mother of pearl pieces getting glued in position for scribing:  James routing the recesses:  Dry fit of the pieces:  Shrouded in Ebony dust and glues:  And released from the shroud and fretted:  | ||
| garethnh
Junior Username: garethnh Post Number: 31 Registered: 5-2008 |
Holy S***! I want one! James is one talented dude. | ||
| ajdover
Senior Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 647 Registered: 11-2003 |
Incredible. Beyond words. Unglaublich. Fantastisch! James, Mica, everybody - incredible job. Words don't even come close. I can't wait to get my hands on this beauty. Alan | ||
| adriaan
Senior Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 1939 Registered: 6-2002 |
Seems like there were joke notes at the 3rd and 15th frets - at least for a short stretch of time. | ||
| ajdover
Senior Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 650 Registered: 11-2003 |
I'm not sure where the joke notes were, but I was asked about this and decided against having them put in. As I saw it, there was no way I'd ever be able to have an exact replica made - all of John's Exploiters, to my knowledge anyway are in private hands now. I'd have to have one to make an exact copy, and that simply isn't possible. What I set out to do was get very close, and make it more playable for me. After all, I'm the one playing it, not John or anyone else. All this being said, I felt that not having a joke note was a tribute to the man - he was one of a kind. So were his basses, and I felt that it should be left that way, joke notes and all. In the end I think Alembic has created a very close replica for me, with certain changes. During the design and construction, Susan and Mica both told me that certain things may have been mistakes on the originals, e.g., placement of the controls near the bridge, etc. As I felt John would have opted to fix these things had he ordered another Exploiter, I went ahead and made those changes I thought necessary from both an aesthetic and playability point of view. The end result, I'm sure, will be the bass of my dreams. Alan | ||
| adriaan
Senior Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 1941 Registered: 6-2002 |
Small joke on my behalf, sorry if I offended you. In the first and third picture, the flat signs had not yet been added to the B's on the 3rd and 15th fret, as they are in the final picture. | ||
| ajdover
Senior Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 651 Registered: 11-2003 |
Adriaan, No worries, no offense taken. Just wanted to clarify why I chose to go the route I did, that's all. On the flats and sharps, Mica told me they went with sterling silver wire. Had they gone with mother of pearl, it not only would have been more difficult, but it wouldn't have come out as distinct looking. Apparently, the inlays on John's basses weren't as defined in this respect. Oliver also seconded this, and I've been relying on his sage judgment on all things Ox throughout the build process. He even sent Alembic some pictures he had of John's basses to Alembic for me! Thanks Oliver! Alan | ||
| tbrannon
Senior Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 867 Registered: 11-2004 |
It's looking very good Alan! | ||
| senmen
Senior Member Username: senmen Post Number: 801 Registered: 7-2003 |
Alan buddy, you are welcome! It was a pleasure helping you with the fingerboard inlays and the general shape of the bass. So now I have the problem where to find that small bunch of money to have its sister buildt, maybe the one with the V-headstock. Do you know a good bank where I could get the money without giving a signature..... :-) Oliver (Spyderman) | ||
| ajdover
Senior Member Username: ajdover Post Number: 652 Registered: 11-2003 |
Oliver, If I knew of a bank that gave away money, I'd be there already! ;-) Alan | ||
| briant
Advanced Member Username: briant Post Number: 223 Registered: 12-2004 |
Uhhhh... oh my. I want one. Badly. |
