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mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 6840
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Tuesday, July 27, 2010 - 7:15 pm:   Edit Post

Nice piece of Quilted Maple:
assembly

It's a neck!
assembly

and a body:
assembly

and the sandwich:
assembly

Sorry about the funky color balance - I am not a professional photographer.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9499
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - 3:03 pm:   Edit Post

Beautiful quilt!
briant
Senior Member
Username: briant

Post Number: 426
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - 5:10 pm:   Edit Post

...and sadly not going to happen. :-(

Miscommunication on my part. We're starting over next week. It should have been a bookmatched to center top.

Full stats will be:

Essence body
4 string
35" scale
ebony fretboard (blank)
side LEDs in blue
5A quilt maple top bookmatched to center
flame maple neck w/ walnut pinstripes
flame maple body
orion style inline peghead
continuous wood covers on everything
all chrome hardware
inlaid logo w/shell
sheer black finish
Essence electronics + master bass control

Simple and light weight. This will be my gig workhorse.
rjmsteel
Member
Username: rjmsteel

Post Number: 82
Registered: 7-2008
Posted on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - 6:36 pm:   Edit Post

Brian,
That going to be awesome. I see your keeping with the LED color, (on your Rogue)... just love them blue ones too :-)
Great choice also on the scale length too.

What do you mean by master bass control?... does this literally mean bass filter/tone, (master), control.
-Rich
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9504
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - 7:09 pm:   Edit Post

Brian; I love the stats. Quilt top and flame Maple body under the black finish will look very cool.
briant
Senior Member
Username: briant

Post Number: 427
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - 7:59 pm:   Edit Post

Rich - the controls will be standard Essence (volume, pan, filter) and then a bass control knob that affects everything. So instead of a bass control for each pickup there is one bass control for the entire instrument. My Rogue has the same thing but in addition it also has a master treble control.

I thought about a Q switch and decided against it. I thought about adding a Rogue/Europa style bass boost switch as well and decided against it. I also considered going with Signature electronics and decided against it. I love the elegant simplicity of the Essence electronics. They're outstanding for playing live as they offer just enough control to get what I want out of the instrument quickly on the fly.
artswork99
Moderator
Username: artswork99

Post Number: 1233
Registered: 7-2007
Posted on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - 8:18 pm:   Edit Post

Brian, Those specs sound great. Nice use of the electronics package and a beautiful quilt I'm sure it will be. I look forward to seeing it. Best, Art
briant
Senior Member
Username: briant

Post Number: 431
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Thursday, August 05, 2010 - 3:17 pm:   Edit Post

Here's to hoping a nice new body is being glued up right now. :-)
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 6864
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Friday, August 06, 2010 - 8:35 pm:   Edit Post

It's not getting glued up yet, since there's much more prep work to doing the bookmatch to center. However, here's some of the goings on:

assembly

assembly

Note the "BTC" marks on everything.
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 1200
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Friday, August 06, 2010 - 9:13 pm:   Edit Post

I agree that an Essence is a natural as a gig work horse. I love my other 2 Alembics as much but that Essence has what I can use to get through several long sets . Of course like my other Alembics it is a total joy to play giving me back as much as I am able to offer .
The 35 " scale seems interesting for string tension . I like the specs.
as well. I will be watching the progress.

Sonic Regards.
briant
Senior Member
Username: briant

Post Number: 434
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Friday, August 13, 2010 - 4:57 pm:   Edit Post

I realize I'm being greedy at this point but can I get a little update before I escape into the Canadian Rockies for the next two weeks? :-)
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 6891
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 - 5:57 pm:   Edit Post

The best I had for you on Friday was this:
assembly
In the big torsion box clamps with the BTC front.

But today I ran across some more goodies:
assembly

assembly

assembly

So at least these will be here when you return, and possibly some more!
rjmsteel
Member
Username: rjmsteel

Post Number: 98
Registered: 7-2008
Posted on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 - 7:12 pm:   Edit Post

Looking Good Brian,
The blank fretboard`s going to look great with that awesome BTC top you now have. The flame in the neck, (backside picture), ........whoa....that neck`s got flame.
-Rich
byoung
Senior Member
Username: byoung

Post Number: 1265
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Saturday, August 21, 2010 - 3:10 pm:   Edit Post

Duuuude!

I thought you were a ways away from ordering this one. Very nice!

Bradley
tmoney61092
Senior Member
Username: tmoney61092

Post Number: 460
Registered: 9-2008
Posted on Saturday, August 21, 2010 - 5:05 pm:   Edit Post

i love the orion headstock with the essence body, this will be an awesome bass!

~Taylor
briant
Senior Member
Username: briant

Post Number: 436
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Monday, August 30, 2010 - 11:13 am:   Edit Post

That's just the kind of update that I look forward to seeing when I get back from a vacation!

Looking beautiful already. I'd love to see it again soon during the shaping/building process. It's so cool to have photos of it while being worked on to compare to the finished product - which I realize is some time off still. :-)
briant
Senior Member
Username: briant

Post Number: 443
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 3:41 pm:   Edit Post

Mica,

Is there any chance of a few more carving/routing/shenanigans photos of this beasty before it gets to “the long wait”?
briant
Senior Member
Username: briant

Post Number: 445
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Friday, September 10, 2010 - 9:34 am:   Edit Post

I ain't too proud to beg...

PLEASE PLEASE PLEAAAAAAAAAAAASE?? :-)
briant
Senior Member
Username: briant

Post Number: 461
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Friday, September 17, 2010 - 3:21 pm:   Edit Post

mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 6958
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Monday, September 20, 2010 - 5:27 pm:   Edit Post

Ha!

Just for you and Oolong, the back pics:

spray

spray

It's even cuter than a bunny with a roll on his head.
tbrannon
Senior Member
Username: tbrannon

Post Number: 1237
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Monday, September 20, 2010 - 6:35 pm:   Edit Post

Flamealicous!!

All maple? That sucker is gonna have some snap!
briant
Senior Member
Username: briant

Post Number: 464
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Monday, September 20, 2010 - 6:55 pm:   Edit Post

That makes me exceedingly happy to see. :-)
rjmsteel
Intermediate Member
Username: rjmsteel

Post Number: 108
Registered: 7-2008
Posted on Monday, September 20, 2010 - 8:05 pm:   Edit Post

Brian,
That neck is just beautiful!
Are you having the "satin finish" treatment on the neck done?
-Rich
jazzyvee
Senior Member
Username: jazzyvee

Post Number: 2140
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 - 1:41 am:   Edit Post

All maple is gonna sound deadly and crisp.
You know, I still think that body shape would be excellent for a guitar.
Jazzyvee
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 1302
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 - 1:54 am:   Edit Post

My 91 Essence is all Maple . Every one who I have played with loves it. I love it too !
briant
Senior Member
Username: briant

Post Number: 466
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 - 10:53 am:   Edit Post

I too have an all maple Essence. It was the inspiration for this one. The tone kills. It's light weight and minimal controls (but not limiting) make it ideal for live situations.

After playing my existing one almost exclusively for a year (at gigs anyway) I started to really miss a few things. The master bass control and 35" scale being the big ones. It would have been easy to add a master bass control to the existing one - would have been much harder to make the scale longer. So the idea for this bad boy was born. After thinking about it for a good month+ while running I finalized the options and called The Mothership.

I'm not 100% sure what I'm going to do with my existing Essence when this little monkey is complete. Might use it as a backup - might sell it.
briant
Senior Member
Username: briant

Post Number: 471
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Tuesday, October 05, 2010 - 7:55 pm:   Edit Post

Is The Blackness happening yet?

Inquiring fruitbats want to know.
briant
Senior Member
Username: briant

Post Number: 473
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - 2:45 pm:   Edit Post

Blackness?

briant
Senior Member
Username: briant

Post Number: 484
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Friday, November 05, 2010 - 11:51 am:   Edit Post

Could we get a few update pictures? Assuming of course that round 2 of The Blackness was/is successful.

mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 7017
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Friday, November 05, 2010 - 6:12 pm:   Edit Post

I saw the new black today - but when I returned with my camera to the shop, it was already sanded and prepped for the next coat of spray. I may be coming in on Sunday, in which case I will get to sneak a picture for you. Otherwise, I'll leave a note so that I can actually catch it before prepping!

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