December 2002 Flight of Fancy This was a fun bass to make! Jorge had been considering his Alembic purchase for quite a while and stopped by Fast Cash Guitars in Nashville while on a business trip. The owner of this shop, Will, also owns a custom Alembic bass, previously featured as the Coco Bolo Fantasy, so it seems fitting he should help Jorge get his dream bass. When he ordered this bass, Jorge specified straight-grained Coco Bolo for the top and back laminates. He also wanted the wood to have good contrast with both light and dark regions. We positioned the grain to gently slope outward, following the taper of the fingerboard.

	Quetzal is inlaid in green heart abalone, red heart abalone, black Tahitian mother of pearl, antique ivory (salvaged from a piano) and a cabochon citrine for the eye. Susan adapted the artwork from several samples Jorge provided. We just love how the image of this graceful bird echoes the form of the bass' body.

	The Heart Omega optional body detail is first traced with a template, then cut by bandsaw before we round over the edges and sand smooth. The Maple tips of the Omega are part of the neck.

	The green color of the LEDs coordinates perfectly with the abalone neck inlays, and provides a nice contrast to the orange and red tones of the body. These super bright LEDs are about 3 candlepower each, more than a thousand times brighter than the ones we fit on the side as position markers. The LEDs are mounted through laminated green abalone shell. We've also fitted a dimmer control near the output jack so Jorge can decide just how bright he wants the light show. When the front Laser LEDs are fully dimmed, the side position markers are still bright enough to be useful in dimly lit playing situations.

	These smaller LEDs on the side serve a real function. Anyone who has ever played in an orchestra pit or similarly dark stage can appreciate the reassurance of having these little landmarks on the edge of the fingerboard. We inlay each LED in a tiny silver circle so the position marker is still visible even if the LEDs aren't illuminated.

	Inlay detail	Inlay detail	Inlay detail	Laser LEDs

SPECIFICATIONS 5-string Series II bass Ebony fingerboard Coco Bolo top and back Continuous Wood backplates Custom body inlay High gloss polyester finish 7-piece Maple and Purpleheart neck Gold plated hardware Front Laser LEDs in green with dimmer Side green LEDs in silver circles Abalone oval fingerboard inlays Inlaid logo with shell Price available on request.

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