Orion Bass

Pictured in Lacewood with Blackened Brass Hardware

OrioN

With its graceful sweeping curves, the Orion calls to be played. Answer it, and your musical life will never be the same. You’ll find a comfortable friend in the Orion’s handcarved body with your choice of seven different woods for the top.

Active electronics bring true Alembic tone to the Orion. You won’t believe how effortlessly the Orion responds to your touch, easily reproducing even the most subtle fingering techniques. A simple but effective 2-band EQ with bass and treble controls that cut and boost provide the flexibilty of tone. By cutting treble and bass, the mids are more present. The electronics cavity is shielded with a silver conductive paint that lasts and lasts without flaking or breakdown.

Even though the Orion is among our more affordable offerings, it still has the same Ebony fingerboard, solid brass machined hardware, and adjustable nut found on our most expensive custom instruments. Like all Alembics, the Orion is completely hand built start to finish in our shop in Santa Rosa, California.

Set neck construction gives the Orion warm, well-defined midrange response. The cross-grained Maple neck is supported by two dual truss rods that adjust at the body. The neck has a comfortable shallow “C” shape and complete access to upper frets. We rub-out our high gloss polyester finish to an impossibly smooth satin touch on the back of the neck - not a chance your fretting hand will stick.

Our design goal for the Orion was to create a set-neck version of our Europa bass. While affordability is a consideration, there are no shortcuts here and the Orion is every bit as overbuilt as the rest of our basses.

EXAMPLES: ORION

Ash
Ash
Solid Ash
Solid Ash
Bird's-eye  Maple
Bird's-eye Maple
Flame Maple
Flame Maple
Spalted Maple
Spalted Maple
Quartersawn Zebrawood
Quartersawn Zebrawood
Flatsawn Zebrawood
Flatsawn Zebrawood
Lacewood
Lacewood
Curly Redwood
Curly Redwood
Watermark Koa
Watermark Koa
California Walnut
California Walnut
Superb Walnut
Superb Walnut
Vermilion
Vermilion
Coco Bolo
Coco Bolo
Teal Wash
Teal Wash
Cherry Sunburst
Cherry Sunburst

EXAMPLES: FEATURED CUSTOMS

Featured Custom: East Meets West
East Meets West
Featured Custom: Orion Nebula
Orion Nebula

Note: Some examples include custom options.

FEATURE 4‑STRING 5‑STRING 6‑STRING
Scale length 34 in 34 in 34 in
Neck woods Set neck, 3‑piece Maple with 2 Walnut pinstripes Set neck, 5‑piece Maple with 4 Walnut pinstripes Set neck, 5‑piece Maple with 4 Walnut pinstripes
Fingerboard Blank Ebony Blank Ebony Blank Ebony
Nut width 1.625 in 1.875 in 2.200 in
24th fret width 2.360 in 2.930 in 3.560 in
Peghead Orion 4 Orion 5 (3+2) Cone 6
Truss rods dual, body adjust dual, body adjust dual, body adjust
Top wood Any standard or premium wood Any standard or premium wood Any standard or premium wood
Body wood Mahogany Mahogany Mahogany
Sandwich Top, accent veneer, body wood Top, accent veneer, body wood Top, accent veneer, body wood
Body depth 1.65 in 1.65 in 1.65 in
Finish Polyester gloss with satin neck Polyester gloss with satin neck Polyester gloss with satin neck
Pickups Alembic MXY4 Alembic MXY56 Alembic MXY56
Controls volume, pan, bass, treble volume, pan, bass, treble volume, pan, bass, treble
Backplates Plastic Plastic Plastic
Bridge Solid polished brass Solid polished brass Solid polished brass
Tailpiece Solid brass, bird shape Solid brass, bird shape Solid brass, bird shape
Nut Solid brass, height adjustable Solid brass, height adjustable Solid brass, height adjustable
Machine heads Gold Alembic‑Gotoh Gold Alembic‑Gotoh Gold Alembic‑Gotoh
Average weight about 9.5 pounds about 10 pounds about 10.5 pounds
Overall dimensions 13″ x 46″ 13″ x 45.75″ 13″ x 47″
Origin 100% Made in Santa Rosa, CA USA 100% Made in Santa Rosa, CA USA 100% Made in Santa Rosa, CA USA