Does anyone have any sound samples of an epic with the q switch upgrade?

I guess from your title that you are aware that stock Epics came with bass and treble tone controls, and do not have a low-pass filter (same as stock Orions and stock Excels) and so that, as the Q switch provides different options for how strong the filter affects mostly the attack part of your notes, you won't find a stock Epic with a Q switch upgrade.

Some Epic owners may well have swapped out the bass and treble controls for a filter (they're all modular) and as there are already four holes drilled, it would be only logical to include a Q switch.

Any Alembic sounds recognizably like an Alembic, just that the ones without a filter get to be perhaps a little bit less outspoken. Apart from the filter vs. bass and treble controls, the non-Series packages use the exact same pickups and the same uncoloured preamp. So any sound samples of a set-neck two pickup Epic or Orion with a fliter and Q switch will give you a fair idea of what to expect; with the Excels there's a couple of variables that might complicate an A/B comparison (ash body, pickup spacing, often a Fatboy in the bridge position).

Another suggestion is to give an idea of your general playing style - fingers vs. pick, jamband vs. metal, jazz vs. reggae, etc. etc.

Yes I have an epic and it has the stock pre amp and I do like it quite a bit.

Was just wondering how different it would sound with the Q filter and switch as there is an upgrade package to swap in those parts.

You might check with our brother FC Bass here... he was among the first to convert his fretless Orion from stock V/P/B/T by adding a Filter and Q-switch... I bet he has some sound clips of his posted somewhere.

http://club.alembicguitars.net/index.php?topic=8798.0

This upgrade does require an adapter harness. I don't see it in the Store, but obtaining one is as easy as a phone call to the Head Elf.

Speaking from personal experience, as I commented over on TalkBass, there is absolutely nothing like filter-based electronics from Alembic. Of course the best way to know if it's right for you is by a firsthand experience.

even a cool video or soundclips of an alembic with Q filter in a couple positions would be cool

wanting to see if itll be worth it as i do love the tone and control ability now

Below is a link to video of club member Goran with the Series I bass he got recently. The Series instruments have different pickups (true single coil) and electronics than the rest of the Alembic line but the filters and Q switches work the same way. If you watch from about the 3:45 mark he demos the effect of the filters and Q switches. Should give you an idea of how they shape the tone differently than the treble/bass boost and cut controls on your Epic do.

An Essence (with switch), Elan or Spoiler is going to give you the sound you're looking for. Make your next bass one of those and you have a nice duo!

I have one recording where I gradually turned down the filter frequency throughout the piece - it's my Alembicized Telecaster Bass, so it's the Alembic P-Bass Activator without a Q-switch, so it's always at about +8 so really emphasizing the frequency that it's set at. I got a Q-switch installed on my Alembicized 70s P-Bass - I personally find it essential, I think the filters sound really good with the Q at 0 instead of boosted (though boosting certain frequencies is cool too and an important option that the Q-switch provides.

I should note too that the bass is strung with Chromes (flatwounds) and played with a pick:

https://soundcloud.com/hieronymous-seven/ostronato

So, are you all saying that a Q switch only works well with a filter and with the Epic bass /treble it won't affect it ?
I have a horse in the race, so I need to know, too. My Orion is a PERFECT bass, but I've been curious if a Q would make a difference.

The Q affects the attack at the upper threshold we here you set the filter, so you need the low pass filter if you want to have a Q.  Others please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the Q can be used with the bass/treble tone controls.

If you have an Orion with low pass filter for tone control, I would suggest adding a Q, I did that to an Orion I had and it made a big difference.

Isn't the "East meets West" concept the meeting of bass/treble controls (East) with filter/Q (West)? I have never had anything other than filter/Q controls, so not totally sure...

Yes, need a Filter circuit... without one, no frequency to boost Q. Yes, you can add one to the Epic/Orion electronics, but it can be a squeeze fitting them in there.

FC did it here-
https://club.alembicguitars.net/index.php?topic=8798.0

Here is a comprehensive post on filters- https://club.alembicguitars.net/index.php?topic=308.0

I put Alembic pickups and a simple circuit in my five-string Modulus Quantum bass after I bought it in 1988, volume, filter and on/off switches for the three pickups. A few years ago I finally had Alembic add a Q-switch plus the variable bass and treble controls. I am really happy with the sonic results and and was amazed that they were able to get everything in the limited space the cavity has. The bass/treble controls are quite nice and would sound great on their own but to me the filter and Q is what defines the Alembic approach to tonal shaping, having both really opens up the palette.

Crowded, yet looks almost elegant in the execution!

Bill, tgo

I have a sound example of an elan that is a single filter with q switch. The bass also has bass and treble boost and cut switches but if you ignore those examples you will get some idea of what a single filter alembic can sound like. Be aware though that this is an all maple bass and through neck so your bass may sound slightly different. I expect you are more interested in how the filter and Q can be used shape tone rather the tone of my specific bass.