That settles it, I'm moving to Europe.  Ya'll have way to much fun over there.
(Can I still say ya'll in Europe?)
 
Sam

Sure you can Sam ...but than you have to put on your tiroler hat and shorts and start yodeling up in the Swiss Alps yallediii-yalledellieeeeeeee.
LOL
 
Paul the bad one

Hartmut,
I know this might sound silly, but can you rotate your neck switche's 90 degreas to provent them from activating. They wont be as quick but how quick do they have to be.
Mike

I understand what you mean, Mike. But then I would not be able to switch between the two with one snap but in two seperate steps instead. That's not what I want. The disadvantage weighs a lot less than the advantage of the comfortable switching.

Another great improvement I think, but not available when I ordered this bass, is having a pickup-blending knob combined with an overall volume knob, instead of the regular series II fashion of having two seperate pickup volume knobs. I guess I would order it like this today.  
 
Well, I think I have to take back my above statement after I read many posts regarding pan vs. seperate volume controls. I am convinced now that having the seperate pickup volumes gives more tonal control than one pan control. So I am perfectly well set with what I have already!

Awesome....there's nothing more I can say about this work of art.

Holy cats!!!  What a beast!!!

A little update from the lady of the above picture. She is 4 1/2 now:  

  Additionally, she has a brother now at the same age as she was in the above baby picture. Say hello to our newest bass player Sammy:  

  Looks like he is going for upright .  Sorry, for the redundant bass pictures...

Now THAT is beautiful!
Congrats Hartmut for your part of the job in those wonderful creations.
They don't come with fancy options and you can't choose and specify but they're always one of a (beautiful) kind.
 
Paul the bad one
 
 
PS: bass in great shape! Do you actually play her??
Hehehehehe

Hartmut, I noticed you've had one of the concentric knobs removed and a 1/4 jack installed. What's that all about? Mike

Thanks Paul! And you are wrong, they come with plenty of fancy options, but you are right about choosing the specifications. We will still customize them to our preferred specs, of course.  
 
Michael, they must call you Eagle-Eye Michael, I was wondering how long this little incident would go unnoticed!  
 
It is not what it looks like, i.e. it is not a 1/4 jack, although I expected people might think that.
 
It is just that mysteriously the volume knob has come off with parts of the control during the last weeks leaving this hole with the remaining half of the control. The wooden knob is currently at Alembic for repair. As I understand it will come back complete with a replacement control and once it is installed we will be back to normal again.
 
(Message edited by haddimudd on April 25, 2005)

That really is the most amazing, mind-blowing instrument....

this bass is on the front inside page of the alembic cataloge.

I just wanted to bump this out because it is such a cool thread!

I dug out some old photos which were taken when the finished bass was presented to me at Alembic in 1998. Since it is common habit in my business field to give credits to those people involved in a project, I strongly felt like getting the "wizards" together for a group picture:  With no further ado (and with Mica's support) behold the "crew of wizardry" at Alembic in December 1998:  

 

  From left to right the credits go to:  Tony - wound and cast the pickups Jonathon - did the setup? Mica isn't sure... Kris - did the pickup covers (and the body assembly?) James - did the setup? Again, Mica isn't sure... Steve - did the neck assembly (and the body assembly?) Mary - office Bob - did the inlays and helped me finding the right wood Susan - office Ron - made the electronics Mica - office, doing a great customer support Hartmut - happy customer  Mike (picture below) - made the wooden knobs:

  Steve in a nice pose with the bass (on green Alembic grass):

  Very special thanks go to Trevor Lindsey (not pictured), a wonderful bass player and longtime Alembic user, who gave me invaluable input and feedback during the planning and development of this instrument.  Thanks to everybody involved!  Hartmut