Gentlemen..... This is a tasteful alembic with a bit of personality, style and flair we are talking about, not a fairground attraction.... :-)

Jazzyvee, my thoughts are along the lines of expanding on the concept that Mike Gordon has on his bass with the body that lights up and pulses with the music, which is kind of cool.

About an accent layer. I personally like to have accent layers. Purpleheart would look good. Macassar ebony, vermillon or maple should look nice too. Another thought is to sandwich the accent layer between pin stripes of maple to help show the various woods off more. I suspect Mica or Susan could stack some of the various woods or already have photos that would let you see how the different combinations look together.

Quote from: jazzyvee on May 10, 2022, 01:49:25 AM
Gentlemen..... This is a tasteful alembic with a bit of personality, style and flair we are talking about, not a fairground attraction.... :-)

Kind of on the same page as Jazzy, Seems odd to spec a very retro looking Series bass and then get bogged down on how to create a "bass light show" out of it. On a more practical note IF Ron was even willing to give some of these ideas a try it has the potential to chew up a ton of his very valuable time. If I had an instrument in the shop awaiting his expertise I doubt I would cheer on such an effort.

Another vote for an accent layer, I was also thinking vermillion or purpleheart  would look nice and the idea to sandwich it between two thin layers of contrasting wood is another great idea.

A light show instrument?  Mr. Rickenbacker says "been there, done that!"

hehehehe

Bill, tgo

I think it's cool, and a bit of a throw back to the early light shows...remember what Jerry said, "maybe they are coming for the lights..."

https://www.premierguitar.com/amp/mike-gordon-hooks-bass-lines-and-thinkers-2651045235

Different woods in the sandwich may change the tone, something to consider when choosing (i.e., ebony, vermillion, vs. maple, etc.)

I do like a thick contrasting layer of maple between the top and core. Like this one belonging to Pierre-Yves. I don't recall seeing one on a long scale classic body though.

Because you asked...

You won't find a much bigger krazee on these boards than me for vintage Alembica - ask Mica. My custom fretless bass is a weird-o-rama melding of vintage touches, curves and patterns, middle-era (20th Anniversary and Persuader), and modern ideas, and... my own nutty personality, all built into one bass. I even had them put the battery compartment between the pickups, like a pre-1974 bass. Hadn't been done since '74... they had to make a jig to do it. I know they thought I was nuts. We're all a little bit nuts.

Think this through... you already have the idea of what it looks like; Standard Omega, zebrawood top and back on a mahogany core. You've chosen a commonly seen, proven tried-and-true neck layup from the 70's. And you know it's a Series 1. That's your bass, right there... the rest is expression and ergonomics. The headstock is already going to draw attention with the omega-cut. Will an inlaid logo show up against the zebrawood veneer... sure, it's just about how to choose the right piece. Like Rob suggested, some nice slab-cut zebra is a thing of beauty. And when it comes to choosing a piece of wood, just trust Mica and Susan on that stuff. They are both freakishly telepathic at knowing how these things will look finished out. I asked for a birdseye maple top and back, nothing crazy, just a classic look. The first look I got at it, it had already been made into a bass, and I was floored. It was a marbled figure with a thousand little birdseyes looking back. I asked for a contrasting cocobolo headstock veneer. I didn't see it for almost two years, but when I did, it had just a little peek of birdseye figure in it too. Yeah - they meant to do that.

https://club.alembicguitars.net/index.php?topic=22859.0  (plenty of pictures here, if you want ideas...)

You are about to have 2,000 decisions to make. Breathe in. Take your time. And nevermind the lightshow.   

Despite frequently delightful humor here, "not a fairground attraction" lol, I fully appreciate where you are coming from Ed, and feel re-centered by your thoughtful post.

And so it is that I decide zebrawood for the headstock, and abandon the light show fantasies.

Gonna stick with my exquisite inlaid, color ray logo.

And for the light-trippers, I did forget to mention amber side leds are planned.

Thank you all for your generous thoughts!

It's an exciting time and there are so many options available with alembic, also, if you aren't aware, please check the monthly specials as there are usually free or reduced price upgrades/options to benefit from enabling you to spread your budget further.
http://www.alembicguitars.net/info/special.html

Are you going to have a "Factory to Customer" thread for the build?

I don't know about the choices, that your business, but I'll tell you this:  SKIP the inset strap locks.  You will forget the strap sometime, and then, you're screwed !

Quote from: bigredbass on November 03, 2022, 07:11:47 PM
I don't know about the choices, that your business, but I'll tell you this:  SKIP the inset strap locks.  You will forget the strap sometime, and then, you're screwed !

I'm not a fan of those either, but I just bought an Exploiter that has them. I bought a cheap extra strap and locks that will stay in the case for emergencies.