I didn't realize the headstock was a seperate piece!!!  I've never noticed the joint... I'll have to take a closer look when I get home.  Keavin, did your breaks occur at the joint?

they occured right at the or under the brass nut,however they were clean breaks which made it fit right into place (no splinters)...plus also most of the very early alembics had super skinny necks i mean you can wrap your hand around my neck twice almost,my neck is a little over 2 inches wide from the first to the last fret, a guy with big hands would be uncomfortable with my bass ,i have small hands so its just rite.

I try to always take proper care with my basses, even the cheap one. But you know... $#!t happens.
 
The drummer I play with droped my Rogue on floor one time he stumbled on his cord and this caused a minor hurt at its back. But nothing like breaking the Headstock.
 
I confess that I droped a single tear when I realized what happend and I just can't imagine my reaction if I see my Alembic broken in pieces.

Always unplug your Alembic when not playing it - saves on battery life too!

A single tear because I was among my band mates (if I was alone I would probably cry like a child!).
 
I forgot to mention that my Rogue is wounded by the tail (I carry it in a Gig Bag, whose zipper hurted the bass before I protect it with a rag of a blanket).

I know the feeling ... my Epic once slipped through my fingers, from not more than a foot above the ground, in a gigbag. This left a mark on the side of the bass, about half an inch in diameter - but luckily not through the polyurethane finish, which is pretty thin. That was the last time I carried it in a gigbag.

I bought my Alembic very much used: Buckle rash, a few dents and dings, some little scratches, etc. The sound and electronics are fine, however. Because of it's condition, the price was lower, and I can let friends try it out without fear of ruining that mint condition of an instrument. It lives in a gig bag that seems to be fine for the use I give it. I'll take it on any gig.
I do have some other instruments that are in mint condition, and they have to be babied to keep them they way they came from their makers, but the Alembic ain't one of them. I kinda like that.

Hey Keavin,
That picture of your severed bass head was absolutely gastly! I can imagine your emotions when you 1st saw it like that. I remember about 3 yrs ago right before my show I took my Double Bass out of it's case and the neck just fell right off of it's body! Fortunately the drummer had another Stand-up bass at his house we quickly drove to his house and I used that bass (ugh). Anyway, I can take losing my girlfriend but not my axe!

Chalie, if your girlfriends neck comes off, the cops will be looking for ya.  
(paraphrasing Love & Death) but, could I be happy with a decapitated partner and a borrowed upright?
 
 
Mike

Hi Keavin, in your post ( 4th on in the thread), it looks like you have two cables plugged into your bass, PSU and jack. Is that the case and why?
I thought you got one or the other outputting, and not both.
Jazzyvee

that was because my power supply cable was providing juice (electricity only) & the 1/4 jack provided pickups.......in other words the power supply cable had some broken wires inside so i enquired about another one here in the club and  recieved a new one in less than a week totally free from a fellow club member....but at the same time my bass would'nt take batteries do to very old & bad wires but ive since had new battery wires installed so now after 29 plus years my bass runs on batteries as well as the power cable.......so my workhorse alembic earns the most beat alembic award!
 
(Message edited by keavin on April 16, 2009)

I don't care how old or beatup #12 gets...I still drool every time you post a photo of it. Must be a close relative of Phil Lesh's Alembicized Starfire, which was under construction ca. 1972. all those knobs are superfilters, right?
 
jam on!

 
 
(Message edited by serialnumber12 on April 27, 2009)

the knobs are just standard seriesII but spread out along the entire brass plate,the mini toggle is standby and my gain adjustable trim pots are also front loaded that's why you see ten controls on the front of my bass,the trim pots/Humcancellers are inside.  
 
(Message edited by serialnumber12 on April 27, 2009)