Am I right in thinking that the only difference between anniversary electronics and Series I electronics is that the Series I has a 3 position Q while anniversary only has 2 positions?
 
(Message edited by robinc on June 02, 2008)

If that was all, the Q switch upgrade alone would be a 3K+ upgrade - which it really isn't.
 
To start with, Series electronics have single-coil pickups with a 'dummy' humcanceller pickup. The preamps are powered by an external power supply, and operate at a higher voltage; I presume they are also built with to specifications. You can also have a stereo output (separate channel per pickup).
 
All other packages have dual-coil humcancelling pickups, battery-powered preamps, and mono output. The difference between Signature and Anniversary is that Anniversary has a mono/stereo option, and probably two volumes instead of a master volume with a pan control.
 
(Message edited by adriaan on June 02, 2008)

I figured there was more to it than the Q. Thanks, Adriaan.

And the Series electronics have to be calibrated to the instrument.  This is done by Ron himself, and is apparently not straight forward and can take a fair amount of bench time.

And the Series electronics have to be calibrated to the instrument.
 
Huh?  Please edumakate me.  I know not of which you speak.

From a correspondence I've had with Ron W recently:
 
The hum-cancelling circuit in the Series I and II instruments gets rid of all the low-frequency hum fields, but there are some higher-frequency
magnetic fields that the circuit components (primarily the pickups themselves) have to be compensated for to suppress magnetic interference
at mid and especially higher frequencies, and this has to be done for each indiviual instrument - affected by the position of metal back plates
and the strings and bridge/bridge-block.
 
(Message edited by 82Daion on June 03, 2008)
 
(Message edited by 82Daion on June 04, 2008)

Wow.  That is some high attention to detail!  Not like I would ever second guess Alembic's attention to detail because it is always spot on, but wow!
 
I am ridiculously pleased with my two Alembics that just have the Signature electronics packages - or slight modifications there of.

I second that, Brian. That is the anti-cutting corners if there was such a thing.

Thanks Chris!!