When did you get your first Alembic and what was it?

Started by jazzyvee, March 14, 2012, 01:48:03 PM

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mavnet

1977 - 2 custom small body, long necks (2 of the few that Alembic ever made). One fretless, one fretted. Ebony on fretless from the same log as one of Stanley Clark's basses. Same electronics in both of mine - one superfilter, one series filter w/cvq, with a bunch of switches that let me switch high/band/low for the SF, filter in/out for the series filter, and let me put the two filters in series, plus the normal mono/stereo switch. Really amazing instruments, finish on the fretted showing its age, though. Need to get at least the fretted back for refin. I don't have good pics but will attach a few I have.

 

  [edited for picture alignment]  (Message edited by adriaan on March 31, 2013)

tbrannon


sonicus

Now these two are really KOOL !!!__ Ja das ist aber KOOL !!!!!!!!!!!!  
 
  I like these , I like them alot ____

terryc

January 1998, bought at Rudy Penshur's Music Stop New York.
Gigged all the time and retro fitted with  SIMS LED's in 2009.

bigredbass

So in the late 70's I worked in a terrific 'mom and pop' music store in a little town in East Texas.  I've always been a catalog nut, and this place had several file drawers full of everything from Conn horns to Mutron to . . . Alembic.
 
I would take the few sheets out and just stare at these Series instruments and was just mesmerized.  I knew what I was looking at, just how big a jump these were.  The new Precisions and Ricks hanging on the walls suddenly seemed so . . . . prehistoric alongside these things.
 
Fast-forward 15 years.  After I'd moved to Nashville, over time I got 'round to all the music stores here.  Gruhn's was an eye-opener after having read about them for so long.  I walked into one of the 'too-cool-for-school' shop at that time, Rock Block, full of graphics-painted Jacksons, Steinbergers, the then fairly new Taylors, and so on.  I look up in the midst of all the axes hanging six-high up the walls, and . . . . there a five-string Alembic, Series-shaped, in see-thru red.  The room began to spin . . .
 
Eerily, this was what I would have custom ordered.  At that time, I didn't know enough Alembic-ese to realize it was a Spoiler, all i knew was it didn't have that 'middle pickup' !
 
I didn't know Spoiler from Spamola.  Didn't care.  Had to have it.  I'd never seen one in the flesh.  Bought it.  Done.  I still have it, and will never be without it.  Spooky . . . . .
 

 
J o e y

jacko

nice story Joey. And equally nice bass :-)
 
Graeme

lembic76450

Bought my Series I in 1978 and never looked back. I picked up a few more along the way, but, this will always be my baby...
 

 
Joey, the bigredbass is a beauty...

alembickoa


jshull138

Last year actually, a 1983 spoiler all koa. Ordered it from the Guitar Center in Arizona, best purchase I could have made.

tomhug

1977 Series I, which I purchased in 1986.
 
Here's a picture of it's most recent outing:
 

slawie

1988. Bought it from the Starving Musician in Santa Clara. I was in the US from Australia on a training course walked into the shop had no idea what it was. I just fell in love with it when I tried it out and had to have it.  
slawie
 
"Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality."
Abraham Lincoln

rami

Around 1999-2000 I was looking for a fretless at my local music store.  I NEVER expected to find this:
 

 
The Excel was still a new model at the time, it only cost $1499.  It was love at first sight and play.  I still have it and I still adore it!  Thanks again Mica for designing it!
 
 
 
(Message edited by rami on August 31, 2013)

alembic76407

July 2nd 1976 I paid  $1817.00  Worth every dollar . I still have it and still play it
 
it

5a_quilt_top

Monday, June 18, 2012  Stanley Clarke Signature Deluxe:  

 

   Why did I wait so long - ?

superlow

1993.brand new serie 1 in Bass center, Paris.
It was in the back of the shop, I asked if I could try it, I was 19, and the guy was very upset to let me play on this beauty. He asked me to put out my belt!! I've played 2 minutes, with the guy standing in my back, and say OK, I'll take it. The shop owner was near to have a stroke..... Well i've payed three years for it, that was 20 years ago and it still mine, I've make 600 gigs with it and I'm still in love.VERY in love.