Great to be here!  Its really neat to have something in common with the rest of you. I've been playing electric bass for a very long time. I've owned and enjoyed playing many truly great instruments, so I've been there and done it. In fact, I'm still here and still doing it!  I've heard many stories about the many thousand dollar Alembic basses that only the great recording stars could afford to own. With all of this custom stuff you can get on them, I couldn't imagine! When I saw  pictures and studied the Alembic culture, I knew I had to own one!  Now I have the means to own and enjoy such great basses. I must say, I'm really impressed. I've visited the factory to see how such greatness begins. I hope all of you can visit sometime. The website does a good job, but its not like being there. Mica was really nice to me even though I wasn't there to buy a bass.   Now I have something to share with the rest of you. Here are a few pix of my collection of Alembics. They're leaning agains part of my amplification system. I've had the Spoiler for about ten years, and I just got the Series I about two months ago. Among the ones that I have seen from the rest of you, they may seem plain, but they are Alembics and for five string basses, I need this kind of quality. They pass with flying colors!  If I can't own some of your Alembics I've seen, at least I can look. Like my friend says, "each one is a work of art." Please keep sending in those pictures beause if no one else is looking at this eye candy, I sure am!  Bob Stark

Great to have you with us Bob,
 
lovely instruments you have there; I like that fan peghead, nice to see an example of it...don't think we 've got many on the site, if any at all. You should post these pictures in the showcase section as well, that's where most folks go Alembic picture hunting.
 
The Paul brigade will surely soon be here to greet you properly.  But at least you pre-empted their request for pictures.  
 
 
Valentino

Nice piece of art!! What's that on your Spoiler; instead of a swich a pan-pot?? Way cool. Gotta go, because a bunch of Pauls are coming. Hope to see more soon!
 
Mattheus tDo

Hey Bob,
 
Looks like the other Pauls haven't made it yet.  My real name is Dino, but I'm referrd to as Brother Paul The Fake One/The Artist Formerly Known As Dino.
Welcome to the club!!!!!!  Great looking basses!!!  I love it when we don't have to ask for pictures!!!!
Gotta go, the other Pauls will be here soon!!!
 
Peace,
Dino (bptfo/tafkad)

Nice basses. Welcome to the club. I'm only a partial Paul but this will have to do until the other Pauls get here.....
 
John Paul

Nice Basses Bob. Welcome to the Culture.
 
We really are a culture, kind of like Harley owners.  All we need is our own Sturgis where we can all meet and show off our Basses/Guitars.
 
Rami

Oh Man,
 
You're not gonna go there again are you!?!?!?
 
HAHA!!!
 
D

Oh no, not more Harley/Alembic references!
 
Welcome aboard Bob! You are blessed to have two beautiful Alembics!! You are among some great, albeit strange, company. Yes, I included myself in the strange category before The Bad Paul Of The East corrected me  
 
Rami makes me feel uneasy by putting culture in quotes. All I can think of is that swab the doctors use on your throat when you are ill......
 
 
By the way Bob, good job on beating us to the picture request!  
 
Paul II, TGO

At least I did'nt post another Porsche/Alembic reference, it was hard, but!!!!!! I wont do it
 
Bob, welcome to the club, love your basses
 
David T (big Amp, small car)

very nice vey nice love the spoiler big fan
welcome to the club
 
alembicise the world
 
Hup (aussie)

Hi!.... welcome.
these basses definaitely DO NOT seem plain, they are awesome!!  

Hail-hail thee brothers and sisters of this weird convent of low frequency.
Welcome to the new Brother Bob (Hey Pauls it's getting loaded with Bob's here - be cautious - did you know that all goldfishes are called Bob too?).
Nice basses! I love the fan shape!
 
Paul the bad one

Hi Everybody,
 
Wow, I want to thank you all for your responses. I've been really busy around here so I'll try to answer some of your questions.  
 
Originally, I wanted to post these pix to the Showcase newsgroups, but I wasn't exactly sure how to do this with the pictures of both of the basses together. I guess I could post one to each of the different groups. I'll try that and see how that works.  
 
I'm really glad you like the Spoiler. I've always thought that I would like a Series II with the Spoiler body shape. I've had this one for about ten years. About a year after I got it, I wanted to replace the pickup selector switch with a pan pot. After consulting with Alembic, I was told that I could do this with electronics used in the Elan. Mike Lull guitar works in Bellevue WA. did the installation work, as there were some body modifications required to accommodate the new electronics. I replaced the chrome plated machine heads with gold plated heads. I think the gold plating does a better job of complementing the Walnut headstock.  
 
I bought the Series I from this guy in Texas. He had it on Ebay in May and no one bid on it! After the auction expired, I contacted him and was able to make a deal. The fan head was one of the really big selling points for me. You don't see many of those. The fan head front is Zebra Wood, and the body front is Koa. The bass is a 1977 (sn 77-875). I'm quite happy that it has been well cared for. The finish has aged really well. I'm thinking about some customization to elevate this bass to dream bass status. For roughly $2000 and a month of waiting, I can have Alembic install fret markers, and side LEDS. Ever since I saw an Alembic bass with the side LEDS, I was hooked! I couldn't imagine owning something like that, hence the dream bass status! I may do this next year.
 
Did someone say Alembic convention? I?ve heard that one before. I would be game for that! Like I?ve said before if I can?t own some of these beauties I?ll sure be looking! That would be fun to attend something like that.  
 
Now I have a question for the rest of you. What is a Paul? Does this have something to do with John Paul Jones and his association with Alembic basses?
 
Again, thank you all for your responses.
 
Bob  

What's a Paul? That's funny, no one has asked that before. Unless one of the Pauls wishes to elaborate, I think you'll just have to visit the club more often and pick up on the good, the bad, the fake...
In general terms: you couldn't find a better group of guys.
 
Oh yeah, great looking basses, love the fan.
 
adios,
Mike

What IS a Paul? That is a deep question......( yeah, right)  
 
Simply put, it is a name  But more in depth, there are a few Pauls in here, some natural and some adopted.  
 
The natural Pauls(myself included) are a rare and strange breed. We are very similar in our demeanor and likes. For example, general craziness, Alembics, fine beer and good friends. Okay, maybe it's just our strange humor and approach that seperates us......  
 
 
 
However, there is a bit of this in everyone, so even those without Paul in their name ( poor souls, no offense Dino  ) are incuded.    
 
We are really a cult, so join us now! You can start by donating that nice Spoiler to me and the delectible Series I to Palembic.  
 
I hope this explains it. Maybe my counterpart from the land Bonnie will explain it better.......  
 
Paul, The Perplexed One
 
Join us...... Join US.......
 
(Message edited by elzie on August 23, 2003)