My evaluation of the Essence is that it has a very bright, very clear sound with excellent sustain and rich harmonics. The classic Alembic sound. But... it's NOT an Excel. The Excel sound is LOUDER, fuller and rounder. It's truly a MEAN, GROWLY, BEASTLY sound that just simply unmatched by anything else.
 

My New Excel  

 

   Havent had the chance to play it on my rig yet so I don't know how it sounds big, but playing it in my recording space its really just as beautifully playing as my Spoiler, but with a tighter midrange pop.  I'll describe the sound better when I get to really open it up :-)

Nicely done Royce. Congrats!

A beauty,  
I'm here in the NW , hope to see it live and loud sometime ,
 
congrats

Yeah totally.  NW gathering?

So, what's the verdict on that infamous Excel growl?  If I were a betting man, I'd guess that one sounds pretty darn mean...

Well, after playing it on my amp, Ampeg SVT-3 with a SVT 6x10 HLF, I can say that it sounds great!  As for mean, weeell, I guess I might have different thoughts on mean.  I have a new set of Dean Markley Blue Steels on the bass and what I would describe the sound as is ROUND, or FULL, with a sort of fretless stretch.  The sound takes up a lot of space, and is naturally warm and bassy.  
 
Like, my spoiler is more articulate sounding, because the neck picks up a thump sound, and the bridge picks up a twang sound, and then puts them together and it seems like there's more tone in the note, whereas I can't hear myself as well playing the excel because it's fatter, and it fills the room more.  I like it, its just really different for me.  All of my basses have 2 PU's and I've never been much of a stingray guy.  Perhaps I just need to find my place with it, when I wail on it it gives me great grit, nice and middy and mean, just like I want, but when I start playing with my fingers it becomes very warm despite that I have a pretty heavy right hand on notes, my other basses don't change tone nearly as dramatically between playing styles.  I like it, I think I might add a tone filter to it like I did to a prior Epic, which is a sweet addition.  
 
 I've started recording a song with it and it really shines with a pick nicely, I usually dont play with one but it sounds GREAT with a pick  
 
One thing I really like is looking at the fretboard when I play and you see the pau ferro and all the beauty in the wood as you're playing, ebony is awesome but its just one color ;-)
 
So, AwEsOmE! I have to play with it more :-)

Congratulations Royce,
 
It is THE meanest, growliest Alembic out there.
I find that due to wide aperture Fat Boy PU that it  also captures great Harmonics - Portait of Tracy - No problem!!!
 
Many years of enjoyment,
 
Rami