Hi there friends,  it has took some time but al least, here she is: my bass. I baptised her "Bonnie" after my music "godess" Bonnie Raitt.

 What can I say: - the capping is Dark Walnut.

 Because I live in Belgium and there was no way to choose in a woodbank Mica did the wood-selection. She told me that time (and confirmed it a coupleof weeks ago) that it's Claro-wood: a Californian member of the walnut-family.

 - Also the peghead is that wood I think.

 On the picture you can see it's one piece and heavy flamed. Also the body has this "flames" but that's less visible on the pictures. There is a "gold" logo, plain standard. - the body is dark-walnut, maple, mahogany, maple, dark walnut sandwiched.  - there are no led-sidemarks just brass marks. - The body has a "Omega" cut-out but this cut-out isn't of the really "round" type you see on other Alembics. It's more "oval" and therefore the guitar has a more "Manta" look.

 - The neck is standard in the way that it has maple/purple heart laminates but is not standard in the sense that he is much wider than standard.

 Generally the Alembics keep their "sleek" figure because the not wide neck (f.i. look at the Jimmy Johnson one). This guitar has a more "stout" look and is overall wider than standard. Beware: there is no balance problem, if you hang the guitar on a strap only at the upper strap-fixing she hangs in perfect balance, the neck slightly upwards.

 What else is there to say ...not much, she sounds very nice and is a comfort to play. After being together for 6 years there are small bruises and points the high gloss finish going "matte" but I don't care. Being alive and in music leaves bruises on minds, souls, hearts and ...instruments.  Thanks to the Alembic people who made her ("breed" her). Thanks to Mica for making the good choices. A sister for her recently came out of the dreaming fase into the sketching fase (see the thread on that purpose) but will not be possible in the near future.  Be Alembicious! Paul  PS: about the pictures. They were made with a 200mm and a 70 mm lens. I did this because wide angles often bias the "look" and the proportions of the guitar. Another thing to know: I took the pictures in the  late afternoon and that gives a colour bias: the guitar is not THAT yellowish. Best results for colour is taking pictures of guitars outside at noon on a bright -high clouded- day. NEVER use a flash, most -even small/pocket- camera's have a knob to disable the flash. You better improvise a tripod to steady your camera.

She's got grace!
 
Love the wood

I love her Paul...Bonnie is a real Beauty!!!
 
Brother Mikey

She is great looking Paul. I'd have to say that your bass is in amazing condition after having survived 6 years of playing and gigging. It's inevitable that she's going to have a few battle scars. But from the look of the pics she's been loved her whole life.
 
Matt
 
P.S. Love the wood too. Looks like she's even got some subtle spalting going on. Truly beautiful

Hi Matt,  
 
thank you for the compliment about the care I have for my guitar(s).  
Just an example: I still own my Yamaha FG 580 acoustic steelstring. In Yamaha history it's a high-end model (well, the lowest in the high-ends). I bought it 26(!) years ago. We're still togetheter and the guitar is sounding better than the start! I have professional guitar-players coming along who are realy astonished by her full sound. I have guitar-tech controlling her every 2 years and he can't believ his eyes that the guitar has that age. I payed here about $400 at the time, he estimates her $2000 now. At least he says that will be the price for it's equivalent.  
So Matt, I'm really caring for my guitars.  
 
Paul  
 
PS: I know there is a sandwich threat going on somewhere her and a wood-discussion. The sides and back(bookmatched) of the Yamaha are in absolutely beautiful Jacaranda,  it's a Brazilian type of wood of which I heard that the export is stopped.
I heard recently that Jacaranda stands for Brazilian ROSEWOOD. I'm not sure of it yet.
 
(Message edited by palembic on January 03, 2003)

That is a beautiful bass Paul!
 
That is a whole lot of knobs and switches. I would be completely lost with that many choices  
 
 
Paul 2

Hi Paul,
 
there are less knobs than on a car, but more than on an ESP (HA).
I WAS lost in the start but than I started to think as playing a Gibson Les Paul or my worn-out Ibanez hollowbody jazz-guitar. I just added the master volume. So the two PU-volumeknobs are coming in mere as tools for tone-shaping. I think that is the secret of playing S1 and 2's: adding the volume-knobs as part of the tone department. Well, we discussed it before my friend, we alembicians are kind of knob-tweakers. Of course, you can turn the whole bunch to full and tweak a bit on your amp but then you should buy the ultimate Alembic: a beatiful crafted guitar with the most sounding and stylish woods with fancy inlay-work and ...just 1 Pick-up, NO KNOBS!
HA!  
I tried to get close to this concept by dreaming my humble bass (see the dreaming department) but I still couldn't let go some knobs to tweak!
 
CU
 
Paul (the Series one)

Beautiful Bass Paul! A five string is next on my list . . .

Wat een lelijk kreng..............

Yeah! What Edwin said!
 
 
Paul II

Kaalkop ...moet jij niet dringend wat basjes gaan verkopen?
HA!
 
Paul de slechte
 
(translation on request)

Wat een lelijk kreng..............
 
Kaalkop ...moet jij niet dringend wat basjes gaan verkopen?
 
PARDON?  ;-)

What an ugly bitch ..........
 
Baldhead ...aren't you supposed to sell some basses?
 
Well ...about that!
 
Paul the bad one

Oooooooooooh - ladies, get your handbags out!  Handbags at ten paces - let the duel commence!!!

Hey Roger, you have a TVR? They build them just up the road from me in Blackpool and a friend of a friend actually builds the engines I believe (if only they built alembics up the road from me...but no, that'd be too dangerous).