Bass Player's 20th anniversary issue mentions Alembic in their review of boutique basses over the years.
That's a first. Bass player have barely acknowledged Alembic in the past 20 years.
Graeme.
I set my heart on an Epic when I read the BP review in 94, and proceeded to buy one before the end of the year. I seem to remember that Alembic still advertized in those days.
BP does tend to ignore brands that do not advertise.
I think it was back in '94 (whoa, that long ago!!!?) that Bass Player had a factory tour of Alembic. I still have the issue. It was cool for me, because not long after that I bought my first Epic. Then I had to go back and reread the article.
I thought that was a great article; I still have it.
Photocopy it and bring it along to Bass day Shaun ;-)
graeme
From the intro to Boutique Basses article in the Holiday 2008 20th Anniversary issue of Bass Player:
The original bass guitars were workaday tools designed for reliability, strong bass response, and cost-efficient manufacturing. But in the early '70's, Alembic changed all that. Prodded on by its hard-touring, musically experimental clientele (the Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead among them), Alembic instruments' exotic woods, custom-machined brass hardware, hi-fi electronics, and exquisite attention to artistic detail created an entirely new product category. These innovations continue in today's boutique basses, but it's the collaborative nature of the builder/bassist relationship that remins the defining characteristic of boutique bass building.
In Fact Shaun,
Scan it and put it on the site for all to see.
Nice to hear from you again.
George