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Alembic Basses


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I believe that they started out making custom basses for the Grateful Dead and then started making basses for the public.I guy I worked for owned one and actually let me play it until I showed him up and made me put it down.His guitar was absolutely stunning.Mahogany back with a Quilt cap.And the hardware is a work of art.Maybe the nicest bass I have ever seen.

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The first guitar I built was in the late '70s and I used a "How to" book that had a picture of an Alembic in it.

I believe they were on the cutting edge of adding pre-amps etc. inside the guitar and using neck through designs, at least in those days.

Be Cool,

d ward

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I don't think they start at $15K but I'm sure you could go that far.

Alembic was probably the first company that produced a really high end bass ... Teles, Strats and Les Pauls have never really been improved upon (unless you like Floyd Roses which I don't) but the basses needed a bit of help. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing like a good Precision or Jazz but there was room for improvement. The first one I actually heard in person was back in the 70s and its sound just blew me away.

BTW ... Les Claypool actually uses Carl Thompson custom basses.

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I don't think they start at $15K but I'm sure you could go that far.

Alembic was probably the first company that produced a really high end bass ... Teles, Strats and Les Pauls have never really been improved upon (unless you like Floyd Roses which I don't) but the basses needed a bit of help. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing like a good Precision or Jazz but there was room for improvement. The first one I actually heard in person was back in the 70s and its sound just blew me away.

BTW ... Les Claypool actually uses Carl Thompson custom basses.

I know Les uses a Carl Thompson 4 string with a Kahler Tremolo, the "Rainbow" six string fretless bass, an old Fender, an upright, and electric upright, and "Whamola" a single string bass with a sort of reverse tremolo style device.

I just liked the look of those Alembic basses with there coco bodies with ebony. I had never before heard of them.

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I know Les uses a Carl Thompson 4 string with a Kahler Tremolo, the "Rainbow" six string fretless bass, an old Fender, an upright, and electric upright, and "Whamola" a single string bass with a sort of reverse tremolo style device.

I just liked the look of those Alembic basses with there coco bodies with ebony. I had never before heard of them.

I think he also has two 4-string Carl Thompsons and a 6-string fretted Carl Thompson (which if I recall was the first true 6-string bass [i.e. not counting that oddball Fender] built).

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cliff burton (rip) played an alembic spoiler for a while, till it was stolen.

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Jason Newsted plays Alembic, too. He said one of the reasons he needed a break from Metallica was because of the heavy maple Alembic basses he was playing with them.

Quite honestly, though, there is only one Alembic--and that's why they can charge what they charge. Is it ridiculous? To a point. These are professional-grade instruments, kinda like old Valley Arts was trying to be. They don't cater to the crowd who's playing the local brewhaus or county fair. They're catering to studio and session players who show up on obscure Simon and Garfunkel Madison Square Garden shows or need an instrument that is absolutely, positively going to work and work the same every day or night of the week.

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Jason Newsted plays Alembic, too. He said one of the reasons he needed a break from Metallica was because of the heavy maple Alembic basses he was playing with them.

I've only seen Newsted play Alembics during his first years with Metallica. Towards the end he was playing Sadowsky basses exclusively.

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Alembic does some pretty nice guitars too.

Here is mine:

http://www.geocities.com/jbstratman/Alembic.jpg

Heavy guitar, beautiful laminates, neck through, separate on/off switch for each pickup.

Not crazy about the trem though. It is a Kahler Floyd Rose licensed (fine tuners,

through route, springs in back, etc.)

Don

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Alembic does some pretty nice guitars too.

Here is mine:

http://www.geocities.com/jbstratman/Alembic.jpg

Heavy guitar, beautiful laminates, neck through, separate on/off switch for each pickup.

Not crazy about the trem though. It is a Kahler Floyd Rose licensed (fine tuners,

through route, springs in back, etc.)

Don

Kinda bland for an Alembic imo. And whats with that monsterous... THING up at the nut??

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