Alembic Are Human After All...!

[Prostheta]

TBH, I've always considered Alembic to be pretty much perfectionists, so why does something like THIS slip through the net? Admittedly, it's a PITC to do matched grain backplates but surely router bite and non-linear lines should be factored out of "perfect" top-of-the-line custom work? Check the pics on the backplate and control cavity. What's with the crappy hardware store bargain basement trampy cardboard box and zinfandel grape style screws?

[scottyd]

They are human!! I knew it.... Thats what you typically see on handmade basses in my shop . I agree on the screws. But as far as the control cavitys Im thinking that as long as the wood is as expensive as buckeye the mistakes would have to be rather fubar before it would be scrapped for such minor flaws.

[Prostheta]

I would have routed the lip out a lil further to hide it myself!

[scottyd]

Heck yeah, and add some venner lines around them to give it some flash and then lay down the claim that it was meant to be like that! Heck who would ever notice a few more venner lines on an Alembic?

[erikbojerik]

That's about the kerf you get with a scroll saw, especially on something with really mixed grain like buckeye.

A laser might be about the only way you could do better, but you'd need the Death Star to get through 1/4" buckeye.

They really need to lose those screws...go with tiny magnets for goodness sakes!

Interesting how there's so many knobs & switches that they have to put the preamp itself on the other side of the body.

[westhemann]

i just don't see the issue.

[Phil Mailloux]

I read on their forum before that they usually cut their backplates with lasers. Buckeye though is reputed to be very hard to work with. Who knows, maybe they had to do it by hand.

I know from making a few of those that cutting continuous back plates is NOT easy. Don't forget that this pic is enlarged big time too. I'm sure what we see is only thousands of an inch wide.

EDIT: now that I looked at the preamp plate again, it looks like it's been cut perfectly (most likely laser) but was srewed in slightly crooked.

Edited December 20, 2006 by Phil Mailloux

[Hunter]

i just don't see the issue.

+1

I don't get it, what's wrong with it?

I don't spot any blatant problems...

Edited December 20, 2006 by Hunter

[Primal]

Yea, I don't see a single thing wrong with that bass.

[crafty]

TBH, I've always considered Alembic to be pretty much perfectionists, so why does something like THIS slip through the net? Admittedly, it's a PITC to do matched grain backplates but surely router bite and non-linear lines should be factored out of "perfect" top-of-the-line custom work? Check the pics on the backplate and control cavity. What's with the crappy hardware store bargain basement trampy cardboard box and zinfandel grape style screws?

Go right ahead and build a better one if you think you're up to it.

[Jon]

That's about the kerf you get with a scroll saw, especially on something with really mixed grain like buckeye.

A laser might be about the only way you could do better, but you'd need the Death Star to get through 1/4" buckeye.

They really need to lose those screws...go with tiny magnets for goodness sakes!

Interesting how there's so many knobs & switches that they have to put the preamp itself on the other side of the body.

Conklin's have many more.

http://www.conklinguitars.com/facebass/9gallery/9quilt2.jpg

[Prostheta]

TBH, I've always considered Alembic to be pretty much perfectionists, so why does something like THIS slip through the net? Admittedly, it's a PITC to do matched grain backplates but surely router bite and non-linear lines should be factored out of "perfect" top-of-the-line custom work? Check the pics on the backplate and control cavity. What's with the crappy hardware store bargain basement trampy cardboard box and zinfandel grape style screws?

Go right ahead and build a better one if you think you're up to it.

I was wondering when that one would come out. That's a total non-issue man.

Is Buckeye a really chunky punky material to work with then? That's a pain because I was considering acquiring a bookmatch set for a build. Ah well.

[Mickguard]

i just don't see the issue.

Me neither.

You know, I can accept that someone can get super **** (that's a-n-a-l in case this board is still censoring) about their own work, but being that much of a niggler about someone else's work? And about something so extremely small that the only way I can notice it is through the close up of photos the builders themselves post on their website--and only because someone way more *a*n*a*l than myself brings it up? And even then, I can only admire how well they did the job considering the difficulty factor of what they were trying to do.

Come on, now.

As for the screws, I wonder why they didn't countersink them a bit more? Maybe the wood is really fragile, but you'd figure there'd be a way to consolidate that.

Magnets is a cool idea though!

Of course, I personally think the bass is ugly as hell, and if anyone showed up playing that around me, I'd just laugh out loud. But that's something else entirely.

Edit: what's the deal with the censorship on this board? Since when is the word a'n'a'l somehow inappropriate. I mean, I'm allowed to type bitch right? How about ****? So why not a-n-a-l? Just seems weird to me.

[ToneMonkey]

I typed "bloody" on a different board once and got a little smily stamping "band word". Made me larf but was bloody annoying.

I can't see an issue with the bass and I thought it was lovely. Actaully to tell the truth the only thing that looks funny to me are the way the strings go over the bridge. Looks funny.

[westhemann]

i don't know if there is such a thing as a "perfect"inztrument for everybody.but i think pesonal choices like screws over magnets is up to the builder and customer.the screws may well be countersunk.sometimes when the contrast is played with in the picture it makes things like screws and knobs really pop out.

[erikbojerik]

Conklin's have many more.

http://www.conklinguitars.com/facebass/9gallery/9quilt2.jpg

I'm sorry....Conklins are great, but the guy who's playing that must be a frustrated keyboard player.

[Guest AlexVDL]

.

[Mickguard]

i just don't see the issue.

me neither but for that price I would search for any tiny fukup possible

No, for that price, you'd claim that any screw up was a 'design decision' or some trademarked sustain booster

[Jon]

Conklin's have many more.

http://www.conklinguitars.com/facebass/9gallery/9quilt2.jpg

I'm sorry....Conklins are great, but the guy who's playing that must be a frustrated keyboard player.

I'll have to agree. While playing with my EQ's on my bass is more convenient than walking over to the amp, I'd have to agree there is a fine line between convenient and overkill.