The bass was so loud on stage The Who and their road crew used to vacate my side of the stage whenever I played it. The bass has flat sawn Zebrawood laminates on front and back of body, as well as Zebrawood headstock laminates front and back. . 1975, Sunn rig, with amplifiers moved to side-stage rack: two Sunn 412 speaker cabs (outside top), two Sunn 312 312 speaker cabs (inside top), two Sunn 118 speaker cabs (outside bottom), two Sunn W 118 reflex bins (inside bottom). Identical Explorer-shaped body as above, with A-shaped headstock. It was a short-scale, but it felt quite nice and so I asked him if he could make me one to my specifications. from Japan. I am not a luthier, but I cannot identify any actual repair, nor evidence of one. Alembic makes standard four-string bass guitars as well as those with five and six strings. Approximately six in total custom-made by luthier Peter Cook, in white (later given to Pete) and orange/red. Alembic took two years to make the three basses for me. Alembic Stanley Clarke Deluxe Bass. The first production Alembic instruments were less ornate, and incorporated the PF-5 electronics circuit, later replaced by the PF-6. In fact, we were making them before we even had model names or a catalog. To do this I had to run one amp into the back of another and they were so loud that I could only play with that sound for maybe two songs. : 1649-4706. Ca. He liked it so much that he ordered several unmodified except for their extremely low actions. Alembic Darling Bass Shortscale Black Violet LED. The Brown bass has: 5pieceneck : Mahogany with Birch and Walnut laminates and Walnut or Myrtle top/back/body, also the " standard" BB comes with Fatboys and Anniversary (Activator) electronics. 1989 Limited Edition Alembic 20th Anniversary bass guitar. Bass (647) . Used - Very Good. The basses and guitars built using this configuration would later become known as the Series I and II, and were available in a variety of scale lengths and body shapes. 110 or 200 wall current stepped down to 18v via the included power supply. Standard Alembic electronics. Indistinct serial number (74-A011) impressed to top edge of headstock. // ]]> -->, Click to view larger version. Yeah, I sort of pioneered the trebly bass sound, the piano sound, and I use an awful lot of treble. The Series I is as much of a powerhouse today as it was back in 1972 and nothing short of a Series II even comes close. Before I had the Thunderbird I used to use an extremely trebly sound and play lead figures, and I was OK with a Precision bass. Johns second Alembic, 1974 Alembic Series 1, courtesy Brad Rodgers, whocollection.com. Your purchases also help protect forests, including trees traditionally used to make instruments. The speaker stacks remained the same as 1975 (until 1977). 1975, on stage with Alembic Series I with zebra wood top. Ca. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. The bass that Yolanda Charles is playing has 9 knobs. There are a variety of body shapes for the Series I bass. The next day I asked about the roadie with the volume pedal, and they said that he should be on the next flight, because they buy at Mannys in New York. In fact, we were making them before we even had model names or a catalog. In addition to their standard models, Alembic also operates as a true custom shop, offering hand-done inlay and design features to suit your every desire. Ca. document.write(' Photo: Richard Aaron '); // ]]> -->. They keep all the patterns for every bass they make and can recreate any model from these patterns. [CDATA[ Jun 25, 2006. Ca. Owned by John Entwistle, and played by him during the Top of the Pops The Who performance circa 1976. Ca. Still other variations exist and are yet to be created, but they are all still Series I basses. John (about the first one): Bought from Fred Walecki whilst holidaying in L.A. I had it re-wired back to stereo by Peter Cook. document.write(' Photo: Richard Aaron '); document.write('Photo: John Selby, Rex Features'); The company has also nurtured some of the greatest luthiers of all time, including Rick Turner and Doug Irwin. Click to reveal Click to view larger version. He bought it from the Sothebys May 2003 auction of Johns estate. As an authorized Alembic dealer, we are proud to offer their basses and guitars for sale. It also works on battery but the lights are connected directly to the mains power supply. Id work out a series of lines that flowed into each other with the twang of the trebly sound and Id find myself drifting into that every night, unless it was a bit of free form. 10 or 11 Sept. 1982, N.E.C., Birmingham, three Mesa-Boogie 412 cabs (top) in place of the Sunn 412L 412 cabs, with four Mega 118 cabs (bottom). The task is another of Alan Rogans responsibilities. Alembic/Sunn Coliseum Slave amplifier rack visible at right. document.write('Photo: Richard Young, via “”'); Gibson Explorer-style body with Fender Precision Bass maple necks and machine heads; gold-plated hardware, two volume controls/one tone control. Alembic instruments can be ordered with a wide variety of custom features, including complex inlays and LED position markers in the neck. Sunn 312 cabinet, courtesy rockstarsguitars.com. 25 Sept. 1982, Gelf custom amp rack, with two Stramp 4120 stereo preamps, Alembic IN-2 input module/splitter, and four Sunn Coliseum Slave power amps, with one as spare. 68.233.247.54 Bass is 1974 Alembic in zebra wood. Short scale 30.75"Coco Bolo top & backAlembic Crown peghead Coco Bolo front and b As an authorized Alembic dealer, we are proud to offer their basses and guitars for sale. Don't set your tone controls and amp controls by the numbers, use your ears. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. [1], By 1970, Alembic was incorporated with three equal shareholders: Ron Wickersham, an electronics expert who came in from Ampex; Rick Turner, a guitarist turned luthier; and Bob Matthews, a recording engineer. Ballarat, Australia. The guitar, I have about two-fifths up and amps are on number five of course, the pre-amps are virtually right up, so Im using about half volume. Whether used or not, be sure you are clear as well about what comes with the Alembic bass guitar you buy, if anything, such as a soft or hard case, strings, electric cables, or a tuner. [CDATA[ In an interview see details, It is stated in [this article](http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2014/01/30/profiles-in-tone-jack-casady/) that Casady used an Alembic 1 Bass see details, Trusted musician and artist reviews for Alembic Series I Bass Guitar, Help recommend alternative or similar gear to Alembic Series I Bass Guitar, Ernie Ball Music Man Stingray Bass Guitar. . The Definitive Online Tablature and Gear Resource for The Who since 1997. Topped by Conn Strobotuner. // ]]> -->. 1976, Sunn speaker cabinet setup, with two Sunn 412L 412 cabs (outside top); two Sunn 312 312 cabs (inside top); two Sunn W 118 reflex bins (inside bottom), with 18 Vega speakers; two Sunn 118 cabinets (silver-grille), with 18 Vega speakers (outside bottom). About two years ago, while one of the Fenderbirds was being repaired, John happened to pick up a stock Alembic for a rehearsal. Estimated 2,0003,000; sold for 3,840. They go through two 3 12s in big PA-type cabinets, two standard pressurised 4 12s, two pressurised 18s and two 18s in PA-type cabs again. Aug 22, 2015. The electronics are otherwise stock Alembic circuitry: two pickups that are medium impedance and gain-adjustable, internal preamp, and a dummy pickup for hum cancellation; the tone controls are active low-pass filters. Alembic has a rich history in the music industry, having developed the Grateful Dead Wall of Sound and revolutionized active electronics through innovative neck construction. Bass guitar Stanley Clarke Greg Lake ELP . // ]]> -->, Ca. These can also be seen in the catalog pic. 1976, with Alembic bass and Sunn rig. Alembic Stanley Clarke Signature Brown bass w/LEDs. Mesa-Boogie 412 for guitar monitoring at right. Only one ever made. Alembic Guitar and Bass Catalog 1989 12 pages in very good condition. The neck woods are most dominant in the sound. Alembic's model line has continued to expand to the present day, with models such as the Epic, Orion, Excel, and Darling being introduced. The combination of single coil pickups and low-pass filter tone controls offer flexibilty, control and responsibility for your own tone. , Click to view larger version. Two Peter Cook-built pickups, three controls, gold bridge baseplate with four adjustable saddles. Ca. 1977 price list described the five string bass as a "standard" model, available for $50 more than its four string bass. Click to view larger version Custom Lightning Bolt bass, made by Peter Cook. Plays and sounds great. John used at least four additional Alembic Series I basses on stage with The Who, including a dark finish, two heavilty quilted natural finish, and a Series I Omega, some of which are pictured below. The settings that worked on my yamaha were 100% neck pickup, treble about 30 - 40%, bass about 40%. Click to reveal Known for their clear tone and exceptional construction, Alembic instruments feature built-in LED lights and filter combinations that are sure to impress. Christies would like to thank Rick Turner for his assistance with this lot. Opaque Black Gloss, Solid Maple body, Heart Omega cut, 30.75" Scale, MOP oval fingerboard inlays, Violet LED's - Alembic case optional! Recently bought a copy of Series ! // ]]> -->. Courtesy Brad Rodgers, whocollection. He happened upon a second-hand Alembic in a Los Angeles music store.