alembic mania

[hieronymous]

Last year we had the first "San Francisco Bay Area/Northern Calfornia Alembic Gathering," and tomorrow is going to be the sequel! You can see pics from last year's gathering here at the Alembic Club. Last year I took a ridiculous amount of gear:


(my stuff is the PJB Suitcase, Epiphani cab and rack with Glockenklang Soul Head and Alembic F-2B (not wired up if I remember correctly); Alembic Spoiler/Exploiter not pictured)

This year I'm leaving the PJB and Exploiter at home and just taking the doubleneck, Epiphani, and rack with an SF-2 replacing the F-2B.

Should be fun! I'll post pictures when I get back. In the meantime, feel free to post pics of your Alembics!

[Chris P.]

I just love doublenecks!

[hieronymous]

I just love doublenecks!

Me too!

Here's a classic picture of my doubleneck that was in an old catalog (probably '70s):


When my wife found out that the gentleman on the right, Ron Wickersham, was at the gathering and I didn't get him to duplicate the pose, she got angry, so this year I grabbed him my first chance:


Ron Wickersham is one of the founders of Alembic - he was very involved with the gear for the Grateful Dead, and specializes in the Alembic electronics. A real honor to get to meet him!

One more thing I should point out - the case is the same too, thought inner lining has been replaced on the bottom. But you can see the texture on the top part matches the lining in the old picture!

[Dave W]

Great photo op! 

[chromium]

Great photos, Harry!  That looks like it would be a fun event to attend.

Might as well add a shot of mine (an '83 Distillate) while I'm here!



I love the range of tones that it gets.  Obviously, it can do that clear-and-present JE-ish sound, but it can also get nice warm, round R&B/classic-rock type tones (especially thru my Orange), and some pretty wild stuff too.

I recorded a tune recently that features some of these other sounds:

   

The distorted melody motif is the Distillate -> EHX English Muff'n -> Moog MF-104 delay -> Alembic F2-B.  The bassline was recorded straight into the preamp, both pickups on, Q-boost, with the filter rolled off.

[Barklessdog]

I love Alembics. Very nice basses. I always wanted a series I or II, but as they keep going up in value they keep drifting further away.

[hieronymous]

Cool track, Joe! What synth(s) are you using on there? The bass line sounds great - nice and warm and round.

I think it's worth hanging out at the Alembic Club - Ron Wickersham's daughter Mica posts often, and she was also at the gathering. She brings cool swag, like coffee mugs and baseball caps, plus she gave me polishing cloths for silver and gold parts.

Before I forget, here's the thread showing the results from this past weekend's gathering:
Northern California Alembic Gathering - THE AFTERMATH

Not so many pictures so far. One guy came all the way from Belgium (well, actually he was in the area for work), and he took a bunch of close-ups, so I'm hoping he posts those when he gets the time.

[Dave W]

That's an impressive gathering of Alembics.

I see kungfusheriff posted in that thread. I wondered whatever happened to him, good to see he's still posting somewhere in the bass community.

[chromium]

Impressive spread indeed.

Yeah that forum is great - I've been lurking over there for a while.  My bass is from one of the members there.  Lots of great info, and it's nice to see such support and active involvement from Alembic (Mica) - taking the time to participate in discussions and respond in detail to technical inquiries about their old instruments.  You can tell they are really passionate about what they do.  I like that their forum doesn't seem to have the fanboy vibe that sometimes plagues manufacturer forums - at least it doesn't strike me that way.

Cool track, Joe! What synth(s) are you using on there? The bass line sounds great - nice and warm and round.

Thanks.  The synth is a Yamaha CS-40M, and I'm using a ribbon controller that I made to control the filter.  It's my mini CS-80! 

but as they keep going up in value they keep drifting further away.

The market seems very cyclical with them.  I bought mine during a slump in the summertime, and got it at the lower end of the spectrum.

[hieronymous]

I like that their forum doesn't seem to have the fanboy vibe that sometimes plagues manufacturer forums - at least it doesn't strike me that way.

There's definitely a few people over there that are a little too rabid in their Alembic-worship. One guy tries to come across as all peace and love but every single thread he starts turns into a flame war. Doesn't help that his username is named after two famous musicians and he misspelled one of them!

Your ribbon controller looks great! Are you taking orders? 

[chromium]

Are you taking orders? 

PM or email me if you want.  I'd just send you one.  For "beta testing" 

[Barklessdog]

what is a ribbon controller?

[chromium]

what is a ribbon controller?

Think whammy bar, but for an analog synth.  And you can control more than just pitch.

This was a video I made of mine: 

Folks sometimes even play them in place of a conventional keyboard.  Creating an effect more akin to a fretless instrument, or a theramin: 

[Barklessdog]

Thats really cool!

[hieronymous]

There are a lot more pictures up at the No. Cal. Alembic Gathering thread.

Here's my favorite one (because it has me and my gear in it!):

And to top it off, it was taken by Ron Wickersham's daughter, Mica.