Misdee

Regarding whether Alembic.basses are worth the money, whilst I don't want to set off the usual Basschat "is any bass really worth more than £7.50 and a bag of pork scratchings?" debate yet again, what I will say is that Alembics have something unique to offer in terms of sound. Most other high end basses, even equally expensive ones, don't. You're talking about elite level instruments with their own design philosophy, built by proper craftsmen. That isn't going to come cheap. No one needs an Alembic. You buy one because you want one, and because you can.

It's a bit spooky isn't it?

I think the O.P has been a bit naive, rather than petulant or unreasonable. Anytime you ask a shop for part-ex, expect a derisory offer. As many others have expressed, shops are in business to make a profit, not to offer folks an easy and convenient way of getting rid of unwanted equipment. They only want your castoffs for silly money, otherwise it's just not worth their while. I wouldn't even contemplate a p/x deal with a shop. If you've got decent quality items to offer a private sale is the only way to g, otherwise you'll be left sucking lemons. The good news is there will always be a market for a legacy brand like Rickenbacker. Be patient and sell it yourself for market value. It's so much easier nowadays with the internet ect than when you had to put a small ad in a magazine or local paper. Count your blessings and move on.

What Wal and Alembic have in common is that they both have a very distinctive signature sound that is inimitable. Nothing else sounds like an Alembic, and the same with a Wal. Youve either got one or you haven't. (I haven't, but I definitely deserve one, or indeed both.)

I used to call into Allbang and Strummit back in the late '80s and early'90s and there was usually a big bloke with a beard cajoling me to buy whatever gear I was trying out. Nice chap though, and a very nice shop. £600 for an Alembic Series 1?!! That was a ridiculously low price even for 1991. I would have bitten his hand off!

I know it's a longshot, but did that bass belong to Pete Agnew from Nazareth, by any chance?

Thanks for the info Sean, that's good to know. In my experience, if a bass is easy to set up to begin with then it bodes well for how enjoyable it's going to be in the longer term. Top quality basses usually require very little adjustments to make them play well, generally speaking.

Sounds like they changed the neck profile in 2012 when they relaunched the range loaded with Custom Shop pickups. I've got a 2009 American Standard P with a B width nut and the neck profile front-to-back is fairly slender and very comfortable for someone like me who dislikes big fat chunky necks. It's very reminiscent of a nice early '70's P bass neck. I really enjoy that bass.

There's something very special about Alembic basses. They've got a history and pedigree no other custom bass builder can match. Alembic have always been a bit more expensive than most other custom bass makers. Unfortunately nowadays they are proportionately much more expensive than they've ever been. Even allowing for inflation, by any metric you use to measure it, Alembic basses have become even more costly than they used to be. The terrible exchange rate for the pound against the dollar doesn't help either. It's a shame, but it would be even more of a shame if Alembic had ceased trading, like so many other bass builders have. That's the alternative. It's testament to the prestige of Alembic basses that they are still in such demand. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the instruments Bass Direct have on order are sold before they actually arrive in the UK. Kudos to them for adding Alembic to their roster. I'm really glad there's a UK dealer again.

Had me fooled, that's all I can say.

Wow, he totally nails that! Looks like he might be reading from a transcription, which makes it all the more impressive.

That's interesting, because Max Bennett's bass playing, particularly his tone, diminishes my enjoyment of Joni's earlier albums. It's not just Max Bennett though, the whole ensemble of musicians on Court and Spark and Hissing Of Summer Lawns don't do her songs justice, to my taste anyway. I know most people will disagree, but I just don't like the sound of her band during that era. They're stellar players, but it just doesn't sound good to me.

I've always thought Jaco's work with Joni was some of his very best. His bass parts aren't just lyrical, they're pictorial; he's illustrating Joni's words with his bass playing. It's beautiful to hear, and only Jaco could do that. I bought this album in the early 1980s and quite literally wore it out. It was the first time I had really heard Jaco and it was a revelation. I've listened to it so much over the years that I can't really listen to it anymore, but it's a truly magnificent record that has great memories for me.

That's a true classic in the most sought -after colour. Great find.

Well, first let me start by saying that I really enjoy playing flatwounds on some basses. I've got a P Bass, Jazz Bass and a Stingray all strung with Thomastiks, (although I am thinking about trying some La Bella Low Tension Flats on the P Bass). The Thomastiks are easy to play(maybe a bit too easy) with a very supple and articulate sound compared to a lot of other flatwounds. I totally agree with Mike, however, about roundwound strings being much easier to get a sound with a wider and richer harmonic spectrum. There's a reason why bass players switched to roundwound strings in the first place. It's a trade-off, and you can't be all things to all men, ect. As someone who grew up in the roundwound era, it's been a revelation how much fun it can be to experiment with the different sound and dynamics you get from flatwounds. I never really thought about how many of the bass tones I want to emulate when I'm playing along with records were actually created with flats. I actually feel quite subversive for enjoying it so much. For so long flats were shunned by any self-respecting trendy bass player, myself included. I still am primarily a roundwound player, it's just that in private I sometimes experiment with flatwounds. If I'm learning some Robbie Shakespeare bass lines, for example, then flats on a Jazz Bass are perfect. Having less sustain ect actually makes the music easier to play. The downside of the change in trends is that nowadays flats on a P Bass has become a kind of default setting for bass players who want to be savvy musos. It's an easy choice for people without much originality or imagination of their own. Since Pino switched to flats round the turn of the millennium everyone else has followed suit, and makes out like it was their own idea. Reverence for retro has become the new orthodoxy. Old fashioned has become synonymous with good taste and sound judgement. That's quite depressing me. It'd be better if more players looked further afield for inspiration and explored doing their own thing.