Alembic

[Cosmo Valdemar]

Bassbros often have old Alembics at very reasonable prices - a couple of years ago I bought a '76 Series in virtually mint condition. It was listed for £6,500 but I part-exchanged a Rickenbacker.

I know £6,500 sounds obscene but for a bass of that heritage, vintage and condition, and compared to what it would cost new, it's a bargain.

Edited May 19 by Cosmo Valdemar

[Misdee]

I've wanted an Alembic since I first started playing when I was twelve years old. It's always been the ultimate bass to me. I've never had one but that's no tragedy in the scheme of things. Sometimes it's better to travel hopefully than arrive and all that. The practical reality is that I find the ergonomics of the classic LSB a bit difficult to get on with, and the weight  would also a bit much for me nowadays.  

 

That doesn't mean however, that I don't still get excited whenever I see an Alembic bass and occasionally think about getting one. There's a mystique to them that no other brand can match, quite rightly too because they have been such an iconic and innovative bass maker for so long. 

[Gwilym]

I listened the Journey To Love quite a lot earlier this year, great record. I love the sound SC gets out of his Alembics, but having played a couple (Europa & Rogue) i suspect they are a little bit of a marmite bass, from a sound and ergonomics perspective.

There was 20th anniversary bass at Bass Bros recently (maybe still there) which i remember seeing reviewed in Guitarist magazine in the late 80s and lusting after it at the time.

 

[Misdee]

I remember that review! It was Rob Burns, a devoted Wal enthusiast from what I recall, who got to try it out and he was well impressed.

 

I played a nearly identical example at the Bass Centre in Wapping around that time. It was epic, but heavy. Still, I would have bought it if I'd had the money at the time. 

 

I seem to remember the late and fondly remembered Pete Academy of this parish recounted how he bought a 20th Anniversary from the Bass Centre and had an ongoing problem with the pickups, which after much tooing and froing had to be replaced. Apparently it was a right carry-on lasting months and he was not best pleased, quite understandably. Maybe I had a lucky escape. 

 

That's one of the down-sides of a fairly complex design that can be quite temperamental, I suppose.

Edited May 19 by Misdee

[NickA]

series 1 at bassbros. A mere £5500.  Ugly headstock and pointless pointy bit at the bottom ... Still rather lovely tho.

 

They have an epic too.

 

No 5 string Europa sadly, but nice one on reverb....

 

https://reverb.com/uk/item/67502664-alembic-europa-1997-bocate-top-wood

 

Actually that's Jazzy V's ..which I had palpitations about when it was listed here.

 

GAS? Me?

 

Edited May 19 by NickA

[Chris2112]

On 19/05/2024 at 21:40, Misdee said:

 

That's one of the down-sides of a fairly complex design that can be quite temperamental, I suppose.

 

On the whole, I think Alembic pickups and electronics are very reliable despite their relative complexity. I can think of very few occasions when I've heard of their electronics going wrong. They usually have an excellent reputation for customer service (when you can get in touch with them, which is admittedly often difficult), so I'm surprised that there were issues in this case.

 

Of course, playing an Alembic with the full Series electronics and outboard power unit is a commitment in itself. You can't just plug and play like you can with a Fender, some sound men just won't have a preset fit to suit your fancy bass etc, you need to drag the brick around with you or find an alternative power source etc. If you can live with that, you'll enjoy a really fine bass with a great tone.

[jazzyvee]

On 21/05/2024 at 12:58, Chris2112 said:

 

On the whole, I think Alembic pickups and electronics are very reliable despite their relative complexity. I can think of very few occasions when I've heard of their electronics going wrong. They usually have an excellent reputation for customer service (when you can get in touch with them, which is admittedly often difficult), so I'm surprised that there were issues in this case.

 

Of course, playing an Alembic with the full Series electronics and outboard power unit is a commitment in itself. You can't just plug and play like you can with a Fender, some sound men just won't have a preset fit to suit your fancy bass etc, you need to drag the brick around with you or find an alternative power source etc. If you can live with that, you'll enjoy a really fine bass with a great tone.

Actually the series basses have 18v (2x9v batteries) inside one of the rear compartments so you can use the bass without the power pack. However they eat batteries in about 20 hours. If you have a vintage series bass tho, they came wired so that when using batteries the jack lead would only give you the neck pickup. More modern series basses give you both pickups from the jack, or a switch to have separate pickups output via a stereo lead.

[peteb]

On 19/05/2024 at 21:40, Misdee said:

I played a nearly identical example at the Bass Centre in Wapping around that time. It was epic, but heavy. Still, I would have bought it if I'd had the money at the time. 

 

 

I once got the train down to London, fully intending to buy an Alembic from the Bass Centre. It was one of the lower priced models (maybe an Epic??), up at £995 in the mid 90s. I picked it up and played it, but didn't like the neck. I didn't even plug it in! 

 

It would have been nice to own an Alembic for a bit, but that bass just didn't feel right for me. I ended up buying a red Warwick Streamer LX from a shop in Leeds a couple of weeks later, which I gigged for many years! 

 

Edited May 30 by peteb

[Chris2112]

2 hours ago, jazzyvee said:

Actually the series basses have 18v (2x9v batteries) inside one of the rear compartments so you can use the bass without the power pack. However they eat batteries in about 20 hours. If you have a vintage series bass tho, they came wired so that when using batteries the jack lead would only give you the neck pickup. More modern series basses give you both pickups from the jack, or a switch to have separate pickups output via a stereo lead.

 

Yes, I had heard that the batteries were consumed at such a rate that it was effectively unreliable/unsustainable to rely on them for power when gigging or recording. 20 hrs is more than I had thought you'd get. 

 

FWIW I like Alembics enough that I could live with having to secure consistent access to outboard power for gigging etc. 

[itu]

I don't recall the actual numbers, but this is the ballpark:

741 consumes around 1 mA, TL071 practically the same. NE5534 some 5 mA, and an Alembic has several of them.

 

A 9 V battery has a capacity of approx. 500 mAh. 20 playing hours means that the circuitry consumes maybe 20-25 mA. It would be only 4-5 opamps.

[NickA]

Maybe mod a series 2 by replacing the op amps then 😉.

 

Tho there are likely other things in there using power (voltage bias resistors or sommat)

 

The 1x9V batteries in my Wal basses last for years.

Edited May 30 by NickA

[jazzyvee]

My Powersnupply for my alembic is in my rack with my preamp and power amp so it is no extra bother and I like the fact that with the PSU the bass is always working at full spec with 36v dc feedng the the on board electronics. I just consider the batteries, a backup. 

[itu]

7 hours ago, NickA said:

Maybe mod a series 2 by replacing the op amps then 😉.

Definitely not! They sound so different compared to those two I mentioned earlier: full, and authoritative. The price you have to pay is that external box.

[obi 2 kenobi]

Had a 5 string Essence bought and sold here. 
 

Amazing build quality but poor balance & ergonomics. Having the bridge so far towards neck with a small body made the reach to 1st fret even while sitting an effort. 

[NikNik]

On 19/05/2024 at 20:11, Misdee said:

I've wanted an Alembic since I first started playing when I was twelve years old. It's always been the ultimate bass to me. I've never had one but that's no tragedy in the scheme of things. Sometimes it's better to travel hopefully than arrive and all that. The practical reality is that I find the ergonomics of the classic LSB a bit difficult to get on with, and the weight  would also a bit much for me nowadays.  

 

That doesn't mean however, that I don't still get excited whenever I see an Alembic bass and occasionally think about getting one. There's a mystique to them that no other brand can match, quite rightly too because they have been such an iconic and innovative bass maker for so long. 

If it's any consolation, when I finally got a Series 1 Point, I found it too heavy, too unwieldy, and a real stretch to low F. I barely had it a year.

[obi 2 kenobi]

22 minutes ago, NikNik said:

On 19/05/2024 at 21:11, Misdee said:

If it's any consolation, when I finally got a Series 1 Point, I found it too heavy, too unwieldy, and a real stretch to low F. I barely had it a year.

Snap!

sold mine after 6 months. No regrets. 
Replaced by a Ken Smith which got the ergonomics right 

[Misdee]

On 21/05/2024 at 12:58, Chris2112 said:

 

On the whole, I think Alembic pickups and electronics are very reliable despite their relative complexity. I can think of very few occasions when I've heard of their electronics going wrong. They usually have an excellent reputation for customer service (when you can get in touch with them, which is admittedly often difficult), so I'm surprised that there were issues in this case.

 

Of course, playing an Alembic with the full Series electronics and outboard power unit is a commitment in itself. You can't just plug and play like you can with a Fender, some sound men just won't have a preset fit to suit your fancy bass etc, you need to drag the brick around with you or find an alternative power source etc. If you can live with that, you'll enjoy a really fine bass with a great tone.

Regards customer service, we're talking about more than thirty years ago, pre-internet ect. Transatlantic communication was a lot more difficult and a lot more expensive.

 

I think the issue with Alembic basses inherent complexity is essentially that of durability. Despite the  undoubted quality there's a lot to go wrong or wear out. When it does sometimes only Alembic can fix it properly if you want your bass to stay at factory spec. I suppose it just depends on how careful you are and what kind of use the bass is getting. The proprietary electronics and overall design are by their very nature esoteric and if you want a full-tilt Alembic that's part of the deal.

 

FWIW, Wal basses are similar in certain respects regarding serviceability. That's a whole other thread. 

 

 

Edited May 31 by Misdee

[peteb]

3 minutes ago, Misdee said:

I think the issue with Alembic basses inherent complexity is essentially that of durability. Despite the  undoubted quality there's a lot to go wrong or wear out. When it does sometimes only Alembic can fix it properly if you want your bass to stay at factory spec. I suppose it just depends on how careful you are and what kind of use the bass is getting. The proprietary electronics and overall design are by their very nature esoteric and if you want a full-tilt Alembic that's part of the deal, I suppose.

 

 

It's a good job that I didn't buy that one from the Bass Centre then! It wouldn't have lasted half a dozen gigs with me... 

 

[Gwilym]

2 hours ago, obi 2 kenobi said:

Snap!

sold mine after 6 months. No regrets. 
Replaced by a Ken Smith which got the ergonomics right 

With the added benefit that to my ears, and with my KS BT5at least, i can get a very similar tone to Stanley Clarke's sound.

 

[Misdee]

19 hours ago, peteb said:

 

I once got the train down to London, fully intending to buy an Alembic from the Bass Centre. It was one of the lower priced models (maybe an Epic??), up at £995 in the mid 90s. I picked it up and played it, but didn't like the neck. I didn't even plug it in! 

 

It would have been nice to own an Alembic for a bit, but that bass just didn't feel right for me. I ended up buying a red Warwick Streamer LX from a shop in Leeds a couple of weeks later, which I gigged for many years! 

 

An old Streamer LX is still the best Warwick I ever played. Good choice.

 

I  also took the train down to the Bass Centre at Wapping to buy a "budget" Alembic.  Must have been 1992 and it was an Essence. They had two, but they sold the one I wanted the day before. I didn't fancy the maple one, and I was less than enthusiastic about the neck profile anyway, so it's not just you. I too left empty handed.

 

 

[Misdee]

3 hours ago, NikNik said:

If it's any consolation, when I finally got a Series 1 Point, I found it too heavy, too unwieldy, and a real stretch to low F. I barely had it a year.

That's the first thing I thought when I played an Alembic bass. But back then I thought the fault was with me, because it's an Alembic and if  JPJ, John Entwhistle, Stanley Clarke et al can play them then so should I be able to, too. 

[Misdee]

I'm feeling a lot better about not buying an Alembic now. 

[jazzyvee]

On 31/05/2024 at 15:30, Misdee said:

I'm feeling a lot better about not buying an Alembic now. 

Other models in the range don’t have that stretch to low F. Such as an elan or europa. The lightest models i have experienced are the epic and orion basses. 

[Misdee]

I've tried both the basses you mention and they are much more comfortable all round, for my taste anyway. I lived in the Bay Area at the time they were new models and in stock at local music shops.

 

It's worth pointing out that Alembic were the original custom bass builder, and they can build anything you want. If you can afford it they will use their formidable  skills to help you get your dream bass. If I won the lottery (would need to start buying a ticket first, but ...) one of my first acts would be to contact Alembic and set out my design brief. I'd probably go along the lines of a Balance K Omega with a chambered body. Never tried one but the balance and playability is supposed to be much improved. It's also just about the most beautiful Alembic I've ever seen.

[jazzyvee]

On 30/05/2024 at 21:45, Chris2112 said:

 

Yes, I had heard that the batteries were consumed at such a rate that it was effectively unreliable/unsustainable to rely on them for power when gigging or recording. 20 hrs is more than I had thought you'd get. 

 

FWIW I like Alembics enough that I could live with having to secure consistent access to outboard power for gigging etc. 

I think it’s just something to get used to, or not. 🤨. I use one of the small non rack mount power supplies if i’m not using my own backline. Is having to carry a PSU for the bass and more troublesome than carrying a pedalboard?🤔