Alembic or other exotic basses

firstbassman · Post by **firstbassman** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 4:57 am

Yes, not all Alembics look like the ones pictured.
Some are somewhat normal looking.
If I could afford one, I'd get one.

BTW, for those interested in Alembic's history, Alembic issue No. 1 was used by Jack Casady. Here are photos I took of the JA with Jack playing the Alembic.

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8Ict2rlu0bMIs

PS1: He only had the bass a year or two. It got "lost" or "stolen." I'm surprised, though, that it has never turned up.

PS2: Eagle-eyed observers might notice that Jorma is playing the painted Gibson that went up for sale recently.

mgauction · Post by **mgauction** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 5:05 am

Mark - Casady's Guild Starfire which was "alembicized" is out there is somebody's hand. Also there is some strange guy that finds the current owner and tries to sue them saying that he is the "real" owner. Sounds like a bad 'mojo' that follows that bass.

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 5:13 am

My Alembic is not too bad looking (that's my bassist Tim playing it). I think it was the cheapest they sold at the time.

mgauction · Post by **mgauction** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 5:29 am

Well since we're showing these. Here's my 1974 Series 1:

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 5:57 am

Nice, Mike. Is it heavy?

mgauction · Post by **mgauction** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 5:59 am

Boy is it, John!

firstbassman · Post by **firstbassman** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 7:13 am

Yeah, Mike that’s what I’m talking about.
THAT is a gorgeous instrument!

I have thought about the weight issue. (As I said, if I could afford one.) My lead guitarist has a Les Paul guitar, which also weighs a ton. I just can’t imagine standing for three or four hours with that thing hanging over my shoulder.

I don’t remember hearing about Jack’s "Alembicized" Guild also being missing. (Just the Alembic No. 1.) I suppose I can ask him next time I see him or e-mail him about it.

Losing a bass is one thing. But losing two is downright careless if you ask me.

BTW, Jack got a little “touchy” when I suggested once that part of his distinctive sound was derived even partly by Alembic’s retooling of the Guild Starfire. He recorded all of Baxter’s, he pointed out to me, on just a plain old regular Fender.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:46 pm

Baxter's is my favorite J.A. album. I think he used to play a J bass before the Starfires. Great bass sound on Baxter's, also on Volunteer's, he had one of my favorite bass sounds ever. Loved the fuzz.

firstbassman · Post by **firstbassman** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 4:50 am

Baxter's is my 2nd favorite after the live Bless Its Pointed Little Head.
Yes, Jack used a J.
Love that fuzz and crunch too. Besides the electronics involved (and his particular method of playing) he used to go through two series of amps. One were the Fenders and the other was a tube Versatone cranked all the way up, thus creating the distortion.

firstbassman · Post by **firstbassman** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 4:44 am

Well, it’s always best to go to the original source. I stand corrected.

I went and asked Jack and here is the gist of it:

His first Guild Starfire was stolen after an Airplane show in Cleveland around the early part of ’68. He then bought two more and sent one of them to Ron Wickersham to have it modified. That bass is now at the R&R Hall of Fame.

Alembic No. 1 got dropped on a cement floor and became damaged. After being repaired, it was later sold.

mgauction · Post by **mgauction** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 4:56 am

So #1 is out there then, right, Mark!

firstbassman · Post by **firstbassman** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 7:49 am

Yeah, Mike, I guess so.
According to Jack it is gone.

PS: I didn't ask him about the strange guy and the sightings you mentioned. Do you have any more on that? Any web references?

mgauction · Post by **mgauction** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:00 am

I have an Alembic friend that told me about all that. I'll have to email him.

captsandwich · Post by **captsandwich** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 10:47 am

http://www.12fret.com/used/vadim2nk.jpg

This is pretty exotic, I think. Sort of Alembic-ish.

jps · Post by **jps** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:48 pm

Looks more like a cross between a Warwick and a Curbow.