Alembic Signature Deluxe

Made entirely by hand, like wood-mail to Santa Rosa, California, USA.
Specifications:

Body: Mahogany
Table: Coco Bolo
Back: Coco Bolo
Channel: Through 5 rooms, Maple (3), Purpleheart (2), 30.75 pitch
Fingerboard: Ebony
Pickups: AXY4
Strings: Alembic 045-105, tenor possibility: re sol do, I use D'Addario EXL 170M which do add a 0.32.
Controls: 1 volume, 1 balance microphones, a low-pass filter switch with 2
Tuners: Gotoh Gold Alembic
Finish: High gloss polyester
Electronic Signature Series
Option on the Signature Deluxe: red LED markers on edge, landmark oval abalone button

The handle measures 30 "1 / 4, a standard round of 34," and he has 24 boxes. It is conductive, bonded into 5 pieces (maple / mahogany) and 2 truss rods to allow fine adjustment. The pickups are made by Alembic home, active electronics, I have not yet grasped the terminology for the 2 switches! There is a volume knob, a balance bridge pickup / neck pickup and 2 eq settings.
For the handle, I've never seen a being so perfect. The setting of it, if it is needed, can be fully realized by a novice careful.
Much useless gadget fun: LEDs can be lit from the side of the button, sometimes it is wrong to box the moonless night and day with fog!
The bridge as the saddle (height adjustable) are brass, the mechanics are signed and Alembic are sweetness and precision crazy.
The polyester varnish is superb, but this bass is massive enough weight (4.54 kg), attention to those interested in the medium and long scale models ... they are quite heavy.
I will put a damper, however (as regards mine): the bridge is not perfectly centered on the body, which changes nothing, but at a price of $ 5500 we are entitled to expect absolute perfection.
The bass comes with its trunk, some tools settings (bridge, nut and wrench for truss rods) but no game of rope, spare or jack ... a bit cheap anyway!
The strings are signed Alembic, they recommend pulling up of 045 to 105.
All images and sound demos on my page:

http://www.batraciens-reptiles.com/alembic.htm





and this is the last of 2008:
body in vermilion, wonderful, different sound, more metallic yet ...



UTILIZATION

In my opinion the interface is almost perfect, it has slight tendency to pitch down. Access to treble is great, watch with hands like mine, not very fine, I often "graze" on the box next after the octave because, given the short size of the handle (about 6 cm shorter than standard handle and a box = 1 / 2) the box becomes very narrow.
The handle is very soft, like its width, slightly wider than the Ibanez but very comfortable .. and fingers glide above it all only an incredible feeling, almost carnal.
The sound?? Even with a tin you in 1 second THE sound. Well I'm a fan of Stanley Clarke and his game have adopted in recent years (25).
It is a precise sound, the bold, clear as crystal, microphone near the bridge gives sound crazy ... the mixture of the two gives a monstrous, and the neck pickup gives his almost standard, but with a precision evil ... a sound like an Alembic does not describe, he saw himself. I do not even mention the sustain ...

SOUNDS

I play mainly jazz rock, jazz funk, this bass is perfect for me able to fill all the roles. Metal I will not see too much because its sound is too distinctive.
For sounds bold, go your way and save it do not come out too ... in fact I've never tried. Cons by crystal clear sound, unheard-of purity!
I use as an amp Lounge Ashdown MAG 300R, a Lexicon MX200 and a 4x10 "400W Galien Krueger Backline + a 12" & horn 180W Psy is perfect. In rehearsal / concert: Alembic F1-X preamp, Lexicon digital reverb, Yamaha P5000S stereo Poweramp, SWR Goliath Senior and Triad as HP.
I never play with the microphone near the handle, I use mostly a combination of 2 to 50/50 and during a solo, microwave sharp.

OVERALL OPINION

I am not my first. I had 2 in the 80s, they were models that were consistent with the Series I (electronic stereo): I had the equivalent of the Stanley Clarke and Mark King signature. The stereo does nothing except double the cost of amplification: each microphone preamplifier, amplifier has its power, its effects and its tower of HP .. so imagine the budget. I do not know if sth Alembic has changed in the design of its pickups, but I find the current sound even more fabulous.
Before, between 70 and 80, I had several basses Rickenbacker, Fender Jazz & Precision, fretless & fretted, Ibanez, BC Rich, Kramer, Musicman, Gibson etc..
If I have to redeem it will be another Alembic, model Mark King "balanced K omega ... just for the look that I find beautiful, too.
See website Alembic:
http://www.alembic.com/
Alembic Mark King's balanced k


and my new Alembic Mark King Deluxe 5 string that I have given in E, A, D, G, C without changing the saddle or the tailpiece, not even a setting, the same criticism as the signing Stanley Clarke, just a heavy weight and a handle for large hands, but an outstanding finish ...:





Finally, the value for money ... I do not know the prices of other basses of this quality / finish / son...mais in 1980, it cost the equivalent of 3000 € ... and now it is sold in Europe more than 7500 € ... I put 6 only for the price and 10 for all because I love him too.