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Very nice bass.

Any Alembic Bass lovers out there? Build documentation...

Well, I designed that bass close to 35 years ago...it evolved in that particular form between 1972 and 1976.

I was responsible for the overall design including the woodwork, the brass bridge, tailpiece, and back plate hardware, the oval inlays, and the pickups and for setting up the first three lutherie workshops where we went from one-off custom instruments into limited production. Ron Wickersham designed the electronics circuit.

Yup, one right here. Nice work on the design Rick. I'd love to have a hippie sandwich. Its a lot of cash though.

The headstock I on the bass I designed way back when has one of those hearts with a spire you see on some of the Alembic tails. I plan on incorperating that into some future acoustic headstocks. I draw it up in CAD a few months back. I'd share pics if I ever get back running with my account.

I really dig the Alembic style. I think they have some beautiful lines! I think that is one of the hardest things to do...to design something with lines that good. My hat is off to you Rick!!!

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http://www.PeakeGuitars.com

I had 2 in the 80's one was an Explorer shape. This got crunched in a car accident on the way to a gig in 86'. I miss that bass.
Great work Rick, I am actually listening to some Dead from 76' right now. Guess you are in there somewhere.
Best, Evan

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http://www.NewYorkGuitarRepair.com

'76...that would probably be Phil on "the Godfather" bass...the one with the wavy stars inlaid in the koa face with the knobs at the points of the stars. That was an amazing bass! I made a quadraphonic pickup for it so he could play each string through a different set of speakers. Since his Wall of Sound rig gave him 36 15" speakers, each string could go to 9 of them. It was glorious. I did a fair amount of inlay on that sucker, too. George Mundy did the electronics on that bass under the direction of Ron.

Phil & bass...

Great bass! I have always been a fan and owned an Alembic for a few years in the 90's. Unfortunately when I picked up my Pedulla bass I sold the Alembic.

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Brad
Avon, OH

Still working on it!

Yup Rick,
thats the one. Gotta love Phil, when I listen to the Dead I can tell which bass he was using
by the intonation in the upper register it got better when he started to use the better basses
such as the one in the photo.
But I love it all, such a great player and of course Jack Casady.

Best, Evan

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http://www.NewYorkGuitarRepair.com

I built Alembic #001 for Jack.

Unfortunately neither Phil nor Jack own those particular basses now, though both wish they still did. Nothing quite like a few years of substance abuse...and then going sober...

Cool, hindsight is 20/20 or just 10/10 if you also hocked one of your eyes during a drug binge.
Any idea where those basses ended up Rick?
Best, Evan

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http://www.NewYorkGuitarRepair.com

I know the guy who owns Jack's #1 Alembic, and he's loaned it to me for a couple of museum shows. Phil's bass is in the ozone, and I hear it got hacked up to use as a pickup testbed by some fool who either has no idea what it would have been worth intact, or it may have such a drug deal/criminal activity line of ownership that nobody wants to admit to owning it.

Rick, that is a great design. I have a couple in the shop now for some mods. Quite incredible instruments.