What The Heck Is Alembic?

malthumb · Goldfish Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 56 Location: Detroit

First off, hey y'all. This is my first post at BassDogs. I just happened to stumble into the Alembic forum. Since I'm an Alembic owner (have owned 6, still own 2) and self-proclaimed Alembic know-it-all, I figured I'd stop in and chat a while.

Neil Gray asked What does Alembic mean? An Alembic is a container used for distilling liquids and gases. A lot of them are very decorative and ornate. Almost like jewelry.

Re: Prince I have a DVD of his Rave Unto the Year 2000 concert. In it he momentarily plays a white bass that is either a Warwick or a Spector (from whom Warwick licensed their most popular designs). The purple symbol instrument is a guitar, not a bass. Don't know who made it. Could be Spector.

Famous Alembic Players Since we started talking about Prince, one of his bass players (Brown Mark) used a white Alembic Spoiler to record "Raspberry Beret" and other songs on the Around The World In A Day"Album. For funk fans (like me), Louis Johnson of The Brothers Johnson used an Alembic Series I on the "Right On Time" album. That's the album that has their signature tune, "Strawberry Letter 23". On the cover Louis is holding the bass, which is almost a twin of the 1987 Series I that I currently own. Kool Bell of Kool & the Gang used an Alembic Series I for a lot of his career, including on songs that everybody remembers like "Celebration". The bassist for the group Rose Royce used an Alembic Series I to record Car Wash. Bass God Stanley Clarke has used Alembic Series I basses since the early '70s and has an Alembic model named after him. Wierd Al Yankovich's bass player uses one of the Alembic Stanley Clarke models. And now, for the most controversial, supposedly Flea used an Alembic Epic to record the "One Hot Minute" CD, including "Aeroplane". The interesting thing here is that the Epic is Alembic's cheapest model, but Flea chose to use that in the studio, instead of the Music Man he normally used on stage at that point of his career.

That's enough for now, I guess.

Peace,

James

BassMan02 · Tiger Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 848

You are leaving out 3 very important Alembic players.
Phil Lesh
Jerry Garcia
Bob Weir

They were some of the first to play the instraments
_________________
Sometimes we ride on your horses
Sometimes we walk alone
Sometimes the songs that we hear
are just songs of our own

-"Eyes of the World" Grateful Dead

malthumb · Goldfish Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 56 Location: Detroit

Bassman,

You're right. I left out some pretty important players like the ones you mentioned, plus John McVie of Fleetwood Mac, the late John Entwhistle of the Who, Jason Newsted when he was with Metallica, and Greg Lake of Emerson Lake & Palmer. I tend to forget those guys 'cause I don't typically listen to their music.

The one I forgot that is the funniest is Mark King, who played Alembics when he was with Level 42. The reason it's so funny is that my main bass is an Alembic Mark King Signature 5 string. I bought it before I really knew who Mark King was.

Peace,

James

stoney · Newbie Alert Joined: 06 Jul 2004 Posts: 1

Hi James,

I just stumbled in here myself and wouldn't you know it, I trip over you !!! At least I know I'm in good company.

Good little board they have here.

Stoney

Matthias · Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2004 3:58 am Post subject:

malthumb · Goldfish Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 56 Location: Detroit

bubinga5 · Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2006 5:40 pm Post subject:

Prince played a Warwick thumb and it sold at the bass centre in the uk recently. Lovely bass....
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Rd_Artist · Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 5:30 am Post subject:

You forgot to mention...........

John Paul Jones, in the later years
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"I'm not a man who likes to swear, but I never cared for the sound of being alone."