A couple of comments from an Alembiholic. Ive currently got three with a custom just about ready for shipping, so many years of playing these amazing instruments. First, Ron and Susan Wickersham started by building audio recording mixers for the first multi-track recorders, working closely with the Grateful Dead. That evolved into them designing the famous “wall of sound” PA used for Dead tours. They then started creating guitars and basses, starting with Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh. Then they started the bespoke manufacturing. The basses are works of art, almost more of a playable wood sculpture than a standard slab-bodied, bolt-on bass. The filter system does take some getting used to, but it soon becomes the Swiss army knife of tone. Way more versatile than my Musicman Sterlings or my Rics. They are quite expensive, but you can find great deals in the used market, especially for Elans and Distillates. I recently picked up a custom fretless Excel for around $5k. With the less expensive models, not as many bells and whistles as the Series II, but still with the active filter circuits. Awesome basses, all around. Once you play one, you realize just how far the art of instrument creation can go.

That is my dream bass! Sadly I would have to win the lottery to afford it.

Ever since discovering Stanley Clarke, an Alembic (any alembic but then SC signature is ideal) is my dream bass. It is right up there with a genuine Carl Thompson

A very informative video, my friend. The controls lend their way to Holy Grail attainability. The Alembics can melt souls with their gorgeous build and boutique styling.

That bass is beautiful, I miss my alembics from the 90s

I had Doug Irwin build me a bass in 74. It served me really well! Same sort of bass but had Beast pickups (some of the first) from Bartolini! Sold it last year to a collector! Miss it as well as the 82 G&L I had as well

To change the low pass, and Q, these are things that are done in the preamp circuit, similar to the effects of audio preamps.

AWESOME!!!! Detailed video and yes this would be my dream bass as well!!!!

Owned 3 Alembics, still have two, Series 1 from 1980 and Anniversary 5 from 1992, just one of the best basses ever build.... And I love filters, perfect options

Not my cup of tea visually, but you can't deny that's a special instrument!

My friend had 2 made for himself and they are both spectacular. Beautiful and sound amazing.

Oh My Gosh, this is THE Alembic bass. I live in Sonoma County, have been to the Mothership countless times, and Rich Lasner who designed the Peavey Cirrus, Flea bass, Steve Vai, and more who also owns VOX guitars in Novato, CA and is a friend I can tell you that Peavey Cirrus USA walnut / bubinga, and Alembic basses are two of my favorites because they are local, and the best. I know a lot of local Alembic players and 95% of them also own a Peavey Cirrus. The Alembic series 2 with a bubinga top is THE best of the best of all wood choices. You have the classic Mohangony body that holds the lows nice and tight, and add the bubinga top for a blossoming tone of each and every note. It's PERFECTION. Whomever bought this bass for $10k got the best bass ever made.

You can't talk about Alembics and not mention Jimmy Johnson! If you've heard James Taylor in the last 35 years, you've heard Jimmy Johnson's Alembic Series II. He was among the very first 5-string players with his first Alembic 5 string in 1975 or 1976. Before Ken Smith was building 5 strings, and around the same time that Anthony Jackson was working with Carl Thompson on his first 6-string. Another cool note - Rick Turner was at Alembic in the early years, before he went to Gibson and then eventually formed Turner/Renaissance.

Baixo absurdamente lindo, alembic é um outro nível na questão de criação de baixos, uma pena serem tão pouco acessíveis, se no exterior já são bem caros imagina então aqui no Brasil. Mas felizmente temco youtube pra eu poder apreciar essa beleza de instrumento.

Alembic has ALWAYS Been the Standard for High End Basses!

I've seen Alembics before with Stanley Clarke, but I really take an interest in them until I saw Mark King of Level 42 with a couple of them. A Mark King signature Alembic is definitely one of my dream basses, but reality keeps getting in the way...😄

Q Switch and Filter on Alembics are a useable live and recording feature love it! Always love your reviews Don

Didn't John Entwistle of the Who have a similar bass guitar in the 70s?

I have an Alembic Essence made in the mid 1990s. It has the low pass filter but not a Q control. It played it a lot back in the day but now have gravitated back to basses with the boost and cut tone circuitry. The Alembic is super clean in tone but requires a high quality amplifier to really shine. The basses that I have now are less picky.

Just WOW.

I was just waiting for the moment his smacks the headstock on that counter or knocks a bottle off 😂

Well...I'm not into boutique basses, and I am happy enough with my current instruments, but if I get to play one of these, chances are I'll fall in love, so if I could afford an Alembic I'd probably go for one of these. This one sounds phenomenal and is as versatile as a single bass can get, so...who knows? In the future I might get one.

I've got a Moog MF Drive that's got a similar peak boost for its low-pass filter, but I'd totally trade

OMG!😮😮😮😮

It better be for a starting price of $25,000. If I had that kind of money, I would totally get one.

Beautiful, but the controls look like someone spilled a box of chocolates onto a coffee table haha.

A Dream Bass to own!! Sooo nice craftsmanship,..quality & most of all SOUND!!! The tone once heard,..you’ll want one!! They “Feel” good too!,..although quite heavy…its why they sound sooo good‼️👏🏾🤣Play one through an Amp then on to PA @a concert arena ,…and you will know that you are vibrating the Earth!!🌏⚡️

Phil Lesh used Alembic.

Pianist stopping by. How much do these go for? 20k? 40k? 100k?

Perfect for that Fleetwood Mac cover band lol

Thanks for showcasing these glorious instruments, but I don't know a single bass player that chicken picks his bass ;) haha! I think the tone of this bass would better come to light if you let it ring out rather than play stacatto like this.

You must have moved the bass pretty quick…no longer seeing it on your website or Reverb

Maybe but i think take a oringinal Spector

It was good enough for Stanley Clarke, so….

Sounds kinda noisy the way you have it set up.

I have tried a few Alembics but MTD and Foderas play and sound better.

How did all those P-bass players ever get by?😂😂😂

...Aaand the audience will never be able to tell the difference between this and an affordable bass.

Without any Q, flat with both pickups, it sounds exactly like a Rickenbacker 4001/3 bass. It's that single coil sound.