lozbass

If you like the bass and playability is good, I'd stick with it (re-sale on a custom bass like this is unlikely to deliver a good return - as you suggest). Given your location, my suggestion would be a trip to see Martin at the Gallery - he's the person I'd trust the most to offer really sound advice on the feasibility of achieving the tone your seeking (and the options for getting there is it's possible). You could manage to hold on to a very individual instrument, get it to sound how you'd like, and spend a lot less than you'd lose on a sale.

'Never tire of seeing those Sados - extremely tasteful

Love the P - very cool indeed (some nice personal touches in there too)

A very lovely and very tasteful collection indeed! The '75 Jazz is a particular favourite but they're all lovely examples of very desirable basses - bravo!

[quote name='birdy' post='778400' date='Mar 18 2010, 11:06 AM']Pinched from Talkbass.... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl-bVs1INtY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl-bVs1INtY[/url] What a happy guy :-) Steve[/quote] Really made me smile! What a lovely, laconic style - the music and groove just flow out - effortless cool

Err...I think that shortscales will fit in a Hiscox standard bass case (EBS). I had a shortie in one of mine - there was a fair bit of space but the Hiscox pads hold the bass fairly firmly and you can add a little more padding if necessary

[quote name='eubassix' post='776563' date='Mar 16 2010, 06:42 PM']... do they sell their basses at these prices, or is there a massive discount within the USA ?!![/quote] There's a massive dealer discount - often around 30%. Alembics are still very expensive basses (moreso in Europe with VAT and duty)! I have an Alembic and a Celinder - there's very little in it in terms of quality of work - both instruments/builders are absolutely stellar. The Celinder is a more 'simple' construction (and has less sophisticated electronics), however, fit, finish, playability and attention to detail are, IMO, very similar across Celinders and Alembics. That said, Chris' basses certainly aren't cheap - as far as I can ascertain, a new update/vintage (P or J) is going to cost well over €4k - and there's no dealer discount (and frequently a bit of hassle in securing the instrument in a reasonable timeframe...if customer reports are to be believed).

No problem - pretty cheap too - I usually buy twin-packs (StringsDirect I think) for an even better deal: however, it may be worth trying one set first to see if they're suitable

I tend to use d'Addario EXL nickel rounds on Js (usually EXL220 - 40-95 gauge) - I find them bright without 'pinginess' and fairly full with sufficient jazz growl when digging in a bit around the bridge. I play with a very light touch - for anybody with a heavier technique, I'd suspect there's a lot of growl to be had

Another great case deal with Martin (in Sainsbury's carpark) - superb basschatter and the backbone of our humble chatting community. Deal with utmost confidence!

Hi MB1 and Uzzell - thanks guys - I'm blushing. Two really easy deals. The first even gave me time to get back to supervise the plastering. I'll be off for a skulk around Sainsburys carpark over the weekend - some good deals to be had there...

It it's a 3 point, there's a Hipshot here: [url="http://store.hipshotproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=264"]http://store.hipshotproducts.com/cart.php?...etail&p=264[/url]

Just received an Agi DB112 and Roqsolidcover from Uzzel - they're in perfect condition (entirely as new) as described. Packing was just superb and the whole deal was extremely friendly and easy. I couldn't recommend Chris more highly - fantastic communications, polite, accommodating and entirely honest - thanks very much!

+1 It really is a fantastic finish - the sunlight was strong this morning and I couldn't see just how beautiful the colour/top is. Alembic finishing really is something to behold

That's lovely - quite an unusual Alembic - I'm pretty sure I've seen it around elsewhere (Alembic Club?) TheBass - given you're clearly an Alembic fan, it may be worth having a look at the existing Alembic Thread in gear porn - you'll find it at: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=26098&hl=Alembic"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...&hl=Alembic[/url] You may want to add images of your Alembics to the collection there

Another meeting with Martin in Sainsbury's carpark last afternoon - talked of foam, plasterers and tile-cutters (though far too briefly!) You could try BSH cases in Manchester (Ancoats) - [url="http://www.bsh-transitcases.easynet.co.uk/"]http://www.bsh-transitcases.easynet.co.uk/[/url] (0161 273 2323) The company builds cases but may be able to supply foam in uncut sheets (I had a couple of cases re-foamed there around 18 months ago - excellent job but very expensive). I know they stock/use various grades. An alternative would be Castle Cases - very friendly and easy to deal with.

Oh yessss!

[quote name='Conan' post='767882' date='Mar 8 2010, 01:01 PM']I stand corrected! Good answer! [/quote] Thank you, you're very kind! It was just an observation (I was messing about with my SC in the dark last evening - the controls are a bit tricky unless you watch what you're doing). It gives me an opportunity to bump this lovely bass again!

[quote name='Conan' post='767846' date='Mar 8 2010, 12:45 PM']I understand that. But in reality, how many times do you [b]really[/b] need to [b]look[/b] at the knobs on your bass to see what your settings are? [/quote] Good point - and not too easy for me to comment as I gave up gigging almost 20 years ago (and so, have largely forgotten). That said, the circuit in Alembics is much more powerful/versatile/complicated than any other I've used (and trust me, I've used a lot) and small tweaks can make a significant difference. As a result of the (relatively) complicated nature of the filter circuit and control layout, it's good to be able to see where you're up to (fairly quickly and clearly) if you want to dial-in a particular tone for a specific passage of music. Being 20 degrees out on the filters can be a big deal. You'll see SC himself doing a fair bit of messing about with filters and volumes in a live setting (and sometimes, he appears to look rather than just listen - I could be wrong of course).

It's a really lovely bass - thanks for the extra details. It looks like there's a fine black/dark pinstripe laminate between the cocobolo and the purpleheart - is this the case (if so, it's a really nice touch and not something you see on too many Sigs)? I thought the electronics were Anniversary - I've not had an opportunity to compare Ann and Sig side-by-side but it appears to me that the Ann. offers a few more options (beyond the obvious stereo-mono selection) I keep looking at the knobs - maybe not the most elegant but they work well and it's easy to see what you're doing (even in a gig setting) on a bass that has a massive range of tonal options. I've seen a few Alembics with wooden replacement knobs - I have to be honest, I'm not keen on them at all (on an Alembic). I know some players prefer the old top hat knobs on an Alembic - again, I'm not sure they're much of an improvement on the newer version

[quote name='tayste_2000' post='766855' date='Mar 7 2010, 01:28 PM']That Overwater of mine is 36inch scale [/quote] Hahaha - that explains a lot! 'Must dig out my tape measure

+1 - there were three really nice '60/'70s models on ebay last week - all were expensive but great examples. I've had both Mustangs and Musicmasters and prefer the former (a more sophisticated instrument in nearly every way). Prices appear to be rising now, especially for older models. An older Mustang could be a great, playable investment. I think there's something really cool about them too.