Stub Mandrel

Perhaps Fleur de Lys and claim it's an Alembic?

I've got a Tokai SG, unfortunately it's such an accurate copy the wiring is equally hard to get your head around.

That's settled then, spikey it is. 🙂 Thanks Ricky.

It's drilled. I definitely don't see MM or G&L shapes in my future... 🤣 Could go for the 'Bite' look

I think you mean CNC routers 🙂 (Machinery pedant)

I've never bought without trying first. Only exception is a s/h bass bought from @stewblack but he let me have a plonk through a little portable amp (we were in a layby!) before taking my dosh. I don't mind paying a bit more to keep music shops in existence. That said I have bought accessories online, usually because I can't find them in a shop.

Should be loads of legacy EEPROMers on the web, most used to run of a PC parallel port IIRC.

EPROMs? These day people just use NAND flash which is reprogrammable at standard supply voltages. What do you need an EPROM for?

I think that is normal for Gibson wiring. Effectively the two volume controls are wired side by side with both pickups selected, so if one is turned right down it mutes both pickups. I think the assumption was 'why would you want one pickup turned right down when you have selected both?' I think this may match your wiring, i can't find one without eth band on top.

Not with social distancing, of course...

Our practice room is about 6m by 12m, it's large enough for a small orchestra to practice in.

I'm patiently waiting for a Harley Benton P-bass kit, hopefully in a few weeks... The headstock comes uncut. I was wondering if putting a pre-1957 'telecaster-style' headstock on a later style body would be a style fail? I'm also wondering about putting the 1997 'spikey' headstock:

The 2m does apply indoors. The place we rehearse is big enough we are well over 2m apart normally! Hopefully we will be able to resume at some point with plenty of separation.

No-one understands how Gibson tone controls work, not even Gibson...

One of his albums is called 'Flip'...

Its possibly even worse, some cheaper instruments have lower-quality parts fitted that in practice are no cheaper. I compared Squier and Fender thinline Tele bodies side by side, both meant to be copies of the same vintage original. The only differences I could detect were slight differences in body shape yet they were almost certainly both made using CNC and could have used the same files and been identical at less cost to the company. They actually create differences to justify price differentials.

LOL! I read that as meaning you use a volume spoon like whammy bar, instead of a volume pedal.

It's no different from paying extra for a MIA Fender over a MIM one really, or even iover a Squier. Any actual improvements are trivial in cost compared to the actual price differential. Alembic are just able to balance supply and demand by keeping their product scarce and elite. They don't compromise on quality, which is easy when the margin on one of your basses is a year's salary for an ordinary luthier. (Just a shame so many of their designs are spoilt by body shapes copied off Indian restaurant flock wallpaper...)

Gillan said it was the longest party he ever had, and what hated was (a) the pretty awful cover and (b) the muddy mix* - two things pretty much everyone would agree with. As for 'least heavy' - when did you last listen to it? Even Jacinda Aherne looks nervous when Disturbing the Priest comes on... *Courtesy of Geezer who buried everything under his bass 🙂

Ok, what about...

I still have my copy of the Black Night c/w Speed King single with a picture of a trashed chair-mountain at Budokan on the sleeve 🙂

Yes... but...

When I was around 20 (early '80s ) there were three bands that virtually everyone I know would have said were the 'giants' of rock music - Zeppelin, Sabbath and Purple. OK bands like Metallica and Maiden and even <spit>Duff Leotard are the big guys now, but Zeppelin (who had imploded even by 1980) and Sabbath still retain 'legend' status. But Purple seem to have become a footnote. How and why?

My own soundcloud account. Sad eh?

Looks good to me. The hardest part is knowing when to stop... I've ordered a Harley Benton kit and that comes with a basically rectangular headstock. Not sure whether to do a classic 'fender' or put the 1987 spiky Fender headstock on it for a 'bass that never was'...