...Or something like that.

(The pics were taken this morning in a hurry through an iPhone. Don't ask me why I can see them straight on both the phone and the Mac, and once I upload them anywhere they look rotated)

I am not sure if I have told it here before. A bout a couple months ago I went to Spain for a small tour. Right on the start I started feeling ill, and I developed a very uncomfortable colon problem, which prevented me from going shopping the way I wanted (I was planning from some time to go to www.todobajos.es store in Madrid and buy me a classy fish). It involved the hard work of finding enough Euro (Here in Venezuela we have a strict currency exchange limit control, so anything above that is black market exclusively), and planning the schedule with almost surgical precision to be able to do so. The thing is I was totally unable to fulfill my plans, since I had to spent most of the time on bed, really ill. So I came back to Caracas without spending the Euros on any bass.

I had a Plan B from the day before we flew out to Madrid: A friend of mine came home and offered me his bass. I have been hunting for a second 5er to have as a backup, just in case (and if it happened to be a classy fish, then my "current" one would be the backup, who knows... ). So here comes this friend and offers me his Washburn Bantam XB105. I tell him "If I don't come from Spain with a new bass, I'll buy it". By the day we were on our way to Spain, I had already decided I'd buy it anyway. Und I did.


So I named it "Plan B", since that was what it was. I've been gigging with it recently, and does it dounds good!! Active pups, with new strings is real tight sounding and nice for both thumpin' and slapping, which I do much on the Jenny D show.

Then I've also had for more than a year a Peavey Grind 4, which I love, but whose sound was really disappointing to me. I took off its BIG soapbar pups and tried (just checking) with the old J's from my Fernandes Jazz (Which currently sports Bartolinis ) and the sound changed dramatically (for good). Still, there was something missing (Yes... was missing a whole bug chunk of wood around the J-pups!) and I decided to swap strings for lighter, brighter ones. So I've put D' Addario's stainless steel 40's. BIG difference. Now we' re heading right. I only needed to put some decent sized pups on there. My choices were between same-sized barts (impossible to be found here in Caracas, 200$ on eBay, PLUS a preamp, I wanted this to be active) OR not-so-exactly sized active EMG 35's, (found at the store that is a block from my office, more expensive than eBay Barts, BUT I can pay them right away, no currency exchange control/limits). I went for the EMG's. Filled the gap at the sides with foam. Installed them myself. Sound EXACTLY as I was looking for.




So I was ready, or so I thought. Was left with some Euro in case of a new travel to Europe, or as foreign-currency small savings.

Then last week, that friend of mine with the awesome collection of basses, calls me, and tells me a friend of his is selling a "jewel", something very nice and very cheap for what it's worth. I had seen an ad on a local eBay-like website, and decided it was nice, but I had not the money to buy it, and since I had already bought "Plan B", I had no excuse to spend more money on yet another bass. At least not without being hitten by my spouse. THEN my friend calls me again, and tells me his friend is in some hurry, because his wife is going to travel to Spain (Oh, what a coincidence!) and needs the money to buy some Euros (Yikes!!!). SO...

...I contacted the guy, offered him the Euros directly... and yesterday we did a simple swap trade for this new baby: Alembic Epic 5. I still cannot believe it myself.






I've had very little time to play it and feel it. It sounded AWESOME on the Gallien-Kruegers (The former owner has a 150E and I have a 200MB, tested it on both), AND on the Hartke with one of my custom 2x10s. Only had to adjust the bridge and the nut (yesss.. is sweet!) a little bit, since this guy plays mostly upright and "baby bass" (Has a couple really old original Ampegs, and a couple interesting clones, plays mostly in Salsa orchestras and had no use for the Alembic, OR the couple of old and battered 60s and 70s Jazz Basses he still has )

The neck is somewhat bat-like, which is not much my taste. Still is not much uncomfy to me, I was expecting it to be harder to play. The sound is pretty much piano-like (I have to say the same about the "Plan B" Washburn), but way more flexible thanks to the pups placement AND the 2-band active EQ. The Alembic pups sound great, and is practically noiseless. The body shakes when I play, the bridge is pure brass awesomeness. Oh, and it came with a nice leather bag!. Only that the body is smaller than usual (the Epic shape is quite.... Modern?) so I will end up probably finding another well-fit gig bag for it (an Incase maybe? :P) and using the leather one on the Jazz, probably...

I'm real happy. I've dreamt of an Alembic for years, and was something quite unreachable for me, for about 20 years. Last night when I came home with it, I had to spend some time alone at the studio with it to believe it. And I still think I am not yet accustomed to the idea I have it

The best part is... I saved and had a hard time getting those Euros (I had planned to buy me in Spain a Warwick -either it was an used Stage or a new Corvette 5- or a used Spector Euro, which would have costed me more than what I've paid for the Alembic here) and did not spent them the way I originally thought I'd do. In the end, with the money I didn't spend on the bass in Spain, It was enough for me to buy a notebook computer for my spouse, a couple of well-needed 1Tb hard disk drives, the "Plan b" bass (which I paid to the guy in euros as well), AND the Alembic, which I certainly like more than a Warwick Corvette, mind you. And since the spouse had the computer as a gift, the hard disks are for the whole family's use, and "Plan B" was cheap to buy, I was told "Well, that was what the money was for anyway, your "Classy fish", and this seems like a one-time chance. So why not? Go and get it!".

I'm happy.
:P:P:P:P

The best laid plans of mice and men.. and you ended up the winner in spite of it all. Good catches all around!

Excellent!

This story made my day. Enjoy all your new fish!

Good for you. I like stories with happy endings especially when they are bass related.

It was meant to be. Enjoy your new toys.

Great story and a great catch! Enjoy!

Schweet!

Gotta love it when a plan (C?) comes together. Congrats on the sweet fish.

I'm afraid what will happen when you are on the loose again!

I love the Peavey. I've never been much for Alembics - the "bat" neck is a main reason.

Enjoy!

Tom

Great catch on the Alembic, Juancarlin!



I must be the only person on this forum who likes a beefy, chunky neck.

You're not alone. We're three of a perfect pair.

My favorite 4 string neck is the half-round neck on my no-name P-style. It's about half as thick as it is wide.

I only like thin/flat necks on wide spaced 6 string basses.