LeftyBassist.com

Not to pry, but did you pay the asking price, or a bit lower? Either way, buying an Alembic - any - Alembic these days, for under $2500 is a great buy... It's interesting that in the Marketplace description, the pictures make this bass look in great condition... I'm sure that once you've bought the parts you want, recondition the neck etc., this is going to be one Helluva bass! Looking forward to the end result....

Thanks for all the interest folks !!

Not at all Five. I paid a bit under asking from his first listing. He had listed it again on Reverb for higher but I went through the ebay auction. Glad I did.

I have no back story on it though I believe someone here said it was his father's at one time ? Regardless, it had been PLAYED. Nice to see but does call for considerable work. Normally, I'd clean something up a bit, fix hardware and electronics, setup and go. This one deserves considerable attention from myself and a pro. Worth it in the end. Still need confirmation but this does seem to be a Persuader base order with an Exploiter body option. I believe this to be especially from the simple preamp layout (which I prefer) and the simpler 3 piece maple neck.

So 2 questions for the forum: does anyone know of a reputable chrome plater ? Alembics really look sharp with good chrome (I've had one in the past this way) and makes for easier maintenance cleaning hardware later.

Secondly, does anyone know how to pry those bridge pieces apart to get the saddles and pins out ? It is really tight. I don't know if that is a press fit situation or is suppose to come apart easily. I need to get those saddles out.

So far:

- All hardware has been removed.
- Brass parts have been scoured (long sanding and polishing process!)
- Preamp had a bad pot but may be ok after some work.
- Preamp boards scoured with alcohol, pots cleaned (will test later).
- Top hat knobs scoured and brushed.
- For now fret ends filed but it will go in for full fretwork (may need refret)

12th fret marker fell out and has a piece missing but I hope I can get a replacement from Alembic. Two markers are protruding since the fretboard was so dry that it shrank and eased them out. The dryness was so bad I could visually see frets protruding on the sides. I have filed those for now but again it will go in for fret work.

At one time, the panel mount jack caved into the top. It prob was an accident with the cable being stepped on or the bass falling onto it. I will say it was very cleverly covered with a really cool switch plate that you would use with a 3-way LP switch. Very clever and if body work does not look right, I will put that switch plate back on with the jack.

Wow what a project! Love the updates and look forward to seeing the finished product.

Thanks for the update... quite a project! As for the bridge - when I took mine apart, I just don't remember if I was able to pull the two plates apart, off the metal pins. I'm sure it's all pressed together, so you might have to devise a jig of some sort to "press" them apart... sounds like you're planning to chrome the bridge pieces?

That bridge may have to be soaked. Ugh.

Chrome plating indeed. I have seen a num of Alembics with the chrome including owning one myself years back and it looks sharp and correctly goes with the chrome tuners. I'll never understand how they would mix hardware colors back then.

Those bridges always look to me like they were made from brass stock and scrapbox parts using very basic tools, but raw brass usually does tend to look handmade the way it tarnishes.
A wheel/gear puller can probably push the steel pins out, but you'd have to do each pin a bit at a time to avoid distorting the plate.
https://www.amazon.com/Mascot-Precision ... 942&sr=8-4

Although the actual bridge tarnishes over time, it has a hand-made look to it. The string retainer however, as evidenced by Isimy's pictures, shows that it was finished with some type of poly-urethane(?) finish, and just looks cheap, especially after is starts to degrade....

Appreciate the tip on this !!!!

Isimy - I assume you've become a member of the Alembic forums... have you asked the question there about how to pry the bridge apart? I'll bet there a number of Alembic owners who have done it....

I went to the Alembic forum site, did some research, but so far, couldn't find any threads in regards to separating the bridge. Join the Forum, and pose your question.... http://club.alembic.com/index.php?board=141.0, under the Troubleshooting section...

Appreciate that Five !! The hardware is with Joe at Prana as is the body. He has the tools to get that apart and then from there will hit chrome plating. Since I hit a brick wall with my limited knowledge and tools, he now will carry to the torch and already doing an amazing job. Hopefully he will chime in here soon.

Smart move! That's what the experts are for... worth the money/investment, and it will be done right the first time....

Joe's on it already. Good stuff. Thanks Joe !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOY3aR20xfE

watched the entire video... Joe has passion, and professionalism, into doing the right thing by you... I subscribed to his channel, to make sure I don't miss a single episode of this rebuild.... same bat-time, same bat-channel!

What an awesome leftybassist community project!

Thanks guys !

Ok skipping chrome for now. It's just not worth it at this stage. Maybe something to have done later since hardware is easily removed.

I don't have info from Alembic but they did send out new bridge hardware which is great. What I know so far just in my limited knowledge is that this appears to be a Persuader base model with an Exploiter body option. The simpler 3 piece neck gives that away as does the simpler filter based preamp and PJ config usual for Persuaders. As much as I'd like to have Joe at Prana go hog-wild with finish mods I think this is best kept as an "is what it is" situation.

- clean up and polish brass further
- upgrade to revised preamp with blend and dual trim pots
- finish in amber similar to stock
- body repairs and fretwork

Still a ton to do ! Joe has thankfully really embraced it so this should come out very nice.

That PJ is notoriously heavy on the P side as the J is much weaker. Interesting as that reminds me of how G&L SB-2's sound where the bridge pickup is much weaker but together sound great. That revised preamp will be a good update with the dual trims to balance that out a bit.

More to come...

Sweet fancy Moses, pickups and preamp work like a champ. I was concerned there for a bit seeing just how much grime (a lot of which seemed to be damp) was on the boards. The filter pot shaft came apart while removing a top hat knob but was able to be pieced back together. After an alcohol scrub and Deoxit, all work great. I can now see however why they revised this preamp with a blend control with 2 trim pots vs dual volume controls and 1 trim pot. These J's are as weak as they say they are and the P has massive output. I'm just thrilled the filter works to be honest. Still totally usable and can be upgraded at another time.

This appears to be stock from 1986 and with the filter pot going back together and all working with no crackling or dropouts throughout the travel of the pots is just another example of the quality choices made in these instruments.

Another option for preserving the brass once it's polished, and something I used to do when I polished the aluminum (aluminium? ) on my motorcycles, was to spray them with a clear lacquer gloss finish... it lasted for a long time, even with the engine heat factor.... ask Joe about possibly dipping-or-spraying them to seal them from the inevitable oxidation that brass is known for...

Thanks Five !! We will need to go that route indeed on the brass. That cleaning was endless !!

Joe has made a few videos on plans and progress on the Alembic. Check out his channel on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNMfptS-UgjFnpJ4Cr1bTdw/videos

The cavity damage has been expertly repaired, fretwork leveling and removal of the original finish have been completed. Also some lovely inlay work was done on the missing 12th fret inlay as well as a new inlay behind the headstock logo. Joe will hopefully jump in here and explain further. He's really taken the entire refurb under his wing. I could not have asked for a better luthier on this one !

More to come. Stay tuned !