Alembic Guitar # 1

[Mandoborg]

I was fortunate enough to receive this picture in my e-mail today !! The source of the picture would like to remain stealth. This here is the first Alembic guitar dated 1970. In all the years i've been drooling over the California lutherie scene of the 70's, i've never seen this picture.....it was indeed takin by the kind gent that sent it to me.....with permission to post.......It's the genesis of what was to become , in my opinion, the pinnacle of guitar making. Just as the Dead fathered an incredible amount of people in the audio industry, Alembic fathered many, many great guitar builders. Ron Wickersham, Frank Fuller, Rick Turner, Larry Robinson, these are all names we all know and love and will be long remembered for an extremely high level of workmanship. They set the table we all eat at, and for that we owe a debt of gratitude. What i like about this picture is the guitar is freakin ugly !! Anyone remember there first guitar project ??!! They don't all start out looking like Wolf !!

Jim

[tigerstrat]

Alembic fathered many, many great guitar builders. Ron Wickersham, Frank Fuller, Rick Turner, Larry Robinson

I see it exactly the reverse. These men brought together tons of inspiration, invention and knowledge, and Alembic was the result.

I love my 1996 lefty wenge-top Epic-5!

[Mandoborg]

Tigerstrat, i see your point ! I've always considered Alembic the 'umbrella' that covered all those guys ! The guy i got this picture from was lucky enough to be able to hang around Alembic while all those cats were doing there thing.........not only does he know how lucky he is/was, he's also very humble and shares a ton of information on that scene without any reservations.

[mkaufman]

I wonder how well that guitar is balanced.

mk

[JonnyBoy]

pretty cool, thanks for sharing. That looks like a guitar someone would have made during that era, all psychedelic and such. I wonder how it plays....

[waldo041]

i'll keep the luthier's name stealth as well, but he deserves soo much more credit then he unfortunately receives for his work. i got the same pic sent to me the other day from him. i can say though that it was made for Bob Weir, but returned as it just didn't suit Bobby. he stated possibly because it is a 27 fret guitar.

anyway, that IS one cool and very historic guitar!

peace,
waldo

[Grant]

i wonder if Bob wishes he kept it

[strumminsix]

That is awesome and thanks to you and the secret gent!

They are the Godfathers of lutheirs in my book.

[bdhact1]

There is some semblance to Eagle.

[KCJones]

i'll keep the luthier's name stealth as well, but he deserves soo much more credit then he unfortunately receives for his work. i got the same pic sent to me the other day from him.

"No one person ever has built an Alembic Instrument"

Apperantly you may be re-writing history, as this note from a original founder of Alembic, Susan Wickersham, states otherwise. Here's an excerpt .... along with a link to her note (scroll down to see Susan's post 49).

"No one person ever has built an Alembic Instrument. It always has been and always will remain an Alembic Community effort. I think that is part of the magic. So the historical thread and future consistency is safe at Alembic with the founders and original designers, Ron and myself and of course the heir apparent Mica along with our dedicated staff of artistic craftmen and luthiers."

http://www.alembic.com/club/messages/395/11103.html

[Mandoborg]

If you read my note i never mentioned any one luthier built this guitar. The picture was sent to me by a friend that was around back in the days of Alembics beginings, nothing more than that. It's not about re-writing history, Alembics history, warts and all, is already carved in stone. I'm definetly not here to ruffle any feathers, i just thought it would be really neat to show the first Alembic guitar to those that would like to see it.
At the risk of ruffling some feathers i will say this, Rick Turner and Frank Fuller deserve a LOT of credit for Alembic and Susan and Mica know this and respect this......however, It seems that the people that left Alembic and persued solo careers are kind of left out. Thankfully they all went on to produce instruments on there own and credit should be givin to those that wrote the original history.
Again, i've loved Alembic for as long as i can remember, and the names metioned in my first post are my 'heros' for lack of a better term, so accept my apologies if i upset anyone.....not my intent for sure......... Don't want to get into who built what .......... it's all art and it's here to be appreciated....

I mean NO ill feelings towards anyone.......I hope i worded this right...........

Jim

[KCJones]

You didn't upset anybody, not even close; just trying to separate fact from fiction. In fact maybe I misinterpreted Waldo's quote where he says he'll "keep the luthier's name stealth". I guess I interpreted that to mean the luthier who built that guitar, and the person who sent the pic to him, were the same person. Sorry for the confusion. But if by chance they were the same person, it seems that that that person was not the sole luthier who built the guitar thats all.

Peace.

[JonnyBoy]

I am sure they all touch the instrument throughout the process, but it can be noted that a particular person thinks up, draws out, cuts the wood makes the guitar, and someone puts fret wire, another puts electrical and other does inlay. The Main carpenters are the luthiers, no matter how many people help with the piece down the line. I am sure someone is the main creator and everyone has no problem seeing this. Again I am assuming this, what a pain in the ass if one guy cut one board, another cut another, or one did 3 fret wires then I came in ad did 3 more after him. that would be silly. But all assembly lines are a group effort, but not all get the title luthier.

[Pete B.]

Are there any close ups of the body (what's that big black looking thing?) and neck (kinda looks like the crop-circles thing?)?

...but it can be noted that a particular person thinks up, draws out, cuts the wood makes the guitar... ...I am sure someone is the main creator.

I would believe this... fwiw/imho, It would be hard to belive that multiple people agreed with the "Look" of that guitar.

Here's an Alembic right up my ally:
http://www.alembic.com/info/fc_7stringthing.html

[strumminsix]

Here's an Alembic right up my ally:
http://www.alembic.com/info/fc_7stringthing.html

Really? It's funny, you ask for 1 more and I think could easily do a KEEF! with only 5 for about 98% of the material.