Alembic was founded in 1969 and is a manufacturer of high-end electric basses, guitars and preamps.
History
Ron and Susan Wickersham founded Alembic, Inc. in 1969. Originally, it was conceived as a consulting firm that worked closely with the
Grateful DeadThe Grateful Dead were an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, jazz, psychedelia, and space rock—and for live performances of long musical...
,
Jefferson AirplaneJefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and other bands to help improve the quality of their sound systems and live recordings.
Rick TurnerRick Turner co-founded Alembic in 1970 and was involved in the design and construction of the Alembic instruments. He founded Rick Turner Guitars in 1979 and joined Gibson in 1988 where he served as president of Gibson Labs West Coast R&D Division....
also joined the company in that first year, becoming a shareholder in 1970.
Ron Wickersham and Rick Turner designed low-impedance pickups and electronics with greater bandwidth than the high-impedance pickups typical in electric guitars and basses of the time. To boost the low output of these pickups, Wickersham designed an active onboard preamp. In 1969, the first active electronics designed by Alembic were installed in instruments owned by
Phil LeshPhillip Chapman Lesh is a musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career....
,
Jack CasadyJack Casady , is an American musician considered one of the foremost bass guitarists of the rock music era and best known as a member of Jefferson Airplane. First playing as a lead guitarist with the Washington D.C...
,
Bob WeirBob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
and
Jerry GarciaJerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his work with the band the Grateful Dead...
. These were the first true active electronics to be installed in musical instruments. (UK manufacturer Burns introduced active tone controls on its TR2 bass in the '60s, although without the low impedance pickups essential to modern active electronics.)
Alembic became quite busy installing these new active electronics in players' guitars and basses. Instruments modified with these electronics were also often retrofitted with new necks and hardware. This work led the company to begin producing its own line of instruments, incorporating the improvements the company developed during this period. The first Alembic instrument, serial number 72-01, was a bass made for
Jack CasadyJack Casady , is an American musician considered one of the foremost bass guitarists of the rock music era and best known as a member of Jefferson Airplane. First playing as a lead guitarist with the Washington D.C...
, then a member of
Jefferson AirplaneJefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
. This bass incorporated a massive electronics suite, with super-filtering capability, and had pickups mounted on brass tubing so that their position could be adjusted.
The first production Alembic instruments were less ornate, and incorporated the PF-5 electronics circuit, later replaced by the PF-6. The pickups were single-coil, with an active hum-cancelling coil mounted between the pickups. This configuration gave the player the fidelity of single-coil pickups without their inherent noise, and is used to this day. The basses and guitars built using this configuration would later become known as the Series I and II, and were available in a variety of scale lengths and body shapes.
In 1976, Alembic made the world's first graphite neck basses with necks supplied by Geoff Gould, who subsequently founded
Modulus GuitarsModulus Guitars is an American manufacturer of musical instruments, most notably bass guitars built with carbon fiber necks. The company, originally called Modulus Graphite, was founded in part by Geoff Gould, a bassist who also worked for an aerospace company in Palo Alto, California.The name may...
. During this period, Alembic also delivered one of the first 5-string basses equipped with a low B string to
Jimmy JohnsonJimmy Johnson is an American bass guitarist, best known for his work with James Taylor, Allan Holdsworth, and Flim & the BB's.Born in 1956 into a musical family, his father was a 47-year member of the Minnesota Orchestra's bass section, his mother a piano teacher and accompanist, and his brother...
. Production of graphite-necked instruments ceased in 1985.
In 1978, Rick Turner left the company.
In 1979, the Distillate, a more affordable model, was introduced in bass and guitar versions.
Through the 1980s, Alembic introduced several new models. These included the Spoiler, Elan, and Europa basses, and the Electrum and California Special guitars. Alembic's model line has continued to expand to the present day, with models such as the Epic, Orion, Excel, and Darling being introduced.
The instruments
Key design elements from the earliest instruments are still present in Alembic’s instruments today.
Most Alembic basses and guitars are constructed around a laminated through neck, using various combinations of maple, purpleheart, walnut, cherry and ebony. This construction technique, combined with the laminated body wings found on most Alembics, inspired the "hippie sandwich" nickname commonly associated with instruments built this way. A popular configuration is a maple and purpleheart neck, a coco bolo top and back, and a mahogany body.
A variety of body shapes have been introduced throughout the history of the company. The Standard Point, the iconic Alembic body shape, was conceived to force players to put the instrument in a stand, as headstock repairs resulting from falls were the most common repair performed by the company in its early days. Newer body shapes have been introduced to improve ergonomics and to designate new models.
Alembic instruments can be ordered with a wide variety of custom features, including complex inlays and LED position markers in the neck.
All Alembic instruments incorporate the proprietary Alembic active electronics, with various options for tone controls and pickup configurations available.
All Alembic instruments are made in Alembic's factory in Santa Rosa, California.
The players
By 1973 Alembic was established as the instrument-maker of choice amongst many US west coast bands, including the
Grateful DeadThe Grateful Dead were an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, jazz, psychedelia, and space rock—and for live performances of long musical...
,
Jefferson AirplaneJefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
,
New Riders of the Purple SageNew Riders of the Purple Sage is an American country rock band. The group emerged from the psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco, California in 1969, and its original lineup included members of the Grateful Dead. Their best known song is "Panama Red"...
and others.
Stanley ClarkeStanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores. He is best known for his work with the fusion band Return to Forever.- Early life and education :Clarke was...
acquired his first Alembic in 1973. Other early Alembic players included
Lamar WilliamsLamar Williams was an American musician, most known as the bassist for The Allman Brothers Band and Sea Level....
of
The Allman Brothers BandThe Allman Brothers Band is a Southern rock band once based in Macon, Georgia, United States. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman...
and Tom Fowler of
Frank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, electronic, orchestral, and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album...
and
the Mothers of InventionThe Mothers of Invention was an American band active from 1964 to 1975. They mainly performed works by and were the original recording group of composer and guitarist Frank Zappa, although other members have an occasional writing credit.- History :...
.
As a result of such high-profile users, Alembic's fame soon spread.
Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake and Palmer) played a number of Alembics, including an eight string bass (four pairs of strings, each comprising a regular bass string and another lighter string tuned an octave higher) ordered in 1976. This instrument was subsequently sold to
John EntwistleJohn Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, and horn player, who was best known as the bass guitarist for the rock band The Who...
of
The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
.
EntwistleJohn Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, and horn player, who was best known as the bass guitarist for the rock band The Who...
switched from his custom "Fenderbird" basses to "standard point" Alembics for The Who's 1975 and 1976 tours. He then worked with Alembic to develop the Exploiter body shape – a cheekily named derivative of Gibson's Explorer - which he used exclusively from 1977 to 1985. Entwistle ordered 4 Series II Exploiter body basses over the years in a variety of woods. Most had note names inlaid as position markers on the fingerboards and sterling silver spider web inlays on the body. Prior to his death in 2002, Entwistle was working with Alembic on a limited edition replica of his guitar which was subsequently released as the "Spyder". On a very few dates of The Who's 1979 tour, guitarist
Pete TownshendPeter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
played Entwistle's zebrawood standard point bass during the song "
Trick Of The LightTrick of the Light is a single released by The Triffids from their album Calenture. It was produced by Gil Norton and written by David McComb. The B-Side "Love the Fever" was co-written by David McComb and Adam Peters and was produced by Adam Peters and was recorded in August 1986...
".
By the late '70s,
John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones is an English musician, composer, arranger, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist musician.Best known as the...
of
Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page , Robert Plant , John Paul Jones and John Bonham . With their heavy, guitar-driven sound, Led Zeppelin are regarded as one of the first heavy metal bands, helping to pioneer the genre...
had also converted to Alembic (from Fender) and drove the development of the Triple Omega body shape. Jones can be seen using both 4 and 8 string Alembics in the Knebworth concert on the Led Zeppelin DVD. Jones also used his 8 string on the song "
Achilles Last Stand"Achilles Last Stand" is a song by English rock group Led Zeppelin, featured as the opening track on their 1976 album Presence. It was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant at Page's house in Malibu, California where they stayed for a month while Plant recovered from a serious car accident he had...
", from the 1976 Led Zeppelin album,
PresencePresence is the seventh studio album by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released by Swan Song Records on 31 March 1976. The album was written and recorded during a tumultuous time in the band's history, as Robert Plant was recuperating from serious injuries he had sustained in a recent car accident...
.
Chuck PanozzoChuck Panozzo is a bass player. A longtime member of the rock band Styx, he founded the group with his fraternal twin brother, drummer John Panozzo, who died in July 1996...
of
StyxStyx is an American rock band. Their hit songs have included "Come Sail Away", "Lady", "Mr. Roboto", "Renegade", "Babe", "Blue Collar Man" and "The Best of Times"...
used Alembic bass guitars during Styx's 1979 to 1984 heyday. Their use in heavy rock continued into the '80s, with both
Cliff BurtonClifford Lee Burton was an American bassist best known as the bass player of American heavy metal band Metallica...
and
Jason NewstedJason Curtis Newsted is an American bassist best known as the former bassist of Metallica. To this day, with more than thirteen years, he has the longest tenure as Metallica's bassist. After he left Metallica, he continued with his project Echobrain, played with Ozzy Osbourne and joined heavy...
of
MetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1981. Founded when drummer Lars Ulrich posted an advertisement in a local newspaper, Metallica's line-up has primarily consisted of Ulrich, rhythm guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, and lead guitarist Kirk...
playing Alembics at some point in their respective careers.
Funk players were quick to pick up on Stanley Clarke's percussive playing style, to which the clear, extended high end response of the Alembic electronics was well suited. Legendary funk bassist
Louis JohnsonLouis Johnson is an American bass guitarist.Johnson is best known for his group The Brothers Johnson and his session playing on several hit albums of the 1970s and '80s including the "best selling album of all time" Thriller...
can be heard playing an Alembic Series 1 on classic tracks by the The Brothers Johnson. Lequient Jobe (
Rose RoyceRose Royce is a Grammy-nominated American soul band. The Los Angeles-based group composed of Henry Garner , Terral "Terry" Santiel , Lequeint "Duke" Jobe , Michael Moore , Rose Norwalt , Kenny Copeland , Kenji Brown , Freddie Dunn , and Michael Nash — was...
),
Jermaine JacksonJermaine La Jaune Jackson is an American singer, bassist, composer, former member of The Jackson 5 and older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson.-Early life:...
(The Jacksons), Rodney "Skeet" Curtis (
Parliament-FunkadelicParliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. They are the main performers of the soul and funk subgenre known as P-Funk and performed under the names Parliament and Funkadelic , and also in a score of offshoot groups and solo ventures...
) and Wyzard (Mother’s Finest) also played Series 1s. Brown Mark played an Alembic Spoiler on several hits recorded by Prince.
During the 1980s,
Mark KingMark King is an English musician. He is most famous for being the lead singer and bassist of the band, Level 42...
, of
Level 42Level 42 is an English pop rock and jazz-funk band which had a number of worldwide and UK hits during the 1980s and 1990s.The band gained fame for its high-calibre musicianship — in particular that of Mark King, whose percussive slap-bass guitar technique provided the driving groove of many of the...
fame was perhaps the most visible Alembic player in the funk scene.
In the modern
indie rockIndie rock is a genre of rock music that originated in the United States and the United Kingdom in the 1980s. The term is often used to describe the means of production and distribution of independent underground music, as well as the style of music that was first associated with this means of...
scene, a notable player of Alembic basses is
Armistead Burwell Smith IVArmistead Burwell Smith IV is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He plays Alembic Stanley Clarke piccolo basses, which are tuned an octave higher than normal basses...
of bands
Three Mile PilotThree Mile Pilot is an indie rock band from San Diego, California formed by Armistead Burwell Smith IV on bass and vocals, Pall Jenkins Three Mile Pilot is an indie rock band from San Diego, California formed by Armistead Burwell Smith IV (a.k.a. Zach Smith from Pinback, Systems Officer,...
and
PinbackPinback is an indie rock band from San Diego, California, currently signed to Temporary Residence Ltd.. The band was formed in 1998 by singers, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Armistead Burwell Smith IV and Rob Crow. The band has two drummers that switch off and on, Chris Prescott, and Tom...
.
FleaMichael Peter Balzary , more commonly known by the stage name Flea, is an Australian bassist, trumpet player, and occasional actor. He is best known as the bassist and founding member of the alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers...
, bassist of the
Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1983. For most of the band's existence, the members have been vocalist Anthony Kiedis, guitarist John Frusciante, bassist Michael "Flea" Balzary, and drummer Chad Smith...
recorded the 1995 album
One Hot MinuteOne Hot Minute is the sixth studio album by American alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 12, 1995 on Warner Bros. Records...
with an Alembic Epic.
Many famous guitarists have also played Alembics, including
Jerry GarciaJerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his work with the band the Grateful Dead...
,
Carlos AlomarCarlos Alomar is an American guitarist, composer and arranger best known for his work with David Bowie, having played on more Bowie albums than any other musician.-History:...
,
Adrian BelewAdrian Belew is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer...
,
David GilmourDavid Jon Gilmour CBE is an English musician, best known as the guitarist, lead singer, and one of the songwriters in the rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a record producer for a variety of artists, and has enjoyed a successful career as a solo...
,
Jimmy PageJames Patrick Page OBE is an Englishcomposer and record producer.Page has been described as "unquestionably one of the all-time most influential, important, and versatile guitarists and songwriters in rock history". In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Page #9 in its list of the 100 Greatest...
,
Johnny WinterJohn Dawson "Johnny" Winter III is an American blues guitarist, singer and producer.Johnny and Edgar Winter were nurtured at an early age by their parents in their musical pursuits. Johnny Winter is known for his southern blues and rock and roll style, as well as his physical appearance...
,
Steve MillerSteve Miller is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter.Beginning his career in blues and blues rock, Miller's music later changed to a more popular-oriented sound which earned him success with a series of singles and albums from the mid-1970s through the early 1980s.-Biography:Miller was born...
,
John EntwistleJohn Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, and horn player, who was best known as the bass guitarist for the rock band The Who...
,
Neil YoungNeil Percival Young, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and film director. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1995 and also as a member of Buffalo Springfield in 1997....
,
Chet AtkinsChester Burton Atkins , better known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who created, along with Owen Bradley, the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.His picking style, inspired by...
, Dean Borso, Mieczysław Jurecki and
Stanley JordanStanley Jordan is an American jazz/jazz fusion guitarist, best known for his development of the touch technique for playing guitar....
.
No endorsements
Alembic have always followed a strict no endorsement policy. Everyone, including
Stanley ClarkeStanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores. He is best known for his work with the fusion band Return to Forever.- Early life and education :Clarke was...
, has paid for their instruments. In Alembic’s view this is the best endorsement of all. In Susan Wickersham’s (co-founder and CEO) words, "the most successful artists can afford to pay for their instruments – but if we gave them endorsement deals the cost of those instruments would have to be recovered from customers who are far less able to afford it".
Alembic has made two exceptions to this rule. The first occurred when they presented Stanley Clarke with a specially inlaid instrument to celebrate 30 years of working together. The second occurred when [a representative of Alembic] approached Mark King at a gig on the Stevie Winwood tour in 1986 with an offer to build him a bass. Mark received two 34" scale Series 2 basses initially and then ordered two more in identical woods with 32" scale.
External links