Bass Gear Review

Reviewer	Jeffery Davis
Experience	29 club & studio
Email	10x@beachin.net
Review date	October 05 2002
Manufacturer	Alembic
Model	Rogue 6 string custom
Price	$6100 list
Item owned for	1-6 months

Bass type	6 string fretted
Neck join	Neck Through
Neck construction	purpleheart & maple, 11 ply, Red LED's side position marke
	rs
Fingerboard	Ebony 24 fret, narow spacing, 34" scale
Body	Babinga, maple, mahogany
Finish	gloss poly
Pickups	2 MXY
Hardware	brass
Electronics	Signiture electronics, Master vol, pan, low pass filter and "Q"
	switch for each pickup

I ordered this bass through Washington Music. It took about three months to make. Mica and Susan at Alembic were great to work with. I wasen't sure about what I was looking for in a custom bass. After talking it over with them about the various styles and sounds I was looking for, we agreed upon the Rogue with the Signiture eletronics. They also made the electronic control cavity large enough for the Series 1 or 2 electronic upgrade.

This bass is the finest bass I've ever played. The craftmanship is supperb. Beautiful woods, fretwork, inlays, brass and gold hardware, LED's with silver rings surounding them. All of the fine touches that make a great custom bass.

The sound; It took a several weeks to get use to the low pass filters. They don't work like your standard active or passive tone controls. It's kind of like having a electonic crossover, it won't let any higher frequentcy past the the cutoff point. Adjustable from 6000Hz to 350Hz. The "Q" switches give a 8Db boost at the cutoff point. A VERY powerful and extremely sensitive system. The pickups are very sensitive to a variety of playing styles and string attack. You can get to a certan point with your attack that they seam to compress the sound a bit. A finger popping style via finger style. Responsive and expressive. This bass has so much sustain that I have to roll the volume off on a fadeout. I am so impressed with this setup that I will probably send this bass back to Alembic for the $2600 Series 2 upgrade. A 48volt phantom power, stereo, adjustable "Q" 0-15Db boost system. Now I understand how Stanley Clarke acheaved his sound.

The neck; Series 2 6 string neck dimentions, 1.75" at the nut, 3.1" at the 24th fret. Double truss rods, adjustable from the body end, under the brass serial number plate. Abalone inlays. Adjustable brass nut and bridge. Alembic makes all of their own hardware so there was no extra charge for the custom string spacing. Red LED side markers with on/off switch. A $860 option and worth every penny. The neck plays like a dream.

The body; Rogue shape with the rib contour like the fender jazz. Extended upper horn for great balance. This bass does not neck dive on you. A bit heavy but comfortable bass to play. I did get a wide padded strap to make those 1 1/2 hour sets tolerable.

If I had the money I would without hesitation buy another one just like it in fretless. Alembic is what it is!

Construction	100%
Appearance	100%
Playability	100%
Sound	100%
Customer Service	100%
Value	100%
Overall	100%