When Harold first came to us with his idea for his dream bass, we were skeptical; but once we heard his story, we wanted to help make his dream come true. Harold has been collecting Chia pets since they were first introduced back in the eighties, and has the most complete collection in Northern California, perhaps even in the world. As an active member and past president of the regional Chia collectors club, and with the 30th anniversary of the Chia Pet coming up in 2012, Harold wanted something special to commemorate the event. It's sure to be the star of the 2012 Greenfest, which promises to be the largest gathering of Chia lovers. The location and exact date are yet to be announced. As it happens, Harold's other love is music, and he's been playing bass since high school; so the idea eventually came to him that the ultimate addition to his Chia collection would be a Chia bass guitar. After a long search, Harold became convinced that Alembic was the only company that could build such a unique instrument.

	Though the body is made like any Alembic, this Greenfest has a removable terracotta front plate for the body and a water resevoir inside the normally empty body chamber. This allows for the proper seating of the Chia seeds and provides the fresh water they need for optimum growth. Just as you would expect, add 2 cups of water to 1/4 cup of Chia seeds. Stir the mixture after 15 minutes to moisten all seeds, then let set for 24 hours. This will soften the seed coats and spur the growth of the Chia seeds. In another container, you soak the terra cotta plates for 24 hours. It takes a couple of weeks of diligent misting and refilling the water resevoir (access is through the upper straplock), but soon you'll be flashing back to 1982, and humming that familiar tune "Ch-ch-ch-chia!." This is likely the most challenging incarnation of the Chia to date, and it takes a master Chia gardener like Harold to be able to tackle such a task.

	Having mini shrubberies growing near the tuning pegs, nut, and bridge could be problematic in the middle of a live performance, so we've added these handy bonsai pruning shears to the back of the peghead for those quick touchups between tunes. The pouch the shears slip into is made from waterproof synthetic leather and is fastened to the peghead with a row of tiny antique upholstery tacks.

	Chrome harware is a must whenever harsh condtions are expected. It's stronger than the brass it covers, and it won't corrode with contact to water. Harold's passion for Chia was infectious, and a little herd of these cuties are now roaming our offices. Th-th-th-thank you, Harold! We had so much fun making this Featured Custom. You really set the bar high with this extremely unusual build.

SPECIFICATIONS Signature 4-string bass Quilted Maple top and back Greenman clear stain Removable terracotta plates for body front and peghead 10 pounds of Chia seeds Upper body interior water resevoir 7-piece Maple and purpleheart neck with graphite reinforcements Ebony fingerboard Black mother of pearl inlays Side LEDs in green Balance K Omega body shape Optional novelty daffodil knobs Chome plated hardware

Wallpaper: 1600x1200 1280x1024 1024x768 800x600 Widescreen: 1920x1200 1680x1050 photos of guitar by Mica Wickersham Thomas, © 2011 Alembic, Inc. text by Mica Wickersham Thomas and Dave Houck, © 2011 Alembic, Inc.

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