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The body wood you choose affects many aspects of your Alembic. Some woods are lighter weight
than others. Certain woods have a noticeable affect on the tone, while others are quite neutral.
On our neck through guitars and basses, the body wood contributes less to the sound than on our
set neck models. The observations we present relate only to Alembics, other makers will surely find
differing results with their own techniques.
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There are so many reasons we love Mahogany. It's always beautiful. The vast array of
figure that is sometimes subtle and other times shocking coordinates with any other wood visually.
It just plain sounds good. Neither overly bright or overly warm, it's influenced by the top or back
wood more than other body woods. It sounds consistent. Even though Mahogany can vary greatly in density,
it usually produces a similar tone from instrument to instrument. It's the body wood of most Alembics and is
a part of our signature sound.
All basses except the Excel come standard with a Mahogany body. All guitars except the Tribute and
Further come standard with Mahogany bodies as well.
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Ash bodies are popular on many brands of bolt-on basses and guitars, and contributes to the focused
midrange that folks who play these instruments enjoy. The effect is the same for Alembic instruments
as well, and is greatest on our set neck models. Ash is found in a great variety of densities, and
this will affect the tone greatly. The more dense, the brighter and snappier the sound, especially in the
upper midrange.
The Excel bass comes standard with an Ash body.
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Stanley Clarke has helped to popularize Vermilion as a body wood. All his personal Series I basses
are constructed with a Vermilion core. It is more dense than Mahogany, and produces an interesting
sound with a slighly brighter tone than Mahogany on the highs. The densely packed cells are interspersed with
large cells. These help the low frequencies to yield a slightly warmer sound than Mahogany. The
sonic differences compared to Mahogany are not glaringly obvious, but carfeul listening reveals
their subtlety.
Vermilion is an optional body wood for any Alembic.
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Maple will enhance the brightest tones your Alembic produces. Especially effective for basses that will
be playing in a band with heavily distorted guitars, Maple cuts through like no other. Best paired with
electronics that include a low-pass filter, so that you can cut extreme highs if they are unwanted
in certain playing situations. The first Essence basses and the Elan model had Maple as the standard body wood.
Maple is an optional body wood for any Alembic.
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Walnut is very reactive when used as a body wood. Instruments we have made with Walnut bodies reveal incredibly subtle
fingering techniques. Less bright than Maple, but still with plenty of highs, Walnut is closer to Mahogany in sound than
any other wood we use. However, Walnut's fast attack is slightly less versatile than Mahogany. When well cast, Walnut
can enhance a player's phrasing and fingering, and even be heard enough for the audience to appreciate.
Walnut is an optional body wood for any Alembic.
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The greenish color of Myrtle isn't the only distinction of this mighty wood from the Pacific northwest. On an Alembic
bass, Myrtle keeps the extreme highs out of the picture and fills the bottom with solid lows. We compare it to the
sound of Mahogany but with less on the top end and slightly less on the lows. Used mainly in Brown Basses and paired
with a warm Mahogany neck, there is no shortage of bottom end.
Myrtle is the standard body wood for the Brown Bass and an optional body wood for any Alembic.
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Many people are shocked to find that Purpleheart is naturally a vibrant violet color. As a body
wood, it's one of the densest we use. Expect Purpleheart to have a bright sound without being harsh,
and to encourage a good deal of sustain.
Purpleheart is standard on the Further guitar and can be special ordered on any model.
© 2006 Alembic, Inc.
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