That sound was Stanley’s amazing talent. Part of that sonic memory was just because it was an Alembic, and it may have been the first time you ever heard one.

A few other factors contributed to the distinctive sound, like the short scale length and neck materials. The Brown Bass uses the same materials we used on Stanley's second Series I. On neck through Alembics, the material we construct the neck from has the most profound influence on the sound. The Brown Bass uses Mahogany as the primary wood, with Walnut and Birch laminates. The combination makes the sound notably warmer and mellow compared to other Alembics with the more typical Maple and Purpleheart neck construction.

We use our large aperture pickups a.k.a. “FatBoys.” These pickups are wound on the same magnets as the Series I and II basses, but are self-humcancelling. The result is a wider frequency response and a sound closer to the Series I/II. The 20th Anniversary electronics are the closest we offer to the Series I, but the price is significantly less.

Electronics include a volume, filter and Q switch for each pickup. Pickup selection is logical with a standby - neck - both - bridge rotary switch. The output jack is face-mounted and features welded pure silver contacts for durability and is switchable from mono to stereo.

Some nostalgic features include mounting the pickup selector switch on a small round brass plate, and an Ebony shim under the brass tailpiece. We also used the templates from the original Small Standard body shape, which were a little flatter at the bottom with a touch more “hook” to the horns. “Just like we used to,” the body shape is a thicker 1.75 inches.