Two Very Cool "Alembicized" Bluesbirds

twocorgis

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Rick Turner just posted these on his Facebook page today, and I thought they were very cool. They were made for Lowell "Banana" Levinger of the Youngbloods in 1970 or '71.

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Walter Broes

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Not my taste, but very cool from a historical standpoint indeed. I'd love to have seen the one with the DeArmonds pre-customisation though, never seen a natural finished one with DeArmonds!
 

bobouz

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Geez, didn't even know if Jessie Colin Young was still alive, so googled him & he's actively performing, with a show about 80 miles from me next month.

Wonder how intact his voice is? Really enjoyed it back in the day.
 

fronobulax

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I have no idea what Alembicized means.

You should talk with Uncle Google about Alembic, Inc. maker of fine guitars and basses. The short version is that they were the first company that tried to apply state of the art electronics to bass guitars. They modified Guild Starfire basses used by Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna) and Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead) in the late '60's. Their instruments are generally believed to be the best production basses available. Taking a stock bass and adding Alembic electronics and other features is often referred to as "Alembicizing" the instrument. You can obviously do the same thing to guitars which is the significance of the instruments here. Rick Turner was instrumental in the beginnings of Alembic and is now making instruments of his own design.
 
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