Alembic Series I (serial no. 74-A011)
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.This bass was bought secondhand by the Who’s John Entwistle, who gravitated toward its bright, pianolike tone that did not sacrifice low end tones. It was his first instrument by Alembic, one of the earliest companies to specialize in high-end electric basses and known for beautifully crafted instruments that combine exotic woods with state-of-the-art active electronics. Entwistle used this bass extensively for touring in 1975.
Technical Description:
Zebra wood top and back with maple and walnut core and five-piece neck through body, ebony fingerboard; 34 in. scale; natural finish; mother-of-pearl oval inlays to fingerboard; headstock with zebra wood veneer and raised Alembic world tree logo; three active humbucking pickups (one dummy for hum canceling), three-way rotary pickup selector, two volume and two tone controls, two three-way low pass filter cutoff/resonance switches, five-pin DIN and standard ¼ in. jacks for stereo output; brass adjustable bridge, tailpiece, and Schaller tuners
Technical Description:
Zebra wood top and back with maple and walnut core and five-piece neck through body, ebony fingerboard; 34 in. scale; natural finish; mother-of-pearl oval inlays to fingerboard; headstock with zebra wood veneer and raised Alembic world tree logo; three active humbucking pickups (one dummy for hum canceling), three-way rotary pickup selector, two volume and two tone controls, two three-way low pass filter cutoff/resonance switches, five-pin DIN and standard ¼ in. jacks for stereo output; brass adjustable bridge, tailpiece, and Schaller tuners
Artwork Details
- Title: Alembic Series I (serial no. 74-A011)
- Artist: Alembic Inc.
- Artist: John Entwistle
- Date: 1974
- Medium: Zebra wood, maple, walnut, ebony, brass, plastic
- Dimensions: Length: ~46 in. (116.8 cm)
Width: ~15 1/2 in. (39.3 cm)
Depth: ~1 2/3 in. (4.2 cm)
Weight: ~10-12 lbs. - Classification: Chordophone-Lute-plucked-fretted
- Credit Line: Collection of David Swartz
- Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments