The Alembic company was founded in San Francisco in 1969, primarily to incorporate new ways to clarify and amplify the sound of the rock group the Grateful Dead. The Alembic workshop covered three main areas: a recording studio, PA/sound reinforcement, and guitar electronics. Ron Wickersham was developing a low impedance pickup coupled with active electronics. Up until this point all electronics in production guitars and basses were passive systems. Artists using these "Alembicized" instruments early on include David Crosby (a Guild 12-string), Jack Casady (Guild bass), and Phil Lesh (SG and Guild basses). Both Bob Weir´s and Jerry Garcia's guitars were converted as well. Wickersham found that mounting the active circuitry in the instrument itself gave the player a greater degree of control over his tone than ever before.
The new company turned from customizing existing instruments in 1970 to building new ones in 1971. Founder Ron Wickersham, an electronics expert, was joined by luthier/designer Rick Turner, Bob Matthews (a recording engineer), and Jim Furman (later to start his own Furman Sound Company), among others. When Alembic incorporated in 1970, Wickersham, Turner, and Matthews were the principal shareholders. In addition to running a state-of-the-art 16-track recording studio on Brady Street, Alembic opened a music store in 1971 that sold their own guitars and basses, as well as cabinets (with tie-dyed speaker cloth) and PA gear. Alembic continued to work with the Grateful Dead for taping and PA requirements, and in 1972 also produced a monthly critique column for Guitar Player Magazine (The Alembic Report).
In 1973, Alembic received a distribution offer from the L. D. Heater company, a subsidiary of Norlin. Wickersham and Turner then began tooling up for production in earnest. Turner's choices in exotic woods and laminated bodies gained attention for the craftsmanship involved. The right combination of a new distributor and a new jazz talent named Stanley Clarke actively playing an Alembic bass propelled the company into the spotlight in the mid-1970s.
In 1974, Alembic began to focus on the manufacturing side of their high-end instruments. The company sold off the assets of the recording studio, and sold the music store to Stars Guitars (Stars Guitars' Ron Armstrong later wrote the Product Profile column for Guitar Player Magazine after the Alembic Report was discontinued). Bob Matthews' shares were bought out by Alembic. A new distribution deal was started with Rothchild Musical Instruments (San Francisco) in 1976, after the original L.D. Heater/Norlin distribution deal.
Geoff Gould, an aerospace engineer and bass player, was intrigued by an Alembic-customized bass he saw at a Grateful Dead concert. Assuming that the all-wood construction was a heavy proposition, he fashioned some samples of carbon graphite and presented them to Alembic. An experimental model with a graphite neck was displayed in 1977, and a patent issued in 1978. Gould formed the Modulus Graphite company with other ex-aerospace partners to provide necks for Alembic, and also build necks for Music Man's Cutlass bass model as well as their own Modulus Graphite guitars.
Rick Turner left Alembic in 1978, the same year that Alembic decided to forego future distribution deals and fulfill distribution themselves. As the company expanded, the workshop continued to move, from San Francisco to Cotati to Santa Rosa. In addition to guitar and bass production, the 1980s saw expansion in F2B preamp demand as well as the production of modular-based (no soldering) Activator pickups and active electronics. In 1989 Alembic settled into a larger facility in Santa Rosa, and currently has a twenty-six person staff (company history courtesy Mica and Susan Wickersham, Alembic).
The tops of Alembic instruments are bookmatched and the wood types vary widely, though the most consistently used woods are as follows: bocate, bubinga, cocobolo, figured (bird's eye, burl, flamed, quilted) maple, figured (burl and flame) walnut, flame koa, lacewood, rosewood (and burl rosewood), tulipwood, vermillion, and zebrawood.
Instruments currently built in Santa Rosa, CA. Previous production was centered in San Francisco, CA. Distribution is handled by Alembic, Inc. of Santa Rosa, CA.

ALEMBIC Electric Guitars Models

ALEMBIC CALIFORNIA SPECIAL (CSLG6) Image

ALEMBIC CALIFORNIA SPECIAL (CSLG6)

- offset double cutaway maple body, through-body maple neck, brass truss rod cover plate, 24-fret ebony fingerboard with pearl oval inlays, double locking vibrato, brass nut, body matching peghead with bronze logo, six-on-one-side tuners, c...

ALEMBIC 20TH ANNIVERSARY Image

ALEMBIC 20TH ANNIVERSARY

- slightly offset double cutaway body with Omega Cut on lower bout, maple core quilted maple top and back with Purpleheart accents or walnut core/burl walnut top and back with vermilion accents, through-body maple/purpleheart laminated neck...

ALEMBIC FURTHER (STUDIO) Image

ALEMBIC FURTHER (STUDIO)

- double cutaway, semi-hollow purpleheart body with either purpleheart maple, quilted maple, or flamed maple sandwich, AAA quilted maple top, five-piece flamed maple neck with purpleheart and cherry, ebony with MOP oval inlay fingerboard, t...

ALEMBIC CLASSICO UPRIGHT Image

ALEMBIC CLASSICO UPRIGHT

- updated upright bass-shaped semi-hollow mahogany body, figured maple top, three-piece maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, ebony nut, two-per-side open-style tuners, maple bridge, rosewood tailpiece, Alembic Magnetic CS-2 pickups, volume/bas...

ALEMBIC LITTLE DARLING Image

ALEMBIC LITTLE DARLING

- offset double cutaway lightweight body, tummy and elbow contours and a heart Omega lower bout carving, flamed maple/purpleheart/maple/mahogany body layers, seven-piece neck, 24-fret ebony fingerboard with MOP oval and 12th fret heart inla...

ALEMBIC ORION (OLSB6) Image

ALEMBIC ORION (OLSB6)

- offset sweeping double cutaway mahogany body, flamed maple (or flame California walnut, bird's-eye maple, wenge, zebrawood, bocate, bubinga, or vermillion) top, walnut accent veneer, three-piece maple set neck, 24-fret ebony fingerboard w...

ALEMBIC ELAN Image

ALEMBIC ELAN

- offset double cutaway asymmetrical body, Honduras mahogany back, brass truss rod plate, body matching peghead with bronze logo, four-on-one-side tuners, gold Alembic-Gotoh tuners, two P-style Alembic pickups, volume/tone/balance control,...

ALEMBIC SERIES I (LSGI-6) Image

ALEMBIC SERIES I (LSGI-6)

- similar to the California Special, except has treble/bass volume/tone control, treble Q/bass Q/pickup switch, and 5-pin stereo output jack, current mfg.

ALEMBIC EPIC (WLB4) Image

ALEMBIC EPIC (WLB4)

- offset double cutaway mahogany body, standard woods top, three-piece maple set neck, 24-fret ebony fingerboard, brass truss rod plate, body matching peghead with brass logo, chrome Alembic-Gotoh tuners, two Alembic MXY pickups, two-per-si...

ALEMBIC SERIES II (LSGII-6) Image

ALEMBIC SERIES II (LSGII-6)

- similar to the California Special, except has master/treble/bass volume control, treble/bass tone control, treble CVQ/bass CVQ/pickup switch, and 5-pin stereo output jack, current mfg.

ALEMBIC ESSENCE (KLB4) Image

ALEMBIC ESSENCE (KLB4)

- offset double cutaway body, flame maple top, rock maple back, brass truss rod plate, body matching peghead with bronze logo, chrome Alembic-Gotoh tuners, two Alembic MXY pickups, two-per-side tuners, volume/tone/balance control, mfg. 1991...

ALEMBIC SKYLARK Image

ALEMBIC SKYLARK

- double cutaway, semi-hollow mahogany body, double thick flamed maple, three-piece maple neck with two walnut stripes, ebony with MOP inlay fingerboard, two Alembic HG 4 pickups, four knobs, two switches, mono output, three-per-side gold t...

ALEMBIC EUROPA (ULB4) Image

ALEMBIC EUROPA (ULB4)

- offset double cutaway asymmetrical Honduras mahogany body, brass truss rod plate, body matching peghead with bronze logo, gold Alembic-Gotoh tuners, two Alembic MXY pickups, four-on-one-side tuners, volume/tone/balance control, bass/trebl...

ALEMBIC EXCEL Image

ALEMBIC EXCEL

- double cutaway with long bass bout, three-piece ash body, three-piece maple neck with two walnut stripes, pau ferro fingerboard, single Alembic FatBoy 4 pickup, three knobs, two-per-side gold tuners, brass hardware, Natural finish, curren...

ALEMBIC SPECTRUM (MLSG6) Image

ALEMBIC SPECTRUM (MLSG6)

- offset double cutaway mahogany body, figured maple (or bocate, bubinga, walnut, or zebrawood) top, through-body maple/purpleheart laminate neck, 24-fret ebony fingerboard with pearl oval inlay, fixed solid brass bridge/string retainer, br...

ALEMBIC MARK KING DELUXE SERIES (MKLB4)  Image

ALEMBIC MARK KING DELUXE SERIES (MKLB4)

- offset double cutaway body with bottom bout point, long scale length, five-piece mahogany body and exotic top, Mark King signature on peghead with gold-plated sterling silver logo, two-per-side gold Alembic-Gotoh tuners, mfg. 1989-present...

ALEMBIC TRIBUTE (STUDIO) Image

ALEMBIC TRIBUTE (STUDIO)

- double cutaway, semi-hollow flamed maple body with either cocobolo, maple, vermilion, or flamed maple sandwich, double thick cocobolo top, five-piece flamed maple neck with purpleheart and cherry, ebony with MOP inlay fingerboard, Alembic...

ALEMBIC MARK KING STANDARD (MJLB4) Image

ALEMBIC MARK KING STANDARD (MJLB4)

- offset double cutaway body with bottom bout point, long scale length, three-piece mahogany body and exotic top, Mark King signature on peghead with gold plated sterling silver logo, two-per-side gold Alembic-Gotoh tuners, mfg. 1990-presen...

ALEMBIC ORION (OLB4) Image

ALEMBIC ORION (OLB4)

- offset double cutaway mahogany body, walnut top with maple veneer, maple/walnut laminated neck, four-on-one-side tuners, active electronics, mfg. 1996-present.

ALEMBIC ROGUE (QLB4) Image

ALEMBIC ROGUE (QLB4)

- sleek offset double cutaway mahogany body, vermillion top with maple accents, two-per-side tuners, maple/walnut laminated neck, active electronics, mfg. 1996-present.

ALEMBIC SERIES I (LBI4) Image

ALEMBIC SERIES I (LBI4)

- offset double cutaway mahogany core body with bottom bout point, figured wood top/back, brass truss rod plate, body matching peghead with sterling silver logo, chrome Schaller tuners, chrome plated hardware, single coil/dummy humbucker/si...

ALEMBIC SERIES II (LBII4) Image

ALEMBIC SERIES II (LBII4)

- offset double cutaway mahogany core body, figured wood top/back, seven-piece neck, brass truss rod plate, body matching peghead with gold-plated sterling silver logo, gold Schaller tuners, gold plated hardware, single coil/dummy humbucker...

ALEMBIC SPOILER Image

ALEMBIC SPOILER

- offset double cutaway Honduras mahogany body, brass truss rod plate, body matching peghead with bronze logo, chrome Alembic-Gotoh tuners, two humbucker pickups, two-per-side tuners, volume/tone control, pickup/Q switch, mfg. 1980-1999.

ALEMBIC STANLEY CLARKE DELUXE (SCSB4) Image

ALEMBIC STANLEY CLARKE DELUXE (SCSB4)

- offset double cutaway body with rounded bottom bout, five-piece body with exotic wood top, short scale length, Stanley Clarke signature on peghead with gold plated sterling silver logo, two-per-side gold Alembic-Gotoh tuners, mfg. 1986-pr...

ALEMBIC STANLEY CLARKE STANDARD (SJSB4) Image

ALEMBIC STANLEY CLARKE STANDARD (SJSB4)

- offset double cutaway body with rounded bottom bout, three-piece body with exotic wood top, short scale length, Stanley Clarke signature on peghead with gold-plated sterling silver logo, two-per-side gold Alembic-Gotoh tuners, mfg. 1990-p...