Alembic

12/16/2025

We’re happy to share that after a lot of hard work, our new website is now live:

alembicguitars.com

We’ll be adding more custom options, and the older Featured Custom Archive articles will soon be added to the website as well.

Hope you all enjoy it!

Love,
Mica, Erik, and Rob
(Website crew)

Plus love from,
Ron, Susan, Mary, Bob, James, Kris, Trevor, Tom, Jesse, Mike, William, Keanu, and of course Koty.

11/14/2025

Ben from Northern Lights Music does a great job demonstrating their Alembic Element guitar. Sit back and enjoy!

https://northernlightsmusic.com/products/alembic-element-acoustic-guitar

11/14/2025

Our Element acoustic guitar is freshly arrived Northern Lights Music. Previous builds were custom orders for specific people, and this is the first time an Element is available from one of our dealers.

Northern Lights Music selected the Cocobolo back for this build. A strip of Maple and Purpleheart defines the center, echoing the classic necks on our solid body guitars. This is the first Element in Cocobolo, and as usual the pictures do not do it justice.

Sitka Spruce top is accented with abalone purfling and rosette. Binding is Cocobolo. The fingerboard and bridge are Ebony.

We poured our hearts into this guitar.

11/22/2024

Coming soon - the FL-105 Superfilter pedal. The FL-105's roots are in the original Superfilter boxes Ron Wickersham made for our recording studio circa 1970. He made one each of the FL-101, FL-102, and FL-103 models. He made 2 FL-104 Superfilters, and these were the ones we used the most in our recording studio, and also rented them to other bay area recording studios. They touched a LOT of music.

With the FL-105, it's in a convenient pedal. Decoratively we've drawn from the swirls on one of the Bob Thomas paintings in our showroom. If you're familiar with the SF-2, you already know how to use the FL-105, except there are 2 additional filter modes. The foot switch allows you to include or exclude the effect. 9V 500mA power supply (center terminal negative). Box is about 4.75" x 5.5"

The first production is in three stages. There's 3 test units getting built over the next 2-3 weeks (Thanksgiving and vacations are variables), and these will be available to test in our showroom and will be getting a few field trips to some trusted players. Then an initial run of 10 where we will iron out any kinks in the actual manufacturing process. We've been making electronics since 1969, so we aren't expecting many surprises there. Then the first run of fifty units ready for January shipping.

Retail price is set for $1199. Let me know if you want to come by to try the prototype FL-105, and drop me an email ([email protected]) if you would like to arrange for a pre-order and reserve one for yourself.

09/01/2024

On sale thru at least Monday.

https://store.turbify.net/alembic/blaster.html

We've been making Blasters for almost as long as we've been around. The original active boost for guitars for 55 years!

02/10/2024

Happy Lunar New Year! We wish you the added creativity and vision the Wood Dragon promises.

This custom bass has resin dragons and flames that we added inlaid details. The eye is lab created opal, as well as the flames from the dragon’s breath. Claws are sterling silver.

04/11/2023

Absolutely stunning Series II custom bass in Cocobolo from Susan’s Stash (where we keep all the crazy stuff!). The top is so special we covered the through body neck with the bookmatch for maximum impact.

Bird of Prey body shape with Omega carving detail sets the stage for drama. Omega peghead shape echoes the bottom carving.

We built the neck with Mahogany primary laminates and a center pack of Maple, Purpleheart, and Ebony (flanked by thin Maple veneers). This gives added warmth to the tone with full supported lows and unearthly fundamental sustain.

The last four frets are scalloped and below the 24th fret is one of our “nameplate” inlays with an important date for the happy owner of this custom bass.

01/20/2023

Custom inlays for a custom bass. These ovals are Flame Maple with a sterling silver frame around each one. So pretty!

01/19/2023

We are absolutely gutted about the news of David's passing.

May the four winds blow you safely home.

05/21/2022

All the inlays are sunk in the fingerboard, and we’re just about ready to fret. The fingerboard is leveled, next we will use some fine sandpaper and white Scotch Brite to get the inlays gleaming. Then we press in the frets.

05/20/2022

Had a few people want to know more about the inlay process, so here’s an action shot of Kris with his hot-rod Dremel tool. Some standard items like the official 230 base, but note the LED light fixture attached to it.

Kris also made a rounded top grip from a Purpleheart and Ebony neck cutoff which he carved to fit his palm. The operation switch was moved to one of the Padauk arms.

05/11/2022

Kris is test fitting (no glue yet) a sterling silver and black mother of pearl inlay he hand cut. The Ebony fingerboard recess is cut with a modified dremel tool and the fine sharp corner details are cut with a knife.
Now that everything fits great next step will be glue and leveling.