Alembic

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.

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.

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.

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.