Alembic was founded in 1969 as a workshop inside the Grateful Dead's rehearsal space in Novato, California, initially conceived to improve the band's live sound chain. The company took formal shape around the expertise of Ron Wickersham, an electronics engineer from Ampex, Rick Turner, a luthier and guitarist, and Bob Matthews, a recording engineer. Their innovations — including low-impedance pickups and active onboard preamps — redefined what bass guitars could do sonically, and Alembic is widely credited with establishing the category of high-end boutique bass guitars.

The first Alembic instrument, a bass built in 1972 for Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane, demonstrated the company's distinctive approach: meticulous woodworking paired with sophisticated onboard electronics. That philosophy resonated with players such as Stanley Clarke, Phil Lesh, John Entwistle, and Mark King, whose visible use of the brand helped define its reputation across jazz fusion, progressive rock, and funk. In 1976, Alembic built what is widely regarded as the first modern five-string bass, for bassist Jimmy Johnson, and a year later produced some of the first commercially available graphite-neck basses.

Alembic's instrument lineup spans basses and guitars across a range of price points, from the flagship Series I and Series II models to the Orion, Europa, Excel, and Stanley Clarke signature bass. The company also produces standalone electronics — the F-1X and F-2B tube preamps and the SF-2 Superfilter — used independently by players seeking Alembic's signature tone shaping. Every instrument is handbuilt at Alembic's facility in Rohnert Park, California.

Alembic has 38 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Electric Basses, Solid Body Electric Guitars, and Extended Range Guitars. Their gear is featured by 61 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Pop, and Funk / Soul. Notable users include Jason Newsted, John Mayer, and Stanley Clarke.