Can I just think out loud for a minute here? And I'm only halfway to serious... it may end up just another idea for a me-project. Or just forget about it.

I won't live long enough to afford, or see through the build process for a Classico. It's a $50k reality check. I'd be better off to look for a secondhand one. And I don't need one. I own 3 or 4 upright basses. Hell, I might have 5 if you count the ones I don't have time to fix or that just aren't worth fixing for whatever reason.

But what if Alembic made a much smaller, more compact EUB (that's Electric Upright Bass...) available? Inasmuch as the Classico is a beautiful thing, (look at the custom Cocobolo one on RipoffVerb...) there's no particular reason they have to be so massive to accomplish the task of being an EUB. Yeah, I'm admitting to a compromise here, and that's maybe something they won't be keen to do, so I might take it on the construction part myself and install Alembic electronics.

In the spirit of a Dreaming Thread...

What if there were a stand-mounted, miniature Classico? Basically a better stick-bass than what's out there. Wouldn't necessarily have to use the full 42" scale. Could even be adjusted for 34" or shorter, and use regular flatwound bass guitar strings. 5-string becomes easier to accommodate. Doesn't need the more complex headstock design of Classico... could be a crown or even a cone. The neck and body are essentially one, so the geometry gets a bit simpler too. Adjusting the draught angle gets to the fingerboard 'wedge'. Reinforcement and relief adjustment becomes possible by the same means as any other bass guitar. Sidelines, sure. I don't care about LED's but somebody will. The electronics could be as simple or complex as ordered, but I'm thinking of a minimalist approach. I'm not sure... it'd take some testing, but a notch filter is the most useful thing I have ever used on an upright. Volume, Bass, and Treble, with a way to notch some sub-60hZ lows or troublesome mids.

The shape/design is open to interpretation. I think some of those violin-like elements of those made in Japan HB's should be in there... like... stretched. Maybe even the headstock. Most importantly keep it simple, keep the cost down.

Okay. Just had to get that out of my system.