Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Swap Shop and Wish Lists => Seen on craigslist, eBay, and elsewhere => Topic started by: toddharris on June 26, 2009, 12:20:18 PM

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: toddharris on June 26, 2009, 12:20:18 PM

Only $8k!!!
 
http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/msg/1239733262.html (http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/msg/1239733262.html)

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: kungfusheriff on June 26, 2009, 12:34:55 PM

Fake. It's a Fernandes with a counterfeit logo. The rosewood fingerboard is a dead giveaway.

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: serialnumber12 on June 27, 2009, 08:15:56 AM

yep that's a fernandes all day long!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/66722.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/66723.jpg)

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: kungfusheriff on July 09, 2009, 08:44:36 AM

Now relisted, more accurately, at $2600:
http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/msg/1260322080.html (http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/msg/1260322080.html)

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: tdukes on July 09, 2009, 11:35:10 AM

How is this obviously a Fernandes? I am not saying it isn't. I just want to know what makes it obvious.
 
The '77 series I guitar I have has a rosewood fretboard.  
 
Todd.

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: hydrargyrum on July 09, 2009, 02:09:18 PM

If I remember correctly, you can tell because the five pin adapter doesn't have black plastic around it.  I could be wrong.

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: olieoliver on July 09, 2009, 02:15:48 PM

My 89 Series II has no black plastic around the 5 pin connector. And it's a genuine Alembic!
 
OO

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: olieoliver on July 09, 2009, 02:28:09 PM

 Anyone else ever run across this site? (http://www.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash.cgi?itm=alembic&cat=mus)
 
(Message edited by olieoliver on July 09, 2009)

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: tdukes on July 09, 2009, 03:02:05 PM

No. But I have it bookmarked now.
 
Todd.

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: kungfusheriff on July 09, 2009, 07:33:06 PM

Rosewood fingerboard. The knobs are all wrong. The cutaways are wrong. The finish, or possibly the zebrawood, is cloudy-looking. There is no Alembic logo on the pickups or the power supply. That's all I can tell you from the photo. In person, the fel is close but not completely right. They're not bad basses, judged on their own merits, but are only a carbon copy of the real thing.

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: tdukes on July 10, 2009, 01:07:55 PM

So what do you make of this guitar? It has rosewood fretboard and no alembic logo on pickups.  Does it look real? Sorry my photography is not very good.  Todd.  
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/67196.jpg)
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/67197.jpg)
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/67198.jpg)
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/67199.jpg)
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/67200.jpg)
  (Message edited by tdukes on July 10, 2009)

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: mkazaria on July 10, 2009, 01:30:54 PM

Real

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: kungfusheriff on July 10, 2009, 01:57:20 PM

Looks legit to me. Seems doubtful that someone would take the time to fake a Switchcraft five-pin jack, or source a real Alembic-type jack to retrofit onto a Fernandes. The fingerboard is probably undyed ebony, which I've been told sometimes looks like rosewood. What is the shop asking for the guitar, or is that your '77?
 
(Message edited by kungfusheriff on July 10, 2009)

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: tdukes on July 10, 2009, 02:44:43 PM

I bought it from a club member a few months ago. (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=14512) I don't think Sam would scam me, but he only had it about a year.
 
It's the only Series I I've played so I was wondering if I had missed something. When you discounted the bass above due to the Rosewood fretboard and no Alembic on the pickups it made me worry. I hadn't thought any copies of guitars like this were ever made, but who is to know for sure.
 
I was surprised to see the rosewood fretboard too, but thats what it says on the wood card (in green ink, see below).
 
Todd.
 
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/67203.jpg)

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: keith_h on July 10, 2009, 03:27:04 PM

Alembic has made some instruments with rosewood fingerboards. They just aren't common. Also since you have the matching build sheet I would not be concerned with a forgery. I don't ever recall seeing a forgery with a build sheet.  
 
Keith

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: hieronymous on July 10, 2009, 04:19:04 PM

I don't think the older pickups ('70s?) had Alembic stamped into the pickups. Check out some of the Series I guitars & basses in the showcase section...

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: lbpesq on July 10, 2009, 04:35:09 PM

My '76 Series I guitar has a rosewood fingerboard.
 
Bill, tgo

Title: Craigs List Stanley Clarke in NY
Post by: mica on July 10, 2009, 04:46:56 PM

Plenty of Rosewood (and other woods) for fingerboards, especially on early models. The real kicker for the Fernandes guitars for me is the placement of the pickup selector plate. It's  too close to the strings. Also, most of the Fernandes guitars are Zebrawood. I also tend to think the neck laminations are a little wider than typical.  
 
So whenever I see a Zebrawood small body, I take a closer look. Of course, in person, you can just take off the backplate for a confirmation, which is what the seller of this guitar did for me. He believed it to be a genuine Alembic when he purchased it, and was not aware he had been duped. The logo appears genuine in a photo he emailed me, but I have a suspicion that it was a pendant in a previous life. One of the many reasons we don't sell logos for remote installation.