Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: rastaman on January 02, 2009, 11:59:06 AM
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so i ran into an "alembic" the other day that has no serial number. i duno if it is real, it sure would be the nicest fake ever made. The body is mahogany, classic flame maple top, brass bridge, gold alembic tuners, matching headstock and the famed alembic symbol. i duno if its neck through or what but check out pics. what do you think?
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/59756.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/59757.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/59758.jpg)
(Message edited by rastaman on January 02, 2009)
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more:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/59763.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/59764.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/59765.jpg)
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more:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/59770.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/59771.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/59772.jpg)
(Message edited by rastaman on January 02, 2009)
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Sure looks like a bona fide one pick-up Orion to me. It it is a fraud it is the best copy by far I've ever seen. Furthermore, it seems to me if someone were to go to this much trouble to make a fake Alembic, they'd copy a more expensive model ... sort of why counterfeiters don't waste their time copying ones and fives.
Bill, tgo
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i have never seen a string-thru alembic, and whats up with the no serial #
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I wrote the above before the second set of pics posted. Very unusual, especially the string-through tail instead of the standard Alembic fare. It's hard to tell about the neck from the pics. Is it all one piece with the body or set in like a regular Orion? I'm still guessing a custom job rather than a fake.
Bill, tgo
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im gona take more pics tonight, any specific ones i shoudld get?
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Maybe get a pic of the truss rod cover and underneath the truss rod cover? Also the end of the fretboard right by the truss rod cover, which is where the serial number would often be stamped.
I'd be interested in a shot of the holes where the strings go through the back too. Maybe someone requested a string-through-body custom?
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There are so many accurate features there, including the hardware and pickups, that would suggest it more likely to be an employee project than a fake if it isn't regular factory product. The serial number might have been on the truss rod cover, maybe on the other side of this one, and you should also find it in the electronics cavity. This bass looks relatively new, so probably after they stopped stamping serial numbers into the fretboard, but who knows.
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For an Orion the serial number should be stamped on the back of the head stock. I would look in the control cavity or under the pickups for a serial number. I think I've seen one or two other string-through-body basses here on the board.The logo sure looks to be correct. If this were a forgery or shop night project I would not expect to see a logo like this.
Keith
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This one was for sale some time ago, here's a previous thread: Click here (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=12605)
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oops, my mistake...
That's not the same bass, the one in my link also seems to have a serial number.
Features looks the same though...
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Flip,
That might be the one I was thinking of.
Keith
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Shop night bass? With the apparently authentic logo, probably not. Serial Number should be stamped in the wood in the electronics compartment as well.
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The serial number on the other one was 00MG12451
and Mica said:
quote:I think this is a personal project, I think I know who made it. A serial number might transform the thinking into knowing.
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so i checked in the electronics compartment, although very nicely carved, no serial # also checked under truss rod cover, no #. they are also alembic electronics/pots in there.
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so i checked in the electronics compartment, although very nicely carved, no serial # also checked under truss rod cover, no #. they are also alembic electronics/pots in there.
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This appears to be another personal project bass with an unauthorized use of an Alembic logo. I say this because I do know who made this bass, as I had seen it under construction, but I never saw the logo on the headstock.
It looks like you saw this at somebody's house. Did they have any light to shed on its origins?
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lol yes actually. they claimed they purchased it from a girl. this girl had told him that her boyfriend had made it for her. she went on to say that did not play bass and was no longer with her boyfriend.
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after further inspection we have deemed it definately neck through
(Message edited by rastaman on January 02, 2009)
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Ooh, sounds like some current or ex employee is due for at least a wrist slapping.
It seems like removal of the logo would be appropriate, especially before any attempt to sell this instrument. Putting the logo on a bass that you keep might not be appropriate, but leaving it on through a sale could constitute fraud since it apparently isn't really an Alembic bass. It's much less of a fraud than those cheap p-bass knock offs with the Elan stickers, but it still isn't right.
-bob
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the bass is currently not for sale and is in the personal collection of someone who does not intend to sell it. i wonder who made it though
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I would say that , by the look of the neck joint, I am 90% sure we are looking at a SET neck and NOT a neck-thru folks!!
John.
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white cloud..I think you are right about set neck, you can just see the join at the waist level.
I agree with everyone..it looks too 'Alembic' to be a fake. Nice bass though with unusual design features, pity about the employee taking advantage of Alembic's willingness to let them use there facilities.