Alembic Guitars Club
Connecting => Swap Shop and Wish Lists => For Sale & Trade => Topic started by: poor_nigel on August 28, 2016, 01:10:19 AM
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30.5" scale little Series I bass that is light in weight but not in tone. This is a great little bass. I spent the day taking bass pictures, and I will load quite a few on this bass, as I was sweating and in some pictures you might think the finish is crack/flecked in some places, but it is just bad angle, reflection, or smeared fingerprint. So lots to compare on. This bass must have spent a lot of its life under someone's bed, or they never gigged it, as it is in beautiful condition.
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These are in order, and I cannot figure how to load more than one per post, so in alphabetical order, so I do not miss any.
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If some of the shots look redundant, they are to compare to see spots that may look damaged are indeed not. Just bad refections or whatever. This is a very nice, clean bass. Plays beautifully.
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Last back of body shot. Note that I will send seriously interested parties full-sized pictures upon request.
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Back of headstock.
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Seven body shots. Ha, found the 'More Attachments" button. I am gifted! I do really like the large file capacity and how they fill yer screen when ya click on them.
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The logo is a hand-cut silver-sheet logo, as on all early models. 1976 make this a bicentennial model, I suppose. Note on the brass plate behind the pick-up selector switch, I never cleaned it and it is not damaged at all, just needs cleaning. I did not clean the logo, either, which would look cool polished up, but the new owner can decide to keep it tarnished or to shine it up. I have a bottle of silver polish and would be glad to donate some que-tip time if requested.
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I'll take more neck shots if requested. Zero defects on neck. Zero.
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Brand new $750 Jan-Al flight case. I bought a pair from the factory, one for this bass, and one for the SSB SI Mica and Kris are making up for me to replace this one. It should be just about done now. I am too messed up to play my long-scales any more, and this will be redundant for me soon. So I am offering this spiffy little bass for $5,000 and shipping. You decide the kind of shipping you want, as you'll pay exact amount of it. Only fair. I would suggest UPS, as they will insure this bass fully, without hassles and lawyer involvement if they crunch it up.
Wow, this is sooooo much easier than loading pictures on the old site. I thought this was going to take all night. I'll process my ebony bass pix and those I took of Monte and post them probably tomorrow. Got questions, I might have answers. I am pretty drugged up, so . . . Think $5,000 is too much? Then this is not the bass for you. Try eBay, as they have some cracked neck ones there. Maybe one from Japan, those are great stuff! Actually, one does not look bad, but which of the three sellers is the one really selling it??? The black market of the world! I should add that I am not trying to be cocky here, just tired of Craig's List people coming over and telling me in great detail why my stuff in their opinion is not worth what I am asking for it, when it is priced at less than half current market used value. I am never using Craig's List again. Too many social derelicts there, and they show up at your house - Not a good thing.
I should add, no trades. Thank you.
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Delete this please. Spaced out and posted it again.
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Wow Nigel, that bass looks great you certainly have owned some fantastic alembic basses.
For anyone considering buying from Nigel, I can say from personal standpoint I had the pleasure of buying my dream bass from him and the experience was great and so was the bass. All the best for the sale. :-)
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Lovely bass! Best wishes on the new replacement and the sale of this bad boy.
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Thanks guys. The more I come here, the more I like the new site. Editing later on is really easy and the old one wouldn't let you after an hour or so. Been having a off day, so was just watching Pungdeng-E videos, Korean K-Pop. I will finish processing other pix and post them maybe tomorrow.
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That fingerboard is just beautiful.
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Hey Dela, I knew you would like this bass. It is a perfect Goldie Locks bass, not too fancy, not to plain, and definitely one the crew back then paid attention to detail while working on it. This bass is truly a tribute on the wondrous finishes Alembic used back then. No checking, at all. No crcks of any kind. I kind of wish I had just bought this one, and just kept it to play. But the other is already committed on by Kris, and he does the best work I have seen by any luthier, so it will not be hard to let this one go. This one looks new, and the other will be new, with quite a few perks on it. Gee, it's only money, right? As usual, I spent more fixing the other bass up than I spent on either of these. Some one will be a really happy camper on this one, and I will be on the other, too. And that is what counts in the end. I'm happy about that.
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Wow, Thomas, that sure looks beautiful. Is that an un- re-touched original ?
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Thomas,
Did you see this?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alembic-Series-I-SSB-Series-USED-FREESHIPPING-from-JAPAN-/322235374080?hash=item4b06b99a00:g:23EAAOSwMtxXuVXM
That top sure looks familiar to me. That top is a twin to yours. I asked the seller a few days ago what the serial number is. They never responded. I bet it is between 215 and 220 or so.
Michael
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Yep, this is my 215!
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I did see that on eBay. As soon as I saw Japan, I ignored it, as who knows how many sellers there are for it, or if the seller really has it or it is being sold by someone else and just listed by said seller. A shame it had a Badass installed, but the wood freaked me out big time. Right now my bass got a new neck, so Badass would not have been a problem. Can you believe Alembic replaces bad necks after 30-40 years - for free! Who but Alembic has that good of warranty on their products. Alembics are not cheap, but there are many seriously great reasons why. Then again, bad neck or not, if someone installed a Badass on it, I don't know if Mica would cover neck replacement in that situation. Since it IS an Alembic, if I were to go that route, I would have sprung for a nice solid brass ABS bridge.
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The finish on the walnut bass is original, and amazing considering it was done back in 1976. Yellowed, sure, but not a tiny crack anywhere in the finish. A company founded on doing things right! If you see an old Gibson, especially the old Les Pauls, that have a perfect finish on them, I'll bet they were refinished. I used to be a Gibson player, until I took an Alembic off the wall at the Guitar Center in Seattle way back when. From that point on, I saved my pennies until I bought that ebony bass I have. I have some Gibsons, but they are just for looking at to remind me of the old days, before I became an enlightened human being . . .
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flpete1uw - That bass on eBay is very similar to yours too. It has a zebra top, maple core, and koa back. As yours is opposite! I bet those are consecutive slices of that special zebrawood.
Michael
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I think it has something to do with how the instrument was taken care of, how much sun and exposure it got, how much acid a persons sweat has, and did an old pick guard out-gas in the case, and how well the paint was mixed and the instrument was prepped and what the temp was when it was sprayed (along with flash time or time between coats, and sanding tactics). I have instruments from the 60's on up and some have perfect finishes and others have checking all over.
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Nigel, where are you located? US?
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Questions asked:
Location = Chico, CA
Discounted price if I keep the flight case = $5,000 (What would I do with the new flight case I just bought for this???)
Weight using the old step on scale, get off, step on scale holding bass = 8.8 pounds.
Nut Widths - 1 7/16th neck width - 1 5/16th string width.
Bridge Width of Strings = 1 7/8ths.
Comes with Blue Box and 20' 5-pin cable, of course.
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It looks like my ebony bass will be sold on the 'payment plan.' Deposit and monthly check until it is paid off. I would do the same deal on this bass. I am in no rush to sell, or be paid right away. Just an option to consider.
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I'm thinking of putting this bass on eBay to see what happens. I'm curious. Hmmm, crazies . . . I put a Custom Shop Gibson 2008 Back Beauty on in unplayed condition. Simply stunning guitar to me, as IU really like them. Some guy e-mailed me obsessed with is it a fretless wonder. I get tired of dealing with guys trying to buy a $10K guitar for peanuts, which is probably what people want for them now. People will certainly use your time up on wasteful tangents if you let them. Sleeping pills are kicking in so time to ramble off . . . .
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Stuck a handful of things on eBay today, including this bass. I'm out of room in my little apartment, so . . .
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Sooooo tempting! I really love that fingerboard. I am considering buying it so no one drills an extra hole for a strap button.
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Potentially interested. Only hesitated this long because I'd have to sell at least one of my Alembics if I purchased this one and I'm about ready to send my Standard point to the mothership for an upgrade. What is status of the electronics? Has it been upgraded?
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It seems incredible how often people do move the strap button. The one in the shop being worked on has that on its list to be corrected. This bass is very quiet, so I never gave thought to checking with anyone about an electronics upgrade. I live in a university town, so there are more than the average amount of communications/etc. devices in operation that produce RF signals. I have heard nothing from any yet. But to answer your question, to be on the safe side, I would say no.
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Thomas.
Is your Series I still up for sale? I'm awaiting a reply from Mica on some additional things I'm considering doing with my current Standard Point Series I which I'm about ready to send in for a refurbishing. As soon as she gets back to me with cost estimates I'll better understand if this is something I can swing.
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Hey Brian. Yes it is sitting on eBay at a higher price than here, as I do not trust eBayers. When sending in an instrument to the factory to be redone, take the time mentioned and multiply it by 2, 3, or 4 (Depending on how lucky you generally are and pestering you can be - I'm a 4, as I'm way to mellow) and that should give you some kind of idea about how long you will be without your bass. Prices are good, unless you say the forbidden word "Custom." Then no discounts at all and since no gigs or anything are already in existence for it, man hours are way up, so price is way up. That is why rays on a logo are $900, no ifs, ands, or buts. The rest of the inlaid logo is discountable, and discounts are between each customer and Mica, so I'll quote nothing here. Mica has been way too good to me for me to step on her toes.
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No problems with the wait as I've got three other Alembics for company. Just need to determine what the additional costs will be beyond the original quote if I have a few extras added. IMO Mica has always been spot on or EARLY in getting new builds to me so I trust her opinion on refurbishing without any hesitation.
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In the end, I never had a real problem with the waits, as what I got was so spectacular. And what I said above was not to upset anyone, but it is better to think it will take longer and then get it sooner than the reverse. BTW - Bass was just sold to a club member. Ahhh, more packing . . . .
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Glad it went to a club member. Coincidentally, Mica got back to me yesterday and convinced me to not mess with my standard point beyond a pretty standard refurbishing so I would have had the change on hand for this one. If you've got others your considering letting go let me know.
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Monty is not mine, so can't sell that one. The one being worked on at Alembic right now is my last Alembic. Hopefully I'll be able to play the short-scaled bass for a year or so. Monty has mandolin frets on it, so clumsy fingered people like me make a lot of noise when they play. And its 32" scale is a bit uncomfortable, but not too bad. Did I mention that it ain't my bass . . . ? So Monty just sits around and keeps my old Les Paul Bass company.