Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Owning an Alembic => Serial Number / History Requests => Topic started by: gtrguy on October 29, 2020, 11:07:01 AM

Title: (?) Info request SN 98W11830
Post by: gtrguy on October 29, 2020, 11:07:01 AM

Can you tell me the build info on Epic SN 98W11830 GC special edition build 31 of 60?
Thanks for your time!

Title: Re: Info request SN 98W11830
Post by: adriaan on October 29, 2020, 11:28:26 AM

There were two runs of GC Special Edition Epics, in different years, and each run had a fixed feature set. A search for 98W Special Edition brings up 6 topics here...

Title: Re: Info request SN 98W11830
Post by: gtrguy on November 06, 2020, 04:10:33 PM

Couple of pics:

Title: Re: Info request SN 98W11830
Post by: edwardofhuncote on November 06, 2020, 05:55:36 PM

David, I thought a Club Member had that one for sale here. It was either #31 or #32.

Hang on a minute...

*pretty sure this is the same bass... https://www.talkbass.com/threads/1998-alembic-epic-special-edition.1481838/ It was on TalkBass Classifieds I saw it, but I could swear it was here too.

Title: Re: Info request SN 98W11830
Post by: gtrguy on November 07, 2020, 10:47:31 AM

Now that is interesting. Just sold from St Louis Guitar Center.

Title: Re: Info request SN 98W11830
Post by: ZuMan on November 07, 2020, 11:03:31 AM

I had one of these, and they were amazing value.  This was my first Alembic and first true high end bass.  I think I gave about $1k or so for it new at the Atlanta GC back around 97-98.  Sadly, I don't have it anymore.  I think I traded it for a 70s Fender Jazz (dump trade on my part).  Sadly, I have no pics of it.  I recall it being identical to the Epic shown above.  I want to say mine was right there in the same serial range as this one.  Could be my bass, actually.  Interested to see the full history.

Title: Re: Info request SN 98W11830
Post by: gtrguy on November 07, 2020, 11:10:34 AM

The only thing I don't like about Epics is that they don't have the fret markers on the fretboard. This special model fixes that problem.

Title: Re: Info request SN 98W11830
Post by: ZuMan on November 10, 2020, 03:43:59 PM

Forgot to add that I traded my GC Epic in to Atlanta GC around 1999 or so.

Title: Re: Info request SN 98W11830
Post by: mica on November 11, 2020, 09:29:01 PM

Can you check the serial number in the cavity? I have 11830 recorded as an Excel bass that went to Canada.

That being said, these all had the same specs, Epic models with the following upgrades:

Premium Flame Maple top
Double pinstripe accent
Engraved brass truss rod cover
Pearloid oval inlays
Maybe brass backplates? I don't recall - but you can tell of course :)

Title: Re: (?) Info request SN 98W11830
Post by: gtrguy on November 12, 2020, 10:43:36 AM

No serial number in the cavity.

Title: Re: (?) Info request SN 98W11830
Post by: mica on November 12, 2020, 01:20:30 PM

One more for the duplicates pile (in Epic-land, there's quite a few for a short spell)

Title: Re: (?) Info request SN 98W11830
Post by: mica on November 12, 2020, 01:23:07 PM

Was there a number on the back of the peghead?

Title: Re: (?) Info request SN 98W11830
Post by: gtrguy on November 12, 2020, 03:02:56 PM

Yep, 98W11830. BTW, thanks for taking your time to do this!

Title: Re: (?) Info request SN 98W11830
Post by: gtrguy on November 12, 2020, 03:14:38 PM

There are mysterious enigmatic runes under the pickups though.
I wonder if 11071 might be the serial number.

Title: Re: (?) Info request SN 98W11830
Post by: mica on November 12, 2020, 08:46:18 PM

No - that's not a serial number but I *may* able to cross reference from it.