Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Owning an Alembic => Serial Number / History Requests => Topic started by: timplog on March 25, 2021, 09:47:34 AM
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Exciting NOBD for me, found this Europa 4 on Reverb, all the way from Switzerland.
Really great shape for an almost 30 year old bass, couldn't be happier!
So of course interested in seeing the build sheet if that's cool, thinking it's got a Cocobolo top but not entirely sure. Looks very good. Standard Europa controls?
Came with a hard case that doesn't seem to have a name brand on it, but it's clearly a custom fit for this bass.
Glad to have this guitar join my other Alembic, '94 Koa Essence 4 string.
Lovely company!
Thanks in advance, in perpetuity. Cheers
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Great looking bass. My guess for the top would be bocate.
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Thanks Jazzyvee,
With all your experience with Alembic I'd bet you're right.
Seller said Cocobolo but I think there's a lot of sort of wide grain showing compared to other examples I've seen of that wood.
Course it's all in how they slice it.
It's a keeper regardless, the tone is just fantastic.
Maybe the Mothership will have a moment.
Thanks Mica!
Stay Safe !
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I second the bocate vote.
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Contemplating a return of this Bass if the top wood has been mislabeled as Cocobolo but is actually Bocate.
Don't know if that makes sense and I've not decided one way or the other, but I've been on the lookout for a Cocobolo Alembic bass fitting my hobby-est budget for some time and while I love this Europa model it bugs me if I've been misled.
Hoping for a confirmational message one way or the other from Alembic, the ultimate authority!
Thank you.
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If the seller wasn’t the original owner, he may not have known himself, in the absence of the build sheet. So it may not be a misled situation, just a mistake. I have a Europa also, and it’s unquestionably a keeper.
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You're quite right re the seller and also that the Europa is a great bass, and really, like all Alembics a piece of craftsperson's art. Audio/visually a keeper.
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does anyone know whether this lookup request page
has gone dark?
hope everyone’s well at the mothership !
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Tim, sometimes these look-ups take awhile as they are a "spare time" project of Micas. No worries, it will be gotten to.
I will also go along with the Bocate top, it is a beauty. I have an Essence with Bocate as the top wood along with headstock
of my Series I. I don't believe you will find a lot of Bocate top woods as you look through the Showcase section here. Enjoy
the uniqueness of what you have, even among the most unique basses around.
Welcome to the group.
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Thanks very much lembic76450 you are absolutely right this is a beautiful and very fun to play Alembic and I'm totally stoked to have it.
Was originally bugged about a possibly mislabeled, not as advertised bass, and losing time as far as the return window on Reverb was concerned.
That concern is in the past now-it has a permanent home here.
My concern now is that having 2 Alembics doesn't seem like enough of a (very) good thing.
Ho-ho!
Thanks again for taking the time.
Going to learn a bit more about that Bocate.
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This is the bocate top on my Europa, though I have to say, I love dark woods on alembics and hence prefer the darker stripes in the grain that your bass has. I hope you are able to make a decision soon before you run out of your time window.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/3659.jpg)
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Thanks again Jazzy
Well there's certainly nothing wrong with your Europa either, we are definitely blessed, and spoiled too.
Some lovely grain there.
I'm keeping mine it's decided.
I've played it at least an hour every day since it was delivered and I'm hooked.
Grateful for those alchemical Alembicans!
Cheers !
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Jazzy I have to ask, if you've got another minute, as my search didn't turn up any help I could find....how do you manage to post with a photo within the text, and not as an attachment?
What am I missing here....your photo appears to be of a much higher quality too, as compared with the attachment method I used, which seems to be limited to 1k kb.
Of course you may just be a fantastic photographer on top of everything else.... ;D
Thank you kindly sir!
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Tim, here is mine.
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Jazzy I have to ask, if you've got another minute, as my search didn't turn up any help I could find....how do you manage to post with a photo within the text, and not as an attachment?
What am I missing here....your photo appears to be of a much higher quality too, as compared with the attachment method I used, which seems to be limited to 1k kb.
Of course you may just be a fantastic photographer on top of everything else.... ;D
Thank you kindly sir!
The reason is I posted the picture on here as a link from a photo displayed on an existing thread on the this site.
I use a mac so if you are using a pc the way you obtain the link to the picture may be different but it's pretty much the same after that.
So, how I do it is, before saving the text in the thread, select the option under the box for preview. This then shows a load of extra stuff above the message box.
Open another browser window and search for the site where there is a picture you want to show here.
Right click on the photo and choose "Copy Image Address".
Then come back to your forum post and select the third icon from the second row of icons at the top of your message box.
This will open a pop up window and Paste the web link to your picture in the box below "Enter image location" then press OK.
If you have done it right the picture will appear immediately.
Carry on writing or just save the message by pressing the Post button.
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so cool of you to take the time ro explain that (so well) Jazzy!
I use a mac as well and will take a look tomorrow. Thanks!
Stay safe
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Thanks, I write business software applications for a living and that often involves doing documentation and training so I'm quite used to writing instructions, (destructions sometimes too), so hope you can find your way through that as I was rushing.
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starting to worry a bit, wonder if maybe there’s something odd, or suspect, about this bass or it’s provenance?
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Bocate is a wonderful and IMHO, under-utilized top wood. I have 2 Spoilers: one w/ cocobolo and the other bocate and the tonal differences between them are substantial. I love them both! The differences in top wood totally justify having a diverse collection.
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So continuing my quest for a Coco Bolo in my budget I've found an 08 essence that is quite nice.
Serial number C8KL3897 and model KLB4.
Unusually looks like it's got a sustain block installed, which makes me very happy.
Special order maybe?
Asking and hoping there's a build sheet for this bass as I'm probably going to go for it.
Thanks!!
(http://)
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Surprise! It's not Bocate. Here's the details I found in the file for your Europa bass:
top: Macassar Ebony
accent: Maple and Purpleheart pinstripes
body: Magohany
neck: Maple and Purpleheart
scale: 34" Long
fingerboard: Ebony
inlays: Pearloid (plastic) ovals
pickups: MXY4
controls: volume, pan, filter, Q-switch, bass cut/flat/boost, treble cut flat/boost, mono output
originally made for: Kenman, Switzerland
birthday: October 14, 1993
If you still need build details for 08K13897 let me know by starting a new thread - when I'm pulling files I look at the subject lines, thanks!
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Thanks very much for the ID on that bass Mica !!
Ebony wasn't my first guess for sure, but it's lovely and sounds fabulous.
I will follow up with a new request on the other one.
Hope you and yours are tip-top during these crazy days.
Glad we've got your instruments and the music to keep us grounded.
Stay safe!
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Madagascar Ebony, how could i miss that? Clearly it’s time for me sell up, get some custom madagascar ebony knitting needles, some wool and spend my days knitting custom headstock covers.