Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Owning an Alembic => Serial Number / History Requests => Topic started by: gode on March 25, 2023, 11:11:31 AM

Title: (x) 99K12243 Essence 5 Info Request
Post by: gode on March 25, 2023, 11:11:31 AM
Hi,
my second-hand Essence was bought privately in Bremen / Germany last year. Unfortunately without the papers. The top wood seems to be Tulip Wood.As you can see in the photos, it has Europa / Roque electronics and a Europa headstock.
I would like to know everything that is known about the bass. 
The bass sounds really fantastic.  :) Just as good as my two MK Signatures. 8) Originally I wanted to convert it to a fretless after I bought it. But it sounds too good as it is.
Now I've actually bought another Essence in Lisbon / Portugal, which is currently at the luthier's to be converted into a fretless.
Thx for your help
Godehard Nave
Title: Re: 99K12243 Essence 5 Info Request
Post by: mica on October 02, 2023, 06:12:20 PM
This was sold in 2018 and details posted on the club (https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=23641.msg237038#msg237038). I'll paste details here for reference.

Here's the details from the instrument file:

top: Tulipwood
accent: Maple pinstripe
body: Mahogany
neck: 5-peice Maple with 4 Walnut pinstripes
scale: 34" long
fingerboard: Ebony
inlays: none
pickups: MXY56
electronics: Europa
originally made for: Kenman Company, Switzerland
birthday: December 2, 1999

Tulipwood is very hard to get these days in wide widths - most of the basses we made with Tulipwood are Essence models because they are the most narrow body shape we offer. It's a small tree, and rarely exceeds 30 foot height or 1 foot diameter. As a true Rosewood, I don't think we'll be seeing vast quantities coming available any time soon as the genus Dalbergia is all on at least Appendix II of CITES.
Title: Re: (x) 99K12243 Essence 5 Info Request
Post by: gode on October 04, 2023, 12:18:31 PM
Many Thanks for your work, Mica.