Alembic Guitars Club
Connecting => Swap Shop and Wish Lists => Seen on craigslist, eBay, and elsewhere => Topic started by: flavofive on June 07, 2023, 10:49:11 AM
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https://reverb.com/item/69851739-alembic-series-1-1977-natural-mahogany (https://reverb.com/item/69851739-alembic-series-1-1977-natural-mahogany)
I saw this bass come up on Reverb yesterday, originally posted as a 1979. I messaged the seller to suggest double-checking the headstock date stamp, since the body style matches the earlier shape that Alembic used from ~1974 to late 1977. He replied that the date stamp was initially hard to read, but with a magnifying glass he was able to confirm that it actually was a 1977.
What's more interesting - he mentioned in his message that it's a long scale, which he was aware is very unusual with small standard bodies.
I can't verify this myself from the photos, and I'm surprised this isn't mentioned in the listing itself. If I were a buyer, I think I'd want to know...
But if anyone's interested in (potentially) a very rare configuration, this might be a good chance.
I'd suggest asking the seller to double-check that it's really 34". But assuming it is - according to this thread here on the Club, there were only 8 of these ever made! https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=1157.msg11671#msg11671 (https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=1157.msg11671#msg11671)
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Boy, I’ve got a Signature SC and a Series I SC both of which are short scale and I needed to learn how to play them higher and short of tucked under my right arm to minimize neck drop. I can’t imagine what it would be like with a long scale version. Sometimes when only a few products of a certain type are made, it’s not just that they are rare but that they don’t work as well as the manufacturer wants them to.
I guess by pre amp not required they really mean DS5 not required (as long as one has LOTS of batteries on hand).
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i owned a '76 small body long scale fretless series I back in the early '00's (the steve fossen bass to be precise).
didn't balance that great. had truss rod problems. sang like 10,000 songbirds. light as a feather, very easy to play. if it came up for sale it's one of the few of my former basses that i'd probably buy back.
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It might be a medium, but it does not look like a long scale to me. The long scale basses with the small standard has their bridge and tailpiece moved more rearward.
I guess the only way to know is to measure it.
I have had a couple of the long scale small bodied basses. They are not as bad as you might think. I find them comfortable.
Michael
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Paging Bob Ross!
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Yikes, of all the places you could re-locate a strap button to, why there?!?!
But thanks for the tip, the timing is semi-sorta-kinda right ...-ish.
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Yikes, of all the places you could re-locate a strap button to, why there?!?!
indeed. sure hope they didn't use a deck screw on it like i've seen done before. not sure i'd wanna buy this bass with that done to it. i mean... how ya gonna play the upper registers? cantcha weaken the neck by jsut popping holes (let's hope they at least drilled the hole out before threading a screw into it) in it willy-nilly like that?
i dunno. i don't like it. it don't look right. my back hurts. it's time for bed. where's the tylenol?
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I've got two of the small body + long scale basses - one fretted, one fretless, both customs, from the same time ('77). Amazing instruments (as they all are). I was tempted a few times early on to move the strap button to compensate for neck dive, but over time just got used to it.