Alembic Guitars Club
Connecting => Swap Shop and Wish Lists => Seen on craigslist, eBay, and elsewhere => Topic started by: BeenDown139 on July 29, 2023, 04:13:06 PM
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https://reverb.com/item/71822283-2007-alembic-starburst-custom-made-1-of-1-aaaaa-top-leds-original-case
not shilling for the storefront as it may be a sore subject around here.
interesting bass. strike that absoulely awesome bass. i'd make a play for it but the lack of hand operable/ easily accessible controls pretty much shoots it down for me, unless the seller's gonna make a big $ concession. whiiiich i doubt he will.
this may be heresy around here, but the tone controls on an alembic are lost on me. the tone/filters on all my basses are always wide open as i prefer the raw unfiltered sound of the bass and use hand technique and maybe some pickup blend to control my tone. i could get by withoout tone controls but no volume/pan? sorry. no sale. i own a full custom bass that someone else ordrred. it's pretty cool but i can tell ya there's some strange stuff on that bass that i sure woulda done different. so, to use the hoary old standby of mine - there's no accounting for taste. i'm sure the original owner had his reasons for doing the controls like that. pretty sure resale value wasn't on the list
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Now that's what I call 'set it and forget it'. Interesting. Is it Series-equipped, or just Series prepped, I wonder?
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Now that's what I call 'set it and forget it'. Interesting. Is it Series-equipped, or just Series prepped, I wonder?
Just prepped from what I understand. We saw this days ago in another thread.
It's a dummy pickup just for show.
https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=28007.0
(https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=28007.0)
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Interesting posting BUT...given that it's not a Series Bass, why doesn't the seller provide any information at all about the electronics other than it has "custom controls that are accessed thru the control plate cover." If I was a buyer, I'd certainly want to know a bit more about the electronics which make the difference between a bass that is an Alembic and anything else other than that they are "custom."
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i gotta say the more i look at it nuttier it gets. where's the output jack? i've seen them hidden in strap pins. please say it isn't bluetooth. if it was prepped for series I then does it have stereo ouput?
definitely one i'd have to handle before money changed hands. handle a lot.
been prepping for abig audition tomorrow. gotta playeverything from aerosmith to RHCP to AIC. i'm the new guy gonna be using the MKDeluxe. usually gotta nudge the pan or volume a little from one song to the next to get my sonic space. i kept visualizing me showing up to the audition with a museum piece of a bass that i gotta use a tool on in between songs to set my tone. i dunno. it's stopped raining. my hands hurt. gonna hit the tub
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Here:
http://www.alembic.com/info/fc_starburst.html
Jimmy J
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Guys,
electronics are standard Signature.
Master Vol,. Pan Pot, 2 x Filter.
The Switches are 2 x Q Switch (2 positions)
and LED on/off
Greetz
Oliver (Spyderman)
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BTW the input jack is on the outer lower rim, see photo
Greetz
Oliver (Spyderman)
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thanx jimmy and oliver!
that build link helps. gotta say, ebony stringer in the neck is a bigger deal than most people tink. have one in the SII and it's got sustain for days.
really conflicted on this one. if it wasn't for that wacky control setup, i'd probably finally have something to put on my last empty bass wall hanger.
but without major expensive modification, this instrument would be little more than wall art for me. i gotta be able to strap in on tune it up and crank out the jams. and not think about where i left the freaking volume and tone screwdriver this time. i got enuff problems remembering where i set my glasses down last.
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Well, to be honest I am also strongly interested.
But seller only ships CONUS so I would need to ask
someone else shipping it for me.
Then you still have the risk on your own.
I am always very sceptic buying used stuff without seeing
personally.
And additionally I would have to pay immense shipping costs
as well as 22,2 percent duty and taxes on the value
plus shipping costs.
Well I think it is better not to think about it anymore.
But of course it is one of the iconic Alembic builds.
Greetz
Oliver (Spyderman)
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And additionally I would have to pay immense shipping costs
as well as 22,2 percent duty and taxes on the value
plus shipping costs
does that apply even if you buy from a private seller such as myself?
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Yes, unfortunately.
19 percent taxes and the rest is duties.
As long as you import, no matter if dealer
or private, you have to pay.
Greetz
Oliver (Spyderman)
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Well I think it is better not to think about it anymore.
amen, brother.
i shoulda stoppped thinkning about it 12 posts ago
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Is the cost of flying out to pick it up cheaper than the shipping and taxes? If so you would be bringing your own bass back so you may not have to pay those charges.
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I get the idea of having the controls set on ones bass and then just leaving them alone. I use an SF-2 and do a lot more tone shaping with that than with the controls on my bass. However, while a rare and custom bass (but aren’t ALL Alembics custom) asking $16,000 for an instrument with Signature electronics is way too high a price unless that specific bass meets every single one of your needs and preferences.
As far as import duties/taxes go, at least in the U.S. you don’t get hit with them if you are repatriating a U.S. manufactured product. I’ve purchased two Basses from other countries and not paid anything beyond shipping. I don’t know if that’s the case in other countries and in this case it wouldn’t make a difference but good information to know. Now shipping is another whole ball of wax. I was recently asked to ship some books to India for a colleague. I was astounded that UPS, FedEx, and DHL all wanted over $250 for shipping a box that was no more than 8” x 14” x 12” and weighed about 11 lbs.
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Is the cost of flying out to pick it up cheaper than the shipping and taxes? If so you would be bringing your own bass back so you may not have to pay those charges.
Officially, you need to declare goods in your possession above a certain value that you bring (or have someone bring for you) into your country of residence for the first time. If you take such goods through the "nothing to declare" lane at customs, you may get lucky.
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…or you may get a huge fine…..
Greetz
Oliver (Spyderman)
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Really is a beautiful piece of Maple on top. Not exactly quilted, not exactly flamed, somewhere in between. Very pretty!
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I'm old AND old fashioned. I prefer seeing control knobs.
BUT.... it's a beautiful bass.
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little slow around here lately. just found out i gotta learn 2 more songs by tomorrah. gettin a little bored and unmotivated, surfin the net as a delaying tactic before it's back to the woodshed and then this this popped up. again. and again.
...I prefer seeing control knobs.
i'm sure there's probably a dozen players out there right now thinking to theyselves: "if it just had knobs, i'd fork out that kinda $$ in a heartbeat". myself amongst them. pretty sure that's what the seller is hoping for. alas.
i try over and over to try to think of a scheme that either isn't impractical or doesn't cost another small fortune to make this bass playable (at least for me) on stage and i'm at a loss. i gotta reach the volume and pan when i'm playing. period.
what are the options? if i put longer shafts on the pots so i don't need a tool to twiddle them, then they're gonna get "adjusted" every time i swing the bass or my hips. ok - put some kinda cover over them so that doesn't happen, but then i gotta get the freaking cover outta the way before i make the tweak. and it's still on the back of the bass. i can just see that: reaching my hand down the back of my bass and fidgeting around between songs. "hey tim! got an itch?". unhhhhh....just a minute....almost got it...oops! go ahead and startwithoutme!
don't even wanna think about how much it would cost to send it back to the mothership to put the knobs on the front where they belong (imho, ymmv, etc. & so forth). wouldn't trust anyone else to do it right. would you?
so there ya have it. it's got the LEDs. the ebony stringer in the neck (not just for looks, dontcha know). the knockout looks. bet the sound knocks yer socks off. prolly gonna be seeing this one around for a while.
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Bluetooth to an iPad on a stand! Or BT to the FOH. There’s the future!
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If i was going to but it, but i am not, i would set the filters fully open volume on max pan more towards the neck and use an SF-2 as the tone controls.
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Agree.
Volume and Filters wide-open, favor the neck pickup 55/45, and and an SF-2 would do the rest. I could actually do it with less... that bass there, with the aforementioned setting, straight to an F-1X and power-amp would blow most bass players' minds.
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Volume and Filters wide-open, favor the neck pickup 55/45, a
pretty much how my controls are usually set - volume set appropriately juggle the pickup balance for more squank or thump as the song requires. maybe twiddle the volume if im pulling the strings too hard.
but this manipulation is all no-look, let the right hand drop off the strings (sometime i'll just finger a little harder with my left hand so it doesn't sond like i stopped playing), find the knob (I know the locations of all my controls on all my basses by feel - quite the trick on the SII with 8 knobs on it!) do the tweak while not missing too many beats or having anybody notice. i never jack with my amp settings, because then i gotta take my hands off the bass (hope i'm not wearing one of my neck-divers), stop playing, turn my back to the band (and audience) and do whatever. the rock stars may get away with that, not the strange looking new guy on bass who's the pnly guy that doesn't know all the material yet.
i'm in a very dynamic band, gotta keep pickin' and grinnin and not screwing with my instrument.
that being said - i'd drag this bass with me on stage in a heartbeat given the opportunity and i'd find a way to make it work. but not at $16k USD. and id have to get an SF. and a rack to put it in. and a pre-amp. nope. not happening.
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I showed this to Xander (now 11 years old!) and his first response was "Who bit it?"
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Xander is 11, that means we have also travelled around the sun eleven more times!
His perception is spot on, it does look like someone with a large mouth took a taste.
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another new band, another set to learn, killing time on the interweb before it's back to the
grindstone woodshed. i'm pretty skilled at flagellating expired equines - it's been a month. not even an offer. c'mon guys! somebody buy this thing!