Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Swap Shop and Wish Lists => Seen on craigslist, eBay, and elsewhere => Topic started by: Quasar1 on January 31, 2024, 06:01:03 PM

Title: 1976 Series 1 Frankenbass !! Sold as-is !
Post by: Quasar1 on January 31, 2024, 06:01:03 PM
 :-\ :-\ :-\

https://reverb.com/item/78622722-alembic-series-1-4-string-1976
Title: Re: 1976 Series 1 Frankenbass !! Sold as-is !
Post by: BeenDown139 on January 31, 2024, 07:10:30 PM
 love the description.  originally fretted.  made fretless.  now fretted again.  kinda like victor/victoria.   at least the headstock hasn't been broken off.  yikes!
Title: Re: 1976 Series 1 Frankenbass !! Sold as-is !
Post by: dela217 on February 01, 2024, 02:23:08 PM
Do I see drywall screws in the tailpiece?!?
Title: Re: 1976 Series 1 Frankenbass !! Sold as-is !
Post by: goran on February 02, 2024, 12:00:57 AM
This is painful to watch... why would somebody do this?
Title: Re: 1976 Series 1 Frankenbass !! Sold as-is !
Post by: Quasar1 on February 02, 2024, 03:47:30 AM
Hi Goran,,

yes , painful!

I agree 100 % !!

They ruined this instrument !!

A real shame !!
Title: Re: 1976 Series 1 Frankenbass !! Sold as-is !
Post by: gearhed289 on February 02, 2024, 07:06:54 AM
I can stomach everything but the fact that they routed the body for those pickups. Ugh...
Title: Re: 1976 Series 1 Frankenbass !! Sold as-is !
Post by: BeenDown139 on February 02, 2024, 07:54:45 AM
got a few minutes to kill whilst prepping for morning chores...

i can't imagine the price tag for bringing this instrument back to good, gotta be at least double the listed price should one be so foolish as to pay it.

the next highest priced series I on reverb from the US is $6500USD.  if yer willing to take a chance on bringing one over from j@p@n one can be had for $5600USD.  why spend $4k on a mangled carcass? ya can't really call it a series I anymore imho.  at least the logo's still intact so i guess it's still technically an alembic.
 that dealerr should know better. but i guess PT Barnum was right - it's had 3 offers so far.
Title: Re: 1976 Series 1 Frankenbass !! Sold as-is !
Post by: edwardofhuncote on February 02, 2024, 08:40:59 AM
It's completely restore-able... just takes time and money. The amount of time and money commensurate with how far you want to go of course. And I'd already be doing it if it were a medium-scale. (it's a long-scale btw...) I still might attempt a rescue if it hangs around long enough to get reasonable. I've got a pair of AXY FatBoys that would be very happy in that bass, with a set of Anniversary electronics. A little more woodwork here and there... and 76-582 lives again.

Why would someone have done this hack job on it? I'd guess because the original electronics failed, and absent any easily available replacement parts, they went the 'cheapest route to playable'. It's a shame, but could be a lot worse. Not that I would, (or did) with an Alembic l, but I do this a lot with lesser instruments for customers in my shop all the time. By request. For economic reasons. Reality is hard.
Title: Re: 1976 Series 1 Frankenbass !! Sold as-is !
Post by: KR on February 02, 2024, 01:35:39 PM
I really like the top wood on this one.
Title: Re: 1976 Series 1 Frankenbass !! Sold as-is !
Post by: Quasar1 on February 03, 2024, 04:52:36 AM
Updated listing !

More photos !!

https://reverb.com/item/78622722-alembic-series-1-4-string-1976
Title: Re: 1976 Series 1 Frankenbass !! Sold as-is !
Post by: BeenDown139 on February 03, 2024, 10:27:47 AM
'tis a snowy day in the mile high, probably gonna be a tree-buster, i'm inbetween buzzes, so here we go:

that really is a beautiful top.  oh, the humanity!

Quote
Do I see drywall screws in the tailpiece?!?
indeed you do.  at least they don't poke out the back.

Quote
It's completely restore-able... just takes time and money.
no doubt.  speaking for myself, i don't have a stash of high-end alembic guts in my garage or any kind of lutherie skills whatsoever so i'd have pay somebody who is so endowed a lotta scratch to do it forr me.  it'd have to be a labour of love.  i'm 67.  pretty much spent in that department

it's on my watch liste.  wonder if i'll get as "special offer" i can't refuse  ::)

well, the snow's weighing the bushes down again, gtg..
Title: Re: 1976 Series 1 Frankenbass !! Sold as-is !
Post by: Picure on February 03, 2024, 06:08:33 PM
Reading the description is super cringe. He still thinks this is a Series 1 bass 🤦‍♂️

And out of all the pickups, he chooses “bassline” 🤦‍♀️