Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Owning an Alembic => Serial Number / History Requests => Topic started by: goocart on August 19, 2013, 12:34:34 AM

Title: (x) 80-1624 Short scale bass, what model is it?
Post by: goocart on August 19, 2013, 12:34:34 AM

Hi, I'm new here, I'm a semi pro musician from the north of Sweden, I play both the bass and the guitar.  
I owned this Alembic bass back in the mid 80's but sold it after a couple of years. The last two or three years I've tried to track it down and this weekend I found it and bought it back.
The thing is that I don't have a clue what model it is, I haven't got the bass yet but I have some photos from the seller. If i magnify one of the photos I think I see a serial number that say:80 16 24 USA. I can post better photos when it have arrived but I'm really curious to find out what kind of model it is.
 
http://s732.photobucket.com/user/GooCart/media/P1120527_zpsa7b0541b.jpg.html (http://[url=http://s732.photobucket.com/user/GooCart/media/P1120527_zpsa7b0541b.jpg.html)](http://i732.photobucket.com/albums/ww321/GooCart/P1120527_zpsa7b0541b.jpg)[/URL]
 
http://s732.photobucket.com/user/GooCart/media/P1120516_zps3d577212.jpg.html (http://[url=http://s732.photobucket.com/user/GooCart/media/P1120516_zps3d577212.jpg.html)](http://i732.photobucket.com/albums/ww321/GooCart/P1120516_zps3d577212.jpg)[/URL]
 
 
 
 
 
//Magnus Melkersson

Title: (x) 80-1624 Short scale bass, what model is it?
Post by: pierreyves on August 19, 2013, 01:05:04 AM

short scale serie I from 1980 No 1624

Title: (x) 80-1624 Short scale bass, what model is it?
Post by: goocart on August 19, 2013, 01:27:19 AM

OK, thanks! I'll try to find some information about the model, I haven't been around here enough to know how to navigate around, do you have a link where I can read about the model, how many that was made that year and such.

Title: (x) 80-1624 Short scale bass, what model is it?
Post by: cozmik_cowboy on August 19, 2013, 07:17:59 AM

With the Small Standard body.  You can read more here (http://www.alembic.com/prod/seriesi.html), here, and here (http://alembic.com/club/messages/16271/16308.html?1361485906).
 
Peter

Title: (x) 80-1624 Short scale bass, what model is it?
Post by: goocart on August 19, 2013, 12:30:10 PM

Thanks for the links, I'll check them out. I'll get the bass tomorrow, I just can't wait to play it again, some 25 years later:-)

Title: (x) 80-1624 Short scale bass, what model is it?
Post by: goocart on August 21, 2013, 12:03:23 AM

The bass arrived yesterday and it was a joy seeing and playing it after all these years. It was in a desperate need of a basic setup and new strings but after a couple of hours it played and sounded really sweet. I think someone have altered the electronics since I owned it, the bridge pickup doesn't hear through the 1/4 jack but it works through the preamp, or whatever the floor unit is called...
Anyway, here are some photos from yesterday, I played it through my guitar rig, a Hiwatt/Marshall combination through a stereo hiwatt 4x12, it sounded really cool to run the treble out in to the Marshall and the bass to the Hiwatt. My normal bass rig is a Ampeg SVT and a 8x12 but I think the dual output preamp really add a cool dimension to the sound.  
 
It would be great if somebody could point me to a page with some series 1 schematics so I can have the bass checked.
 
Hm, I don't seem to be able to post the photos but if you have facebook you can check it out here:
 
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=503714729714005&set=a.503714436380701.1073741831.100002264481824&type=3&theater (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=503714729714005&set=a.503714436380701.1073741831.100002264481824&type=3&theater)

Title: (x) 80-1624 Short scale bass, what model is it?
Post by: jacko on August 21, 2013, 03:10:22 AM

Hi Magnus. First of all, welcome to the club. you'll find we're apretty friendly bunch.  
 
regarding posting photos, there's a 130kb maximum size on each photo so it may just be tyhat youre need to be compressed.
 
regarding your pickup output, earlier series basses had a stereo jack socket so you'd have to make up a stereo lead to get both pickups from the jack. Later series basses had a mono jack.  You can find out how to make up the lead here (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=270)
 
Graeme

Title: (x) 80-1624 Short scale bass, what model is it?
Post by: jacko on August 21, 2013, 03:14:28 AM

actually, this link (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=275) is better for the cable construction advice.
 
graeme

Title: (x) 80-1624 Short scale bass, what model is it?
Post by: goocart on August 21, 2013, 04:26:03 AM

Jacko, thanks for the links:-)  
I'll check it out ASAP.

Title: (x) 80-1624 Short scale bass, what model is it?
Post by: mica on December 22, 2015, 02:19:26 AM

Hi Magnus,  
 
Here's the details I found out about your bass:
 
serial number: 80-1624
model name: Series I
model number: SBI4
top: Narra  
accent: none
body: Mahogany
neck: 5-piece Maple and Purpleheart
scale: 30.75 short
fingerboard: Ebony
inlays: Mother of pearl
peghead veneers: Bubinga
pickups: SC-1
controls: Series I
originally made for: King James Music, NY
birthday: June 12, 1980
 
The original owner was in Sweden.