Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Owning an Alembic => Serial Number / History Requests => Topic started by: madore8595 on February 02, 2011, 10:45:41 AM

Title: (x) 94W8542
Post by: madore8595 on February 02, 2011, 10:45:41 AM

JUST BUY THIS BABY FROM A GUY ON E-BAY...SERIAL NUMBER 94W8542. WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS BASS...CURIOUSLY, THE TUNERS ARE NICKEL COLOR AND NOT GOLD LIKE IT SUPPOSE TO BE ( BUT THEY ARE GENUINE ALEMBIC TUNERS ) AND THE FINGERBOARD SEEM TO BE MADE OF ROSEWOOD??? THEY HAVE TRAPEZOID INLAYS ON THE FINGERBORD ( SURELY MADE BY LUTHIER ) THANKS.ALEX.(http://club.alembic.com/Images/394/95795.jpg)

Title: (x) 94W8542
Post by: madore8595 on May 24, 2011, 10:15:32 PM

nobody knows any historic about this bass???

Title: (x) 94W8542
Post by: tbrannon on May 25, 2011, 07:09:15 AM

Hi Alexandre,
 
Cool Epic! The serial number lookups normally take months to get done- the info is stored on cards and in files at Alembic and looking the information up is one of the many, many responsibilities Mica takes on.  
 
Definitely a custom Epic based on those non-standard fretboard markers and the rosewood fretboard.  Looks to be standard Epic controls (Vol, Pan, Bass, treble).  If I had to guess, I'd say Mahogany body with a maple laminate.  The top wood is tough... Bubinga?  Doesn't look like Koa, but the porous look of the top looks a lot like most of the wenge tops I've seen, but it's too light for that.  I'm sticking with the Bubinga guess!  
 
Have patience as you await the details and enjoy that beautiful bass!

Title: (x) 94W8542
Post by: mica on January 24, 2013, 04:16:23 PM

Hi Alexandre,
 
Toby guessed the top wood correctly!
 
The original tuners were gold, and the fingerboard had no inlays, so these were changed and added later. There's no record here of the modification, so it was likely done elsewhere.  
 
The gold strap pins were also changed out for chrome straplocks from the picture.  
 
Here's the details from the instrument file:
 
model name: Epic
model number: WLB5
top: Bubinga
accent: Maple pinstripe
body: Mahogany
neck: Maple
scale: 34 long
fingerboard: Ebony
inlays: none
pickups: Alembic MXY56
controls: Epic volume, pan, bass, treble, mono output
originally made for: Guitar Center, CA
birthday: September 2, 1994
 
I can't tell from the pictures if the fingerboard is Macassar Ebony or Rosewood now. It looks more Ebony-ish to me but that's just a guess. We don't always make the distinction in the record if the Ebony is all black or streaked.