Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Owning an Alembic => Serial Number / History Requests => Topic started by: gdog on August 06, 2009, 06:04:17 AM

Title: (x) Elan 89H5653 5563 6563
Post by: gdog on August 06, 2009, 06:04:17 AM

Was this bass custom orderd? whats the value? why are the tuners 3 on a side?
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/394/68261.jpg)
 
(Message edited by mica on December 29, 2009)

Title: (x) Elan 89H5653 5563 6563
Post by: gdog on August 06, 2009, 06:16:08 AM

what is it? how many were made? whats the story? 89H 6563

Title: (x) Elan 89H5653 5563 6563
Post by: FC Bass on August 06, 2009, 06:19:12 AM

Assuming this is a cut Cone headstock: These are typical for the Elan 6 ;-)
 
Here's one:
 
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/394/68265.jpg)

Title: (x) Elan 89H5653 5563 6563
Post by: David Houck on August 09, 2009, 01:16:45 PM

Mica will pull the build card with all the details; but for now, it's a 1989 Elan.  Alembic does not have, for the moment, records showing the total number of Elans built to date.  At some point it is hoped that the build cards will be transferred to a data base; and at that time it should be possible to determine the total number of a particular model.

Title: (x) Elan 89H5653 5563 6563
Post by: FC Bass on August 09, 2009, 01:22:54 PM

I just noticed the serial number, I have 90H6003...
 
Could the first digit in your serial number be a 5? (89H 5563)
 
Or maybe they have a time machine @ Alembic :-)

Title: (x) Elan 89H5653 5563 6563
Post by: David Houck on August 09, 2009, 01:40:30 PM

A description of Elan controls can be found here (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=234).  There is also a lot of other useful information in our section.

Title: (x) Elan 89H5653 5563 6563
Post by: David Houck on August 09, 2009, 01:56:54 PM

Very unusual headstock.
 
Flip is right; for an '89, the first number is probably a 5 instead of a 6.  Let me know, and I'll change the thread title so Mica won't search for the wrong number.
 
(Message edited by davehouck on August 09, 2009)

Title: (x) Elan 89H5653 5563 6563
Post by: gdog on August 13, 2009, 05:29:08 AM

Thank you yes the first number is 5 the way it is stamped its hard to see.

Title: (x) Elan 89H5653 5563 6563
Post by: gdog on August 13, 2009, 05:44:46 AM

The pick ups were replaced in 1998 or 1999. Alembic sent replacement pick ups free of charge to Richard Kowalewski. MICHIGAN. futher examination I'm finding #s 5653 stamped inside electronics pocket. shielding

Title: (x) Elan 89H5653 5563 6563
Post by: gdog on August 13, 2009, 07:01:50 AM

I wanna thank you, and Mica fer rearching records for me and I apologize for making anyone run around. I'm doing my best to identify this Alembic for my records and need your help! Kind REGARDS Jim G.

Title: (x) Elan 89H5653 5563 6563
Post by: jazzyvee on August 13, 2009, 08:24:38 AM

Interesting shape, could it have been the victim of damage at some point in the past, and the cone tip reshaped for cosmetic reasons?
 
Jazzyvee

Title: (x) Elan 89H5653 5563 6563
Post by: gdog on August 21, 2009, 05:26:12 PM

Hmmm DONT KNOW EXACTLY But its for sale Im trying to list it for $2,000. it do not look as though it was damaged or repaired. the bass
 is really clean.

Title: (x) Elan 89H5653 5563 6563
Post by: mica on December 29, 2009, 08:42:27 PM

Hi Jimmy,
 
Here's the details from the instrument file:
 
HLB6 Elan 6-string bass
top: Flame Koa
body: Maple
neck: 11-piece Maple and Purpleheart
scale: 34 long
fingerboard: Ebony
inlays: Pearloid (plastic) ovals
pickups: AXY56, bass pickup moved toward bridge by 1
originally made for: Farrow's Music, MI
birthday: not recorded, but likely mid-November 1989
 
The bass was sent to us for repair in August of 1998 with the problem of Noisy-Buzz but there's no record of it being electronic or mechanical or what was repaired.
 
The peghead has been modified since it was made. The work order specifies a standard 6-string Cone peghead like Flip referenced.