The screw holes would be pretty meaningless to me, being within the width of the strings and only in the maple of the neck, not the top. They are hard to notice. They would be really easy to hide with wood filler or a pair of ultra-simple inlay dots. Even little wood dowels or something of the sort would work.
I really agree that the price point for used basses of this nature is in the $2500-3000 price range. There's a big penalty with an Alembic to buying new and then deciding to sell, so the list price just goes out the window. Some features are also pretty meaningless in the used market. For example, you'll never get your money back on chrome hardware when you go to resell. Odd body shapes, on the other hand, seem to maintain more of their original value. Go figure. Fortunately, used Alembics really hold their value.
From my recent experience, I can also say that there are an awful lot of variations in Alembic instruments. If a person is looking for something particular, they can be willing to pay well above what you might expect for the right bass. On the other hand, something more generic won't generate that spark. Look at the vermillion short scale that just went on eBay. The price got close to $2600 for a short-scale Essence with purpleheart in the neck, Europa electronics and side LEDs. The majority of interest fell off when the bass hit $2K and only two people were willing to go up from there. The short scale with the ultra-thin neck was an unusual feature that created some extra drawing power for those of us looking specifically for that. I wouldn't have gone much past $2K at all if this bass had the regular signature neck profile, but I can't speak for the other bidder.
I hesitate to say this about any Alembic, but the bass we're talking about here looks to be a garden-variety S1. I would think that it would garner interest at a starting price about $1000 lower and maybe work up to $3000-3200 depending upon the number of interested parties.
If you really want to know the market value of an instrument, put it on eBay with a $1 starting bid and a high reserve. It will cost you a few bucks, but at the end of the auction you'll know what people were willing to pay. If you're happy with the results and really want to sell, you can then either make a deal with the high bidder, or relist with a more appropriate reserve without paying another listing fee.
In the meantime, someone should sell me a short or medium scale four with a narrow neck at a reasonable price. I am so tired of waiting for the right bass to come along, and losing out on the short vermillion after offering several hundred dollars above what most others were willing to pay was kind of frustrating.
-Bob
