My new to me Alembic Series I 76-412

[navybass]

Here she is.  I got her on Saturday.  She is awesome!!!  I'm in love.  Here are some pictures as promised.


We'll start with this one.  It's a letter from Alembic to the original owner describing the woods used in construction.



And, here are the rest.

[rv_bass]

Very nice, a real classic, enjoy!

[the_mule]

Lovely old warrior, living proof that natural aging also suits Alembics well.

[edwardofhuncote]

Congratulations & Compliments. That is a fine thing, right there.

[hammer]

Very Nice!  Is your plan to appreciate the vintage nature of the instrument or send it back to the mothership for a refurbish.  My recent acquisition Series I is packed and set to go back as soon as I can find the time to get to UPS to drop it off.

[JimmyJ]

Oh, that's a beauty.  And man, it's 6 serial numbers away from my original 5-string so I bet they were in the shop together.  Very cool!
The pickup selector switch knob is the only thing that doesn't look stock.  And the strap lock was obviously moved up to the point of the horn.  But it appears to have been taken care of and played because the tuning pegs have been replaced.  (The set screw position changed when Schaller re-designed them).  Also this may have been before we had threaded inserts and small bolts to secure the brass plates.
That's a historic machine!  Enjoy!!
Jimmy J

[navybass]

Thank you all.  I plan on leaving her just the way she is.  I may get an adjustable nut for her, but the one on her works just fine.  I knew about the replaced knob, strap buttons and tuners.  Mine does have the threaded inserts for the brass plates.  She also came with an Anvil case.

[mica]

Check the foam in that case - it has a finite life and when it's powdering out, it is not protecting your bass. This is sadly the voice of experience talking, because you have to protect the bass from the hardware holding the handle on the case and other interior construction. If the case is old, it is worth replacing the foam.

[jazzyvee]

Good point about the case Mica. The foam in my old blue case for my 1980 bass has compacted so i guess that needs replacing, but since i only use the case for home storage it's not urgent yet. Also there sharp bits of metal sticking through the blue outer cover i presume are staples?

[the_home]

Both beauty and character... a great instrument. Someone should alert you that once you receive your first Alembic you need to start saving for your next one.

[jazzyvee]

True that, can’t have too much alembic goodness. 👍🏾