Author Topic: Elan on Ebay  (Read 235 times)

Enzo

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Elan on Ebay
« on: August 13, 2015, 02:39:19 PM »
http://www.ebay.com/itm/111742673846?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
This came up again a while ago and it seemed to have a crack on the fretboard. It was discussed here http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/188318.html?1394777952

jazzyvee

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Elan on Ebay
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2015, 01:10:51 AM »
Yummy....!!
The sound of Alembic is medicine for the soul!
http://www.alembic.com/info/fc_ktwins.html

Enzo

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Elan on Ebay
« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2015, 01:33:02 PM »
Jazzy would you buy it knowing it can hide a problem (although fixable if you're willing to pay)? I'm tempted myself...

jazzyvee

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Elan on Ebay
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2015, 07:55:33 AM »
I dont know enough about wood or even ebony to know if a crack like that will progress quickly or can be stopped/slowed down by some kind of repair. Thats the info i'd need before i would make the decision. Then armed with that I would try to negotiate a discount to fund all or part of the repair. The  worst case scenario would be to get a new fretboard which is something alembic or another luthier could do.
The sound of Alembic is medicine for the soul!
http://www.alembic.com/info/fc_ktwins.html

Enzo

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Elan on Ebay
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2015, 08:03:38 AM »
I asked seller to take a close up picture of the area or at least tell me if it looks professionally repaired or something but he didn't reply. Not encouraging.

ed_zeppelin

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Elan on Ebay
« Reply #5 on: August 19, 2015, 09:09:17 AM »
That's a screaming deal as it is (don't tell the seller that, though  ) cracks along the grain aren't that big a deal, in my astonishingly humble opinion. Easily repaired and you'd never even know it was there, and like a fractured bone, once it's healed it will be stronger than it was before.
 
Option one: send it to the mothership. It's worth every penny, because afterward, every time you open the case and gaze upon gleaming perfection it'll go right to your backbone. You'll be able to play stuff you never thought possible. People will weep and you'll become rich and famous. You watch.
 
Option two: take it to a repairman of repute. This is the Alembic Club, we can recommend people in your area. We know stuff.
 
If it was a mass-produced plank, me and others would tell you how to patch it back up and get back to playing those Journey covers, but it ain't. It's an Alembic, the highest art in musical instruments, up there with Steinway, D'Angelico and Amati.
 
Just my opinion. I'd snag that baby myself, if I could afford the ensuing divorce.

FC Bass

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Elan on Ebay
« Reply #6 on: August 19, 2015, 04:34:44 PM »
My '88 Spoiler had a crack like that at the end of the fingerboard, after a thorough Lemon oil treatment it almost completely disappeared :-)
(you can only see a tiny hairline now)
Damaged Justice, Dutch 'tallica tribute: Facebook, Youtube

'83 Spoiler
'88 Spoiler
'99 Orion 5 fretless
'10 Elan 5
'23 Series II Europa 5

bigredbass

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Elan on Ebay
« Reply #7 on: August 19, 2015, 06:32:32 PM »
WARNING
 
BRAZEN THREAD HIJACK IN PROGRESS
 
So Forest, as you've obviously been around the repair bench for a long time, and we were talking about fingerboards, what do you think about PLEK ?
 
Joey

Enzo

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Elan on Ebay
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2015, 07:29:30 AM »
I can tell you something, last year this bass was for sale on Talkbass, the seller was a repair guy with a store in Cicinnati (the guy on Ebay is also from Cincy). I was interested in the bass also back then, but right after I sent him a PM trying to understand the situation about the crack, he closed the thread saying it was sold, but never replied me, just like the guy on ebay. Maybe it's a coincidence.
 Anyway, if a repair guy refuses to disclose the crack, instead of assuring me the crack was addressed and was stabilized, that's more concerning. What if the truss rod was maxed out and started to crack the fretboard? Sure you can send it to the factory and have it fixed but it's not cheap even though after it's done it would guarantee you to have a great bass for the next 30 years.
I'm not an expert and perhaps I'm too worried but I follow my 101 guide on buying instruments from people that don't like to communicate.

jazzyvee

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Elan on Ebay
« Reply #9 on: August 20, 2015, 08:01:20 AM »
Sold for $1,775 which i think is a fair price if all is well with the bass.
The sound of Alembic is medicine for the soul!
http://www.alembic.com/info/fc_ktwins.html

ed_zeppelin

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Elan on Ebay
« Reply #10 on: August 20, 2015, 10:30:47 AM »
>>> if a repair guy refuses to disclose the crack, instead of assuring me the crack was addressed and was stabilized, that's more concerning. ... Sure you can send it to the factory and have it fixed but it's not cheap even though after it's done it would guarantee you to have a great bass for the next 30 years.