'85 Alembic Spoiler for sale - Zebrawood Top

[hasadari]

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=205194

[pmoran]

everything in the ad is true. when i bought the bass, the seller indicated the case was not the ohsc, but i now realize it clearly is.  the ding is extremely small and can't be seen when looking at the bass head-on. it's in extremely good condition and i had a great time playing it. i'm used to playing 4 and 5 strings and medium to 35 scales, so medium scales are a fun experience for me. i realize some people prefer longer scales but this bass is a treasure. it's in great shape. electronics are in perfect condition, or were when i sold it. $1300 is the price i sold it for so he's telling the truth about that.

[cosmic]

hey pmoran,
 
how was the string tension on it? Was the low e floppy? Or was it tight with some good strong sound?

[pmoran]

i had it tuned down to an open b and never had any problems w/fret buzz nor did i have any problems w/the e string sliding over the edge of the frets onto the side of the neck. it always stayed in tune, and given the bizarre weather we had in san antonio while i owned it, that's saying something. so, the neck was true. no dead spots in the fingerboard, either, which i understand can be a problem w/spoilers. it was a great bass, and it's one of the prettiest zebrawood tops i've seen. i'm not a big fan of zebrawood, but i was very proud of that bass when i owned it. frets and nut were in great shape.

[natrab]

oops, double post
 
(Message edited by natrab on October 06, 2005)

[natrab]

Hey, I'm the one selling it now.  Incredible little bass.  I picked it up again yesterday and it reminded me of how great alembics are.  I just can't get my arms comfortable while playing it (just like how guitars are unconfortable to me).  Maybe I just have long dangly arms *shrug*
 
My asking price is down to $1200 shipped as I have some bills to pay.  I'm going to try to get up to Alembic to get the latch fixed before I ship it to someone (since I'm relatively close).  If not, it's an easy rivet job if you get the replacement parts.
 
I've used this bass twice in my bedroom since I bought it.  It's in the exact condition it was when pmoran sold it to me (and I must say, the front face of this bass is immaculate for being almost as old as me).  There's just that one ding.
 
(Message edited by natrab on October 06, 2005)

[cosmic]

Are you going to list it on eBay?

[natrab]

Eventually.  I'd rather sell it on Talkbass or here, since I have much more trust in people off these sites.

[pmoran]

i can personally vouch for natrab's reliability.  when i sold him the bass, he paid immediately and provided positive feedback to me as a seller, which i appreciate.  he didn't make any crap up about how the bass arrived or about any undisclosed dings/dents.  i don't remember there being a latch problem when i shipped it but once i had it out of the case, i never looked at the case.  i'm one of those alembic buyers who tear into the box the second it arrives, throwing everything aside w/reckless abandon, to get to the goodies---------like a little kid on xmas morning. i didn't even look at the case which is why i missed realizing it was factory.  i jerked that bass out of the case, laid it on my bed, took the case immediately to the closet where it remained until i sold it to natrab, took the strings off. oiled the fingerboard and wiped it down dry after the oil soaked in, restrung it and started playing led zeppelin dazed and confused.  it's a really nice bass and as natrab accurately says, the top is absolutely beautiful, even considering i really don't much care for zebrawood.