Author Topic: Custom Series I reproduction? (Read 203 times)

StephenR · « **on:** May 16, 2015, 12:15:56 PM »

Something fishy about this one. Good price but I would bet money that it is not a reproduction. The only thing missing seems to be the power supply.

Aren't the serial numbers for some Series basses on the (missing in this case) truss rod cover?

https://southcoast.craigslist.org/msg/5002240920.html

elwoodblue · « **Reply #1 on:** May 16, 2015, 12:21:40 PM »

Here's the previous discussion on that one-

http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/196819.html?1412973598

StephenR · « **Reply #2 on:** May 16, 2015, 12:32:10 PM »

Thanks for the link. Interesting that this has been kicking around for almost a year.

Regardless of what the owner has told anyone I find it very hard to believe that Alembic sold him a logo and every single part needed to make an exact copy. The shots of the top are also clear enough to see that it is doubtful the pickup selector was ever moved from the lower horn.

adriaan · « **Reply #3 on:** May 16, 2015, 12:35:45 PM »

This one has popped up before, apparently it was built by a MA luthier using Alembic parts. Check this recent thread for a little background. They really should remove that logo once and for all.

adriaan · « **Reply #4 on:** May 16, 2015, 12:39:25 PM »

... the two of us can't be wrong!

edwardofhuncote · « **Reply #5 on:** May 17, 2015, 06:58:48 AM »

It's back - with even more bad pictures... =(

I hope one day we'll get the whole story on this one. I'd just like to know for fun how much of this bass (if any) was actually made by Alembic. After hanging around here for almost a year, I'm certainly no expert eye, but the electronics look like Series I (not Signature) and every piece of brass hardware looks correct.

It's the woodwork that's off. Not that it's *bad*, it's pretty darn convincing actually, but the neck angle is way too shallow for Alembic to have made it that way. Look at how low the bridge is set in picture 8. Also looks like too many headstock laminates. The tuners look like they were mounted crooked. And that's just what we can see in the ad pictures.

I still think somebody used a badly broken or un-repairable, authentic Alembic Series bass for a pattern, took the original electronics and hardware and made this one.

At $2500, it's getting closer to being worth buying just for parts, especially if you had a Series bass in need.

hammer · « **Reply #6 on:** May 17, 2015, 02:49:14 PM »

I'd love for someone who lives out that way to take a close look at thing and get the whole story. This is the 4th time I've seen this one up for sale. If there's one thing to be said positive about the seller it's that he/she never attempted to pass this off as a true Alembic. But if your going to be truthful enough to call it a reproduction why not just take the logo off and refer to it as a custom bass with Alembic electronics.

As far as the logo goes, I had one (unattached to a bass) come with a Signature Standard I purchased used from the wife of a decreased member of the club from Northern CA. The story she told me that was behind it was that her late husband had Alembic make it for her. Save for the little extensions on the back that help it adhere to the headstock, it's an exact copy of the Alembic logo.