Author Topic: Alembic Series 1 Custom "Reproduction"?? (Read 554 times)

bsee · « **Reply #15 on:** September 26, 2014, 06:16:52 PM »

You can get in trouble selling it even if you didn't make it. The Univox Rick copies were so good that Rickenbacker went after anyone selling them for a while and now there are very, very few around. I don't know about the specifics of the law, or if they just threw their weight around and backed people down. If it is a copy with an Alembic logo on it, I would think the mother ship might be interested in at least forcing the removal of the logo and a change in the listing to avoid any confusion.

(Message edited by bsee on September 26, 2014)

gtrguy · « **Reply #16 on:** September 26, 2014, 10:38:26 PM »

It rears its head once again. Someone please go look at it and let us know what it is.

jalevinemd · « **Reply #17 on:** September 27, 2014, 07:06:19 AM »

The link doesn't work anymore.

bsee · « **Reply #18 on:** September 27, 2014, 08:44:41 AM »

It was relisted since this thread started. Just go to Boston or Providence craigslist and search for Alembic and you should find it if it moves again.

http://southcoast.craigslist.org/msg/4665945172.html

This is about an hour away from me, but I have no particular interest in it unless someoen really wants me to go check it out. I'd recommend asking for pictures of the electronics cavity. Nice abalone inlays and generally good looking all around from the pics. Must be a bit complicated to create a dual truss rod neck if you don't have experience with them. I wonder who made this one.

wookie · « **Reply #19 on:** September 27, 2014, 09:14:28 AM »

Nah it's not a big deal to use 2 rods. You can tell from just the pics that whoever built it must have just preferred 1 truss rod. It's really nice. If I were into that model I'd definitely consider this bass as long as I could check it out in person.

edwardofhuncote · « **Reply #20 on:** September 29, 2014, 07:39:42 AM »

A serial number might tell the story true. Short of that, shopnight bass is plausible.

Another theory... maybe this bass is a total rebuild of a destroyed-beyond-repair Alembic. A skilled luthier could have done it using the husk as a pattern. That would explain the correct-looking logo and parts. Also lends some credence to the reproduction description.

Anybody else notice the (PU selector?) knob on the upper horn? Maybe that's normal and I've just never seen it.

petegossett · « **Reply #21 on:** September 30, 2014, 10:12:48 AM »

I've exchanged a couple emails with the seller. It is indeed a reproduction, built by the seller & a luthier in MA with all original Alebic parts(I'm guessing from a destroyed Alembic?).

It appears to be well built, although it also looks like it's well used. If the price was low enough it might be a nice sounding/playing bass, but even if you remove the headstock logo, it's still going to look like an Alembic without the pedigree of actually being one.

David Houck · « **Reply #22 on:** September 30, 2014, 06:12:56 PM »

Thanks for the update Pete!

bsee · « **Reply #23 on:** September 30, 2014, 09:09:22 PM »

That said, Pete, if it plays well and has all the best Alembic guts and hardware, it's going to have most or all of the tone. I do object to the peghead logo, but it is all Alembic except the woodworking. If it came off a destroyed Alembic, that could even be the original Alembic board. The abalone looks so nice I'd have a hard time believing anyone else did that work. Maybe the result of a broken neck at the nut that just wouldn't take an acceptable repair?

Personally, if I were in the market for such a bass, there are two things I would consider. First, I'd want Alembic's blessing that they don't object to its existence. Second, I'd have to convince myself that I couldn't get a nice old Series I for not too much more.

-Bob

edwardofhuncote · « **Reply #24 on:** October 01, 2014, 05:46:52 AM »

I have fixed some badly broken musical instruments over the years, even a Gibson Granada banjo once, that had been a victim of severe domestic violence. So I was guessing this was a rebuild using as much of the original instrument as possible. If that is indeed what happened here, I'd love to know more about what had happened to the bass, and what was involved in the restoration. I also wonder who did the work... sounds like it could be a cool story.

Bassman8416 · « **Reply #25 on:** October 01, 2014, 06:24:26 AM »

I have exchanged some emails with the seller as well. Like Pete said, it was built from scratch by a luthier, who would not be named. He put the pickup selector where it is so it would not interfere with his slapping. I got the feeling the seller was very wary of getting in trouble with Alembic. I was seriously considering buying this at one time to save money etc. In the end I just could not pull the trigger. The idea of having the logo on there and trying to explain to folks that its actually not an Alembic was discouraging. So instead I have two Spoilers arriving this weekend.

edwardofhuncote · « **Reply #26 on:** October 01, 2014, 10:48:32 AM »

...having the logo on there and trying to explain to folks that its actually not an Alembic was discouraging

Yeah, that's kind of a sticking point. Even though this IMO doesn't qualify as a full-blown forgery or fraud, this is sounding less attractive, just because of what it's not, even though the Series electronics and parts have considerable value alone.

Here's where I'd draw the line - (purely hypothetical) if someone owned an Alembic bass, that had something tragic happen which rendered it unplayable and unfixable in the whole, then I wouldn't object to someone having a reproduction body made, and putting the original parts into it. Were it mine - I would make every possible effort to graft the original body wings and/or headstock onto a new neck rather than simply do a switcheroo with the logo. One thing the guy I apprenticed under stressed to me almost daily - wood is forgiving. The neck-through design adds another layer (no pun intended) of difficulty in an already complicated repair, but it can be done. Even so, I would not under any circumstances try to pass it off as anything other than precisely what it was. (not that that's the case here)

But really, if you're going to that much trouble, (and no doubt expense) why not just send what's left of it out to the Mothership for a proper fix? Just my limited experience with the Staff there is that they are more than eager to help keep instruments that bear their name 100% Alembic-spec. If I went home today and found my Persuader in 3 pieces, it'd be in a box on the next Brown Truck bound for Santa Rosa, even though I'm completely capable of fixing it myself. Obviously, somebody else went a different route with this one.

bsee · « **Reply #27 on:** October 01, 2014, 03:59:33 PM »

Purely a matter of money, Edward, I'm sure. Alembic has perfected all this stuff and the prices reflect that. When you're looking at rebuilding a $10K bass, you'd expect that to cost a good bit. There's no doubt that you could find a skilled hobbyist or lower level pro to do the work for a lot less money. You won't get an Alembic, but maybe you get a bass that does everything you need it to do at a budget price. After all, you've already got all the best specialty electronics and hardware available anywhere.

I have always been impressed by Alembic's woodworking skills. My custom is super precise. That said, there are a lot of folks out there who have woodworking skills. No one else has Activators and Series preamps. I believe it's the guts that keep so many of us coming back (and the people!).

edwardofhuncote · « **Reply #28 on:** October 10, 2014, 01:39:58 PM »

This one seems to have slipped back into obscurity... I sure was curious what the rest of the story was, but something tells me we'll see it again one day.