Black Elan on Ebay, double P

[Enzo]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161336826786?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
 
It's not set neck, not even neck through, it's body through, I love it  
Nice looking Elan, he should receive several offers.

[mannydingo]

Hi, gang. I am the seller for the above mentioned bass. I did a google to see if anyone was commenting on it on a forum and sure enough ....
 
I emailed Enzo and he kindly invited me to poke my head in here and offer answers to any questions in case you are considering making the purchase.  
 
If you are seriously considering buying it and know you have the money to do so if you like it enough, I will send pictures of any part of the bass. I can also just send those others I mentioned on ebay that went past my 12 free picture limit. I was going to purchase more picture spots but the option was not available as I used to see in the past.

[FC Bass]

Extremely nice! Too bad the bank account says no... :-(
 
With those features and it's age, it might be worthwhile to check if there's a Newsted connection with this bass.
 
I don't recall ever seeing only two veneers on the back of the headstock.

[mannydingo]

Thanks - Fill me in, what is a Newsted connection? Wait, I just googled Newsted and bass. You mean Jason Newsted? Why a connection with him?
 
(Message edited by mannydingo on June 14, 2014)
 
Ok, another edit. Further reading explains that he lived near the Alembic factory in Santa Rosa and he would go there personally and talk with a builder there and they would make models with changes he would specify. Nice, don't we all wish we could do that with our instruments.  
 
(Message edited by mannydingo on June 14, 2014)

[FC Bass]

Yep, Jason Newsted.
 
If  I'm not mistaken, he ordered lots of Alembics with these features in that period.
I'm not sure if the clear neck was his idea, or if it was a standard option from Alembic back then.
Alembic also made some copies of his basses for some Jason fans (I know one) :-) but this seems way too early for that.  
My speculations:  
*It was either ordered by someone with the same taste as Jason.
*Could maybe some sort of test run for Jason's basses (and sold to an Alembic dealer/customer)
*Or it could be ordered by the man himself and later sold or given away by him.
 
Maybe Mica (Alembic HQ) has some wisdom to share, or you could do a serial # lookup request under the Owning an Alembic section. (can take some time)

[mannydingo]

Good info. I will ask about the serial number.

[JuancarlinBass]

At the time this Elan was born, Jason Newsted was the bass player for the heavy metal band Metallica. He used to play Alembics with features quite similar to this one, and therefore it leads to think there could be any connection between Jason and this beautiful bass. Having a P/P neck-thru bass myself, I can only guess it might sound awesome!

[mannydingo]

Thanks JC. I think I'm going to cancel the serial number thing. If no one wants to take the plunge by Monday on this, I may check it after all. Don't know yet. I only play guitar, myself, but have played bass. I immediately noticed the difference in playability. Complete comfort as opposed to cheap guitars and even expensive ones I have played at the store. If these pots and switches are original, I am even more amazed they aren't crackling. In fact, I almost doubt they can be stock having existed since 1989. Too quiet.

[FC Bass]

Well... Alembic has a pretty high standard concerning quality. :-)
It wouldn't surprise me if the electronics are original, they use sealed self-cleaning pots.
My '83 Spoiler has the original electronics in it and is extremely quiet ('till you hit a string) :-)
 
The pickups (logo) do look pretty new though, if they're original I think the bass hasn't been played much...
This is the P pickup on my custom bass after one year of pounding:
 

[mannydingo]

Yeah, mine definitely does not look gigged or worn like that, FC. Man, I have gotten more questions on this bass than any other item I have ever put on ebay. I've had to send the pictures that were not on the listing and take a few more as well. Turns out you can add up to 5 more pictures in every private message.  
 
One guy said he's about ready to hit the Buy It Now button but until it happens those are just words. I wish he would just do it so I could stop having to answer so many questions and take more pictures. However, I understand this is a lot of money and so they deserve to get everything they ask for so I comply.

[sonicus]

I traded a little drafting table for a Stars Guitars double P that had a broken headstock around 1993. It was a clean break and I actually repaired it with hardwood dowels and maple laminations . I used epoxy and kept the entire affair well clamped for a week. The pickups were passive Dimarzio. Sound wise it was just ok, but my repair was 100% successful functionally and esthetically. When I do these projects I am really slow because I am NOT a professional luthier___ just a novice___ ! lol.
 
    Phil Lesh played a Double P  for a short time buit by Doug Irwin , I think that jazz bridge pickup was an after thought  . I had a similar bass but with Hi-A soap bar pickups as a loner bass from Doug for about a week.  
 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dgans/538364548/in/set-415060

[mannydingo]

Well, no one purchased it and only two offers. Neither of which I could accept. Will not sell it that low. Also, now that there is the possible, and I repeat, possible Jason Newsted connection, it doesn't hurt to wait a little more and find out its past.  
 
Good thing is I didn't lose a penny in the attempt. It is a lot of money for someone to fork out on a bass, I know. As usual, a bunch of watchers really only watching in curiosity to see how it ends with probably only about 2 or 3 of them seriously itching to click on that buy button. We will see. I already have a for sure buyer at $1500 that I had even before I posted it on ebay. Just wonder how much more I can get when the guy that REALLY wants this bass comes across it.
 
(Message edited by mannydingo on June 16, 2014)

[mannydingo]

I did as your email suggested. I got the following info from Alembic on the bass which was directly sent to my email:
 
Elan 4-string bass all maple
3 piece neck
Inline peghead
Medium scale 32
Chrome Gotoh machine heads
Precision pickups, neck & bridge
Spoiler electronics
Black finish front & back of body
Black finish front of peghead
Clear satin finish back of peghead and neck
 
Replacement value $9,450.00
 
Ok, what does the replacement value mean? Is it what it cost back then or what it costs to get an identical one made now?  
 
Either way, I'm not selling this cheap. I want $2,000. After taxes I'd only be charging 20% of what a new one would go for. Yes, I'm well aware of the lousy resale value of the more expensive items in life but 20% is low enough. I will hold out for the right buyer regardless of whether I've got a lower end Alembic or not.

[jazzyvee]

Hi Mannydingo, the replacement value is what it would cost to have Alembic make you a bass the same as the one you have. It is useful to know that value for insurance purposes also. Typically if you bought it from an alembic dealer you would pay less than that but I don't know the exact percentage is.
 
Anyway I hope you get a sale at a price you are happy with.
 
Jazzyvee

[mannydingo]

Thanks Jazzyvee. It's going to be hard as I do a lot of buy, sell & trade to get anything I can get thanks to child support taking half my salary. I usually have to let more expensive things sit for months and, like a Carvin guitar I had, YEARS in order to get what I should get for it. Cheap stuff sells faster. I've never had something in this price range to sell, though.