Brown Bass (4.5K) & 5 Str Orion (1.8K) on NYC CL

[jack]

http://newyork.craigslist.org/jsy/msg/899411051.html
 
http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/msg/896243600.html
 
-Jack

[kungfusheriff]

Couple of optimists, in my opinion.

[artswork99]

Optimism is a good quality.  IMHO a new condition 2008 Brown Bass can fetch that. Pictures on that one would have been nice.

[juggernaught]

$4,500 *OBO* for a as new Brown Bass is a steal!  It's rare to see them go for under 4k, even no LEDS (which this one has) and 5 years old.  The Orion isn't too bad either.

[bsee]

Alembic prices on the used market have really hopped upwards in the last 2-3 years after being pretty stable for a long time.  $3500 was a common price for a used BB three years ago, and $4500 seems reasonable in recent times.  That number seems high to those of us who were around a few years ago, but it may find a buyer.  $3500 and it would be gone in under a day, $4500 may come down a little bit and take a little longer.
 
With the economy in the current state, who knows where any of this is going.  It should be a buyer's market, but it hasn't really turned yet.

[mike1762]

I don't know... you can get a Series I for around $3,500.  As people find themselves in financial straits, they will start disposing of luxury items.  You can't blame them for trying to get what they think their stuff is worth.  However, the current financial environment makes these items less valuable.
 
Sorry Bob... I was typing/thinking as you were posting!!!
 
(Message edited by mike1762 on October 30, 2008)

[juggernaught]

Mike, $3,500 hundred for a as new 2008 series I?  Maybe for a 30 year old one, but for a 2008, you'd better add a good 5-6k to that estimate.  I guess it depends on whether you value newer instruments...

[mike1762]

I see your point.  But you hit the nail on the head... I don't value newer used instruments.  To me used is used and the deprecation occurred as soon as the owner took delivery.  My Series I is a '77, but I'm just as happy with it as I would be with a '08.  I paid $3,500 for my '94 SC, but it has no LEDs and has Signature electronics (the one for sale has LEDs and Anniversary electronics).  With that in mind I suppose I would consider another $1,000.  But it would be because of the features... not its birthday.

[bsee]

Mike, in the Alembic world the construction has improved over the years.  If you look at a bass from the mid 80s and compare it to one from 2000 or so, the newer one will be more solid and have, I believe, a higher quality finish.  Also, Series electronics since then have been better shielded against noise than the earlier ones.  
 
I would definitely expect a bass built after the mid 90s to carry a bit higher price tag, and agree that a bass under three years old in mint condition is going to carry a higher asking price.  That said, no one has to pay that if they want an 80s or 90s instrument for less.  It's hard for the original owner of an Alembic to take the hit associated with that first sale.  Bottom dollar for a new Series I today is about $10K with full discount.  The days of the newish $4K Series bass are probably at an end.

[juggernaught]

Not only that, the older the instrument is, the higher chance of it having problems.  Alembics are wonderfully built, but as they age they still have a chance of getting warping/buckling in the necks, loose/worn frets, unresponsive truss rods, etc.  Sometimes these issues aren't obvious until you really become intimate with the instrument.  For me, a brand(ish) new instrument is a guarantee that it's going to be in perfect playing condition.

[mike1762]

I lucked out in that my SI was only 2 years out from a overhaul (refinish, refret, etc) at the factory, but I hear what your saying.