Author Topic: 1977 Series I (Read 333 times)

csissom · « **on:** April 25, 2006, 08:55:31 AM »

http://cgi.ebay.com/1977-Alembic-Series-1-Bass-pre-STANLEY-CLARKE-model_W0QQitemZ7407871225QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

kungfusheriff · « **Reply #1 on:** April 25, 2006, 11:29:54 AM »

Nice bass, waaaay too much money. Thanks for the tip, though...I'll keep an eye on it in case he comes to his senses.
KFS

lbpesq · « **Reply #2 on:** April 25, 2006, 11:58:12 AM »

The listing reads: Offset double cutaway mahogany core body with rounded Omega bottom bout option.

I don't see any Omega. Does the picture really go with the description? Or is a rounded Omega a filled in Omega, a.k.a. no Omega. Heck, this might even be a rounded triple Omega! With rounded scorpian horns, or maybe it's the first rounded Dragon's Wing? LOL

Bill, tgo

kungfusheriff · « **Reply #3 on:** April 25, 2006, 12:15:48 PM »

Bill, the body's lower bout is actually wood from the Omega cutout of Paul Bunyan's axe. Think Donut Hole.

csissom · « **Reply #4 on:** April 25, 2006, 12:22:39 PM »

Kungfusheriff,

No problem on the tip. I figure as long as I am looking for something for myself, I will post everything else I see too.

And yea, I thought the price was a bit steep too, but I am still new at the pricing game, so I didn't want to make any judgements. Just passing on what I see, good or bad.

Curt

csissom · « **Reply #5 on:** April 25, 2006, 12:25:41 PM »

Rounded Omega ... interesting.

The thing I thought was odd about the listing, is if you are going to bother typing out that the serial number is less than 800, why not just tell what the serial number is? I would want to know the actual serial number.

Curt

kungfusheriff · « **Reply #6 on:** April 25, 2006, 12:33:53 PM »

For the record, there is no Omega anything, anywhere near that bass. Nada. There is also no reason for me to believe, based on the evidence, that it's anything but a moderately well cared for, run-of-the-mill late-70s Series 1.
Betcha a cookie that guy trades in vintage Fenders; sellers are balky at disclosing these serial numbers, probably because of the black market in counterfeit Fender parts. It's a whole different ball game, but he appears to be less than an expert on Alembic.
IMO, that price is more than a little bit steep; a nearly identical '78 offered by Elderly Instruments, a far more knowledgable and well-regarded shop, sold to a member of this board last year after sitting for months at $1,000 less than Goober is asking.
I, personally, would pay ~$2,000 for that bass in that condition, without the $1,500 electronics upgrade, and would have to think long and hard considering the problems you previously described.

One more thing -- last I checked it was illegal, or at least improper, for a business to levy an extra insurance fee. But that was years ago.

(Message edited by kungfusheriff on April 25, 2006)

csissom · « **Reply #7 on:** April 25, 2006, 01:07:21 PM »

I'm just curious, why would a seller want to hide the serial number? How does that play into the black market? If someone wants to counterfeit a guitar, can't they look up the serial number formats and make one up?

I would never buy a guitar without knowing the serial number, even if it was a vintage Fender.

Just curious.

Curt

kungfusheriff · « **Reply #8 on:** April 25, 2006, 01:25:44 PM »

I'm not entirely sure, Curt. Erring on the side of caution, perhaps?

yggdrasil · « **Reply #9 on:** April 25, 2006, 05:34:00 PM »

This bass was discussed here, pre-eBay, a week ago:

http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/27222.html?1145386291

bsee · « **Reply #10 on:** April 25, 2006, 07:37:21 PM »

Especially with a thirty year old instrument that could have a history, there could be fear that it might have been stolen at some point in its life. Let's say that you legally bought a bass form a dealer that had been stolen 20 years ago. If that prior owner has documentation that they owned the instrument, that it was stolen, and that they didn't have insurance that paid it off, then they might have some rights to take it away from you.

Fraud-wise, you can probably get insurance on an instrument with a photo, the serial number, and a (fake) bill of sale. If someone tried that and later claimed it was stolen, then you or a future owner of your instrument might be hassled to document the chain of legal ownership.

Who knows. In this world, there are so many scams going on that I would be hesitant to give out information that wasn't critical to the sale.

kungfusheriff · « **Reply #11 on:** April 25, 2006, 09:06:16 PM »

That scenario actually happened about three years ago, Bob...a decade after a Distillate was stolen from a Bay Area bassist, I got the serial from the shop owner who had it tucked away all that time and blindly passed it along to Val as a build-record request. Thankfully, I didn't put down dime one and was able to walk away clean.
Let's scare the new guy a little more, shall we?

yggdrasil · « **Reply #12 on:** May 12, 2006, 03:15:12 PM »

This bass is in the serial # request forum as 77-721:

http://club.alembic.com/Images/394/27328.html?1146623915

The other thread references above has members believing it to be a short scale.

The seller posted the entire Alembic build record EXCEPT for the line stating that it is long scale. Later on in the description he calls itMID LENGTH SCALE , MOST ALEMBICS ORDERED THIS WAY. He also goes on about Stanley Clarke, whose best known Alembic basses are short scale.

(Message edited by yggdrasil on May 12, 2006)

(Message edited by yggdrasil on May 12, 2006)

tyxe · « **Reply #13 on:** May 15, 2006, 12:15:12 PM »

I looked to this bass and find it not so expensive for a serie 1 ( around 10 000 $ for a new one no ? ).
Can someone explain me why they found it too expensive ?
i know the bass has a noise problem but fixing it for 1500 $ and it's half the price of a new one.
Am i missing something ?

David Houck · « **Reply #14 on:** May 15, 2006, 01:47:35 PM »

Hi Fabrice, welcome to the group!

This bass might be considered to be expensive by some who have observed that similar Series I basses have sold for less on Ebay in the US.

Generally, prices for similar basses will be higher in a retail store than in a private sale, and higher in a private sale than in an Ebay auction.

Generally, prices for similar basses will be higher in Europe than in the US.

Time is also a factor. If this bass meets all the requirements that you are looking for, and if you don't want to wait around for another bass like it to show up on Ebay, then you will be willing to pay more than others who are willing to wait.

With this specific bass, as Frank has pointed out, there appears to be some question as to whether this is a long scale (34) bass with a small standard body. While there are one or two members of our group who prefer long scale basses with small standard bodies, most folks find that they do not balance well. That fact, when known, should reduce the number of potential buyers, and thus the price. However, long scale Series I basses with small standard bodies are rare, and thus those who are specifically looking for such a bass are probably prepared to pay a premium.

The seller's listing, as Frank pointed out, did not help clarify the scale lenth of the bass, and appears to actually obfuscate the issue. The scale length can be determined by taking an accurate measurement from the nut to the 12th fret and multiplying the result by 2. Most Alembics with small standard bodies are short scale (30 3/4).

You are certainly correct that the listed price of this bass, even with the electronics upgrade, is substantially less than the price of a new Series I. And I would guess that the seller, if patient, may get this price if a buyer looking for this particular bass, or someone looking to buy now rather than later, sees the listing. But I also think that other buyers can reasonably put this bass in the context of other similar listings and their own set of parameters and find the listing price to be expensive.