Author Topic: 77' Series 1 ?? It's FERNANDES ! (Read 311 times)

room037 · « **on:** November 23, 2005, 05:41:47 PM »

77's Series 1 is appeared on eBay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1977-Series-1-Alembic-bass-in-original-case_W0QQitemZ7369225309QQcategoryZ118984QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

But the serial No.922-77 is curious. (It has 922-11)
If so, it was wrote 77-922.
It is not 77's No.922.
It looks like FERNANDES. (No head logo, Different knobs, Wood quality, etc..)

marcky · « **Reply #1 on:** November 23, 2005, 05:56:27 PM »

I think it's a Fernandez. I've seen a few of them and this one looks a lot like it.
Be careful!!!

dela217 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 24, 2005, 06:46:48 AM »

I too believe it is a Fernandes bass. Buyer beware!!!! I think we need to see a pic of the inside of the control cavity. It will tell all. Note the pickup selector knob and the position of the knob. Very Fernandesesque. When I first saw the listing, I was hoping it was real. I am kinda in the market for another Alembic. Hoping for a Polane finished, single truss rod, small body bass. Yuk. Fernandes.

By the way I believe that an Alembic with serial number 922 would be a 1978.

harald_rost · « **Reply #3 on:** November 24, 2005, 08:41:54 AM »

I had the possibility to A/B compare my 1977 Series 1 with a Fernandes FAB 180. And I was thrilled: There was NOT a big difference in sound. Comparing the building these early Fernandes are nearly perfect clones. I can't judge for the electronic but visible was only one big difference: a rosewood fretboard on the Fernandes instead of an Ebony one on my Sereis 1. So these Fernandes are no bad axes (of course with the exception of the lawsuit thing).

j_gary · « **Reply #4 on:** November 24, 2005, 09:46:39 AM »

They may be cool but this listing kinda makes me see red. I think it's disingenuous the way the bass is being represented. I may have given her a hard look as an interesting purchase, but not from this seller. You know, Phyllis Diller is genetically very similar to Pamela Lee. Me and Paul McCartney too.

Hmmm...I think Pam and Phyllis reference may be closer.

David Houck · « **Reply #5 on:** November 25, 2005, 05:06:53 AM »

We don't know that the seller is aware that it is not an Alembic. Has anyone emailed the seller to ask for pics and details?

lbpesq · « **Reply #6 on:** November 25, 2005, 08:16:49 AM »

I just sent the seller a message with a link to this thread. Since the bass is in Berkeley (next door to Oakland), I offered to check out the bass to determine authenticity. If the seller responds and lets me check it out, I'll give everyone here a head's up.

Bill, tgo

David Houck · « **Reply #7 on:** November 25, 2005, 08:26:12 AM »

Thanks Bill!!

jlpicard · « **Reply #8 on:** November 27, 2005, 02:23:26 AM »

I too had a chance to A/B a Fernandes side by side with a Alembic at Ed Romans a while back. Tone wise, there was no comparison. Maybe there was something wrong with the Fernades but the Alembic just blew it away. Of couse the Alembic in question was the famous Buckeye Burl Ebony laminate Triple Omega 5 that is in all of Ed's recent ads. Perhaps not the fairest of comparisons but still....

lbpesq · « **Reply #9 on:** November 27, 2005, 08:43:01 AM »

While the Fernandes' looked a lot like an Alembic, everything I've read says that the electronics weren't even close. Last year my wife got me a Fernandes Masterhand for my 49th b-day (well we went to the store and I picked it out). I believe it was made after Alembic let Fernandes know that the copies weren't appreciated. While it is clearly in the Alembic hippie sandwich style, the shape is not a direct copy, but rather strat-like. When I got it the electronics weren't working and the store couldn't find the power supply. I ripped out the old Fernandes stuff and the guitar is in the process (still!) of being Alembicized at a luthier's in San Francisco.

Here's a gallery of Fernandes Alembic copies. There is a Masterhand bass about halfway down:

http://www8.plala.or.jp/alembic/copy_gallery.html

Here is picture of my Fernandes Masterhand before any mods. It's the one in the middle:

http://www.fatdawg.com/334.jpg

I haven't heard back from the seller yet.

Bill, tgo

room037 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 29, 2005, 05:13:17 AM »

Now this bass was relisted as Fernandes copy.
The seller add description about the story.

And the starting price was reduced $750, but reserve price is unknown.

kungfusheriff · « **Reply #11 on:** November 29, 2005, 07:04:34 AM »

Still overpriced IMO...I bought a nearly identical bass from Elderly for about $630 in 2001.

dela217 · « **Reply #12 on:** November 29, 2005, 08:16:57 AM »

Yes. I think I paid $400 for mine in the 80's or so. I don't think that bass should fetch an Alembic price.

David Houck · « **Reply #13 on:** November 29, 2005, 05:50:19 PM »

I'm glad the listing was corrected!