Buying "blind."

[stevie_g]

Thanks to everyone for their feedback on this point.  
 
And glad to hear that everyone has generally had positive experiences.
 
I guess it's all down to trusting the seller and learning as much about the instrument as you can before parting with your hard-earned cash. (Keeping the old caveat emptor phrase at the back of your mind proabably doesn't hurt either!)  
 
And buying from amongst the folks on this forum strikes me as a very good idea.  
 
I'll continue to keep an eye on the For Sale section, just in case that special Series II jumps out at me and I feel the urge to mortgage my nonexistant French villa ;-)

[apdavis]

I agree with much of the above.  The product has a quality that reamins and sustains the usability and value.  You will find a good deal of critical observations when reading the comments in the Swap shops, seen on craigslist . . . section noteably because many of us have experienced some history with our instuments and have sent the instrument(s) in my case, in for repair.  Given that, if what you find is in decent shape, that quality mentioned before can allow for the resurection of your instrument into a wonderful tool.
I picked up this Ebay pawnshop purchase and was concerned, sent it back to Alembic and never was unhappy about it.

[eligilam]

I got my Alembic from a store during a business trip.  I bought my 7 string on ebay with great success.  I'm currently waiting on UPS to deliver my ebay-bought 1984 Steinberger XL2 (arrives tomorrow).
 
I live in a fairly rural area in Arkansas, and ebay shopping has been a godsend for guitars.  If I limited myself to shopping for only those guitars I could lay my hands on without driving for 6 hours, I'd have a bunch of Schecter Guitar Center crap.

[bassilisk]

You're gonna love that XL2. I have a white '86 XL2 and it's really an amazing thing. Enjoy!

[afrobeat_fool]

I bought my S1 from Edwin(Boulder) A little more than a week ago. Fantastic transaction. Not only did I get the Bass of my dreams, but I made a wonderful friend in the process. Thanks Edwin! I decided to name the bass Edwin. As we share that name, and the Bass makes us a trioka.

[edwin]

Wonderful! I bought my Starfire sight unseen and it's been a good companion. I usually go with my gut on this one.
 
Edwin

[David Houck]

Stevie; your initial post in this thread asked about quality and playability.  I suppose playability could refer to such personal things as reach, balance, string spacing, etc. that differ among the models and options, and may be hard to determine from an Ebay listing for a particular instrument.  And I suppose that with the term quality you could be referring to the condition that a used instrument is in.  But when I first read your post, my immediate thought was that Alembic doesn't let anything out the door that upon final inspection appears anything less than the absolute best quality and playability.

[mjurey]

I purchased my Special Edition Epic on eBay, sight unseen. I had never played an Alembic prior to my purchase but was advised by a coworker, who had ordered a new Alembic, to go for it.  I was told that, as far as quality of instrument, you could buy an Alembic sight unseen and trust that you would get about the best instrument one could find.  
My friend's advice was right on.  The bass needed to be setup, which went very smooth.  I had owned a Rick 4001, 74 Jazz bass, and a 1980 aluminum neck Kramer and the Epic is octaves above the rest.  I don?t believe it matters if new or used, Alembic is the way to go.  Good luck

[bassman10096]

As Danno said, when you commission a new build, you are likely (unless you are located near Alembic and can visit at key times) to be handling the bass for the first time quite a long while after you've committed to it.  As others have mentioned, used Alembics will inevitably show signs of use and wear, even damage.  However, based on the several Alembics I've bought sight unseen off the 'bay and far greater number of used Alembics I've played in music stores, I'm firmly convinced that there aren't any lemon Alembics built.  Such is Alembic's build process and its standards.  All my cup of tea?  Nope.  Possibility of undisclosed damage or degrees of wear?  Certainly - but that's where dealing with sellers who've got a demonstrated track record (eg Ebay feedback) is essential.  The other good news is that, provided you don't overpay for a used Alembic, your investment is pretty safe.  If the bass and you don't get on too well, there's generally someone willing to pay a reasonable price to give it a whirl.  New Alembics take the mother of all depreciation hits once they leave the factory (most of the hit in the first year and a half or so, I'd venture).  So if unsure, you might be better situated to look for a very well kept slightly used Alembic.  Just my two cents.  Good luck.
Bill

[jon_jackson]

A year ago, I was ready to buy an Alembic without having played (or seen, for that matter) one.  However, I'm particular about neck width so, after several conversations with Will Gunn, I decided to order a custom.  A member with a previous custom build described this as a leap of faith.  I felt comfortable in doing this in large measure because of club members' descriptions of the sound and build quality of their own instruments.
 
I think my bass is getting reasonably close to completion, so I hope to be able to see, play and hear it soon.  
-Jon

[bassman10096]

Actually, one of the best things about custom builds is Alembic's willingness (and ability) to match the dimensions and contours (so, the feel) of your favorite bass neck(s).  In my case, I combined the best of the traditional standard Alembic neck with some elements of a Jazz and a couple of other twists, including a rather unique fret choice.  It plays like we grew up together.  I've heard several instances where a favorite bass was shipped to Alembic prior to build-time for measurements.  Just another really cool thing you can't find many places in this world...

[alembickoa]

When I bought the Koa, I had many long and wonderful conversations with the 2nd owner, Dalton. In those conversations I came to know him and was not only comfortable with him, but with the fact that he was well versed in his knowledge of the instrument, it's history, and his knowledge of Alembic in general. I bought it blind and never did anything but change strings on it. An instrument that is the quality of an Alembic is pretty much a no brainer once you establish your relationship with the seller. This is, of course, all my lowly opinion. A great advantage now is the presence of this forum. I bought the Koa before this forum was established, but recently we had an incident involving this forum and my old bass where a person in possession of the Koa out on the east coast was trying to sell it on the net and misrepresented the instrument in what I would call an illegal manner. The bass was recognized by people on this forum as my bass, I was notified, and the seller was contacted and made aware of the fact that he was being monitored by this forum. So, all that said, it is pretty easy buying an Alembic blind.

[jazzyvee]

When I bought first my Alembic Orion guitar, I had never heard one before neither on record ( to my knowledge) a had never seen one in the flesh. I got it from a German music shop via ebay. There were some problems with the knobs coming loose during transit due to the case being the wrong size allowing too much movement of the guitar, the guitar was fine and in perfect condition. Since then I've bought an Elan, Orion Baritone and Series I guitars without hearing them first and they are all fine. Maybe I was fortunate. I doubt if I would do that with another manufacturer.
 
Fortunately the Elan and Baritone were from forum members so that gave me some comfort.
 
 
Strangely enough, I think If I had the chance to hear the Series I guitar beforehand, there is a good chance that I may not have bought it. I've had it a couple of months and it's only now that I'm starting to find settings that I feel give me sounds I want.  I think If I was sitting in the shop with hard cash I would have wanted to hear something I liked straight off before parting with that much money.
That said I'm glad I have it now.
 
Jazzyvee
 
(Message edited by Jazzyvee on August 10, 2009)

[mike13]

Hey Taylor,thanks for the nice words,it sounds as good as it looks

[toma_hawk01]

Not unless its was brand new from the Mothership.