1978 Series I #1140 BASS FOR SALE $2,500

[treje]

1978 ALEMBIC SERIES 1 SERIAL NUMBER #1140  4 STRING BASS   27 year old 1978 Alembic Series 1 #1140 bass guitar. Long scale 2 octave neck. Used to belong to my Dad who was a professional bassist but he passed away a few years ago. Includes case, power supply & 5 pin adadpter.  The following is a list of discrepencies with the bass...  The pickup switch that used to be underneath the 24th fret (at the bottom of the neck) has been moved down near the other pickup volume & blend knobs and there's an open space in the place where the switch used to be  {there's an explanation as to why it was moved & an easy, inexpensive way to fix the hole in the Alembic link} / The pickups need to be rewired because only one is hooked up to work /The actual screws in the pickups need to be replaced because of either stripped or missing screws / There is a small (smaller than a pinkie fingernail) burn next to the pickup selector switch. There are small cracks in the finish due to age, exposure to sweat, gigs, etc. but are only visible upon close inspection.  The neck is in good condition with now bows or abnormalties. The bass plays well and of course sounds great.  Professional bassist and guitarists alike know that Alembic represents the ultimate in quality, sound, exotic woods and craftsmanship. The bass is in very good condition even though it's 27 years old and with an investment of a few bucks & a little bit of love from an Alembic luthier, you can restore this baby back to original shape. It'll be Vintage in a few more years and worth much more than I'm asking for now down the road!  Go to the official Alembic webpage forum link below to see pics as well as other relevant info about the bass . Call me at (757) 619-5850 7 days a week until 10pm EST for any further inquiries.  http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/20404.html?1124481898  

 

 

 

 

 

  (Message edited by davehouck on December 16, 2005)

[kungfusheriff]

Could you explain further what's going on with the wiring? How much does the bass weigh, and how's the balance?
Thanks,
KFS

[series_iii]

What - no love on this one yet?

[David Houck]

This bass a winning bidder for this bass Monday on Ebay.

[llobsterbass]

That was me! She's the most beautiful looking and sounding bass I've ever had the privilege to play. Thanks Romanze for selling me the instrument of a lifetime.
 
I've got a very nice little collection, mostly Modulus, but also an Alembic Orion that I play a lot. So it's not like I'm upgrading from a Fender Squire or something. But this one just blows me away.
 
There are a few minor cosmetic issues, but most aren't on the front and almost none are visible from a foot or so away. Only pressing issues at this point are weight (I've named her MOOSE), and one of the pickups is not currently wired up. I know it works because it sputtered to life for about five minutes the first day I had it, then went out again.  
 
Mica, Val, or someone: Can I get some information on this bass? A circuit diagram would be particularly helpful; I'd love to get that other pickup working. Thanks.

[serialnumber12]

Open it up and see if the (pickup-connection) is connected all the way into the circut board.....that might be the problem.

[David Houck]

Hi Steve; congrats on the S1!!
 
Keavin's suggestion is a good one; sometimes the connections inside get loose when shipped.  Also, be sure to exercise the pots; turn them back and forth about thirty times.  Were you using the 1/4 jack or the 5-pin connector when you had the problem?  If you were using the 1/4, exercise it as well by running a 1/4 plug in and out about 30 times.  Also, if you were using the 1/4, it's probably wired for stereo and you would need a stereo plug.  While you're inside the control cavity, try switching the leads from the pickups to see if the problem stays with the same pickup or moves to the other pickup.

[llobsterbass]

Thanks all. The seller had told me up front that one of the pickups was not wired up before we closed the deal. I've checked the electronics cavity but have no idea which wires go to the pickups; that's why I was hoping for even a basic circuit diagram.

[serialnumber12]

check the wire coming from the neck pick-up.

[David Houck]

Looking in the control cavity, you probably noticed the hole where the leads go to the pickups.  If you want to figure out which lead is which, you can remove the pickups from the body; then by moving the leads, you'll see them move in the control cavity.  The pickups leads are not soldered to the circuit boards; older basses like this one have thin connectors that plug in to other wires that are then connected to the boards.  It could be the case that one of these thin little connectors is not plugged in all the way.