Author Topic: Alembic Series I - MINT (Read 373 times)

angelboy · « **on:** October 21, 2009, 12:55:14 PM »

I'm thinking of selling my 1997 Series I bass.

It has a 5A quilted maple front and back and it's pretty much as mint as you can get.

I've owned it for the last 5/6 years and rarely taken it out. Before that it was hung on a wall for 7 years as part of a multi-millionaires guitar (art) collection and it still had the factory strings on it when I picked it up!

Comes with an Alembic flight case, rack mount power supply and two bass power cables.

You can see it on my profile picture but I'll send you some better shots if you email me.

I'm based in the UK so it's a sterling price I'm looking for.

The custom quote is kicking out a UK price of just over ?10k, but then factor shipping, duty and VAT to push it up to more like ?13,000!!!

I'm looking for offers over ?5k to get the ball rolling.

Contact me at angelboymanagement(at)hotmail(dot)com

jacko · « **Reply #1 on:** October 22, 2009, 04:18:43 AM »

Not enough strings for me I'm afraid Paul. I hope you get a good price for it.

Graeme

p.s. try to get to bass day 2009 in manchester.

angelboy · « **Reply #2 on:** October 27, 2009, 09:56:59 AM »

I have some pictures here:

www.greenholding.co.uk/alembic

jacko · « **Reply #3 on:** October 28, 2009, 04:56:41 AM »

That's a really nice quilt. very '3D'!

graeme

llobsterbass · « **Reply #4 on:** October 28, 2009, 03:05:20 PM »

Has anyone around here seen a used Series I go for more than US $4,000 recently?

pas · « **Reply #5 on:** October 29, 2009, 04:52:27 AM »

Europe is a different market.

FC Bass · « **Reply #6 on:** October 29, 2009, 08:54:27 AM »

It is, but prices are roughly the same ;-)
Also some amazing bargains are possible here, I've seen an Elan (almost identical to my '90 Elan) go for E994 and a '85 Spoiler for E650
Some time ago, one of my favorite Series I basses sold for aprox. E2500.

Average price of my A basses (not counting the new Elan) is approx E1770
(The sum of the prices of the 4 divided through 4)
That's incl. a brand new '06 neck through Orion, go figure ;-)

angelboy · « **Reply #7 on:** October 30, 2009, 01:27:46 AM »

The basses shipped from the States incur high import taxes. Up until recently you had to work out the value of the bass, add shipping costs, times that by 10% import duty then times that amount by 17.5% VAT (now 15%) so on a bass shipped direct from Alembic you're talking an extra ?3000 on a ?10000 bass.
As a result Alembics are a pretty rare breed in the UK.

jakebass · « **Reply #8 on:** October 30, 2009, 03:06:25 AM »

Not sure about your duty calculations there angelboy.
I shipped an MK deluxe from Beaver at Bass Central. The bass price was $6999 and I paid ?600 in duty. The exchange rate was favourable at the time it was $2.13-?1 so I got the bass in my hands for a good chunk under ?4K. It's your decision entirely what you charge for your bass but sadly for you buyers have an equal amount of discretion so I fear you might struggle. It's a beautiful instrument though so I wish you luck with the sale.
Jake

angelboy · « **Reply #9 on:** October 30, 2009, 05:04:55 PM »

Sorry, it's a 3% import duty not 10%. Still close to ?2500 for a ?10k bass though.

Even so, if you paid $7k for a bass showing at over $10k on the custom quote then that's 30% off list.

If we work my example, $17k with 30% off is around $12k.
$12k at 1.644 - todays exchange rate is ?7300
Add ?250 shipping, 3% duty then 15% VAT and the price comes to ?50 short of ?9k.

I'm inviting offers over ?5k which is a 40% - 45% saving on new.

I think the price sounds fair for an 'as new' instrument.
Any lower and I'll happily keep it.

angelboy · « **Reply #10 on:** October 30, 2009, 05:13:24 PM »

I do always find it amusing how much people under estimate the cost of the Series basses and compare them to Signature models.

The Series electronics are charged out at $5700 on the custom quoter so take 30% and it's still and extra $4k!

angelboy · « **Reply #11 on:** October 31, 2009, 02:12:19 AM »

How about this one I found:
http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=64534

Mark King Standard, 5 string with Buckeye Burl top - Alembic Quote = $11,500
Minus 30% and exchange at 1.65 ($ to ?) = ?4872.86
Add shipping @ ?250 x Duty @ 3% x VAT @ 15% = ?6068

Take of 40% off new = ?3640

The guy is selling for ?3999 which works out at ?3582.62

angelboy · « **Reply #12 on:** October 31, 2009, 02:32:30 AM »

How about this one at a dealer:
http://www.americanguitarsuk.com/bassshop/alembicB.php

Stanley Clarke Deluxe with Series II electronics, 24c gold hardware, coco bolo front and back and wood back plates. - USED

Alembic custom quote new - $18750 minus 30% = $13125
Into ?'s = ?7944.88 + ?250 shipping, 3% duty and 15% VAT = ?9706

This bass is being sold for ?8000 so here were only talking a 17.5% reduction from new!!!

Let's pretend that the original seller sold it to the shop at 40% off, the dealer is then adding close to 37% mark-up from the buy price to which he might sell for 30% mark-up, which is a fair amount profit. That would still take the bass up to just over ?7500

pierreyves · « **Reply #13 on:** October 31, 2009, 02:36:18 AM »

the current price for serie I in europe is about 11.000?, very expensive but real (stationmusic.de, californiamusic.fr) for brand new.
your price of ~5700? would be reduce a little.

angelboy · « **Reply #14 on:** December 06, 2009, 03:10:09 AM »

I've been offered ?4000 ($6600/?4400) which is still a little to low for me.

Are there any other pre-Christmas takers?