1979 Alembic Stanley Clarke Graphic Neck Custom built [SOLD]

[lstock]

I'm feeling out the intrest in this Alembic bass I had custom built for me back around 79. It is a Stanley Clarke body style with a very rare Graphite neck. It has been unused for the past 13 years and has been either in it's case or hanging. This bass was the 3rd Graphite neck alembic ever made and I'm told there were only about 50 ever in production. Stanley got the first John Entwistle got the second and I got the 3rd. It has the lights up the neck as well as two LEDs on the front that glow red or green depending on which pickups are selected.The neck was damaged by the airlines back in 82 and was sent to Alembic and repaired better and stronger than it was when ordered and was played for many years after. I can post better photos or send via contact info if requested. It also comes with the rack mount power supply. and HUGE anvil case. I also have an F-2B dual channel pre amp if anyone is interested. Any ideas on a price this baby would go for would be appreciated greatly. I'm in a bit of a rough spot financially and need to sell soon but don't want to give it away either. Any thoughts appreciated.
email me if interested.  stockl9091@att.net
Larry
 

[room037]

Hi Larry,
 
Welcome to the club.
 
We need some more info.
Graphite neck were start to built 1976 or 77'.
And we know several graphite instruments 77' and 78' made.
Please show us the serial number.
 
I've never seen maple-perpleheart stripe body with graphite neck.
All graphit necks have body top veneer but it's plain wood, and few of early ones have no body back veneer.
 
The unusual tail piece is very interested.
 
Eiji

[lstock]

I may be a bit off on the year of this bass. Time and a few dead brain cells over the years has gotten the best of me. I looked all over this instrument but couldn't remember where the serial was so I finally opened the circuit bay and there it was 77  848
So i guess it's a 77 model (my bad).
I'm not sure why Alembic chose a different tailpiece but yes it is different than the brass screw on block on most basses.
Maybe because this was a custom order bass warranted the difference in the top not being just a veneer or maybe it was just early in the development cycle of the graphite neck. I was told by Alembic this was the third Graphite neck made. If I remember right it the guy I dealt with at Alembic at the time was Rob can't remember his last name.
Anyway sorry for the confusion
 
Larry

[elwoodblue]

Welcome Larry,
Nice to see an early graphite neck Alembic.
I used to have one and realize there is nothing quite like them.
 
Elwood

[room037]

Hi Larry,
Thank you for your reply.
 
J.Entwistle's Graphite bass has S/N 77' 830.
Your bass was made only 18th later from J.E.'s !
I don't know the serial No. of S.Clark's Black bass.(It's first one that you said.)
 
I think the tail piece was adopted for string angle on the bridge to tail piece.
And another early graphite bass has top mount plate tail piece as yours.(The picture is here.)
 
Eiji

[lstock]

Thanks for the update info Eiji. I'm only stating what Alembic told me at the time it was in production. Does the serial number take into account the other wood neck instruments in production at the same time or would the graphite basses be sequential? I also noticed in the picture you referenced the headstock does not have a veneer like mine has. Interesting.
Can you also verify how many graphite basses were created. I've been told there were less than 50 but again I'm only stating what I've heard from a reliable source.
Thanks loads for the info
LS

[jack]

That's an amazing bass.  Interested parties will surely ask for the scale length.

[lstock]

It Mesures from nut to middle of bridge 31 and 1/8 inches.
I believe that makes it a short scale. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[mica]

Measure from the nut to the 12th fret and then double that for the scale length.  
 
We don't have a tally of the number of graphite neck instruments (there were a few guitars too!) we made, but our estimate is around 50 or so.  
 
The sequential numbers account all instruments, regardless of model or neck material.  
 
Really pretty bass! If you can email me some larger photos I'd really appreciate it since we did not take many photos back in 1977. My email address is   mica (at) alembic (dot) com
 
I think that John McVie got the first graphite neck bass. I don't think there was a Rob around here, but you may have dealt with my dad, Ron Wickersham.

[lstock]

Nut to 12th is 15 1/8 that makes it 30 1/4
WOW! that name brings me back. I believe you're right it was Ron. All I remember is I drove him crazy calling all the time asking about the progress as this bass was being made. I was such a jerk!
Is Ron still  around Alembic? I doubt he'd remember me but he was a great guy to deal with. I think of him fondly every time I look at the engraved battery plate on the back of my bass. For some reason that was a big deal back then. Not Sure about the who got what when not that it matters much at this point but Ron may have said that just to shut me up and quit bothering him.
I'll get some better photos and send them your way
Thanks Mica

[Enzo]

Mica, why did Alembic stopped the production of graphite neck instruments? From the beginning of the '80s graphite neck basses were such a hit, I'm thinking to Status or Steinberger as example.
Sorry, I don't mean to hijack the thread.

[to_81_0190]

Hi Larry,
 
Beautiful bass! The bass seems to have 3extra knobs than usual Series?T circuit. One would be a master vol like Series?U and what are other 2knobs?
 
Toshiaki

[lstock]

You must be referring to the two small things close to the tone knobs and below the Frequency switch. Those are Dual color LEDs they glow red when a pickup is not selected and green when it is. Kind of a unique feature isn't it.
I haven't seen it on any other Alembics myself either.

[jack]

Larry, since no one else is chiming in with estimated value, I'd recommend you do a search here on the For Sale board for some combination of Series 1 Short Scale Small Body.  Series 1s of this vintage seem to go for about 3K to 3.5K, depending on condition.  For a short scale small body I think you can safely add 500 bucks or more.  I think that the graphite neck and other unusual features (LEDs, tailpiece, etc.) should add more value.  I think 4K to 4.5K is reasonable, but I'm neither buyer nor seller, and it's tough to estimate what a unique (or at least very unusual) Alembic is worth (to both buyer and seller).  Perhaps someone else will chime in if I'm way off base.

[jack]

Double post, but allow me to add one more question that others may have, which is whether the instrument suffers from electronic interference from things such as neon lights, etc.  Some (not all, from what I understand) of older electronics run into interference problems with various things and need to be updated.  This is more from the evolution of radio frequencies in our environment than any inherent problem with the electronics.
 
(Message edited by jack on December 10, 2010)