Author Topic: Used Alembic Six-String Guitar Wanted (Read 761 times)

hollis · « **Reply #30 on:** September 29, 2004, 12:26:52 PM »

Cool!

tom_z · « **Reply #31 on:** September 29, 2004, 01:36:38 PM »

Congrats Kevin, can't wait to see the pix.

Tom

glocke · « **Reply #32 on:** October 06, 2004, 03:19:05 AM »

Hi,

My turn to chime in. I still have the skylark, and may offer it up for sale for the right price, but I feel I need to respond to kmh364 and his opinion that a skylark is worth $1200.00 bucks tops...

If you honestly think that a guitar like that is only worth that amount of money, your interested in the wrong instruments pal..Alembics demand a high price for a reason, superior build qaulity, great sound, and great looks. As with anything used, a used instrument will lose some value, but to even suggest a used skylark without the tummy cut is worth only $1200.00 is ludicrous.

Mine is the older style also, and would never be sold for that figure....

Same goes for my Series one bass. I bought a used Series one in mint shape (98 I think), for just under $4000.00. Some people told me I paid way too much, but when I look at how much a new one would go for I think I paid a decent price that may be slightly on the high side, but it was worth it to me....

zappahead · « **Reply #33 on:** October 06, 2004, 04:03:35 PM »

Glocke, Im not speaking for kmh364, but I know where they were coming from when they stated the price of 1200 bucks. The basis for that was that a brand new Skylark sat on ebay for probably months at 1500-1600 bucks. Im pretty sure the person who bought it only paid 1500 dollars for a newer Skylark with the tummy cut. It does stand to reason that an older model would go for less.

That being said....I think 1500 was an absolute steal for a new Skylark. If I had been in the market I would have bought it when the guy had for the 1700 range and been thrilled. Its all relative. No one means any offense to any of the owners of these instruments.

Honestly anything under what a new one would cost is a much better deal than 99% of the other guitars we see on ebay and in the shops. When you figure you can own an Alembic guitar for less than you would pay for a Les Paul or even some Fender models and definetly less than a PRS or the many copiers of PRS then you cannot argue with what was paid for this Skylark and probably what you want for yours.

kmh364 · « **Reply #34 on:** October 06, 2004, 04:30:05 PM »

Sorry, but what your instrument is worth to YOU has little to no bearing on the real-world Marketplace. That is a fact, like it or not. Worth and value are highly subjective terms at best. No one on this site seriously thinks that a Gibson, Fender or PRS is a better guitar than an Alembic, myself included. That a similar or lesser MSRP-priced instrument of those brands commands a higher used/re-sale price over an Alembic is a shame, but it is a reality of the free market. Real quality has no bearing on this...it is the perceived quality of an item or it's popularity or the weight of it's trademarked name or it's celebrity endorsers or (fill in the blank) that determines it's market value. The biggest names usually have the crappiest quality, but have the highest resale.

I firmly believe that unless you are willing to wait and find the relatively small contingent (i.e., many Alembic Club Members) that are willing to pay what an Alembic is truly worth in relative value to everything else out there, you are at the mercy of the used market if you want/need to sell. Your other choice is to keep it, play it, and enjoy it. You're not giving your's away and likewise I sure as hell ain't giving away my new $9k-plus custom Alembic to anybody. I'm enjoying it and hope to do so for the infinite future. The sad reality is, unless someone here is willing to pay top-dollar for the thing, I'd end up having to practically give the damn thing away on a re-sale (NOT happening anytime this century, BTW, lol).

I justified my statement about what I was willing to pay for that instrument based on what I've seen NOS and used guitars go for and/or have been Blue Booked at. I also looked at what a new version would cost me at my discount. I'd personally rather put that money toward a custom Alembic guitar of my choice that I spec'd. I was only interested in the guitar in question if it was at the right price for me. It wasn't. For the guy who bought it, it was. That's his choice. He didn't care if it's used price encroached on new Alembic pricing because it was worth it to HIM to have it and not to wait for a new one, regardless of Blue Book value. I really don't need the thing, nor did I have to have it. It would have certainly been nice to have an Alembic to mess around on while I decide my custom specs and while I'm waiting for same's construction, but it just didn't happen for me. That's my choice: If I'm gonna spend new Alembic money, I'm going for a new Alembic and will put up with the wait in order to get it for what I wanna pay.

Sorry if you're insulted about what I've said, but as I stated above, it was not aimed at anybody, it is just my opinion. Remember, opinions are like A******S,: everyone's got one, but they all stink, LOL!

Cheers,

Kevin

glocke · « **Reply #35 on:** October 07, 2004, 07:18:26 AM »

No offense taken and none intentionally being given....Hope I didn't sound too cranky, but I had very little sleep when I posted that, and had just gotten off the phone with someone trying to tell me my all original '64 fender jazz bass was only worth $1000.00 arghhh....

I think overall where I am/was coming from with my post is that often times in the used market people expect things to be given away for practically nothing...$1500.00 for a new skylark is a steal, and is also a fair price for a used one.

While unfortunate for those of us that buy these new and than find they need to sell them due to unfortuante circumstances, I guess that is something that we have to deal with...

hydrargyrum · « **Reply #36 on:** October 07, 2004, 02:53:32 PM »

I'm not sure that $1950 is really encroaching on the price of a new Skylark given that the lowest quote I received was ~$800 dollars more than that (plus shipping). This was from a dealer suggested by Kevin. I am not sure where he is getting quotes for $1800 dollar new Skylarks (unless there was a special exception), but I think there are probably a lot of us who would like to know : )

kmh364 · « **Reply #37 on:** October 07, 2004, 03:40:36 PM »

Yup, $2100 (the reserve price) is very close to what I can get a $3700 NEW Alembic ORDER for, not $1800 (unless you include that NOS burst Skylark from Steve's in Canada which went for about that price on EBAY).

Do what I did: solicit bids from dealers and make your deal. I was told by someone VERY prominent on this site (who shall be nameless) that I'd be smoking dope to get an Alembic for more than 15-20% off of MSRP (maybe 25% on an NOS that nobody wanted). Well, lets just say I blew those numbers WAY out of the water. I had to promise not to reveal my price...and I want to order more from my dealer...so you'll all have to guess, LOL! Let's just say that even the fine folks at Alembic would be shocked, LOL! I told you guys I was a cheap b*stard. I'm a VERY tenacious and ruthless shopper. Actually, I'm tenacious and ruthless at work , too, LOL! Must be because I've never been rich and I am a life-long Govt. employee, LOL!

It truly is a buyers market, LOL!