The Fernandez copies of the Alembic bass were VERY close to the original. There are some little things to check though. On the headstock, there is usually no logo. On the later Fernandez versions, there is a Fernandez logo. The neck laminates or stringers are a little wider than Alembic used. The finish tends to be a little browner. The Alembics that they are copying are more yellow than brown. The pickup selector knob is a bit different too. When you open up the control cavity, that's where the major differences can be seen. Although the controls and electronics work the same, the electronics are not up to the Alembic standard. The cavity was painted with a black paint instead of the shielding paint Alembic uses. The pots are not stamped Alembic, and the wiring is usually very sloppy too.
But, to see a picture of the bass, or to the untrained Alembic lovers like us, it can be hard to tell. I have seen one floating around here in New Orleans that I know was sold as a real one at some point. It even had the Alembic logo that someone put on the headstock. Pity.
