Rhapsody In Blue

[cool_hand_luke_fancy]

Months ago I was pouring over the Custom Archive. By far my favorite looking bass in definitely the Rhapsody in Blue. Blue is my favorite color, and this one looks dead gorgeous. The way Alembics are priced I doubt I'll get one, but how much do you think something like that costs?
 
Also, the Riff King is something out of a dream for me. Zebrawood is one of my favorite looking woods, and what can I say? I love Led Zeppelin. How much would a beast like that cost?
 
(Message edited by cool_hand_luke_fancy on June 28, 2010)

[artswork99]

Hi Jon and welcome!  The best way to get some ideas of the cost of purchasing a new Alembic would be at the Custom Quote Tool.  As for the used market I keep an eye on the Swap Shop area of the forum along with eBay and my local Craigslist(s). Good luck in getting your dream Alembic (worth the wait!).  Art

[hydrargyrum]

I think you should also take into consideration that there is a significant discount when ordering through a dealer.  As for price, I'm pretty destitute, but I have owned two Alembics in the past.  The used market has some real gems if you are willing to compromise a bit on what you are looking for.

[cool_hand_luke_fancy]

I did the figuring out and when I round it off the rhapsody would be around $25000. I suppose it would be fair I guess. What kind of discounts are we talking about?
 
To be honest, I actually like the Rhapsody more than the Exploiter, which is another one I'm in love with. After all, it was Entwistle that allowed me to discover Alembics. I'm a major fan of Quited Maple and with any transparent color it becomes something almost beyond a work of art.

[adriaan]

If you're playing around with the Quote Generator, the initial model selection is the top-of-the-line Series 2 - which explains why you end up with a 25K instrument.
 
The base price for say an Essence is much more affordable, and you can still select most custom features. And then of course the nice thing with Alembic is that a lowly Essence is built by the same people, with the same care, as an extravagant Exploiter.

[keith_h]

I started with a Mark King Deluxe and come up with a MSRP of $14K US (might not be exact but is close). Also remember that you can get a substantial discount by going through a dealer.  
 
Keith

[eligilam]

What is the ballpark significant discount from a dealer compared to the quote generator?  25%?  50%?  Does the % discount change by Alembic model or is it uniform throughout the dealer-world?

[tubeperson]

It all depends on the monthly specials, the dealers realtionship with Alembic etc.  Based on what I have seen, a rough discount figure is 20%, which is less than the 30% commonly seen today on Fender etc. on the street.  I remember in the 70's and 80's Fenders were sold at 40% off list at places like Sam Ash or Manny's in NYC. Ah the good old days!

[keith_h]

The maximum dealer discount allowed is 25%. Couple this with the right monthly special and a custom can be more affordable than it appears. Take this months special. It knocks the retail price of three custom options in half. With the custom options on this bass that could be another $1K-$2K (give or take) off the retail price.  
 
I also ran my quote with a 5A back. Take that off and you drop the price again.  
 
Keith