If it's an either/or, it's a no-brainer... get the house!
My current custom-in-progress is a replacement for my stolen Elan -and I ordered it prior to making the decision to buy our home. I owed the guy who was holding it for me (which turned out to be selling it without my consent) some money, so I worked an extra job this summer, and as a result nearly have the deposit -about 50% of the cost- paid off. So the balance won't be that hard to pay off.
But if we'd got the house first, I wouldn't have ordered it -sadly. I'd have felt obliged to contribute that money towards the house fund.
As it was, the bass I've ordered, while having some sweet features, is far from a totally loaded ultimate custom. But I do already have my ultimate custom 8 Strings of Power. My current custom is just a replacement for my stolen Elan, and while it has several upgrades, I couldn't justify many other things that I certainly would've liked to have -Series electronics, LEDs, gold hardware, etc. My responsibility to my other half requires moderation... and even a less than all-out Alembic isn't inexpensive!
I see you already have a Series bass and an Orion... so... what do you have in mind with a 3rd Alembic? Why do you want it? What specifically is the paradigm?
How elaborate is the custom you have planned? Would you be willing to sell one or both of your others to help finance it? I chose to sell a large chunk of my treasured comic collection -the juiciest stuff- to help pay for this bass and some of the upgrades I didn't need to have -but wanted.
Since you already have 2 Alembics -which I'm sure are both quite nice- why do you want/need another? The only good reason I could really see (for me -only you can say what's best for you) would be an issue like, the ones you have are stock models that don't fit your ideal fingerboard dimensions, and you want one made for your hands. But then, IF that were the case, that would make a case for selling one or both of the others to finance your perfect bass.
If you really, REALLY need another Alembic -a custom Alembic- and you're strapped for cash due to wanting to buy a house, it make a strong case for considering a minimalistic custom.
Since you have both a top of the line neckthru and a set neck, you have the experience to know whether you'd want this hypothetical last custom Alembic to be a neckthru or setneck.
In either case, I submit that you might consider getting the minimum custom necessary. If, for example, you're interested in a neckthru, get an Essence, built with your preferred fingerboard dimensions, and 2 or 3 of your most preferred options. Even the most basic custom Alembic is awesome. If I had had any idea I was going to get a house when I ordered my replacement bass, I either wouldn't have ordered it -or I'd have got the bare-bones minimum Alembic custom... which for me, would be an Essence with Europa electronics, a 3-position Q, one Ebony neck laminate, and custom fingerboard dimensions. This would still have been one hell of a bass.
I feel for you, Adam. This will be my last Alembic, and my last instrument -barring I have to replace one that has something happen to it (and they're all insured through Heritage).
They're getting more and more expensive, and I am a little sad I'll likely never be able to get a fancy custom Series bass like some of the richer folk here (although I actually could have got a new Series I for slightly less than what I paid for my Signature bass with all the options that I wasn't willing to sacrifice... but that's a different story). So I hope you can get both your dream bass AND your home. But if you have to choose, it really is a no-brainer. Get the house... make that your first priority.
IF you decide you really must get this dream bass of yours, I have 3 recommendations I strongly suggest you consider/do: (1) make some hard choices, and strip it down to the minimum you'll be happy with. Even a stock Essence or Excell with your choice of fingerboard dimensions and standard topwoods makes for an awesome custom dream bass; if you get the most basic Alembic with just 2 or 3 of your most important options, you should be able to come up with an awesome custom that you'd treasure for life, and be proud to own. (2) You should strongly consider selling some thing or things to help finance the bass... if it's that important to you, and your money is limited, then it may be worth sacrificing some other thing(s) to get it. I hated selling my comics... I really did. But I wanted the Ebony neck lam and the Coco Bolo. I didn't NEED it. And so I gave up something else to get it -because it was worth it to me to make the painful sacrifice. And (3) consider taking a second job for a while, and working your butt off for a couple/several months. This too would entail sacrifice and hardship... but it might be worth it.
If you choose one, two, or three of these options, they might make it possible for you to get your bass and your home. But again, my advice is that if you have to choose, go for the home. It's much more important... and you DO already have two Alembics.
Hope my thoughts offer something useful for you. I'd be interested in knowing what you decide, and also what your proposed custom is -I'm curious.
Take care, Adam, and best wishes!
Mark
P.S. keeping your wife happy is obviously extremely important. My girl has been very supportive and tolerant. But there are limits to what she'll tolerate -insofar as my decision affects her/us. She frankly makes more money then I do, which imposes an obligation on me to reign in my choices. If I was raking in the bucks, and my decisions about instrument-purchasing didn't affect her, I'm sure she'd say go for it; but since she makes more money, and we both feel (properly) that it's my responsibility to pay for my fair share and handle my part of the load, it has been proper and necessary to exercise restraint... and towards that end I've followed my own advice and (1) passed on several options I would've liked to keep the cost down; (2) sold stuff to help finance the bass; and (3) worked an extra job to generate extra $ to help pay for it.
Again, best wishes, and let me know what you decide. Take care.
