Paul,
As someone who currently owns ten bass guitars of various makes (two Alembics, one Pedulla, two Gibsons, two Fenders, one Rickenbacker, one Musicman, and one Ovation Acoustic Electric), I think I can say with honesty that Alembics are the finest I've ever owned, period. And my string of choice is Rotosound RS66LC, .40-95. I use them on my Europa with no buzzing, and no problems. I do use (currently, anyway) GHS .40-100 on my Spyder, simply because they fit (they sound fairly good, but I prefer Rotosound). In both cases, my basses adjusted to the different string tension with no problem. I second Mica's assertion that the most recent Alembics take into account the preference on some players' part for lighter gauge strings. BTW, my Spyder is a 2003, as is my Europa.
I've never ordered a bass from Alembic (I was lucky and someone had exactly what I was looking for), so I can't comment on how long it takes to make one. However, there is ample evidence that Alembic is anything but mass-produced-production-line-fast. Why? It takes time to build instruments with the exact tolerances that Alembics have. As I said, I have lots of different basses, some expensive, some not so expensive, and others downright cheap. The Alembics, in terms of quality and craftsmanship, stand head and shoulders above them all.
One other thing ... my Europa had a problem with the pan pot. Seems it didn't work. One might say, well, for that kind of money, it should, and I would agree. But we've all bought a car for a substantial amount of money, and there is always something that isn't quite right. That is the nature of things created by humans - they have the potential of being slightly imperfect.
Anyway, Mica sent me one set of electronics, but the jack wasn't the correct one (they upgraded the jacks they use to a higher quality one - imagine that!). When I pointed this out, within a week I had a new set of electronics. I've not had the chance to install them (yes, you can do that yourself since it is modular - try doing that with a Fender, a Gibson, etc.), but I'm sure it will be fine.
You pay for more than just an instrument when you buy an Alembic - you pay for commitment, pride, and art. If that's not your thing, that's cool. Wish it had all worked out for you, and I hope you give Alembic another try. My guess is you won't be disappointed. For my part, I am an enthusiastic Alembic owner and supporter of the company. Sure, it's expensive, but you get what you pay for - commitment, pride, and art. And that's something you can't always put a price on.
My two cents,
Alan
