Interesting Facebook Market find

[mgw]

This bass popped up on the FB marketplace earlier this week.  The seller claims it's an Alembic...clearly that isn't the case.  Does anyone have any idea what it might be?

[StephenR]

This one appeared very briefly on TalkBass earlier this week. Thread got yanked. I was the first one to post and told him it wasn't an Alembic. Apparently the seller sent me a private message which I just found when I logged into TalkBass. Below is his message. If he was actually offered four grand for this bass at GC he should have taken it.

    "I have spent years doing research on this bass. I have taken it to vintage shops, music shops and guitar shows and have been given the same answer which is a mid to late 70's alembic custom bass. I took it to guitar center and their vintage team appraised the value at $8000 but being guitar center they would only offer me half that to buy it. If you have any other input on this bass I would appreciate any info you have to offer. Unfortunately this was the first time I have posted anything on here and someone got butthurt about it and they removed my post. Not a great way to be welcomed to this site if you ask me but whatever. I doubt I will try to post anything on here again but you are more than welcome to contact me through facebook. Thank you again."
     

[mgw]

I had a chat with him yesterday as well, though GC wasn't mentioned.  I can't figure out why you go to "vintage shops" and guitar shows for confirmation when it's a whole lot simpler to email the good folks in Santa Rosa.  I asked him for the serial number and he wouldn't provide it...a bit too shady for my taste.  I think the most amusing part was that he stated that it was all original.  It's an interesting piece for sure and I'm still curious who the manufacturer is.

[mica]

Please direct the seller to this thread to read straight from me that there is no way that this is an Alembic bass. The other authority on the subject, Susan Wickersham can confirm this was not born in our shop. There are so very many things without even looking at the electronics cavity that give it away to be something perhaps inspired by Alembic, but not of Alembic.

It may be a perfectly wonderful instrument, but any claim as to Alembic heritage is false.

Also, there is no Alembic bass that was ever originally supplied with EMG pickups.

[FC Bass]

He should have taken the $4K offer, there's no way it will get near that figure when he puts it on Ebay I think...

[mgw]

The FB thread was deleted so I removed the link.

[jazzyvee]

I hope no well meaning buyer decides to buy it before finding out it is not an alembic.

[StephenR]

I hope no well meaning buyer decides to buy it before finding out it is not an alembic.

Somebody already bought it from Guitar Center sight unseen and then cancelled the transaction when they sent him pictures. He posted a Guitar Center picture of the bass (priced at $2,199) on TalkBass today warning people about it in case Guitar Center lists it online without a picture. I asked him if he had seen it at one of the retail locations and he provided more details. Quotes of both his posts about this below.

"In case this makes it to the website without photos and still listed as Vintage 70s Alembic Omega. Very, very bad knockoff, they didn’t even try."

 "The Mesquite, TX GC. I actually bought it before they sent pictures, they pressured me into it with the someone else about to buy line, canceled immediately and told them that since it doesn’t actually say Alembic on the bass they probably don’t have to destroy it but they need to change their listing ASAP. According to them the vintage team of experts in Hollywood declared it an Omega. Morons"

[keith_h]

There are pictures up now. I sent off an inquiry to GC telling them this isn't an Alembic and pointing them to Mica's response. You would think GC would know better and if unsure at least try to verify what they were looking at really was an Alembic.

[keith_h]

I've received a response from Mesquite GC  store manager where she says they have pulled the listing. I just looked and it still appears to be listed but will give it a bit more time to allow for update delay.

[StephenR]

I also contacted the Mesquite store and received the same reply as Keith. Listing is still on line. Just for the heck of it I added it to the "shopping cart" at which point a message pops up that it was removed from the cart because it is unavailable. By now they must realize that their "vintage experts" made a mistake. If they paid 50% of the listed price for this instrument they will be lucky to get that money back.

[Philip-M-Bass]

This has been a most interesting thread!!!

hope one of us can actually find who built it!!!

the search continues!!!

[mgw]

Seems the $4000 GC offer was a load of BS to justify the $6k asking price.  Not surprising, however.

[Philip-M-Bass]

Wow!! This indeed continues to be a mystery!

I am trying now to find who built this bass that has a similar omega & clover stinger!

hopefully we will close this case soon

[cozmik_cowboy]

I don't know about the bass, but the rug really ties the room together.

Peter (who, Dude-like, abides)