1976 ser I on Fleabay, hacked up some

[gtrguy]

1976 ser I on Fleabay, hacked up some. Makes you cringe, don't it.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Alembic-Series-1-Bass-Guitar-1976/173214979443?hash=item28546ad573:g:N8MAAOSwihpaqAEq

[jwright9]

Just saw that.
Man! The things some people do to their instruments.
The phots are pretty bad so it’s hard to tell just how extreme the poorly done modifications are.
But it is clear enough to tell that they are bad.

[edwardofhuncote]

Almost got a double omega cut there. 

Actually, that doesn't look too bad... but then again I've spent every evening for the last week piecing together a 50's Kay upright that looks like somebody tossed it off an overpass onto a busy highway.

I would totally restore that one if the price didn't get too crazy.   

[gtrguy]

It went up $1,000 since I posted it here earlier today...

[jazzyvee]

Priority number 1, if I were interested i'd really want to see some photo's of the electronics cavities to see whether the alembic goodies are still there!!!

[adriaan]

There are other 70s instruments with a similar hark back to the point carving of #001, so that may well be original. All it needs is a nice stylish wooden inset around the pickups, or a brass surround thingy.

... plus obviously a nice refinish. The crack in the top suggests it could be an ebony top?

[gearhed289]

All it needs is a nice stylish wooden inset around the pickups, or a brass surround thingy.

From the looks of all those screw holes, I was thinking it had some sort of brass thingy at some point. I like the bottom cut.

[lembic76450]

What kind of replacement pick up explains those routes?

[jwright9]

My guess is that they put in two P style pickups.

I believe they put in two P style pickups and then some sort of custom pickguard to hide the crappy routes. Thus the screw holes around the pickups.

Who knows what the electronics look like.

[bazzer]

... plus obviously a nice refinish. The crack in the top suggests it could be an ebony top?
[/quote]

Poor quality of the photographs make it hard to tell, but my initial estimation would be walnut top and back.

[adriaan]

Top and back could be different woods ...

[CaseyVancouver]

I like it   
Price has  gone  too high. Crazy bad photo's, maybe for a reason 

[jwright9]

I like it   
Price has  gone  too high. Crazy bad photo's, maybe for a reason 

Exactly!

[mica]

Hey, at least they put the pickups back in correctly with the under and over screw mountings

The toggle switches look like they have been replaced, at least they look funky even through the fog of blurry focus.

[edwardofhuncote]

Mica, what are your thoughts on the relief cuts on either side of the point? Did somebody get a gleam in their eyes and grab a rasp, or could this have been a legit custom body?  It actually doesn't look bad... kinda' reminds me of an EVH. 

I'm just thinking... even with fuzzy pictures, the symmetry is there. Perhaps this wasn't the work of the same person who routed those pickup cavities.   

Just got a better look... that poor thing barely has cosmic symmetry left.