"Not Alembic"

[kipknee]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2558279049
 
Interesting auction.  This will be an interesting tug-of-war.  Mica/Alembic usually can get Ebay to shut down these auctions, but InstrumentExchange (the seller) had some kind of special relationship with Ebay that allows them to get away with things that regular sellers can't.

[kungfusheriff]

Please. eBay couldn't care less as long as they're still raking in the dough, and Guitar Center, who own IE and are at least affiliated with Musician's Friend, has plenty to spend. Consequently, they get away with pulling a lot of stunts. Mica, I wish you luck. Those Elans were obvious fakes someone tried to sell through fraud masquerading as ignorance. This is different.
There's a stinky story on that bass--auctioned simultaneously on the Bay and IE a few months back, the current seller submitted the first and only bid--to IE--and hours later, the item on eBay became lost or broken, and the auction was cancelled. Real classy.
The current seller seems like a stand-up type--at least they did their homework, and announce right up front that the bass is not authentic. There was no such info on the original auction. But it looks like the bad karma has rubbed off on them--betcha it doesn't sell.

[zappahead]

That particular ad doesnt look bad to me. I did not see the other one though. Im not sure why anyone would pay that kind of money for a non Alembic when a similar real Alembic could be had for the same price range.
 
It is amazing how many ex Alembic employees and such are mentioned when people are selling non Alembic basses or guitars.
 
I gotta say though, Id love to work in a place where I could 'Hot Rod Lincoln' a Series I.

[David Houck]

I remember looking at the pictures when it was at Ebay before.  The back of the bass looks unusual; it's a neck-through but when the neck gets to the body it has an appearance similar to the look on the back body of a graphite neck Alembic.

[tsarter]

It is the same seller this time around as last time.  I was the high bidder with IE last time (for quite a bit lower I think), and was able to figure out (through Alembic) that it was being sold by the Hollywood branch of Guitar Center.
 
I talked with both Susan and the guy handling the sale down at GC.  They were both putting their heads together to try to figure out what it was.  He did not want to sell it before he had them authenticate it.  He would have followed through with the deal had I pushed it, but I was not comfortable buying it with no serial number.   Apparently he did send it home  and determined it was an employee bass.  Am surprised it went that high though.

[David Houck]

Thanks for filling in some facts on this little mystery.  I suppose the buyer may have felt that the series II electronics made it a good deal; the bass probably sounds pretty good.

[tsarter]

Actually it is Series 1 electronics with a master volume.  It does not have a continuously variable Q.  I initially thought it a Series 2 also from the knobs.  Considering all this I think the seller got pretty darn lucky.  STill a nice looking bass though.

[David Houck]

I see your point.  And yes, you're right; it is a nice looking bass.

[dfung60]

I'd have to go take a closer look at my Series I bass to be sure, but I believe that the EQ switches on a Series I are just selecting between two different discrete resistors.  
 
If that's the case, then you can convert from 3 position Q-switches to CVQ by substituting an appropriate potentiometer.  Don't know if it's linear or audio taper (or something else), but that's easily checked as well.
 
This one has the master volume, but if you wanted to add that, it's a simple ganged dual potentiometer.
 
Enhancing your bass with more body and neck laminates, and adding the LEDs is quite a bit harder!