I figured i'd throw my hat into this ring, I was the one who purchased this bass (75-179) after parting with my prior 1981 Short Scale Series 1 bass that just was too uncomfortable for me to play as a 6 foot tall long scale/upright player. My acquisition of this instrument was a pure stroke of luck, as someone local ended up happily paying my asking price after an extensive disclosure of my short scale's own issues (repaired headstock laminates, some decently heavy play wear), after which I turned around and ended up purchasing this LSB. Me and the seller worked out a deal that we were both very happy with, and I had absolutely no issues whatsoever with him, he's a swell guy, professional musician, and a very talented and knowledgeable player who disclosed every detail and fault that this instrument has. I received the bass just as described, but effortlessly playable once I went through it and gave it a full setup. Knowing the electronics needed a bit of maintenance, I had Indy String Theory here in Indianapolis go through and restore it to fully working order, which to my surprise barely cost me anything for what an usual instrument this is. It's currently with me now and i've been loving every minute of it, giving me the grind I want for the post-punk/hardcore and jam band ensembles i'm in. Being the only active bass I own (generally active basses are overkill to me) it'll certainly become one of my go-to's when I can get back to playing out again. With all that being said, I find some of the criticism and accusations towards the seller here to be a bit uncalled for, and figured I should clear the air and put an end to the story of this bass, ultimately I made out well, having made a good bit of profit selling my short scale Series 1 which entirely funded my purchasing of this one leaving me with a bit of extra cash left over and the early long scale Series bass of my dreams. The headstock break's not pretty, but it's plenty stable and not going anywhere, at some point way down the line i'll probably end up sending this bass back to Alembic for a full restoration and refurbishment, but i've got absolutely no means of paying for that now (no gigs with COVID and a full-time undergrad student), so for now i'll just enjoy it in its original and aged glory.
Cheers,
John
