Optimistically priced Exploiter on Reverb

[BeenDown139]

Ahhh...springtime!  when a young man's thoughts turn to doubling the price in the hopes that some sucker will bite.  In this case we have a very nicely dressed, well maintained specimen from the 80's (i actually owned one of these basses at one time - it was a freaking screamer).

https://reverb.com/item/40413556-alembic-exploiter-1983-gloss


I'd be surprised if it's really a 34" scale.  it's hard to tell from the pictures but if it's really koa over mahogany that probably adds a little to it.  But $7k USD?  WhooOO00OOoo!

i could be wrong.  wouldn't be the first time....

[gearhed289]

I'm pretty sure a former owner is a member here, or at least was. I remember a Distillate Exploiter that someone had refinished and recessed strap locks added at the Mother ship not too long ago. I also don't think it's a 34'' scale. Beautiful bass, but pretty well over-priced in my opinion.

[garyhead]

Perhaps an attempt to use the Spyder price list on the Alembic website to imply this Exploiter is comparable.

[senmen]

Yeah,
the prices for used Alembics are going nuts nowadays. 
And this one has the correct Spyder shape, not the thin lower
cutaway that some Exploiters have. 
And if you think about an exact replica of JE‘s Spyder:
you have to be prepared to have some 50K lying around. 
Greetz
Oliver (Spyderman)

[mica]

I don't remember the scale length on this bass, but it does look like the one we recently did a complete refinish and electronics upgrade on.

I'm certainly no expert on the price of used Alembics, but I don't see anything weird in this listing trying to compare it to a Spyder bass, maybe I missed something.

Yes, Oliver - super customized handmade basses are expensive.

[edwardofhuncote]

I think they don't realize there's a difference between Series pickups and these, which I assume are AXY's. So they oughta' fix that part. It's a beautiful bass, and definitely unusual. That isn't the cone headstock often seen on Exploiters. Flame Koa top - get on. Distillate 'tronics... ain't but one thing better. Restored at the Mothership... who better? It's as good as new. I'm not interested, (even a little) but if I was, I'd make a respectable offer. 

[rv_bass]

Beautiful bass

[BeenDown139]

well 2 offers so far, be interesting to see how this plays out, so to speak.

if i was jonesing for smokin' 4-stringer I'd run something up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes it. as it is i've got my hands full with the instruments i already own . 😎

[DaveD]

From the photo in the case it appears to sit the same as my "plain 'ole" Exploiter so I'd bet that's a 32". If it wasn't tax time I'd make a reasonable offer but my guess is he's not in a reasonable mindset...yet.

[mica]

I'm just seeing this as the description, maybe you guys are seeing something else:

"1983 Alembic exploiter refurbished

34” scale
Alembic series pickups w/ toggle switches
Maple neck with purpleheart strips
Ebony fingerboard
Mahogany core
Koa sides

Just amazing. Completely clean and with its original case + custom wood nobs the previous owner who had this refurbished, had made.
Only shipping to the U.S "


I mean the description is scant, and would be best served by calling it a Distillate Exploiter, but many people think that Exploiter is a model name. I don't see any reference to pickups, Spyders, or almost anything at all. Maybe you can help me see where all the extra details are, Greg.

That's an early Spoiler bass/Electrum guitar peghead shape, known around here as "the bishop"

And it's most certainly a Koa top with a Mahogany body.

[gearhed289]

That's an early Spoiler bass/Electrum guitar peghead shape, known around here as "the bishop"

Thanks for clarifying. I've always liked that headstock on the few Distillate Exploiters I've seen over the years.

[UglyBuzzard]

Well, it is back for sale again... Wonder what happened.

https://reverb.com/item/40413556-alembic-exploiter-1983-gloss

[BeenDown139]

got the email.  relisted at the same price.  rinse, lather, repeat.  or - to paraphrase something from the profession that i practiced in my previous life:

     put pretty bass up for sale;
     ask outrageous price for it;
     do {
       reject all reasonable offers;
       take down listing to make everyone guess wtf;
       relist again at outrageous price;
       } while(1);

or sometink like that :-)


yay!

[hammer]

One can complain all one wants about overpricing but as long as sites accept the listing of any gear at any price, we will continue to see this occur. It would seem that if people really want to sell their gear a site that provides quidance with respect to the current value of what people want to sell would be sought after and have a lot of traffic.

On the other hand, there is a time and research honored construct in behavioral psychology (my field) that states that variable schedules of reinforcement are the most powerful way to maintain behavior. All it takes is for a person listing gear to find one individual willing to pay an extremely high price and they will continue to list at said prices even if their gear goes for a long periods of time without being sold. One doesn't even have to directly experience the reinforcement for this powerful aspect of learning theory to kick in. Merely observing others being reinforced for the behavior (vicarious reinforcement) will maintain that behavior among others.

From a buyers standpoint, the whole process tests our capacity to use our executive functions to delay reinforcement and not make that impulsive purchase that is overpriced in spite of suffering from G.A.S. As the majority of us who frequent this board identify as males whose executive functions develop later and are often not developed as our female counterparts (I just have to have that bass...even though I already have three, or four, or more) over the long haul there is going to be plenty of reinforcement for sellers that pushes for them to maintain their behavior. (It therefore shouldn't come as a surprise that Susan and Mica are the business brains behind Alembic).

Think of it this way...It could be worse. The NY Times and Wall Street Journal just published articles about the real estate market with people paying thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars above listed (and actual value) prices for homes as a result of bidding wars.

[BeenDown139]

got a big batch of plastic going through the engraver so i got a few minutes to bloviate kill.  don't tell my boss..

...All it takes is for a person listing gear to find one individual willing to pay an extremely high price...

well as P.T. Barnum purportedly said "There's a sucker born every minute".  or conversely if ya want it in the worst way then that's how yer gonna get it.  no doubt it's awesome bass but you'd have to be outta your freaking mind to pay that kind of money for it (imho, ymmv, etc. & so forth).  but from the seller's standpoint, all ya gotta do is find that magic sucker buyer and it's payday, baby!  provided, of course that you're not in a hurry for your money.  case in point:

https://www.station-musicshop.de/epages/64398533.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/64398533/Products/10514

negotiated with them over a year ago on this instrument, they won't budge an inch in price, so i moved on, apparently the bass hasn't.  good luck with that, fellas.

...behavioral psychology (my field)...

no offense, but OMG!

over the long haul there is going to be plenty of reinforcement for sellers that pushes for them to maintain their behavior

This is a dead horse that i resurrect to beat again and again from time to time.  it used to be if you wanted a good idea of what the actual market value of an instrument was, you'd put it on ebay with a low opening bid, run the auction, and the final selling price was your answer.  now the model seems to be, put it up for sale, ask a crazy price and see who bites.  the final selling price is never revealed so you (the buyer) never know what it really sold for.  if you're a seller, i guess it's the bomb.  but i have dozens of basses in my reverb watchlist that have been there for over a year.  so my question is, are ya really interested in selling it or is it some kinda narcissism thing where ya like seeing your listing up there for months and months for everyone to admire hoping for that special sucker buyer to come along?

...real estate market with people paying thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars above listed...

i live in east denver (by colfax and monaco for those of you familar with the area), over on the next block, they tore down a 2-bedroom, 900 square foot tarpaper shack, built 3 2000-square foot condos side-by-side on the lot.   the one the middle is basically a tunnel with windows on the ends, they're so narrow that they're 3 stories high.  $775k.  each.  and this isn't really that great a part of town.  get closer to downtown and it would be $2.2M.  crazy, daddy-o!

plastic's done, boss is on the prowl, gotta go...