#92 6 String F/S

[doug winborne (ole6string)]

The mortgage monsters are attacking, and must sell. See below, where this post is supposed to be, for details. I can only offer here for a few days before doing the e-bay thing. Just would feel a lot better selling it to a true lover. I feel like I'm putting my kid on the market.

[doug winborne (ole6string)]

Hi Mica, another trivia question for ya,for myself pendeng my next mirical, or perhaps a new owner. On guitars, how long were the '1/2 pound' of brass sustain blocks put in under the bridge? Mine also inculded a walnut substitute, perhaps the fore-runner the 'sweet-switsch'? And ,although you don't have exact numbers, what is your best guess as to ratios of guitars vs. basses n the early years? 1:10, 5:10, ? Wondering just how rare my axe is, as I never see'm for sale.
Thanks, doug

[mica]

We've been using sustain blocks since before we ever made instruments at all. So the answer is it's always been available as an option. Most instruments that were made before 1980 have blocks. Some models don't have the sustain block, but you can special order it on any instrument and it can even be retrofitted.
 
Ratio of guitar:bass is close to 1:1 until 1974 (half of the first 10 instruments we made were guitars). I think the reason you don't see many early guitars for sale is that people hold on to them as long as possible.

[doug winborne (ole6string)]

Mica, My observations of the several shops did not visually yield the same 'survey' results. In the shops I saw 1 Strat shape instrument ( remember thinkin, why didn't they tell me that was an option) the J. Winters'Dragon. The rest of the dozen or so instruments hanging around (pun intended)in various states of compleation were all basses.

[mica]

I have to admit while I don't personally remember the first production years at Alembic, I do have the instrument files to refer to, and they reveal the production ratio is about 1:1 until Stanley Clarke's fame brought us to the attention of bass players.

[doug winborne (ole6string)]

Thank you Mica. I don't want to mislead anyone. I stand corrected. Can't argue with the records. This was just my observations. Perhaps they were made in batches, and I just saw the bass batches. Where are all of these great old guitars? If I have to sell, I sure would love to think I can replace it someday! Thanks for the info.
Doug