(x) anniversary sn 03SN13045 history request

[BeenDown139]

i recently acquired this instrument and would like to see its build sheet please

[mica]

This instrument is a little unusual. It's an "adopted shop night" instrument (SN serial number code). Since the bass wound up with a logo on it, we needed to keep track of it in some way. Shop night instruments are made here be the people that make Alembic instruments, but they are made on their own time, and may have differences from regular Alembic instruments that aren't recorded as they aren't official builds. Here's what I can tell from the file:

based on: Series II
top: Cocobolo bookmatch to center
back: Cocobolo bookmatch to center
body: Vermilion
neck has center laminate in Ebony (the rest isn't recorded)
side LEDs in blue
pickups have continuous veneers
logo inlaid with rays
body shape: Bird of Prey
no birthday recorded, but serial number is 2003

There's a repair order in April of 2003 where we reset the straplocks into Maple dowels.

That's all I know! - I don't know what your reference to "anniversary" in the title refers to.

[BeenDown139]

well i gotta say, i'm a little flabbergasted.  i could tell the first time i played this bass it was special.  i just didn't know how special.

the seller thought it was an anneversary bass.  i wasn't picky about the model, i was actually looking for a series 5-string fretless when i bought this one - i figured it was as close as i was gonna get before i kicked the bucket. i never looked at the neck laminates closely, i figured they was purpleheart.  they don't look like the ebony stringers in my SII.  they're brown, almost the same color as the top wood.  it's wired for stereo, which was one of the deal-breakers.  i have an essence 5-string fretless that's a very nice bass but its sound pales in comparison to this one.

i'm an old man and my time left on this earth is short.  i've designated the person who gets my instruments when i meet my fate.  i'm gonna print this email thread and put it in the bass case so she can appreciate what a crazy awesome instrument it really is.  thanks mica for digging this up.  you made my day!