1982 Fretless Graphite 8-String Series II on eBay

[dfung60]

I'm surprised that nobody's posted this one yet.  Truly a rare bird that has my name (or dela217's) written all over it.  
 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3745733036&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT
 
I don't think the asking price ($7000) is achievable, but it makes me think about it a lot harder than I ought to.  Graphite Alembics from the 80s are rare already, 8-strings are close to non-existant, so you can guess how often you'll find a fretless 8-string!  
 
I sent the link to my buddy, Geoff Gould who founded and ran Modulus Graphite, which fabricated the necks for the graphite Alembics.  Here was his response:
 
  Since we (Modulus) made the necks,
   I can tell you there were damn few
   8-strings made!
 
Condition looks pretty darn fabulous, although you do need to be careful with the (virtually unrepairable) graphite neck.  The figure in the walnut is great.
 
This is the same headstock, tuner, and tailpiece layout as the bass sold last year in the John Entwistle auction, originally built for Greg Lake.  This shows as a long-scale in it's birth certificate.  I'm fairly sure that the more ornate Greg Lake graphite 8-string was a medium scale, but that's not in the Sotheby's auction book or in Entwistle's Bass Culture book.  I've got a wood-necked 1982 Series I 8-string (with fancier Series II woodwork).  I've got the same bridge, but an 8-string tailpiece that looks more like the regular bird instead of this rectangular one.
 
Damn the drool, full speed ahead!
 
David Fung

[poor_nigel]

http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/12366.html?1094384672
 
Hi David.  This is actually the third thread on this bass.  You can see pictures posted of the bass at the URL listed above.

[blazer]

Dang that's a nice looking bass.
 
what makes me wonder though how playing that thing goes, fretless is tough but an eight string fretless would be even more difficult to get a good clear note out, I have seen footage of the police live and Sting Used a Hamer fretless eight string and he sounded so off key. >_

[son_of_magni]

I built a 10-string fretless.  I would say that playing the double strings on a fretless adds no more difficulty than it would on a fretted bass.  But it does slow you down, and can confuse your fingers sometimes.  The flange effect is really cool but I could never make it my main bass, it's sound doesn't really fit into a composition that isn't designed for it.
 
But playing chords on a fretless with octave strings and add vibrato, wow, what a sound!

[kungfusheriff]

$5901???
Nigel, you're a lunatic!

[poor_nigel]

The owner will not lower the reserve, so this bass stays where it is.  I doubt the seller will re-list it, as he knows no one will pop a $7,000 reserve on this bass.  What a shame (That he won't lower the reserve).  It will probably sit in a closet for a decade or two before it surfaces again.
Note:  I was hoping a member would get it so we could all hear how it played.  Well, there is always another, or is there?
BTW:  My top serious bid was only $5,000, so I probably just need some counselling sessions and a group hug . . .