Looking for a value?

[Slinky Pete]

Hello Club Alembic!

Haven't taken the plunge yet as trying to evaluate potential value of this bass.  Mica has verified its a 1999 custom build, quilted maple top, mahogany core and purple heart laminates, Stinger body with Europa controls and RED side LEDs.  Peghead is Alembic Crown.  Apparently side LEDs not working currently.

Is there anyone out there who could give me an opinion of how much this should change hands for?  Bass and me are based in UK.  My current basses of note are Sadowsky NYC 5, original 63 P, original 74 J, Yamaha TRB6P 1990, MVP 4 1997, Aria Pro SB Elite from 1985,  amongst others.

Thanks in advance!

Pete

[pauldo]

Welcome to the camp Pete!

Have you played that bass or are you looking to purchase?

Price/value is always subjective as well as objective. 

Paul (who found a fancy way to say “I have no idea how much it costs”)

[jazzyvee]

Accurately pricing Alembics over here in the UK is a challenge for a number of reasons. The relative rarity of these instruments especially custom instruments coming up for sale, and the limited range of alembic models on the used market for sale here. There are so few on Reverb or Ebay to check sold prices, and dealers don't show their sold prices once the instrument has been bought.

From my experience though, Epic basses seem to have come up for sale mostly  and pre Covid you could pick them up for under a grand ( I did myself), to about £1300, then the MK Signature.  Without knowing the serial number i would value this as an Europa bass with a MK signature deluxe body so i think a max of £3700 would be in the right ball park if all the stuff is working properly. It's rare for the LED's to fail so hopefully the issue is a wiring one but you could knock some off for that. But above that price, it depends on how much you want the bass and how deep you want to dig.

Just my thoughts. Let us know how you get on.

[hammer]

Jazzyvee is correct in that the list prices of Alembic basses have gone up astronomically since Covid. That however doesn’t mean they ever sell at those prices. I’ve seen Alembic Europas and Rogues (a similar level bass) offered for sale here in the U.S. during the last year at prices anywhere from $3600, which is what I sold my 6 string Europa to a club member for about a year ago, to $8000. So Jazzyvees estimate of a realistic value is probably close but maybe a tad low for a UK bass. The higher priced Europas I’ve seen were listed for years and in all likelihood never sold or sold at much lower prices. There is a traditional body Europa for sale on Reverb (U.S.) for $4,500 and a Rogue for $5200. The former has been up for sale for a full year and was originally list for $7000. It might sell at the reduced price but it’s a fretless so demand will be less than for a fretted model. The Rogue has also been up for a year and the asking price reduced by a scant $299. I expect it to sit at that price foe quite a while. So as Jazzyvee indicated it depends on how much that specific bass is worth to you and how badly the owner really wants to sell it.