SN 01C12524

[nobassgal]

Hi,

I am trying to get more information on this bass guitar. My late brother bought it ca. 2011 in Germany (I thought it was new at the time, but am not sure considering that it was made in 2001).

I am tasked with selling this bass by his estate, and would like to know what would be a fair price for it (in Germany).

[garyhead]

You’re off to a great start by supplying a photo and serial number.  The “human encyclopedia of Alembic” will soon appear from Virginia and reveal anything he knows about your brothers bass.  Sorry for your loss but you will probably get a good estimate here from longtime members.  Just don’t succumb to low-ball offers and you should get a fair price.
Good luck.

[nobassgal]

Thank you for your kind words! I appreciate it.

And I will try not to fall for low-ball offers

[garyhead]

I’m sure someone more knowledgeable will chime in but isn’t that Spalted Maple?

[longhorncat]

Hi nobassgal,

M5Yates from Reddit here.  Happy to see you take my advice and post here. You are in good hands.

Yes, that does look like Spalted Maple with nickle plated hardware.

Bill

[nobassgal]

Hi Bill!

Good to see you, and thank you for all your advice so far.

Anne.

[pauldo]

Gary speaks the truth.  (and made me laugh).   Gregory knows ALOT. 
Bill reflects the integrity of this Club,  good people helping others.



Condolences on the loss of your brother.

That is a beautiful instrument.  Posting a picture of the back and the inside of the electronics cavity will provide more details. 

[edwardofhuncote]

Very sorry for the loss of your late brother, Anne... I hope you can find a great home for this very special bass that would honor his memory.

These guys give me credit something I can't help... this odd thing of hearing a serial number and associating it with an instrument. I sometimes remember specific ones as individuals. This often happens with certain dates too. The gift is as much a curse, as some things I would like to forget. It's a little bit like how Radar O'Reilly heard the choppers a few seconds before everyone else did.

Unfortunately I have never seen this one or I would surely remember it. I agree; that top looks like spalted wood, probably maple. The electronics configuration and pickups suggest to me this Custom was ordered with Epic/Orion electronics, possibly beginning with one of those models as a starting point or base model. That's often how a custom order begins... my Custom began as an Essence model, but has little in common with one. If we could see a picture of the backside, we could get an idea of whether it has a back laminate that matches the top, also if the bass was made as a neck-through construction or a set-neck. These are both details that will somewhat affect the value. In the end, the build card will tell all. Here, we just make educated guesses.

[garyhead]

Anne
Yup.  We ask for photos.  A shot of the back reveals neck construction as Greg mentioned And the wood laminates in the neck can also affect the overall tone.  The other photo.....a picture of the electronics cavity.....helps to determine if any tampering has been done since new.  We have been surprised over the years by what has gone on inside a bass with soldering-iron demons.  The case is, however, original and in pretty good shape.  Less important for a bass of this vintage are any nicks or dings on the bass.  Most are only cosmetic but some buyers are pretty picky regarding scratches, etc.  These basses come with a "Build Card" or sometimes called a "Wood Card".  It is from the factory and details any information concerning the bass.  Around this vintage, the card would probably be blue.  They came inside the case.  If not there, check your brothers files to see if he kept it.  That card also reveals "who" built that bass.
Mica, at Alembic, is the keeper of the files for their products.  She can do a search but it takes time as she's pretty busy.  If you hear from her....consider it gospel.  Members of this group are world-wide.  There may be someone nearby that would be interested in this bass. 

[nobassgal]

Hi all,

You are all wonderful! Thank you all for your advice.

I will provide more photos as soon as I can. It's a bit complicated as I am in Seattle and the bass is in Dresden at my (very elderly) parents' place. A photo of the electronics cavity I think I can only provide end of June, when I travel there next. I also will check on the blue card then (I just sorted through all my brother's files in Rio where he lived...and there was no such card).

Anne.

[chrisalembic]

Hi Anne,
my condolences for the loss of your brother.
Regarding the bass: I actually remember this particular bass being sold by Station Music in the south of Germany about 20 years ago. Station Music had many Alembics in stock in the 2000s and also some more unusual custom orders like this one. I checked the internet archive/waybackmachine and the bass specs include the neck through construction (which you can also tell in the picture by the tips of the omega cutout), spalted maple top and back, chrome hardware, 34 inch scale with the wide balance shape body (it was the predecessor of the balance K body shape) and Epic electronics (vol, pan, bass, treble). Some nice features just surprisingy the simplest circuit without a filter which is Alembics trademark.
That said if the bass is in good condition and functioning well I could be intested and I also live in Germany. Just PM me when you decide to sell it.
Chris 

[garyhead]

And there you have it!  Someone remembers your bass.  You can guess-ta-mate the cost of a replacement at Alembic.com but their website is currently out of service. (check back in a few days)  Closest construction would be a 5-string Essence with Epic electronics.  There would be an upcharge probably for that spalted maple front & back.  I recall Mica mentioning spalted wood requires a bit more diligence.  It is a form of rot and care must be taken to make sure it is controlled / neutralized before installing it in an instrument.  I have a spalted maple bass and it is stunning!  Don't forget to add the cost of the case ($550.00 now)  That is for new.....your bass is 24 years old and we do not know the finish condition.  You have an unusual logistics issue here.... (I'm in Lakewood, WA 50 miles south of Seattle)  Bass in Germany, you in Seattle.  Shipping can be accomplished around the world but a sale near your parents home would be easier.  If you visit in June and bring the bass back with you to the USA, you may have more potential buyers than Europe BUT this may be more of a hassle than you want to deal with.**  You are settling an estate and not in the musical instrument business.  Good luck with this fine instrument and I hope it finds a good home to be played in.  This was an interesting thread and a bit of detective work.  There are others on this site who take up the challenge of troubleshooting problems as well as us searcher-geeks.

** Chad Beeler owns The Bass Shop in West Seattle. https://www.thebassshopseattle.com/pages/about-us He is very familiar with the Alembic brand and could even sell on consignment for you if you don't want the hassle of collecting the funds / shipping the bass.

[nobassgal]

Chris,

That's correct! My brother bought it at Station Music in ca. 2011 (I contacted the store some weeks ago, but they haven't responded yet). I am astonished that you remember a bass guitar from that long ago!

A friend of my brother in Germany would like to buy the bass. If it was up to me, I would just give it to him. However, the proceeds of the sale go to the widow of my brother in Brazil who is not well off at all. So I am trying to figure out what a fair price would be.
If my brother's friend changes his mind, I'll PM you.

Thanks, Gary, fellow Washingtonian, for all your tips (guess-ta-mate, the case, Chad Beeler etc). I attached a photo of the bass hanging  in the Station Music - with the blue card!

[chrisalembic]

Having sold and bought several Alembics over the years here in Germany/Europe I can give you my personal estimate. Others are welcome to chime in of course and please correct me if you see things differently.

The “lower” priced Alembic models (Essence, Epic, Orion, Spoiler etc.) tend to go for around 2200-3000 these days. Depending on condition of course. The midrange Alembics like Europa and Rogue tend to go for around 2800-4200 depending on condition, birth year and specs (LEDs or not, fancy top etc.). I am referring to sales made by private persons and not stores selling on consignment.

Id say your bass sits kind of in between. It has some very nice features like the spalted maple top and back and purpleheart/maple neck laminates. However the circuit is the Epic/Orion one with Vol, Pan, Treble, Bass. Most Alembic fans will probably prefer a filter-based unit and regard the preamp as the most defining factor when it comes to the sound/flexibility of the bass.
So id say if your bass is in top condition and everything works as should (electronics, truss rods, good frets) vaguely 3000-4000 Euros is something you could aim for. The price that it listed at the Station Music site back then was 5990 Euros (I included a screenshot from the original ad that I found via waybackmachine). 

Now of course if you were to order a bass like that today it would be even a lot more expensive. However Alembics always take quite a hefty dive once they are “used”.
On reverb.com you will see used Alembics for very high prices. They tend to sit there for years though and might not sell at all. Also reverb takes quite high fees from the seller.

Ultimately a bass is always worth what someone is willing to pay for it. And it also depends on the patience of the seller. From my own experience recently it seems to have become harder to sell high end basses/Alembics over here. Maybe its still easier in the US.

Anyway hope this helps and may enough money come around to help the widow. 

[garyhead]

After converting Chris’ estimate  to US dollars, I totally concur with his post!  And yes, those prices in online shops can be totally unrealistic!  Reverb has a 7 year old Alembic that has been listed for the last 6 Years!  That seller isn’t serious about selling.  Alembic buyers are relatively rare compared to all the other manufacturers so it could take time to sell.  That 4000 Euro could be had for this 5-string. You could always go lower depending how long you want to wait. After looking at that Station Music blurb, there are some other niceties in there like an inlaid logo and abalone inlays instead of plastic.  I went to the Station Music website and they stated they don’t usually resell used gear but they can make an exception….my guess is this Alembic may be an exception. As Chris pointed out, a private sale can yield you more money…..Reverb takes a 10% cut and some shops charge as much as 25%!  You might be hearing from others in a few days like Chris. A lot of us folks here buy from fellow members. I’ve purchased 3 items this past year from fellow members…..all excellent transactions and I hope to continue in the future.