Yamaha built by Alembic?

[FC Bass]

Lowend is selling a Yamaha bass and claim it has been built by Alembic??: https://reverb.com/item/91298802-yamaha-alembic-4-string-bb1000

This is from their facebook post:

[lbpesq]

Those aren’t even Alembic ovals on the frets.

Bill, tgo

[FC Bass]

Indeed... He has plenty experience with Alembics, sold many and has a couple in the store now. (incl the SII Spoiler I had to sell) Yet he writes "Note the Alembic Inlays in the Ebony fingerboard!"

There are more pictures on the LowEnd Facebookpage, nothing resembling Alembic on those either: Bolt on, dark grey shielding paint (no Silver paint) Made in Japan on the neckplate...

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BunbniPex/

[FC Bass]

Maybe made by the same person/company that made the Japanese Alembics?

[adriaan]

From the Alembic History - Long Version, under 1979, "Yamaha was our distributor for the Pacific Rim countries. They wanted to promote us in a very big way and so we signed a $990,000.00 contract with them, all based on the purchase of the Distillate bass and guitar. They were pretty fond of the F2B preamp as well and ordered hundreds of them.”

That's about the length and breadth of it.

[gearhed289]

Never trust an AI Overview!

[tkotmk42]

I saw this, and did a little digging in Japanese web, and came up nothing. 

But then again, Tune used to sell a line of bass that was advertised as "woodworking done at Alembic" (Tune TNX).

The truth can only come out from the people at Alembic.....

[FC Bass]

I think with Tune they only gave advise and maybe supplied some wood.

With the Yamaha A.I. overview the numbers don't add up, Alembic made a little over 2400 instruments since between 1971 and 1982. I don't think it's possible they made 2350 Yamaha's between 1979 and 1982... :-)

[hammer]

But it has a brass block under the bridge. Doesn't that alone make it an Alembic 

[mica]

I talked to Brian today. He's all squared away on the matter. He said this was listed in his shop a few other times (originally before the addition of the bridge pickup), and has always listed it this way as it was the story he heard about these basses long ago. There's a lot of misinformation about Alembic out there, even recently published books that the authors spoke to us directly get huge chunks wrong.

Brian's a good guy - Google's AI overview is full of it!

[mica]

We didn't advise Yamaha on their instruments - you're thinking of the Pan company where advised. One of the very few builders we provided wood or wooden parts to was Doug Irwin. We did make the some basses for Tune, and I'm 99 and 44/100% sure they are the only people we have done OEM builds for.

[FC Bass]

Thanx for the clarification. Now Tune basses are way up higher on my gas list :-)

[DistillaMatto]

Thanx for the clarification. Now Tune basses are way up higher on my gas list :-)

Off topic but here's a tempting Tune in Japan for under 2000.
https://www.digimart.net/cat03/shop5155/DS09862389/

I am not affiliated with this.

[DistillaMatto]

And I think this is the Alembic built by Yamaha:
https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n1182625040

I am not affiliated with this.

[sonicus]

I have an ARIA bass with Alembic pickups and electronics. The fellow whom I purchased it from thought that it had been one of Rudy Sarzo's types from ARIA.

This is from an early Alembic Club verification of such ;
 http://www.alembic.com/club/messages/393/156138.html?1368639510