Keep in mind that when you use the quote generator on the website you are generating a retail price, e.g., what the bass would cost if you purchased directly from the factory. If you go through a dealer, there are discounts applied that will lower the cost quite a bit.
As far as holding value, Alembic is not as well known a brand as a Fender. Fender was the original electric bass, has been around for over fifty years, so it's not surprising that these are more collectible/desirable in the eyes of many. They're just better known, not necessarily aesthetically or otherwise better.
What I've noted about used Alembics is yeah, they take a hit in value, but rarely will you see one fall below a certain price point, e.g., I've yet to see an Epic go for less than $900 used, or an Essence 4 less than $1100. What Alembics do is hold their value at a certain price point, which is why a lot of folks buy them used. They allow the original owner to absorb the depreciation, then they buy the instrument used (and most tend to be in mint to near mint condition from what I've seen) at what in many cases is half or less of the original cost.
I've said it before and I'll say it again - no bass is worth more than you're willing to pay regardless of make. If that vintage Fender is worth $10K to you, than it's worth it. To me, an Alembic is worth every penny, regardless of cost.
I have vintage Fenders, Gibsons, Musicmans, etc. I love them all for different reasons, but I can say from experience that they're just not in the same league as an Alembic from a quality and versatility standpoint. Are they worth as much as the Alembic money wise? Well, certainly, I could probably sell my '73 Jazz for at least $2K, maybe more (it has the black blocks, etc.). Same goes for my '79 Stingray,
70's Rick 4001s, etc. But none of them comes close from a craftsmanship and quality point of view.
That's the value of Alembic - world class quality, workmanship, attention to detail, and customer service after the sale (and I've been more than pleased with their after the sale support - they replaced a jack and circuit board on my Europa at no cost when there was a problem, and also took care of a finish problem that didn't appear until the bass had some time to age a bit after I bought it). Fenders, even the ones that come out of the Custom Shop don't even come close. I'm sure they're fine instruments, but IMHO they're not in the same league. At the risk of sounding philosophical, when you buy an Alembic, you're buying more than an instrument. You're buying the extension of the idea and belief what an electric guitar or bass should be, look like, sound like, feel like. That idea embraces quality above quantity; handmade vs. machine made; custom vs. mass produced; small family owned company vs. mega manufacturer; small quantities produced vs. large quantities produced. All of this conspires to drive prices up. Alembic has to do this to maintain the extremely high standard they've set for themselves. They cannot survive by offering bargain basement prices for world class instruments. What this means is that the cost is passed on to the consumer, but that same consumer receives a world class, second-to-none, superlative quality instrument. To me, the price justifies the end result.
My two cents,
Alan
