Author Topic: How many basses and guitars have Alembic made (Read 197 times)

terryc · « **on:** April 25, 2007, 06:20:37 AM »

Okay maybe the mothership can answer this one??
A curiosity question..how many instruments have Alembic made?
I guess it is as not as many as fender or gibson but is it 100K or more or less

keith_h · « **Reply #1 on:** April 25, 2007, 06:49:04 AM »

I think it is more in the range of 14K-15K. My 2005 is number 13574.

Keith

crgaston · « **Reply #2 on:** April 25, 2007, 06:53:01 AM »

Terry, fewer than 15,000 at this point, judging from serial numbers. They are still in the process of building 14148 for me.

terryc · « **Reply #3 on:** April 25, 2007, 07:23:45 AM »

I was under the impression that that number pertains to that model, my MK has 9389(I think) so there were that number of that model made.
Can Mica shed light on this??

jacko · « **Reply #4 on:** April 25, 2007, 07:39:02 AM »

terry. From what I can gather, all Alembics fall into a single numbering system, each model only being distinguished by the model name in the serial number.

Graeme

olieoliver · « **Reply #5 on:** April 25, 2007, 07:43:57 AM »

I think the numbers run in sequence for all models, other wise that would mean that Alembic made over 200 Mark King Models alone in one year, (according to the serial numbers on my 98 and 99 MK?s). This would have them making somewhere in the area of 1000 instruments a year.

I may be wrong but I just don?t see that being the case. (That?s a lot)

lbpesq · « **Reply #6 on:** April 25, 2007, 07:47:00 AM »

Terry:

Alembic are numbered sequentially, regardless of model. I believe the only exceptions may have been an Anniversary series or two. Here's the explanation of serial numbers from the Reference Pages on this site:

Serial Number Guide

The first two dgits of the serial number are the year the instrument was completed. The code letter tells you the model. The next group of numbers must be from two to five digits and is the number of the instrument. Thus 94H8692 is an Elan bass completed in 1994 and is the 8692nd instrument was made. We started with number 1 in 1972 and when an instrument is finished, it received the next number, regardless of model. Any A or B after number is on the rare occassion that we duplicate a number. Hey, even we make mistakes.

So Alembic has made less than 15,000 total instruments since it's inception. There ain't many out there - we should feel lucky to have 'em.

Bill, tgo

olieoliver · « **Reply #7 on:** April 25, 2007, 08:06:03 AM »

Bill comes thru again.

You the man, (even if you are rooting for the wrong team).

keavin · « **Reply #8 on:** April 25, 2007, 08:48:09 AM »

Does that count the ones they totally modified like the Godfather etc...I know it started life as a guild starfire,& with all those Mods it's been totally born again.

jacko · « **Reply #9 on:** April 26, 2007, 01:21:06 AM »

Wouldn't have thought so Keavin. Jack cassady got No1 and they did the guilds (and a few others) before that was built.

Graeme

terryc · « **Reply #10 on:** April 26, 2007, 03:10:44 AM »

Thanks for clarification, I guess I got the explanation wrong on the serial number instruction, well we are lucky to own such exclusive basses and guitars, less than 15K! as compared to the thousands of fenders & gibsons.
Guess we Alembic owners are therefore members of a very elite club. That is a really good feel good factor!!!

lbpesq · « **Reply #11 on:** April 26, 2007, 05:02:35 AM »

Hundreds of thousands of Fenders and Gibsons, I would imagine.

Bill, tgo

terryc · « **Reply #12 on:** April 26, 2007, 07:29:01 AM »

Ah well anyone can buy a fender

adriaan · « **Reply #13 on:** April 26, 2007, 07:43:18 AM »

Ah well anyone can buy ... an Alembic.

There's no blackballing involved.

terryc · « **Reply #14 on:** April 27, 2007, 03:30:39 AM »

Buying an Alembic...depends how much moolah you have
But I guess we all started somewhere so I take the comment back..apologies to all