Hi All! Here is a story that you may appreciate.
I purchased a Brown Bass in 2001. I struggled with the sound of this bass for some time, even put custom electronics in it and wasn?t crazy about that either. I finally decided that I would poke around and see if there was something for trade out there that I might like. In 2007 I stumbled upon this thread,
http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/97354.html?1300721317 and got in touch with the owner, James Belanger. We quickly became good phone pals and talked about the trade for a few weeks before we decided to make it happen. James had Marfan Syndrome. (Marfan syndrome, also called Marfan's syndrome, is a genetic disorder of the connective tissue. People with Marfan's tend to be unusually tall, with long limbs and long, thin fingers. Abraham Lincoln had Marfan?s Syndrome). Through complications, which led to operations, James ended up in a wheelchair due to paralysis from an operation. As he said in his post about his Orion, ?I just wish it were a short scale, which would make it perfect for me.? When I read that post I thought, wow, nice looking bass, perhaps he?d be willing to trade. As it turned out, James was willing to make a trade. He had a fellow Alembican write an email to me, vouching for his good reputation regarding buying/selling/trading etc. I directed him to a thread about my former Essence in which fellow Alembican Oggy Doggy stated that I am a good person with whom to deal. With that, the trade was made?.and I knew, the moment the UPS truck left, that I would regret giving up Brown Bass.
Because my playing style and tone had changed so much over the years, I?ve been looking around for a reasonable deal on a Brown Bass but could not find one. This past March I was on the For Sale/Trade page and to my amazement, my Brown Bass was listed there on this thread:
http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/97354.html?1300721317 I immediately contacted the owner, explaining that I was the original owner and would like to purchase the Brown Bass.
Sadly, James died about two years ago. After much deliberation, his sister Jane, to whom three Alembics were left, decided to keep the other two basses in the family and sell the Brown Bass back to me. She and her husband Mark, who are from Connecticut, decided they would meet me half way (I?m in the DC area) so we met in Mt. Holly, New Jersey. We spent a good 45 minutes together at the Mug Shot Diner. Over a few cups of coffee, Jane showed me photos of James, told me stories about him and was delighted to learn that I still have James? Orion. We talked about the Alembic Club site and how helpful the members are in offering advice, history of the instruments etc. We talked about how special Alembic instruments are and how the Club members are very fraternal. I am convinced that the spirit of Alembic led her to the decision to send the Brown Bass ?home?. We were both pretty emotional during the visit and probably could have spent the entire day together but it was time to go home. So with an embrace we left the diner but will always keep our memories.
Attached is a photo of Jane, me and the Brown Bass.
Stoney
