Author Topic: Orion on E-bay (Read 158 times)

jazzyvee · « **on:** September 03, 2004, 12:36:45 AM »

This bass has been up for sale regularly for a while.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4713&item=3744906159&rd=1

Somehow it never reaches the reserve price.
For an interested buyer from outside the US I would have thought the starting price was really good value. Especially since the owner bought it new and quite recently.

Is that price generally expensive for a used Orion?

Compared to the cost of purchasing a new one in the UK this would seem a bargain even if you had to fly over to collect. The thought which crossed my mind but I will wait till my funds are healthier.

I know it is one of the less expensive range of Alembics. If anyone has one of these and a signature bass could you tell me if you feel your orion has anything missing when you play it.

ie is it still a wonderfully sounding bass but just with a different sound to the SC ?
Just curious as it seems an affordable way into a 5 string whilst staying in the Alembic camp.

JazzyVee

palembic · « **Reply #1 on:** September 03, 2004, 01:20:50 AM »

Well JAzzy.

To get the bass over here you have to add (I'll say this in ? ok??)

- about 300 ? transport (insurance included)
- 7% import tax on value
- 21% VAT on value.

What makes this bass for me about a 2300 ? IFF the prices stays 1700 what will NOT be the case because the reserve is not met yet.

When Brother Jan-Willem and I met he brought his 4 string Orion and that sound is ABSOLUTELY great!!!!! He had an Epic too but I definitely prefer the Orion.
If I would choose electronics to go on a NON series it would be: Vol, Pan (or two volumes), Filter, Basspot (cut/boost), Treblepot(cut/boost) and Q-switch.

Paul TBO

jazzyvee · « **Reply #2 on:** September 03, 2004, 05:02:38 AM »

Thanks for the advice Palembic, that does sound expensive. However if I got a cheap flight to the states and brought it back with me, i'd probably be able to walk through with it and avoid import tax and vat. I would imagine i could get a flight from London to California, where i think the guy is, for about $600 US and have a long weekend with some friends there.... But not just at the moment lol.

However I'm hoping one from the UK appears on there at an affordable price as the new ones are very expensive here in fact more than I paid for my new SC Deluxe 2 yrs ago, but then i got a really good deal on it.

JazzyVee

kmh364 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 03, 2004, 05:54:36 AM »

Paul TBO: I didn't know you were an East Meets West electronics fan? What you stated as your ideal non-Series electronics package is exactly that. It is very versatile, but at a $650 premium over the std. Orion electronics package, it's not cheap.

BTW, Mica still has the gorgeous first-iteration Custom Orion that they made for me (but with the wrong activators and body wood) in their Santa Rosa store up for grabs. It's not cheap, but it is sweet and it has the infamous EMW electronics package. You can probably get it for a nice price if you go with a US Dealer that wheels and deals on the price. With the strong position of the Euro (as compared to the $USD), you should do quite well, despite shipping, duty and VAT. Just my two cents.

palembic · « **Reply #4 on:** September 04, 2004, 09:11:06 AM »

Hi Kevin,

well ...I was wrong in fact.
My ideal NON-series electronics would be:
Six-string bass, 1 fatboy pickup on the spot you could describe as the Music-man spot. The controls would be: volume, filter, basspot (cut/boost), treblepot (cut/boost), CVQ.
Design: volume and filter would have Collet-type knobs, bass, treble and CVQ have the pointer knobs.
Don't start dreaming with me, the Alembicians are formal on this: NO WAY!
So not really the EMW, because I truely believe I'll need only one PU, sensitive fingers and good electronics to get what I want

Paul the bad one

David Houck · « **Reply #5 on:** September 04, 2004, 01:20:28 PM »

Paul; you can't get a CVQ on anything less than Series electronics. You'll have to replace that CVQ with a three position Q switch.

rogertvr · « **Reply #6 on:** September 04, 2004, 01:45:04 PM »

Jazzy, you could always buy one from a European dealer like I did (Edwin, at the Bass Connection in Hilversum) and get a FAR better deal than the British dealer of the time was offering me on the Dragon's Wing. Oh yes - and Edwin appreciates your custom too, unlike just about every British music shop I've ever been in where they treat you like something that has come in on the bottom of their shoe and used to belong to a dog...

If you want to know more about Bass Connection, drop me a line off the Club and I'll gladly help.

Cheers,

Rog

palembic · « **Reply #7 on:** September 04, 2004, 02:26:11 PM »

defaultValue

mr\?\?ling friend!
Good to hear you back!
Well ...I DO have one (1) remark.
The story goes that it IS possible to install a CVQ on non Series electronics. I read somewhere that Ron did it once ...just 1 time. It seems that it was SOOOOOOO hard to do that he simply said to Mica and Susan ...just this time but NEVER again.
***sigh***.

Paul TBO

Well ...seen the situation I will not be able to realise this in this lifetime. But ...well ...maybe in my next life ...if I am behaving well I will not come back as Ronny the Goldfish so ... just maybe ...huh???

There are always nylon stockings and banks of course!

David Houck · « **Reply #8 on:** September 04, 2004, 03:51:09 PM »

Paul; I believe you are right, I also recall Mica relating that story. There may be an exception; I think I heard somewhere about a little known rule that if a club member reaches 5,000 posts, they get to request a CVQ with non-series electronics. The only caveat is that the bench work can only be done once Ron is completely caught up, no other basses are waiting in line, and he's just had a four week vacation. And then there's the little matter of the price. Apparently, bench rates are automatically tripled. So dream on; you never know what might happen!