I really don't remember exactly how old I was but it was somwhere in the area of my late teens. I do remember the circumstances though.
I was working for a music store at the time and was at the NAMM show in Anaheim CA. I was the only bass guy in the store so the owner wanted me to go around checking out high end basses. There was one particular company (who will remain nameless) who refused to talk with me or even aknowledge my presence, basically treated me like a jerk, and I owned a couple of their basses!!!
Well that night, my boss told me to swing by Alembic, I thought can we afford to do Alembic. He told me that they were making some more affordable models now like the Spoilers and the Persuaders that might go well in the store.
I couldn't believe how nice Mica and Susan were to me. When I asked about having a bass built for me, I'll never forget Mica's words we'll build you anything you want. Of all the builders out there, Alembic could have had the attitude of the afformentioned company because they do build the finest and most beautiful instruments, but they didn't!!! They treated me (a teenager at the time) with the same respect as someone who would order a 10k bass. I miss seeing them at the NAMM shows, I wonder if it's because I wouldn't leave Mica alone that they stopped displaying (just kidding Mica, I do realize just how expensive it is to display at these shows)
When I got back home, I ordered my first Spoiler with a flame maple top. It came and I played it on many gigs, up until I sold it for the money to buy my 5 string Elan which has been my main bass now for 11 years!!!
