How old were you when you got your first Alembic ?

[Charles David Tichenor (alembic76407)]

I was 20 years old, I had a $200.00 Karman Ghia rag top, with a $2000.00 Alembic Series 1 sticking out of the back seat with the top down, like a surfboard, the only way it would fit.  
that was in 1976, and I still own the bass
 
David T
 
 
(Message edited by alembic76407 on March 19, 2003)

[Daan de Bruyne (wheezl)]

I think I was 18 or so.. The discussed EVH series.. 4string. It served me well :-)

[John Stefancik (jet_powers)]

I'm envious. It took me until I was 28 to get my first Alembic. There's no stopping me now....
 
John

[Duncan Muller (muller1007)]

I bought my first Alembic at the age of 22 (1992). It was the Mark King Signature Deluxe I still have today. I don't think I'll ever part with it.
 
Duncan

[Michael Delacerda (dela217)]

I bought my first Alembic at age 17. Or maybe it was 18.  The year was 1978 and I went to my local music store and put a down payment and told them to get me one.  At the time I thought that a medium scale, large body bass was for me.  I plunked down a payment of $500.00, and they ordered me one with a point.  They asked me what kind of wood I wanted and I didn't even know.  So they asked if I wanted a light colored one or a dark one.  I chose dark, and in a few short weeks I got my first Alembic.  It was medium scale with a point just like we ordered.  It came with a purpleheart top and back with a kinda stripey ebony fingerboard.  It also had zebrawood headstock veneers.  I remember that it's serial number was 78/1058.  I played it for a month or so, and realized it was just way too big for me.  I then parted with it to get a small bodied Alembic.  I picked up 78/1158 brand new.  It was also a purpleheart top and back and was just a wonderful instrument.  Today I have no idea where either of those basses are.  When I bought that first series 1 bass the price was $1550.00.  I still have the receipt.

[David Burgess (dnburgess)]

I was 30. Had been playing an Ibanez P-Bass to see whether I liked bass after switching from guitar. I did - so decided to get a proper bass.
 
Took a friend on the 200km trip to the Alembic dealer. She thought that for high end intruments they were pretty cheap - she was a cellist and looking at $100,000 for a respectable instrument. So I bought the Series I which I still own.

[Steven Smolinski (stevens)]

31.
 
I've owned Fenders, a 60s gibson eb3, Spector, Yamaha, and borrowed tons besides.  I had decided to take up fretless.
 
Then one day, while picking up a rental PA, I browsed through the used basses at a little store, and there was a fretless essence 4.  I fell in love.  Dreamt about it that night.  Mumbled about it the next day at work, then went straight there and plunked down the cash.
 
That was six months ago.  Now I'm looking at picking up a fretful essence 4 as a twin to the fretless.  I love the small-bodied basses.
 
I'm officially scared to play a series bass.  Scared for my bank account. :-)

[Wally Malone (wally_malone)]

Bought my 6-string Orion almost 3 years ago. I was 54 then.
 
Wally

[James L. Martin (malthumb)]

I think I was 34 or 35 when I scored a Spoiler.  Then I was on a pace of an Alembic a year until 2000, when I rec'd two Alembics in the same week!!  Those are the two I still have today (and for the foreseeable future)
 
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/568.html?1022984147
 
Peace,
 
James

[Harald Rost (harald_rost)]

I was 43. It was in late 1999 when I bought my 1975 Series 1 with Lacewood top and back from a musician in Austin. I did a long search for a used Series bass in Europe but they are very rare here. So I had to import one.
 
Best regards from Germany
Harald

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

The short answer: I was about 38 I think.
The long answer (of course a long story it wouldn't be me otherwise)
I played bass from my 16th  of age. I owned a Telecaster bass (messed up). I quitted bass-playing between 26 an 35. However: the period I sold my T bass a friend gave me a GUITAR-player. In that magazine I found an ad for a very beautiful bass. It was a very small black-and white from Alembic picturing a Alembic SII with omega cut-out.
I said to myself:  I'll play bass again and it will be on such a bass.
Around 35 the urge came back and I kept the ad in my wallet showing it to music-stores.
I got reactions like:
never seen it. You don't like this Fender?
 wow.. too expensive .. want to try this Yamaha?
 huh ...where are my glasses... you like this Hayman (yes ... i played a Hayman bass!!!!)?
 not imported but pick up this Music-man
 
***sigh***
 
In that period I discovered (late ... I know) Mark King and his playing. I was starting to play again on a Roland Synth bass.
(Yeeeeeeeeeeeks)
I discovered Alembic with Edwin ( See thread  EVH ...Eee-vee-huh?)
I bought a Spoiler wich I owned for 3 weeks.
I went back and changed to the MK Deluxe in absolutely fabulous Cocobolo.
In 1996 I got Bonnie my trusted SII 5 string in a period I could afford it.
Alas ... the taxman came and I had to part from the MK (you see Other Brother Paul - I knew where you were up to).
I found a picture of yours truly (yes ...that's me 7 years ago) with his first (well...) Alembic. It's a B&W picture.
The MK Signature was modified by EVH over here in EU by:
- adding a Mastervolume, installing 2 volume knobs and a PU-selector.
- adding a Standby-switch with led.
It's a real Paul-wise long story about well ... being Alembicious I guess?
 
Paul

[Jonathan Johnstone (stoney)]

I was 36 (1990) . Paul Shine at Washington Music Center offered me a great deal on an Elan. Unfortunately that bass and I didn't get along very well. I loved the tone and the feel but, because I rest my thumb on the neck p/u, the screw extention on the P p/u tore up my thumb quite miserably.  1991 I sold my '61 Fender Jazz.  Only 30 minutes later, I went to WMC again only to discover someone had traded in a Small Body Standard Series I. I bought it for, get this, $800.00 !!!  The rest, as they say is history

[Paul Schmitz (pas)]

I was 21 - 1985.  I had been playing a 1980 Guild B-302 for about 5 years, but wanted an instrument that wouldn't fight me, action & scale wise.  I also was looking for a little more lively sound...something you could really hear, as opposed to just feel.  They had a couple of Spoilers & Distillates in stock at Rolls Music in Falls Church, VA & I went in & took 'em for a test run.  The Distillates being out of my price range at the time, it came down to either a Coco Bolo Persuader or a Bubinga Spoiler...liked the Coco Bolo, but in the end went with the Spoiler - $1,000.00 brand new.  It's a great bass & I still have it today.  

[Joey Wilson (bigredbass)]

Forty-Four.  
 
Walked into a music store in Nashville.  Found the 5-string SPOILER hanging on the wall.  
Fell in love.  
Asked 'how much?'  
'Consignment, $1500.00.'  
 
Asked my brother-in-law (who well understands the syndrome of boys-and-their-toys) who said 'here's the money!'.  
 
Before I could repay him, my mother passed away, and I repaid him from the estate.  So my brother in law (who's really the brother I never had) bought it for me, and my mother gave me the money to keep it as the last thing she ever did for me.  
 
How could I ever part with it, it's the best bass I ever had, shot full of love.  
 
The first time he saw it, my brother-in-law said,
Geez, that's a big red bass!  And so our story began . . .    
 
(Message edited by bigredbass on March 20, 2003)

[Matt Springer (bassfree)]

I was 34. Okay it was only a few weeks ago that I got my first Alembic (MK Standard)The Mandarin. I had been on a search for The One since I started playing at age 18. I'd owned most of the top names before (Zon, Modulus, Roscoe etc) and that search ended when I picked up my first Alembic. For some reason, I'm just not interested in cruising the guitar shops or internet bass sites anymore. Better late than never!