Author Topic: New to alembic and torn on what to do (Read 1022 times)

Alembicnoob · « **on:** July 25, 2015, 12:34:59 PM »

Hello all,

First time to post on the site, and really just looking for some suggestions. A few months back I walked into my local pawn shop looking for anything new and came across a bass i liked. the guys said hang on i just got one in. goes to the back and brings back a bass in a custom leather case. he opens it up and it is the most beautiful bass i have seen. I didn't know a lot about Alembic except they were well made and hard to get. So I picked it up after a lot a haggling.

Took it straight to the music shop to give it a good once over. They knew who's it was, and told me all about him. (how anal retentive he was, how demanding he was, and that he had passed away not to long ago).

so the bass was noisy and we couldn't put our finger on it. so eventual I called Alembic, and i dont think i have ever had such great customer service in my 37 years. The fact that i didnt have to wait on the line, or find the right department. The young lady that answered the phone answered EVERY question i had. and here is where the torn part comes in.

She informs me that i will need to send it in and get some of the electronics updated. (not cheap as you probably know). I'm back in school to be a nurse, and cant afford to do the update. I really want to keep the bass, and get it updated, because she is beautiful and will sound great when it is done. but who knows when that will be, and i have had no enjoyment from it yet.

So do i sell her, put the money toward school, and buy another when i graduate? Do i let her sit and collect dust? and if i do try to sell her, where does one even start posting?
any help and advice would be great.

thanks,
one torn bassist....

elwoodblue · « **Reply #1 on:** July 25, 2015, 01:04:36 PM »

Welcome to Alembicland !

Good call getting some advice from fellow Alembicians before you decide.
I've had sellers regret with most the Alembics I have sold in the past, they really are addictive
Can you post a couple pics?
The serial # ,woods used ,condition, year built,etc...would be good info for the discussion.

Elwood

smokin_dave · « **Reply #2 on:** July 25, 2015, 01:14:38 PM »

First of all welcome.Glad to have you here.Second of all....

HANG ON TO IT.

Don't know what you have but I would squirrel away money a little at a time until you can afford the necessary upgrade.

By the way what treasure did you find?

charles_holmes · « **Reply #3 on:** July 25, 2015, 03:23:16 PM »

Keep it until you can get it repaired.I have a few friends that are nurses and they make sensational cash! So when you do become a nurse you can get it repaired properly. It's the same mindset as an old car....and once you have the loot to hook it up...GIT R DONE!!!!!!Hold on to it!! Don't forgtet to post some photos. We all love photos and drool over the pictures too!

charles_holmes · « **Reply #4 on:** July 25, 2015, 03:30:28 PM »

Hold on to it and when you become a nurse get the bass repaired properly and you will never, never never regret it! I have a few friends that are in nursing and they make sensational loot!!!! Do it like they do out in the country when an old car is stored in the barn until things are juuuust right!
Then pow!! Get a complete make over from Stem to Stern! Don't forget to post some photos for us here to drool over even before you have the makeover Good luck in your studies!!!!

edwardofhuncote · « **Reply #5 on:** July 25, 2015, 03:57:29 PM »

I'll echo the Welcomes...

A vintage Alembic Series bass is the pinnacle of bass guitars, and the staff at Alembic is absolutely the best. (read *any* testimony) Wait until you do have the available funds for the updates, but do not sell that bass unless you have no other option. You'll regret it from now on.

If that day comes, and you must part with it, there are classified pages here. It won't sit long. Good luck with however you decide.

Please do register your bass, and leave us some pictures in the Showcase section. It sure helps when keeping track of these classics.

edwin · « **Reply #6 on:** July 25, 2015, 09:16:44 PM »

As others have said, keep it and update it when you can. I have a bass with early 70s Series II electronics and pickups and it's noisy in some environments, but it's still worth it as the tone is just amazing. It's also worth adjusting the trim pots (the inner two) to try to dial out the noise. It's possible that they aren't adjusted property.

Keep it!

moongerm · « **Reply #7 on:** July 26, 2015, 05:23:57 AM »

Welcome! It all depends, if you got the bass at a really good price you may want to hang on to it, especially if the bass really fits you well. If there are things you don't like about it that further lend itself to collecting dust, then why not sell it? Pay off school then in the future once you land a good gig that should warrant a custom build EXACT to your liking. Warning....it may take a year to mull over a new custom build since you can really go nuts with ideas as well as researching the options ... That would be the ultimate reward to yourself you can invest in and be proud of. And yes posting photos to see the gem you speak of would be great! This way we can provide more feedback, and drool a little (or a lot) too . Wishing you the best, Brian

(Message edited by moongerm on July 26, 2015)

terryc · « **Reply #8 on:** July 26, 2015, 08:35:17 AM »

DO NOT SELL IT ! Regard it as a future investment that will not lose money as the years pass(unlike pensions, shares and other volatile financial plans!)
I am sure you got the best advice from who ever you spoke to, I guess it was Mica who is the CEO(yet another tick on the report of excellence)
It may require an upgrade but then again try some simple stuff first like excercising the controls back and forth about 40 times, adjusting the trimpots as moongerm suggested, plugging the jack plug in and out of the socket a few times. If you can gives us all on here more info on the noise, there is an awful lot of experience on this site, sort of Alembicpedia, we may even solve your problem although if the boss says it needs an upgrade then her word is the absolute end!
Some pics would be helpful too of the control cavity as well as the bass itself.

hammer · « **Reply #9 on:** July 26, 2015, 08:50:37 AM »

Jacob

I'm going to agree with Brian (moongerm) that you really need to look at all aspects of the bass and how well it suits you before making your decision. Is it the scale you find most comfortable, does it balance the way you like, is it a 4, 5 or 6 String and is this the bass you could see as your main instrument for many years. If you got a really good deal on it it could provide some nice cash for school if you sold it which you could probably do without having to make the upgrades.

On the other hand if you got a good deal on a vintage series bass it's not going depreciate but rather likely appreciate in value over the next several years. If you think this is going to be your go to bass in the future and hold on to it until you have the cash to upgrade, you will likely end up with an instrument that will last you for a lifetime.

Alembicnoob · « **Reply #10 on:** July 26, 2015, 11:07:57 AM »

Wow guys thanks! I make a post go to work and Pow!! you guys are all over it. I would love to put some pics up but the site tells me they are too big. I'll try to take some more.

From what I can tell is it is a 78 series 1 custom. # 78 975. Wood is Neck; 3 maple 2

how do i make 150kb pics??

jazzyvee · « **Reply #11 on:** July 26, 2015, 01:34:53 PM »

hi alembicnoob, if you are having trouble resizing, forward them to me and I will resize them and repost for you. My email is in my profile. Also I get to see the bass before the rest of the forum. There is method in my kindness......-)

bigredbass · « **Reply #12 on:** July 26, 2015, 05:20:34 PM »

Keep it, until time and budget allow the required work.

For less than the update costs, you can certainly pawn shop another axe to get by with. New Series axes are north of 10 grand, good used ones are around half to almost that much money, so from a strictly replacement standpoint, you're way ahead of the game money-wise.

ALEMBICs generally aren't part of that 'the older ones were beter' syndrome. They're remarkably consistent over time. Electronics have obviously progressed since '78, and your bass will be updated by the very genius that invented all this; you're just not apt to have your bass fine-tuned for EMR rejection in a Ferriday Cage at Spector or Ritter.

Dealing with Alembic, is different. So many of us here bought a used one, called Santa Rosa, and
and were dumb-struck to be treated as if we were their best customer. The Wickershams treat every one of these axes as their personal products, and I can not tell you how welcome Mica and Susan and Mary have always made me (and most all of us) feel, and how helpful and generous they have been to us all.

I can't speak to your personal finances or taste in instruments, and these axes aren't for everyone. But IF this bass speaks to you, keep it till you can get 'er done, as it will cost you far more to buy another one later.

Pics ! ! !

Joey

edwin · « **Reply #13 on:** July 26, 2015, 05:54:19 PM »

This is perhaps the most important sentence of the whole thread:

IF this bass speaks to you, keep it till you can get 'er done, as it will cost you far more to buy another one later.

Chasing what you already had is always a losing proposition.

bsee · « **Reply #14 on:** July 26, 2015, 06:12:23 PM »

I'll throw out the voice on the other side. Depending upon the state of the bass you've bought, it could cost something with three zeros on the end to make it right. If the bass is special for some reason, sentimental, perfect playing fit, beautiful top wood, or some other unique feature, then it could well be worth investing in. If, on the other hand, it is a typical four string Series I bass, then you can probably find another late 70s or early 80s model on the used market for 2500-4000 if you're patient. If you can get a reasonable chunk of that from selling the bass today as it is, then you might be in a better overall position applying those funds to school and planning to spend them again when you can afford it to buy a healthier bass.

Yes, an Alembic will last you for a lifetime and there's really no upgrade other than a better Alembic. That doesn't mean that every Alembic in every condition is worth the cost of restoration. For the wealthier collector and lover of the brand, it may well be an act of kindness to bring one back. For the less affluent player who appreciates the quality, it can sometimes be better to look for one that is already in properly playable condition.

-bob