(u) 76-525

[series_iii]

i've heard a lot about this instrument but i've never seen the build sheet on it.  it has a bone nut on it that i suspect is not original.  any information on it would be appreciated.

[series_iii]

bump.  has this one been lost to the sands of time?

[mica]

The file in the cabinet is labelled replacement and only contains one registered owner's information. There is no build record information available.

[series_iii]

ah man that's a bummer.
 
IIRC the bunnybass ad that i bought this bass from had the materials listed.  does anyone here have access to their archive?  i saved the HTML web page from that ad but it's been several years and it seems to have disappeared from my system.
 
this is a '76 fretless long scale small body series I that is also known as the steve fossen bass since he owned it at one time.

[811952]

Email Steve at http://bassnw.com/ and see if he remembers it.  He Probably does..
 
John

[tbrannon]

Tim.
 
Is this the one?  
 
I'll bet Mica or others around here could probably tell you alot of what you'd like to know just by having a look at the beautiful pics you posted in the showcase.

[series_iii]

^^^
 
yep, that's the one.  i'm gonna dig around a little.  anybody know if steve was the original owner?  when i lived in seattle i bought a white 5-string XL-2 from steve and we discussed the alembic.  i'll give him a ping if i can't find the listing in my archives

[series_iii]

OK - believe it or not, i found the original bunnybass ad in my archives.  i had saved the ad as .mht.  not sure how to convert it over to something that i can post here.  however, here is the build information:
 
Builder: Alembic
Model: Series I
Serial Number:76 525
Options: unusual combination of small body in combination with 34 scale, hand cut silver Alembic logo on peghead, hand cut and scalloped bone nut.
Case/Gigbag: black gigbag
 
Dimensions
Weight:  
Scale Length: 34 inches.
Neck Shape:  
Width at Nut: 1 3/4 inches.
String Width at Bridge: 2 15/16 inches.
Overall Length: 47 inches.
Widest: 13 1/2 inches.
 
Construction
Neck: 5 piece maple/amaranth/beech, single truss rod (old version).
Fingerboard: ebony with small sterling silver dots on the side of the fingerboard.
Body: american cherry body with beautiful 1/4 thick birdseye maple top and back.
Finish: antique yellow satin finish.
 
Hardware
Bridge: Alembic (old version), handmade solid brass construction on 1/2 pound brass sustain block inset into the body, Alenbic tailpiece (old version), handmade solid brass plate on mahogany base.
Tuners: Alembic (chrome).
Strap buttons: Alembic (chrome).
Outputs: 1/4 stereo phone jack, five pin XLR for use with external power supplies.
 
Electronics
Pickups: 2 Alembic single coil soapbar with monolithic ceramic magnets. 1 Alembic dummy coil pickup (middle position) for humcanceling purposes.
Controls: 1 pickup selector switch (including standby position), 2 volume, 2 variable active lowpass filters, 2 3-position q-filter switches.
Preamp: Alembic 18-volt preamp, military specification components used for a high level of reliability.

[series_iii]

oops, forgot to include the curators statement.  harry was a fine gentleman to deal with, btw...
 
Curator's statement:
 
A wonderful instrument with a bit of a storied history - it was owned by Steve Fossen, founding member and bassist for the group Heart. This old alembic is something special, and has the same feeling of elegance and refinement that you may find in, say, a beautifully made antique cello. We here at bunnybass like Alembic basses a lot, we consider them one of the real legends of the bass world. And those made from the early 70's to around 1978 often seem to have something very, very special about them. They vary in feel a lot, and many of them feel like custom basses with real individual personalities, like they've received a lot of special care during their construction. This bass is definately feels like it received a lot of extra attention, especially in the fine carving in the neck and body - it's so round and soft!
 
This particular Series I model is unusual in that it has the small body shape combined with a full-scale neck. After having a conversation about this bass with Alembic's very charming Mica Wickersham, we found out that there have been only 8 basses with this unique combination ever built, and with a laugh she told me that because they were so neck heavy, they hated them and that they wouldn't build one now even if someone specially requested it and was willing to pay extra for it. Too funny! But strangely enough, we can't completely share this feeling, as we here at bunnybass played this bass with a well-padded wide strap and didn't find this one dramatically head-heavy. But we _were_ dazzled by the sound and feel of the bass. Maybe we'll think about it and just keep it for ourselves!...
 
~ harry, curator at the BunnyBass Museum.