Hi all, just thought I would share what for me, and I hope many Alembic fans, is a true coming home kind of story. In 1981 I decided to order a left handed Series 1 from Washington Music. I had it made with a beautiful bocate top, gold hardware, etc. It took about 7 months to arrive, but I loved every minute I had that bass. When I bought the Series 1, I had to trade in a custom BC Rich Mockingbird bass (unlike anything they have ever produced, I can assure you). When I ordered my Alembic in July of 81, I asked the sales staff if they had any other series 1 basses on hand. Surprisingly, they did -- I was taken down to the vault and shown a beautiful left handed series 1 with a dragon inlay on the neck, an omega cut, and a beautiful flame maple top. I was absolutely in love with it, although I knew I could never afford such an instrument. The staff told me it had been ordered by another customer and would soon be delivered.
Fast forward to 1985, and I had to sell my bocate Series 1 because I was traveling overseas. Boy, did I ever regret doing that. To this day I have been looking for the bass I sold, and the last I heard a subsequent owner had had an accident with the bass and the headstock had been sheered off. Ouch...I knew I could never afford another new series 1 again, so was kicking myself in the butt for ever having sold mine.
As an aside, in 1987 I went to Washington mUsic and found my old BC Rich Mockingbird in the window. It turns out that when I traded it in in 1982, they had out it away and forgotten about it, so I bought it back from them. I still have that bass and am happy to say I am still the original owner.
Anyway, I digress. Fast forward to 2005 and I read in the Alembic club about a mysterious left handed dragon bass possibly for sale. Remember that listing? I contactedthe owner, and he happened to live only a few hours away. To make a long story short, we talked on and off for about a year. Finally, I went out yesterday to take a look at the bass and remembered that it was the one I had seen over 25 years earlier. He was the original owner (an absolutely great guy), and we struck a deal for a fair sale. Finally, after 21 years without my series 1, I am again the proud owner of this magnificient, mint condition bass. It is absolutely stunning and works beautifully. I believe it was featured in the Alembic catalogs of the early 80's, anyone remember those?
