Author Topic: A question of cost (Read 166 times)

sly1717 · « **on:** June 01, 2005, 12:23:03 PM »

Hi guys,
I'm brand new to the discussion so go easy on me!
I've been reading the info on this board for about a year and am blown away by the knowledge shared... ok, here goes, I've been an alembic fan for about 15 years (my intro was a friend who was in a band showing me some scales. I would listen to his band and he had this fantastic sound. Needless to say, he played an Alembic. I haven't been the same since). I've been through a few different brands and none have come close to what I heard during those lessons, so now I have the opportunity to obtain my axe. My question is am I being asked to pay to much? I live in D.C. and there are few dealers of Alembics but I happened to find one called the Guitar Shop and the owner says this was his personal baby. I think it is a spoiler. The serial # is 88S4982 is that an 1988 model? He is asking $2000.00 for it. I thought that was a little pricey (even for an Alembic) but it is a beautiful piece of work. I would appreciate any input available... and sorry for being so long winded.

David Houck · « **Reply #1 on:** June 01, 2005, 01:25:21 PM »

Hi Shawn, welcome to the group. Yes, it's a Spoiler and yes it's an '88. And yes, generally speaking, $2,000 is a bit on the high side for a Spoiler. You might want to watch our For Sale section as invariably there are some nice basses available at reasonable prices.

sfnic · « **Reply #2 on:** June 01, 2005, 02:50:30 PM »

Hi, Shawn -

Spoiler 4s on eBay have gone between $900 and $1700. I show a few that have gone through stores for as high as $2300, and one lefty 5-string for $3200.

So, for a Guitar Center sale, $2k is about normal (though they rarely actually _sell_ at that price).

nic

exploiterplayer · « **Reply #3 on:** July 09, 2005, 07:57:09 AM »

Hi Shawn, Every Alembic is a one of a kind custom therefore, it is hard to say if that particular Spoiler is overpriced or not. If you like it and think it could possibly be the one* then go for it. I played several Exploiters before I found the one and at that point I didnt care what it cost or what the other ones sold for because after all....it was the one! Good luck on your quest.

*Shawn, the one is a bass that feels great in your hands and has tone that puts a smile on your face. Model shapes and exotic woods should also be something that fit into your playing personality and style.

dannobasso · « **Reply #4 on:** July 10, 2005, 09:39:25 PM »

For a reference, I picked up a used mint essense 5 for $1800, but with 12 months no interest financing. Makes it less painful if you do it in dribs and drabs.
Danno

richbass939 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 11, 2005, 11:02:39 AM »

Hi, Shawn and welcome to the club. If you don't mind E-bay you can look there. There are three Spoilers on it right now. The range of prices is pretty big on them. One (1983) has an $800 bid on it and closes in about 24 hours. The other two are higher. Good luck to you in finding one you like.
Rich