https://reverb.com/item/99906355-alembic-series-ii-w-graphite-neck-natural-1978
like i need to be surfing revrbb these days. sure is a pretty old girl. i've got a grapite bass. not sure i like the sound of it but it's half the weight of my good basses. i've heard these can be....temperamental. i'm done buying basses anyways. good luck to all!
I don't see anything that indicates it's a Series II. We're LED's Installed in graphite necks?
Very nice looking one! But bit pricey. When was the first graphite neck Alembic made?
Quote from: Barend on Yesterday at 01:25:22 AMVery nice looking one! But bit pricey. When was the first graphite neck Alembic made?
John McVie and Stanley Clarke got the two prototypes in 1976. I'm not sure when the follow on production happened but they show up here and there until sometime in the mid-80's.
This one looks nice but I agree, that's Series I. CME was an Alembic dealer for a time. (may still be?) Did they price this one as a Series II maybe?
Garyhead - I have a Series 2 with a graphite neck. It has LED's. But that bass on Reverb is a Series 1.
I was thinking it was a somewhat optimistic price, as well. And yes - SI.
And is it just me, or does that cavity shot look a tad spaghetti-like for Alembic?
Peter
Quote from: cozmik_cowboy on Yesterday at 06:37:19 AMI was thinking it was a somewhat optimistic price, as well. And yes - SI.
And is it just me, or does that cavity shot look a tad spaghetti-like for Alembic?
Peter
It's the ugliest wiring I've ever seen in an Alembic control cavity. Doesn't necessarily mean anything but certainly a thing that causes one to raise an eyebrow.
Quote from: cozmik_cowboy on Yesterday at 06:37:19 AMI was thinking it was a somewhat optimistic price, as well. And yes - SI.
And is it just me, or does that cavity shot look a tad spaghetti-like for Alembic?
Peter
I sent a message to the seller. It's a pretty big business so we'll see if they correct the listing. Now I need to go search the Series I threads to see what a proper Series I wiring looks like. My Series are doublenecks so there is even More stuff in there.
Wow! Here's Robs 801711 control cavity for comparison. Now I wonder If it Was a Series II that someone converted to Series I. Then that begs the question....Why? CVQ's Too complicated? damaged? unable to find replacements? Oh....if the previous owner were a club member and can elaborate? NOW that $18K price is mythical.
Nice! That control cavity wiring is a little wild but not inappropriate for the time. And '78 means it was an early graphite model. (I love the off-center tailpiece - that's a hand made machine!)
Hey, here's a link with more info:
https://web.archive.org/web/20200313051543/http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/72767.html?1258218545
Jimmy J
Quote from: BeenDown139 on July 30, 2026, 06:02:23 PMi've got a grapite bass. not sure i like the sound of it but it's half the weight of my good basses. i've heard these can be....temperamental.
I thought these graphite necks were always more stable than wooden necks?
Excellent catch Jimmy! The last thread on that page was Wolf contemplating buying?????
So. It was always a Series I.
Another fun Alembic deep dive. Maybe the current seller saw all the gold plated hardware and assumed Series II. Looks like the original owner had it at least for 30 years. (1980-2010)
The Showcase thread can be found here: https://club.alembicguitars.com/series-i-basses-and-guitars/78-series-i-w-graphite-neck/
That's a really nice looking bass :)
Quote from: garyhead on Yesterday at 08:50:01 AMQuote from: cozmik_cowboy on Yesterday at 06:37:19 AMI was thinking it was a somewhat optimistic price, as well. And yes - SI.
And is it just me, or does that cavity shot look a tad spaghetti-like for Alembic?
Peter
I sent a message to the seller. It's a pretty big business so we'll see if they correct the listing. Now I need to go search the Series I threads to see what a proper Series I wiring looks like. My Series are doublenecks so there is even More stuff in there.
I messaged them, too.
They are one of favorite places to spend an afternoon (though it's been far too many years since I have).
Peter
I haven't played a carbon fiber Necked Alembic, but I imagine that if they're anything like the other CF necked basses I've played, they're very bright/unforgiving.
Is that generally the base with these?
Quote from: adriaan on Yesterday at 12:11:25 PMThe Showcase thread can be found here: https://club.alembicguitars.com/series-i-basses-and-guitars/78-series-i-w-graphite-neck/
I must be slipping... I have absolutely no recollection of this one. None. [shrug]
Quoteimagine that if they're anything like the other CF necked basses I've played, they're very bright/unforgiving.
i have a status graphite 5-string headless that i use to save my shoulder and back during rehearsal. my bandies have said they like the sound of it better than my alembics but i'm in an 80's cover band so its sound is actually more period-correct for our matieral in a lot of cases. myself, i don't like its sound, playability and lack of sustain. it sounds nasally to me. it doesn't atticulate my finger techniques the way i like. the neck is radius-ed differently than my alembics and took a lotta getting used to. did i say it only weighs 7-1/2 Lbs US? i had a steinberger XL-2 years ago. it had much better tone imho but still couldn't touch the alembics.
that being said, they knew what kind of player i was when i auditioned. my backline is voiced for my alembic wood basses and so is my playing style. so - not a big fan of the graphite. ymmv hth
I have a Zon Sonus 8 and a Zon Legacy Elite 5 with carbon fiber necks. I really like the tone of these. The Steinberger is more brittle.
Again. That is a nice looking bass. Just looking at it, I thought it was a more current build. Aside from the wiring.
I see CME has updated the title of this bass to a Series I. I sent a link to the Alembic Club thread posted upthread from the original owner. I just got a message from CME: Thank you so much; very helpful. This is a consignment piece, so we're reaching out to the seller.
-David A
Senior Sales Specialist
- Chicago Music Exchange (https://reverb.com/shop/cme)
- Jul 31, 2026 01:37 PM
So, it is Not the original finish as stated in the description. Maybe the owner will reconsider a Series I bass with a Series II price tag. An interesting bass....just unreasonable asking price. He might be mis-reading the value of a carbon fiber neck.
Well, now I has a sadz; I didn't get a reply on mine :-\
Still think the wiring is non-original, and the price is about double realistic.
Peter
So here's a question for the group;
Assuming you're a perspective buyer for a vintage Alembic, (not necessarily this one) and it's professionally refinished because the original finish flaked off. This one is quite well-done in my opinion. Michael Dolan is a former Alembic employee who has some decent credibility as a builder in his own right. There's another Club Member here now who is doing a fantastic job refinishing a few Alembics with crackled up skin.
So what's the $ count-off for that, if any?
Because I personally don't care. It's easy to see why someone would simply think this one was a case queen. If Adriaan hadn't shown us the Showcase Thread I'd never have known.
I wish them all the fortune in the world but I continue to believe Reverb is an artificially inflated world of delusion.
*I'm just throwing this out as a possibility on the disheveled wiring. Dolan no doubt had to remove the electronics from the cavity to refinish. Could maybe have done a neater job with the re-install? Just a guess. I haven't seen but my two Series basses in-person. The wires had tiny little ties on them to keep them tidy.
77-621 electronics .jpeg
Myself, I see no appeal in a damaged finish. There is another forum I frequent where they talk way too much about "beautiful checking"; that tells me it wasn't cared for properly.
I would not pay a premium for for an original, but compromised, finish on anything.
Peter
well as i've said before, a thing's only worth what someone's willing to pay for it. maybe there's somebody out there that this bass scratches their particular itch. and they're just looking for an excuse to pull/not pull the trigger. guess we'll see. said the guy who said he'd never buy another 4-string. and just did 🤯
Yup Greg. You probably just hit it on the head. The electronics were removed for the refin.
There's so little finish checking on 75-254 I'm assuming it was refinished. Whatever age the finish is, the amber seems correct for a 75. If this 78 were mine, I'd get someone to add a bit of an amber tint.