juliusmonk Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 (edited) Hi all Ah, this is painful... So after years and years of wanting a high end Alembic, I finally got it thanks to BC - only to realise that ergonomics don't do it for me. I am very tempted to keep it for its intrinsic and historical value, but honestly I suspect it will sit in its case far more than it should. I got to understand the Alembic 'mystique' though - it is a perfect bass in so many ways. Difficult to explain, but essentially it is built to perfection, every nut and bolt working flawlessly, a myriad of sounds at your fingertips, plus it is beautifully designed. It is not overly hollow (scooped), nor too middy sounding - it is astonishingly clear and balanced on all frequencies. I really love the tone and the electronics - you get a low pass filter and a volume per pickup, plus a 3-position swtich per pickup that selects how much you want to boost the frequency selected for each pickup (no boost, and two levels of boost). And a pickup selector of course. Just playing with the switches and relative volumes gives you tens of usable sounds. Or you can leave some boost on and play with the filter knobs. Additionally, you can optimise the gain of each pickup on the rear cavity, and fine tune the hum reduction. Once adjusted, I have experienced no noise whatsoever. The really good thing is that the bass reacts to every little adjustment and nuance in playing as you'd expect, something that is not as frequent as it should be, even on high end basses. Scale is 34". It is (per serial no.) an '88 model, and the condition is astonishing. Only the (original) hard case is a bit battered (working perfectly anyway), but the bass itself has no dings or offensive marks. Excellent all around. Woods are rosewood top and back over mahogany and maple center. Series I are very hard to come by in the used market, and the wood choice is not that frequent on Alembics. Comes with the 'blue box' (DS-5) and xlr cable that provides power (no batteries needed) and allows to split the signal in stereo (one output per pickup). It also gives more headroom. The box has a EU plug. Alternatively, you can run on batteries and use the standard jack output like any other bass. Shipping will be included via UPS. The price reflects the investment on other basses that led me to this one. Used Series basses are also usually very expensive (not to mention new ones!), and the condition of this particular exemplar is rather impressive. I'll be open to trades on this one - no P basses, no relics, only 4 and 5 string. Dingwalls would be nice, Ken Smith, MTD, perhaps Fodera... A piece of bass history that can be yours now. Happy to answer any questions by PM. Cheers! Edited August 26, 2015 by juliusmonk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 God that's a thing of beauty.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 What's the weight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliusmonk Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 (edited) Don't have the exact weight, but these beauties are not light... Will try to give an estimate over the weekend Edited July 25, 2015 by juliusmonk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliusmonk Posted July 24, 2015 Author Share Posted July 24, 2015 Bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee650 Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 That is so beautiful! You could just put it on a wall and admire it ad a piece of art 😍that would be a terrible waste though 😆 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliusmonk Posted July 25, 2015 Author Share Posted July 25, 2015 Indeed - reluctant to let it go, quite honestly Seeing that Bass Direct has a used MK signature now at 3600£, I'll match that - this is a Series I, so one step above. Only for a cash sale! For trades, 4000£ still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowThump Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Bump bump bump. Holy moly this is stunning.!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zomnius Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 (edited) bass in action 1989 hehehe Edited July 27, 2015 by zomnius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zomnius Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Julius Monk is a great guy to do business with. cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliusmonk Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 Cheers Roy! Cool retro pic! 😃 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliusmonk Posted August 2, 2015 Author Share Posted August 2, 2015 Gorgeous bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliusmonk Posted August 10, 2015 Author Share Posted August 10, 2015 😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliusmonk Posted August 15, 2015 Author Share Posted August 15, 2015 Bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliusmonk Posted August 20, 2015 Author Share Posted August 20, 2015 And on hold pending the usual Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts