Happy Jack Posted November 25, 2010 Share Posted November 25, 2010 (edited) One thing a broken leg and an operation do for you ... they certainly make you re-think your priorities. An unexpected side-effect of my rather unfortunate last two weeks is that I've decided I really need to re-structure my collection of basses, perhaps into something that's less of a "collection" and more a few basses that I play all the time. So I'm launching half-a-dozen 'For Sale' topics today. I'm quoting a price in each case, but if you think it appropriate then feel free to make me an offer. The worst that can happen is that I'll tell you that you can f*** right off, mate. As if ... Anyway. [attachment=64933:DSCF4183.JPG] This is a beautiful example of a vintage Alembic, in more-or-less mint condition. S/N 92H7258. Plenty more pics are at [url="http://tinypic.com/a/2i2wp/3"]http://tinypic.com/a/2i2wp/3[/url] I bought this quite recently from Clarky but (a bit like the Rickenbacker I had) it just doesn't feel right for my playing style. Nowt wrong with the bass, but the chemistry doesn't work for me. I'm not going to waste my time trying to describe "the Alembic sound". All I'll say is that is NOT a P-bass. This is a maple body with a figured walnut top and a purpleheart pinstripe for the accent. The neck is a 7-piece wonder, made of maple and purpleheart. The fingerboard is ebony, with pearloid oval inlays. The controls are Volume / Pan / Q-Filter plus a 2-position flick-switch for different values of 'Q'. That provides a startlingly wide range of tones for very few knobs. Takes a bit of getting used to, mind. One slight oddity is that a previous owner had a 'bar' or 'ramp' added between the tops of the two pickups, creating a continuous thumbrest from one end to the other. It's not obtrusive and it's actually quite a good idea. A previous owner also replaced the original brass truss-rod cover with a monogrammed 'N'. Since my second name begins with N I'm not particularly fussed about this, but before he traded the bass to me Clarky obtained an official replacement from Alembic, complete with serial number, and that of course comes with the bass. This is a bass which, frankly, must be played to be appreciated. It just oozes quality from the moment you touch it. I should mention that the hardware appears to be gold-plated. I say "appears" because I'm not sure, but it looks like gold and there's absolutely no tarnishing, even around those awkward-to-clean bits of the bridge. Scale: 34" Weight: 10 1/2 lbs Width at Nut: 1 3/4" String spacing at Bridge: 18 mm In true Basschat fashion, I'm looking for what it was valued at (i.e. no profit) which was [size=3][b]£1750[/b][/size]. Best option would be collection from Chiswick. Second best would be collection from the West End. If someone wants it posted, then we'd also have to factor the cost of a hard case into the deal. Edit: The question I've been asked the most is about the added thumb-rest between the pickups. From the little that I can see, it appears to be glued in place, most probably to the face of the body, but I'm really not at all sure. I'm no luthier and I have no intention of trying to investigate further! It's actually a very subtle mod and works pretty well. Edited December 1, 2010 by Happy Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted November 25, 2010 Share Posted November 25, 2010 Just to second what Jack said, this oozes quality (I just don't do 5 strings ). Oh and a new one is about five grand, I believe .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retroman Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 If only I had the money.....That's gorgeous +1 for Alembic's oozing quality. If this Elan is anything like my Orion, she'll play like butter, and have some lovely tones on tap too. Second hand Alembic's must be the biggest bargain of the bass world. Have a free bump on me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 BUMP for an amazing bass that totally defies your expectations! Along with the Fodera Jazz on Born2bMild's stand (also lovely) , this is one of the few basses I got a chance to play at the SE Bash yesterday... And though it looks like a very boutique, 'hi-fi' sounding bass, it is so much more than that! It has a really simple e.q. system that gives you a huge variety of tones without any effort at all..Plays beautifully too and the build quality is truly exceptional. Not possible for me to buy sadly, but at this price I have to say that I think it's a real steal! Good luck with the sale Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 V nice, had a 6 string like this a while back. What's the headstock shape? ped Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted November 28, 2010 Author Share Posted November 28, 2010 [attachment=65188:DSCF4184.JPG] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 Nice, prefer that to the triangle one my 6er had. Almost tempted!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted November 28, 2010 Author Share Posted November 28, 2010 [quote name='ped' post='1039846' date='Nov 28 2010, 12:40 PM']Nice, prefer that to the triangle one my 6er had. Almost tempted!![/quote] You're less than 30 minutes away from Chiswick, and I ain't going anywhere! Come and have a play ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted December 7, 2010 Author Share Posted December 7, 2010 Last bump before Xmas ... then I'll let things settle until the Spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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