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SOLD - Alembic Stanley Clarke Deluxe - cocobolo, anniversary electronics, blue LEDs - £3450

lozbass

By lozbass,
in Basses For Sale

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lozbass Community Regular

lozbass

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The bass is now sold - thanks to all those that expressed an interest and posted such lovely words!

As part of the big, boutique clear out, an Alembic Stanley Clarke Deluxe (2008) for sale with the following features:

30.75" scale
ebony board with MOP ovals
1.5" nut
2.15" at 24th fret (this is the slender, 'Stanley' taper)
cocobolo front and back facings (selected at the factory by the commissioning purchaser)
maple and purple heart neck
brass hardware
anniversary electronics (full stereo capability)
front Laser LEDs in blue
side LEDs in blue
mahogany body with maple laminate and purpleheart accents
supplied with original tools and receipts (and gold straplocks)

Tight string spacing
Superbly playable - fantastic slender neck - incredibly fast with super-low action
Delivered in August, 2008
Fantastic condition - could easily pass for new (just the faintest home play-wear/finger nail marks under the G - only visible in the right light with very close scrutiny - could polish out)
Supplied with brand new Hiscox case
Weight around 10lbs (maybe a little over)
Set-up by Martin at the Gallery with D'Addario medium scale light nickels (30-95 I think)

It's hard to find a way of describing the bass without recourse to expletives - it's that good. Playability is world class, and the tone is staggering - the bass will sit beautifully in a mix (think wonderfully produced album quality) or jump all over it - Alembic electronics aren't like anything else (love 'em or hate 'em).

The bass is in outstanding condition and has only seen very light use at home. No scratches, dings, dents etc. - cosmetically perfect apart from tiny and hard to find slap marks (not mine). The only fault on the bass is intermittent operation of the last five (of ten) of the side LEDs - Alembic think that there's a loose connection near the truss rod access and I'm in conversation with the company. The lights illuminate most of the time and the issue hasn't bothered me. I can have the issue sorted prior to a sale. [color=#0000cd]7th January - UPDATE on LEDs[/color]: I've been trying the side LEDs several times each day for the past few days - each time they illuminate perfectly - I'm not claiming that the intermittent fault is solved, just that it's currently very intermittent (I can't get the lights to fail to illuminate!)

I can ship to most of Europe and the US. Collection in central Manchester (or London at a push) is highly preferable but I know that might be a stretch. Trials in Manchester are fine - I know this is a very expensive purchase and I'd want any buyer to be entirely satisfied that the bass is for them. IMO you're buying the best of the best here (I have a serious preference for Alembics and will be keeping two further short-scales - this one is every bit as good as the others but is going because of it's high spec - the laser LEDs and Anniversary electronics are crazily expensive options).

Price on this is an unshakeable £3450 and that's a bargain (I'm losing here). I have the receipt from 2008 when the bass sold new for £7700.

Apologies for the variable quality of the photographs - my skills are rather poor. Any apparent marks are merely reflections in the high-gloss lacquer.

Any questions, please just let me know.

Edited by lozbass
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lozbass Community Regular

lozbass

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Gentlemen, thank you all for the exceedingly kind words!

It is a lovely bass and as those that have observed my ludicrous and irrational buying in the past years will know, I've gorged on some of the world's most fabulous instruments (never one to let absence of talent stand in the way of a pretty stringed trinket). Throughout all the buying, Alembics for me have retained an enduring magic.

Cheers, Loz

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lozbass Community Regular

lozbass

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[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1325413590' post='1482830']
Also, I have played a couple of SC's, but have never played one standing up with a strap with the locks in that configuration.
How is the balance? I found my MK to be slight neck heavy.
[/quote]
Hi and thanks for the questions - the LEDs are Alembic's own and were specified for the original build. I've had an ongoing conversation with Mica that you can see in the Alembic Club - I sent an image of the control cavity and subsequently undertook some advised diagnostic tests to eliminate a couple of possibilities. I suspect you'll know what Alembic are like - lovely people but response can be a bit slow. I've not heard anything for a few months and kind of gave up - the problem is intermittent and doesn't bother me - it's 5 side LEDs only and if they dont light immediately, they come on after a few minutes (often with a tap or slap near the truss access plate - that's why it's an assumed loose connection). I'd imagine SIMS could sort this in five minutes - it's just not irritated me sufficiently to get down there.

I couldn't agree more on the Anniversary electronics - fabulous and more flexible than Sig (not that the latter are lacking in any way!). I really prefer stereo and wouldn't let this bass go if I didn't have another stereo Alembic.

On strap balance, it's such a personal issue - with a good, wide strap, I haven't had a problem but I'd say that small bodied Alembics take a bit of gettng used to. They feel like standard scales as a result of the pin placement and string anchor and bridge positioning. That said, I find them much faster and easy to handle than the standard Alembic body sizes (especially point). Indeed, once accustomed, the SCs are supremely comfortable, slick and super-fast - a friend remarked that this bass is a 'f***** racing machine' - I should add that his technique is rather better than mine!

I hope this helps, cheers, Loz

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mckendrick Collaborator

mckendrick

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[quote name='MB1' timestamp='1325264678' post='1481526']
Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaakinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnelllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll![/quote]
Funny.... that's [b][i]exactly[/i][/b] what I thought.

Lovely bass, Loz. Good luck with the sale.

Free bump.

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paragon Newbie

paragon

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Played this for 5 minutes yesterday in Loz's office (headphones only from a U5) - almost speechless - best bass I've ever played or seen by miles. As usual, no money and a house to pay for. I should qualify by saying Loz is a mate. Seriously tho, what a bass.

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