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SOLD: Alembic Series I '88 w/power supply
Ā£4000

juliusmonk

By juliusmonk,
in Basses For Sale

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juliusmonk

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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 by juliusmonk
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juliusmonk

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Indeed - reluctant to let it go, quite honestly

Seeing that Bass Direct has a used MK signature now at 3600Ā£, I'll match that - this is a Series I, so one step above. Only for a cash sale! For trades, 4000Ā£ still.

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