Thanks, B: I've lived long enough to know I can always buy more stuff, but people (much less my dear wife) are irreplaceable.
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Alembic Basses
- Thread starter brocco
- Start date
Thanks, B: I've lived long enough to know I can always buy more stuff, but people (much less my dear wife) are irreplaceable.
My true story: When I decided to have the green Elan Five built, I made two decisions:
1) Once we settled on a final build list, I would never call them until they called to tell me it was ready to ship (took about a year). Some buyers will call them to the point of making a pain of themselves (though the Wickershams would NEVER say that, even at gunpoint !), and I felt that if I wouldn't tell Emeril how to cook, or Mario how to drive, I had no damn business bothering them. I mean, they INVENTED this kind of bass building !
2) I told Susan I wanted a green tint somewhere between the color of a BP sign and British Racing Green. That's how I left it, no swatches exchanged, I just left it to them.
Here's how you make your reputation.
Alembic's method of shooting tints is to shoot about 10 coats of hand / wet-sanded clear, THEN shoot the color tint: They feel doing it that way, since the axes can last a long time, if you later want a different color, the original color never touches (or stains) the wood. As many coats of tint as it takes to reach the desired color density, than another 8-10 clear coats, and yep, all of 'em are hand / wet sanded.
After the initial color shot, THEY decided it wasn't right, sanded it back down to wood and started over ! ! I never knew, would have probably been thrilled with that first go-round, but to THEM it wasn't RIGHT, so they went into do-over mode. Just because it wasn't right to them.
I only found out about this later, and was just floored. Who does that on their own any more?
THAT's why there's nothing, but nothing like an Alembic. Or the Wickershams.
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I’m not trying to find out how much anyone paid for their instrument necessarily, but am I correct to believe the initial price of admission for a new build would be over 10 grand? The ones I’m seeing on the front page of google that appear newish are from 10k-15k.
There is a used 6 string showing up for around 2 grand but it’s a more “modern” looking design if that’s the word.
There is a used 6 string showing up for around 2 grand but it’s a more “modern” looking design if that’s the word.
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That’s the official price list. Maybe the equivalent of mmrp.
This is the custom quote generator:
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That’s the official price list. Maybe the equivalent of mmrp.
This is the custom quote generator:
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EdwardofHuncote
I Still Dream of Jeannie
- Aug 21, 2013
- 6,650
- 2
- 16,417
- Disclosures
- I privately own and operate a local musical instument repair shop.
You really have to get a quote from a dealer... they'll be significantly less than that. When I ordered mine, it was 75%.
The Custom Quote Generator is not anywhere near up-to-date with current options. It's fun to play with for ideas, but if you want a real quote on a true custom build you just call a dealer. Usually takes a day (or less) to get one.
Wow FC, it seems like 2020 will be a great year for you.Pic time?
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I have two in the pipeline currently, fretted and fretless Spoiler 5 with heart Omega, knobby headstock, Flame Maple top/back, Flame Maple/Purpleheart neck, stained black see through finish, red side leds and Series II electronics.
The fretless will be set neck and will have a pan pot (instead of two volumes) and bass control for bridge pickup only. Hope to see these somewhere in 2020
I had a Stanley Clarke standard for about 7 years. It was too heavy to gig , played like a dream but I always felt that the tone while great for solo work did not sit great in a rock band mix. I could have been bad at using all the controls. It was a wonderful bass but I needed a car and I sold it for down payment money.
Love my Series II/Europas! No neck dive, and they feel just right! All with customized neck dimensions and Series II electronics.
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Steve, you know I just love your collection there. It must be a challenge to decide which beauty to take on a gig. Which is your goto bass?
Fifty (that's right: 50) years ago I played a Gibson EB-O in a short-lived blues band. Then, in 2003 I wanted to get back into playing, and there were a bunch of blues jams locally, so I hit the 'net and found a medium-scale Spoiler. I could never quite get with it ... until I realized my hand was used to the short scale of the Gibson. Went on another search and, 3 years later, found a used short scale Series I (built in 1977). Been playing that for 13 years and it never fails to get compliments about its tone (which is almost infinitely variable). I paid $2,900 + shipping, and the reproduction cost is light years out of my budget. Yes, it isn't a featherweight, yes it has a touch of neck dive, but my daughter (who's played bass in her now-husband's black metal band) will eventually inherit it.
Played this beaut at Chicago music Exchange last weekend. Simply amazing...would have walked out with it if I’d had a spare $15,000...
I have owned over a dozen Alembics...currently a '76 Series 1, '79 Series 1 Graphite neck Series 1 and an '84 Distillate. The first one that I owned--a Spoiler in the Exploiter body style-- was the only one that I bought new; some of my Series 1 basses also needed restoration to original specs. Buying used or modded and trading other instruments toward an Alembic can pretty well resolve the cost of an Alembic--and that is the biggest problem. Another bad thing about Alembic is the same thing that Alembic lovers love: the electronics. The older I get, the more I want a passive bass with passive eq. To my ears that is the sound I like these days. Alembic guitars are every bit as expensive & well made as Alembic basses, but active electronics and crystal clear, undistorted tone are not features that guitarist treasure.
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Alembic Tails...
Mine started as I walked into a pawn shop in Austin during 1989. There she was up on the wall behind the main counter and well displayed. It was a 1984-32" scale Series 1 4 string. Bubinga top & back, cable, power box with OHSC. They had it tagged @ $1000.00 and I knew it had to be mine!
I placed a $100 deposit so as to return with "stuff" to trade in on this beauty...
I brought a Fender-Rhodes suitcase electric piano I had acquired for $150.00, a brand new neon Pink Ranger 4 string 3 pickup sorta Jazz Bass with OHSC I paid $300.00 for because of the color. Finally one of those Marshall 12 watt practice amps in mint condition that I grabbed for $50.00 when I bought the Ranger Bass. I also put $300.00 cash into the deal.
So, my cost on my one and only, very heavy, fast and amazing sounding Alembic was $800.00 out the door. No issues!
This would be difficult to duplicate in a very info savvy market, but there are still deals out there, new Basses are wonderful and the Alembic company is fantastic to deal with!
(Alembic sold me a set of the 20th Anniversary electronics, while they were doing that run of instruments, when I was working with Mark Erlewine. I have the picture of that custom Bass on the wall next to me. It was also a nice Bass, as well.)
The best authority I know regarding new current Alembic production, including resin tops, is Guitar Resurrection here in Austin.
Happy hunting!
Mine started as I walked into a pawn shop in Austin during 1989. There she was up on the wall behind the main counter and well displayed. It was a 1984-32" scale Series 1 4 string. Bubinga top & back, cable, power box with OHSC. They had it tagged @ $1000.00 and I knew it had to be mine!
I placed a $100 deposit so as to return with "stuff" to trade in on this beauty...
I brought a Fender-Rhodes suitcase electric piano I had acquired for $150.00, a brand new neon Pink Ranger 4 string 3 pickup sorta Jazz Bass with OHSC I paid $300.00 for because of the color. Finally one of those Marshall 12 watt practice amps in mint condition that I grabbed for $50.00 when I bought the Ranger Bass. I also put $300.00 cash into the deal.
So, my cost on my one and only, very heavy, fast and amazing sounding Alembic was $800.00 out the door. No issues!
This would be difficult to duplicate in a very info savvy market, but there are still deals out there, new Basses are wonderful and the Alembic company is fantastic to deal with!
(Alembic sold me a set of the 20th Anniversary electronics, while they were doing that run of instruments, when I was working with Mark Erlewine. I have the picture of that custom Bass on the wall next to me. It was also a nice Bass, as well.)
The best authority I know regarding new current Alembic production, including resin tops, is Guitar Resurrection here in Austin.
Happy hunting!
I have been using Alembics since 1978, and there is nothing else out there that compares, and believe me, I have had them all. The circuits and pickups are so much more advanced and well thought out for tonal perfection live and in the studio. Of course the workmanship and attention to detail is also miles ahead of other builders. They can be heavy, but you have every option in the World to make them light, well balanced, and as comfortable as anything else out there. All you need to do is spec. your bass that way. There really are no limits other than Susan just refuses to do a headless design. What they make today is vastly better than what they offered back in the day, so don't judge Alembic by something from the 70's. Those were great, and heck they invented active electronics, but the caliber of what leaves the shop today is so much better made. Alembic is still such a family based company, and one of the great things about them is when you own an Alembic, you become part of that family, and you know it by how they take you under their wing.
I own three Alembics. An 82 Spoiler, an 85 Distillate, and a Custom 2003 with a Distillate body and signature electronics. The 82 yells at me (affectionately), the 85 growls like a Thunder Finger; and the 2003 has a powerful, beautiful, loud-quiet tone. A tone that I would compare to (rip) Norman Rose's baritone flow.
