Alembic ....dead instrument or knock off

[fingerslinger]

I recently saw an alembic for sale on Ebay for 400 bucks. I knew there was some thing off but I was willing to gamble the 400 if it was a dead instrument. I didn't receive it for months and figured it was a scam. Five months after writing it off as a scam it arrives at my house. It looks brand new so I plug it in to see what gives. No sound. I check the cavity and there is no battery ? I do a little research since I know nothing about them except they re way out of my price range. After my research I find that there is some specialty cord that powers them. Could I make this thing come to life with some sort of cord mod?

 

[KenSmithFan]

I remember the story as a kid in the 70s about the disgruntled wife selling a Porsche 911 for $400...

Pics and an identifiable serial number, or it didn't happen.

Yup, we all heard them. “I knew a guy who knew a guy …” most, if not all, Bos Taurus excrement.

 

[KenSmithFan]

In what year?

 

[bucephylus]

I am working on getting pics..sorry for the delay but had a serious leak in the pipe from my well. Inside the basement wall and took some time to isolate it and get it fixed.

Not an Alembic. Wrong pickups, wrong hardware, wrong neck laminate layout. It’s just ….not.

 

[five7]

It's an Anemic

 

[MIJ Fender Guy]

…an Alembrick

 

[DJ Bebop]

I'm sorry I saw this.
I am now interested in these, not because it “looks” like an Alembic.
Because it could be a short scale and it looks like it would be fun to tinker with

Does @fingerslinger know how to measure for scale length?
And it would be good for him to show a gut shot of it so we could help him to get it up and running.

 

[Gunga Din]

Datsun? What... You a old mofo like me.

My first car. Datsun Sunny Estate

 

[Bassdirty]

It's all of that!
They were really the first boutique builders using preamps and such. Jack Casady of the Jefferson Airplane had the first Alembic modified bass, his Guild Starfire bass. Then Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead, and so on. A lot of people like them and have had them over the years.

Your statement:
“If it's a "sound/Tone" thing, I can get all the sounds/Tones that I like/Need out of almost any 1K bass. (Then there's the "In the Mix"/ Crowd Can't tell) ”

Might be true for you but not everyone may share in your sound and tone choices. As well as neck feel. And they are made in the USA which is a factor for some.

It's like everything else, a Datsun and a Rolls-Royce will get you to the same place, but some people if given a choice will want to ride in the Rolls

This breaks it down…

Alembic Inc. - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Thanks for the response.
Checked out the link. (Not sure why I didn't look it up in the first place). Some cool stuff and a lot of 'firsts'.

Still seem expensive~ even for basses with all the things, IMO.




T$

 

[staccatogrowl]

I'm sorry I saw this. I am now interested, not because it “looks” like an Alembic. It could be a short scale and it looks like it would be fun to tinker with

Why not take a path of less resistance? Established brand, known specs, easy to mod, ability to return if dissatisfied, less money, no wait, available in 4- or 5-string models, likely better resale value: Ibanez Mikro

 

[Iridescentone]

Thanks for the response.
Checked out the link. (Not sure why I didn't look it up in the first place). Some cool stuff and a lot of 'firsts'.

Still seem expensive~ even for basses with all the things, IMO.




T$

It's like yachts...if you have to ask how much they cost, they're not for you. Just suffice to know that folks with real money, and folks who can appreciate truly fine things, are the customer base for Alembic.

Unfortunately, I'm in the latter group, but not the former!

 

[DJ Bebop]

Why not take a path of less resistance? Established brand, known specs, easy to mod, ability to return if dissatisfied, less money, no wait, available in 4- or 5-string models, likely better resale value: Ibanez Mikro

View attachment 7504060

Because that's too easy and reliable

 

[DJ Bebop]

Thanks for the response.
Checked out the link. (Not sure why I didn't look it up in the first place). Some cool stuff and a lot of 'firsts'.

Still seem expensive~ even for basses with all the things, IMO.




T$

A Rolls-Royce seems expensive, until you ride in one

Just because I can't afford one doesn't mean it's not worth its asking price.

As far as bass, it is also true it won't provide any new notes that a Squier actually has, but the Alembic is a nice ride for sure