Alembic price list: HOLY $#%*!!!!!

[Roscoe East]

The musicians who gig with Alembic basses do not play on a basses that costs $20,000.

Perhaps not the musicians who gig with Alembic basses at Joe's Bar on the corner of Podunk Street and Nowhere Avenue...but if you price out the Series I or II basses that musicians like Stanley Clarke or Jimmy Johnson or Mark King gig (or gigged) with nightly, they're in the $15-20k neighborhood.

 

[fender68]

I don't know. I think my Squier affinity jazz smokes those alembic any day of the week!! Lol kidding!!

 

[billostech]

Alembics have such a unique sound. It is not for everyone, I know. Here is a clip of my MK5 played by the artist, Victor Little, who I purchased it from. I have a long way to go to play it like him, but I think you get the picture of what I am saying about the unique sound.

 

[SturmUndDrang]

It's kind of funny that Alembic was a company started by idealistic acid chomping hippies and ended up as narcissistic, overpriced and elitist bourgeoisie. Oh wait that's exactly the same thing that happened to the whole god damn baby boomer generation!

 

[DwaynieAD]

how do they take abuse? I gig hard.

 

[esa372]

how do they take abuse? I gig hard.

Solid as a rock.

I bought my custom Alembic in 1990 for $3,500. If I bought it today with the same specs, it would cost ~$12,000.

 

[Chatdawg]

I couldn't afford Alembic back in the 90's when I wanted one, and sure can't afford one nowadays... Still nice to look at from time to time though. On a side note, it always kills me when I see butchered Almebics that players tried to modify but ultimately went horribly wrong.

Yeah. Saw one in a pawn shop a few years back that someone had ripped the frets out of trying to "convert" it to a fretless. The fretboard was a mess. Sad.

 

[phillybass101]

I heard they use gold and platinum clamps and the wood glue is to die for. In all seriousness if you want one and save up or have a financial breakthrough one can be had. I thought I'd never get a Custom Made Brubaker but one is in the works. Mind over matter.

 

[Quackhead]

I would love one, but I'm going to have to win the freakin' lottery to afford one. Seriously, I could buy a nice used car for the price of my dream Alembic.

 

[DwaynieAD]

Solid as a rock.

I bought my custom Alembic in 1990 for $3,500. If I bought it today with the same specs, it would cost ~$12,000.

seriously my main criteria for a bass is can it take what i'm about to throw at it. then feel, then tone. used and non american for me... couldn't be happier.

i'd love to have high end basses for playing around at home but it's not high on my priorities list. would love to get to play some of these beauties tho.

 

[wcoffey81]

i wonder what % of basses that cost over $15,000 actually get played or gigged on a regular basis? i know a few do but i think a large number are put into "collections" or as decoration in the office of the wealthy/rich. each one is a work of art and basically a one of a kind instrument.
i just picked $15,000 out of the air as a kind of baseline. there are a great number of custom built basses that come in far less than that and some are far more expensive. each are just as much a work of art. some are probably far better to look at than to play.

 

[Biggbass]

I remember Jeff Berlin posting that paying more than $500 on a bass guitar is wasting your money. Which I suppose is true from the perspective that a bass guitar a tool and not artwork. But the high end stuff is still pretty.

This is probably true of many types of stringed instruments.
For the most part a $500 or less bass will work for just about any situation you'd need a bass for. And most of your audience, if you're gigging with a cheap bass, won't know the difference as long you're playing the right notes. Same goes for guitars.

 

[jim777]

Something to keep in mind - when you go to the 'Custom Quote generator' on the Alembic site the default bass that comes up is the Series 2, which is their most expensive bass by a long shot. You can definitely go fully custom for THOUSANDS less than half of that 20K price tag.

 

[AdriaanVB]

I got it to $43,525 almost a friggin' new Corvette C6


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[autodidact]

So I priced my ideal Alembic:



NECK FEATURES
6 string 25100.00
Right-handed 0.00
Extra long scale 35 inches 300.00
3 Ebony neck laminates 2325.00
Snakewood fingerboard, select 600.00
Fretted 0.00
Classic fingerboard taper (narrow bridge) 0.00
2 initial oval in abalone & silver 800.00
No front LEDs 0.00
Side LEDs in red 0.00
Crown peghead 0.00
No peghead bevel 0.00
BODY FEATURES
Vermilion top 0.00
Bookmatched top 0.00
Vermilion body 400.00
Vermilion back 0.00
Polyester clear gloss finish 0.00
Standard Omega body shape 0.00
Tummy contour 200.00
HARDWARE FEATURES
Inlaid logo with shell 0.00
Bridge block 0.00
Bird tailpiece 0.00
Brass truss rod cover 0.00
Brass backplate (for model electronics) 0.00
Gold plated hardware (estimated) 0.00
Gold Schaller machine heads 200.00
Gold strap locks 0.00
ELECTRONICS FEATURES
Anniversary electronics .00

Total Price
Series II Quotation 29925.00




hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

[Joe Louvar]

Just visited the Alembic site online out of curiosity. Took one look at the bass price list and immediately wished I hadn't. I knew they were expensive, but GOOD LORD.

It’s more money than I want to send on a bass too - but, they do make really, really, nice basses.

 

[Jean Baudin]

I got my Alembic for free (which I'm forever grateful for).

However, had they put a logo on it - I'm sure it would be more expensive than anything imaginable on that chart.

 

[cnltb]

I got my Alembic for free (which I'm forever grateful for).

Nice!
How did you manage that??

 

[oldleftybass]

PSA: Series II Lefty project guitar on eBay right now- this could be your chance!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL-LATE-1970s-ALEMBIC-SERIES-ll-LEFT-HANDED-BASS-N-O-S-FACTORY-INCOMPLETE-/330878864556?pt=Guitar&hash=item4d09eaccac

 

[devo_stevo]

$200 for a tummy contour???? Wowsers. That's about 10-20 minutes of work. That's a heck of a shop labor rate.

If people pay it though, that is cool with me. I wish someone would pay me that much.