Should I sell my Alembic?

[Gorn]

It's an inanimate object. A very well made, very expensive inanimate object. If you need the money or if having the money would be nice, sell it. Otherwise, don't.

 

[pcake]

you say you love it and it plays so smooth. those are strong reasons to keep it.

you also say you don't play it out. do you play it at home?

 

[mindwell]

I just sold a Smith BTG5 in Lacewood. Why? I wasn't playing it, and it didn't bring me joy. Simple as that.

 

[bobba66]

keeper!

 

[mtdkingstonheir]

Unless you absolutely have to, no.

 

[DigitalMan]

Why would not playing it out be a criteria for selling it?

 

[bassadvisor]

I don't know... Why don't you hire it to someone responsible? For a symbolic price. It's like stradvarius. They shouldn't be on display in museums. It doesn't deserve to be in a bag. My 0.02.

 

[DavC]

i sold mine ... and other similar basses that i felt were rather special/ valuable to me ... why ; because we sadly live in a world of careless jackholes that don't give a flying fig about nice stuff ..!!!!!

case/point for me ; a couple decades ago ,... i pick up my 90yr old grandmother to go to lunch at her nearby favorite Arby's ... i thought she'd get a thrill out of going for a ride in my new Porsche C4s ... the parking lot was empty ... i park fairly close to the door ... sitting there eating my sandwich watching a large older station wagon , with a family full , park right next to my new rather expensive car ... the kids take care , but big momma flings her door into my car ... = 24" crease in passenger door ...

pretty much just gave up on trying to have nice things that leave the house ... ??!!?? bummer

 

[Ewo]

Why would not playing it out be a criteria for selling it?

That's what I was thinking. IMHO it's perfectly fine to hold onto a bass even if you're not playing it much at the present. Maybe it's a memento for you; it has some special place in your musical history. Maybe you figure you might get back to playing it regularly in the future.

FWIW, I've got several basses in my closet that I prolly won't play much, anymore. But it makes me feel good to see them there. Old friends, as it were.

 

[40Hz]

Found one I could afford quite by luck back in the 80s. Had to sell it a few years after I bought it.

I'm still regretful for selling it to this day. YMMV

 

[inanimate_carb]

I lean towards regarding Alembics as possibly being family heirlooms, myself, so I’d hold onto it for that reason alone. They’re pieces of American cultural history and individual works of functional art.

These days, the replacement cost for any Alembic is astronomical. Make sure you check out what this bass costs to build right now, new, before you sell.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Sell it. Let someone who really loves it more buy it and play it out. If you are having thoughts about it you already know it's a good thing to do. Buy something then you really enjoy....

 

[john_g]

Only you can answer that, Im afraid. I am the type that if I dont use a particular bass very often I eventually want to sell it. Not sure why, I just dont like to have stuff sit unused i guess. Actually I have been thinking about selling a bass I have even though I love it. Its just not getting alot of playing time. It was the same type of bass that made me want to play in the first place back in the 80s. It sounds great but it doesnt work that well in the cover bands I play in (very mid-heavy tone, and just plain heavy...almost 13lbs) I sold a bass about a year ago that I really miss, so now I try to go by the following rule: if I sell it and miss it, how easy would it be for me to get another? If it were a Fender P or J, or something that is pretty common, I would sell it. Something like that Alembic probably doesnt come up for sale very often, so then it comes down to how bad do you think you would miss it?

 

[LT131]

No. You said you love it.

If he loves it, truly loves it, he should set it free. If it returns, then it was meant to be.

Seriously, do you not play it out cause of any reason? Is it something that you might ever feel differently about? I personally don't keep things I don't use. But, you need to be sure. If it has sentimental or other value keep it.

 

[chris_b]

If I owned it I'd gig it. As you don't intend to gig it I'd sell it and buy something that you would gig with.

 

[jazzyvee]

if you are interested in trading it, a guy from Slovakia contacted me just today who wants an alembic persuader to trade for his Ken Smith 5 string.
Drop me a PM if you decide to sell.

 

[ThePresident777]

Here's what I recommend.

Get a friend you can trust to lock you in a room with the Alembic and a bass amp cab/combo and tell him/her the following

"Love is the only thing that can save this poor Alembic, and I am going to convince it that it is loved even at the cost of my own life. No matter what you hear in there, no matter how cruelly I beg you, no matter how terribly I may scream, do not open this door or you will undo everything I have worked for. Do you understand? Do not open this door."

And stay in there until a bond of love and trust has developed between the two of you.

OK, but once the bond develops then how does he get out?

 

[2tonic]

Here's what I recommend.

Get a friend you can trust to lock you in a room with the Alembic and a bass amp cab/combo and tell him/her the following

"Love is the only thing that can save this poor Alembic, and I am going to convince it that it is loved even at the cost of my own life. No matter what you hear in there, no matter how cruelly I beg you, no matter how terribly I may scream, do not open this door or you will undo everything I have worked for. Do you understand? Do not open this door."

And stay in there until a bond of love and trust has developed between the two of you.

 

[Treebeard]

Keep this bass. Also buy another bass. Also gig the Alembic.

 

[nonohmic]

Don't sell it unless you have to. It will only increase in value..see it as a diversification of investment.