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johnny_venom
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Username: johnny_venom

Post Number: 1
Registered: 4-2003
Posted on Tuesday, April 22, 2003 - 6:15 pm:   Edit Post

Hi- I bought my first Alembic a month ago. Its an Essence 5 string fretless ser# 93 K7829. I'd like to know a bit of its history, specifically two things: The guy I bought it from said that it was originally fretted, but the original owner had the boys at the Alembic shop slap on a fretless fingerboard after the fact. True? Any record of that? Also there is a good sized blemish on the back of the body. It looks like a stain in the wood underneath the clear finish. Not that it affects the way the bass plays or even looks (its on the back side), but I am curious if you have any record of this. It seems it would have to have been there during construction. Any idea on the approximate value of this instrument?
Cheers, Johnny Venom
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 865
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Friday, April 25, 2003 - 1:31 pm:   Edit Post

Hi Johnny,

Here's what I found out about your bass, 93K7829 KLB5:

top: Flame Maple
aceent: Walnut
body: Mahogany
neck: 5 Maple with 4 Walnut pinstripes
fingerboard: Ebony no inlays
originally sold to: Rythmn City Music
birthday: August 3, 1993

It was originally a fretted bass. There isn't a repair tag in this file, but that doesn't mean we didn't do the modification, it's one of the more common ones we perform. When we do this kind of work, we replace the fingerboard, and it's essentially remanufactured and no trace of the work will be visible.

About the blemish, that is probably just what it is, a mark in the wood. It's unlikely to be a stain, since we don't use any stain here.

I'm one of those folks that just loves all wood. I love the little parts that aren't "perfect" it's what makes each one unique and wonderful.

I'm no good at aftermarket values - all I sell are the new ones. I guess I'd check eBay for completed sales as a start. I'm sure some other Club members will get you some advice on pricing.

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