| Author | Message | ||
| lbpesq
Junior Username: lbpesq Post Number: 26 Registered: 7-2004 |
There is a very interesting Alembic guitar on E-bay. It is being listed as a Distillate with some electronic mods, but the old stuff is included. I've e-mailed the seller for a serial number and more info on the mods. I'll ask Mica or Val for the build records when I get the number. Anyone know anything about these single pick up axes? I've never seen one like it before. link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=47064&item=3751042579&rd=1 Bill, the guitar one | ||
| lbpesq
Junior Username: lbpesq Post Number: 27 Registered: 7-2004 |
I just checked out the seller's feedback, his previous history and the history of a couple of the "people" he dealt with and his other items for sale (1890 Martin w/ original case starting at $1600!). Also he appears to have bought four items using "buy it now" from the same seller all within minutes of being posted, including a $6200 motorcycle without any pictures!. A couple of the "people" he previously dealt with are "no longer registered user" Big red flag on this one. (Boy, I feel like "Monk" with all this detecting. BTW, if you haven't seen Tony Shaloub as "Monk", check it out. Great show). Bill, the guitar one | ||
| adriaan
Advanced Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 329 Registered: 6-2002 |
As to the authenticity of the pictured instrument, funny though it may be to consider a single pick-up Alembic with a brass pickguard, those are exactly the specs for a series of Distillate basses and guitars built for the Japanese market in the 1980s. | ||
| valvil
Moderator Username: valvil Post Number: 541 Registered: 7-2002 |
Yep. Adriaan's right, this was made for the Japanese market, most likely in 1981. I have a bass like it. Valentino | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 1625 Registered: 9-2002 |
Well ...it IS a nice guitar. In a "weird" kinda way. I really wonder how they sound?! PTBO | ||
| lbpesq
Junior Username: lbpesq Post Number: 29 Registered: 7-2004 |
I just noticed another booger about this ad. The E-bay item location says "London", but the body of the ad claims: "This may be the only Alembic 6 string guitar in NZ" I remember when England sold the London Bridge to Arizona, but it completely slipped by me that London was sold to New Zealand! I don't think I'll be sending this guy any $. Bill, the guitar one | ||
| lbpesq
Junior Username: lbpesq Post Number: 32 Registered: 7-2004 |
BEWARE - THIS LISTING IS A FRAUD. I e-mailed the one guy who had left negative feedback for the seller. He had bought a 24 track board from the same guy now "selling" the Alembic and got a run around about how the board was in San Francisco while the seller was in England and that the buyer should send a Western Union transfer to Italy, etc. etc. etc. The buyer offered to drive to S.F. pick up the board and hand over the $ there. Seller said no. Also refused paypal, insisted on money to Italy in a "friend's" name. This sounds familiar to me. A couple of months back I was the winning bider for a listing on e-bay that was lifted from the October 2002 custom on this site and the guy wanted me to wire the $ by Western Union to Italy. You have to be careful on e-bay. Bill, the guitar one | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 519 Registered: 9-2003 |
Where's Poor Nigel when you need him? | ||
| poor_nigel
Advanced Member Username: poor_nigel Post Number: 221 Registered: 7-2003 |
"You have to be careful on e-bay." Amen, Brother Bill. I am currently avoiding eBay and PayPal until they get better control over these con artists and hackers. Well, unless there is a five-string Series II with spiffy woods, some nice options, and an omega cut (We all have our little glitches) for next to nothing listed. I might (I would!) crawl out of my self-built Internet bunker for that. However, I would definitely use Escrow or pick it up in person these days. BTW - Great work Bill! You might have saved a fellow Alembitian from getting burned. Shame it is against the law to hunt these people down and hang them. Just kidding, hopefully . . . | ||
| valvil
Moderator Username: valvil Post Number: 544 Registered: 7-2002 |
Now that I think about it, I believe this guitar was offered on auction a few months ago and I exchanged e-mails with the gentleman who won the auction when he contacted Alembic to find out the guitar's history. He was in New Zealand as a matter of fact, like the original legit seller. Valentino | ||
| poor_nigel
Advanced Member Username: poor_nigel Post Number: 223 Registered: 7-2003 |
Hey Valentino. Your words carry a lot of weight to validate the auction. However, it is pretty much the American way to hang em first and ask questions later. Considering the e-mail Bill got from one of his previous 'customers,' I would still be very suspicious and wait for a safer transaction to come along. | ||
| valvil
Moderator Username: valvil Post Number: 545 Registered: 7-2002 |
Hello Nigel, I'm not exactly sure what you meant in your above post, I was not validating the auction, if that's what you were thinking; to make sure my previous post was not misunderstood, let me clarify that I also think it's likely to be a scam. The man I exchanged e-mails with was ecstatic about the guitar, so I doubt he sold it so soon. Sorry if my post was not clear. Valentino | ||
| poor_nigel
Advanced Member Username: poor_nigel Post Number: 225 Registered: 7-2003 |
Valentino. Not a problem. Glad I said something, so you added the next post. I am a bit thick at times, so I need things spelled out for me once in a while. Thanks. | ||
| lbpesq
Junior Username: lbpesq Post Number: 36 Registered: 7-2004 |
I just checked e-bay and noticed that the goniff "selling" this guitar is no longer registered as an e-bay user. I had notified e-bay and warned a guy bidding on the seller's "1890 Martin". Maybe the world is now a little safer????? Bill, the guitar one | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 543 Registered: 9-2003 |
Good for you, Bill! Screw the scumbag(s) I say, LOL! Maybe the Alembic Police can help make EBAY a safe place for Alembicians everywhere, LOL! There's no need to fear, Alembic-dog is here! Excuse my sillines: Seriously, it's appreciated that there are people on the site, as well as Mica, who are looking out for the best interests of the Alembic collective. | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 544 Registered: 9-2003 |
Good for you, Bill! Screw the scumbag(s) I say, LOL! Maybe the Alembic Police can help make EBAY a safe place for Alembicians everywhere, LOL! There's no need to fear, Alembic-dog is here! Excuse my silliness: Seriously, it's appreciated that there are people on the site, as well as Mica, who are looking out for the best interests of the Alembic collective. |
