| Author | Message | ||
| gtrguy
Senior Member Username: gtrguy Post Number: 854 Registered: 9-2004 |
Just saw this ad, know nothing more: http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/msg/4937207838.html | ||
| enzo
Senior Member Username: enzo Post Number: 440 Registered: 4-2009 |
Is the name Alembic thrown in there because the body shape resembles a bit or I missed a logo somewhere? On my cell is not that clear. | ||
| neyman
Intermediate Member Username: neyman Post Number: 142 Registered: 7-2002 |
This bass showed up on the Spokane WA Craigslist 2 days ago for $600. I missed it by about an hour. He's probably throwing out the Alembic style comparison to make a profit. Its a late 70's Polytone Contempo. | ||
| elwoodblue
Senior Member Username: elwoodblue Post Number: 1569 Registered: 6-2002 |
Reminds me of the Acoustic 'Black Widow' line. | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 8468 Registered: 6-2000 |
I contacted the seller, and they are changing the listing to say Alembic style. I told them I appreciated it though I struggled to see the resemblance. They did take the acoustic guitar picture out as I suggested, so I guess I did help! I mean really, the shape is symmetrical, with a wide cut that I guess you can think of as an Omega. With the binding, the bolt on neck, on-piece bridge, and black paint, it really looks like an Alembic... not. This one really bugged me. I wrote a very nice message to explain, and the seller insists on spamming with our name. Oh well, when people are defensive it must mean they are either used to being attacked or attack other people. I hope it sells quickly, so that I won't get any other inquiries about it :-\ | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 2347 Registered: 9-2002 |
These were Japanese (actually built by Terada in Japan, another of the 'behind the scenes' builders for brand names, like Matsomoku, Greco, and Tokai, for instance) imports for the Polytone amp company in LA. Like a lot of amp companies, they figured 'why not sell guitars too?' and this bass and some 'jazzy' guitars rounded out the line. Polytone was real popular with 60's/70's jazzers, and in old interviews with 'Wrecking Crew' era SoCal players like Carol King and Joe Osborn or Ray Brown, you'll see references to the Mini-Brute amps, which were the cool setup for jazzers in those days, Benson used one a lot. And they're still around, still in business, albeit with amps only: http://polytoneamps.com/index.html This 'look' is fairly typical if you remember these 'other' brand guitars, like Westone, Electra, etc. After Alembic and Stars Guitars, brass was the s--t, and you see a lot of that school of axe with all sorts of big, cludgy brass bridges (anybody remember that massive DiMarzio aftermarket brass bridge?), brass knobs, nuts, etc. The idea was that these heavy parts would add sustain, completely missing Alembic's original idea of using this stuff to isolate the string vibration from the body. But boy it was just the thing to hot-rod your sled with back then. Big Voodoo. Revoltingly, the really cheap stuff would turn green like bad costume jewelry. Funky ! ! Like most of these ill-informed, slightly huckster-ish ads, it's about as Alembic as a barn door. Joey | ||
| elwoodblue
Senior Member Username: elwoodblue Post Number: 1585 Registered: 6-2002 |
So now it's in Spokane ?? http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Vintage-79-Polytone-alembic-Bass-Contempo-Japan-Lawsuit-Ibanez-AMAZING-/131478730016?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e9cbe3520 | ||
| enzo
Senior Member Username: enzo Post Number: 455 Registered: 4-2009 |
At least it states it has nothing to do with Alembic basses | ||
| elwoodblue
Senior Member Username: elwoodblue Post Number: 1586 Registered: 6-2002 |
True, What's with capitalizing I banez ,and not Alembic? /rant ;) |
