| Author | Message | ||
| rolty
New Username: rolty Post Number: 1 Registered: 3-2008 |
Hi folks I'm new! What do you think of this? link Im keen to get a fretless Alembic, but this one seems a load more expensive than anything else Ive ever seen second hand (but with little experience)... Maybe you could give an opinion of whether the price is ok or bonkers? Thanks Guys... | ||
| artswork99
Advanced Member Username: artswork99 Post Number: 312 Registered: 7-2007 |
Hi Jim, Welcome to the club! The bass you are looking at is quite nice! You are dealing with a virtually new instrument at only 12 months old. I don't see a picture of the power supply but it is mentioned in the description (it should be a DS-5R power supply). The electronics upgrade package (quite a serious upgrade) to Series II is 5,500 USD before any of the other extras. Quite a beautiful instrument (and I'll bet it sounds GREAT!). You can play with the quote tool at http://www.alembic.com/cgi-bin/quote/quote to see US pricing for comparison. Maybe some members from the area will "chime in" in regard to its pricing. Best regard and good luck in your venture. Play it Healthy! Art (Message edited by artswork99 on March 22, 2008) | ||
| pclifton2004
Junior Username: pclifton2004 Post Number: 16 Registered: 4-2004 |
Hi, I live in the UK and I feel it is overpriced, but beautiful. Like anything in life, if it is perfect for you then you will swallow the price, but personally I think even given its nearly new status it should be £4K. New they are very expensive, but used they depreciate from that new price immediately, though they will then hold the new used value for ages. As an aside, you may well be better off waiting for one to come up in the US and importing it. They always have a crazy premium in the UK used market because they are much more rare here! | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 1131 Registered: 6-2002 |
I agree with you on the price premium we suffer here. In fact there is an excel on Ebay now which has been up for sale for weeks with no interest. It's now been reduced to £1799 which considering that's what I would expect to pay for a second hand signature bass seems high. It does look fantastic and if It was priced better I may have been interested myself. But still I' watch it with curiousity. Sometimes I think that to get a series bass or guitar It would be cheaper to bid on a USA located instrument, take a holiday there and bring it back home with me. I'm hoping to travel there to catch one date of the RTF tour, not sure where yet but if I could afford to pick up a series bass/guitar whilst there that would be fantastic. Jazzyvee | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 1132 Registered: 6-2002 |
I agree with you on the price premium we suffer here. In fact there is an excel on Ebay now which has been up for sale for weeks with no interest. It's now been reduced to £1799 which considering that's what I would expect to pay for a second hand signature bass seems high. It does look fantastic and if It was priced better I may have been interested myself. But still I' watch it with curiousity. Sometimes I think that to get a series bass or guitar It would be cheaper to bid on a USA located instrument, take a holiday there and bring it back home with me. I'm hoping to travel there to catch one date of the RTF tour, not sure where yet but if I could afford to pick up a series bass/guitar whilst there that would be fantastic. Jazzyvee | ||
| rolty
New Username: rolty Post Number: 2 Registered: 3-2008 |
Hey thanks guys thats all really useful information, I too feel its a bit expensive as Ive noticed how difficult it is to sell fretless basses, they seem to get re-listed time and time again... I will keep an eye on this instrument, Im also slightly put off by the fact its short scale as I am used to 34" instruments. I guess the only way to get exactly what you want is order one to personal spec from the factory! | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 985 Registered: 2-2005 |
Alembic will only make the small standard body with a short scale neck due to balancing issues. I have both short scale and 34" scale basses and really don't have any problems switching between them. If you play them often enough your fingers remember which bass they are playing. Keith | ||
| pclifton2004
Junior Username: pclifton2004 Post Number: 17 Registered: 4-2004 |
I love them both for their own things. And yes, Jazzyvee - finding a good used series bass in USA and taking a trip to pick it up is the best way forward. For £4000 I would expect to pick up a great condition series bass, and have a few days vacation and a flight! There were a couple of great series Is on here recently - one just came up on Ebay again - maple point body. Worth travelling for if a series is what you are after. I actually had a medium scale small body signature once - it was totally neck heavy so I can see why Mica is reluctant to let folk custom order them that way. | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 1136 Registered: 6-2002 |
Keith I agree. I have both short and long scale alembics and switching between the two is fine and as you say fingers seem to get calibrated for each instrument after time. If someone wants that bass enough it will sell. If It was a much better price it, for me it would be worth buying and getting it converted to fretted. Although If I had it converted outside alembic my concern would be whether the series electronics would need to be re-calibrated as I hear that stage mentioned in the factory to customer section. Anyway time for the day to get going. Jazzyvee | ||
| rolty
New Username: rolty Post Number: 3 Registered: 3-2008 |
Convert it to fretted? Sacrilege! Theres few enough lovely fretless instruments out there for us fretless only players as it is....  | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 1140 Registered: 6-2002 |
Well dig deep my friend I'm not going for it. :-) | ||
| rolty
New Username: rolty Post Number: 4 Registered: 3-2008 |
To tell you the truth I am digging deep and since it didnt sell on ebay I have been entering into what is termed private negotiations, and Im hoping to go and see/try the instrument on Friday! Will keep you posted on whether I become a 'proper' member of the Alembic club, I have been reading a lot of the faqs and must reads and my eyes are opened so wide theyre boggling! | ||
| pclifton2004
Junior Username: pclifton2004 Post Number: 19 Registered: 4-2004 |
good luck negotiating! find out who got MY bass lol | ||
| rolty
New Username: rolty Post Number: 6 Registered: 3-2008 |
Well I drove up to see tha bass, and yes I dug deep and I came home with it. Mike who was selling it turned out to be a hell of a good guy and threw in 3 sets of strings and a set of straplocks as well. The new baby is going out on the first gig of her life tonight.... cant keep a lovely instrument like this in the case I'm afraid! Pics for those of you who like them at Showcase Page | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6389 Registered: 5-2002 |
Congrats!! That's a great bass! | ||
| rolty
New Username: rolty Post Number: 7 Registered: 3-2008 |
Tahnks Dave, as I say we gigged last night and I had the time of my life! I was amazed at how the lower notes are so clear right down to the E and the higher register is equally smooth. The band commented on how much clearer and solid the bass was. All that and stunning looks too! I find the short scale is no problem. Even though I only had a couple of hours to practise, intonation was fine, with very little inclination to run sharp on the fingering after switching from long scale. I plan on keeping this baby for a LONG time! Thanks too to everybody for the help and expertise offered me in this thread |
