| Author | Message | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6512 Registered: 5-2002 |
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| dela217
Senior Member Username: dela217 Post Number: 898 Registered: 6-2002 |
Don't do it. | ||
| tbrannon
Senior Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 736 Registered: 11-2004 |
My gosh- that is stunning. I don't think I've ever seen this bass before Dave. I agree with Michael. Don't do it. | ||
| artswork99
Advanced Member Username: artswork99 Post Number: 348 Registered: 7-2007 |
Beautiful bass Dave! | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6513 Registered: 5-2002 |
Michael and Toby, thank you for your advice. I appreciate the sentiment and admit that it's hard to let this instrument go; however, it's just not being played. And due to a significant reduction in my work load, and a correspondingly significant impact on cash flow, I'm thinking this would be a good time to sell it and a couple others that aren't getting played. And it looks like I have finally found a fretted series six string, which I think will become my main bass. So selling this bass will make picking up the six string a little easier. And I agree, I love the Zebrawood grain contrast and pattern, and the balance point body shape. And the color of the Mahogany is especially nice. It looks really nice on a stand in my music room; but it's not getting played. Condition. The fingerboard is marked from roundwound use, but the surface feels smooth. Otherwise, it looks to me to be in excellent condition; I haven't noticed any blemishes. The bass was built in 2000; I acquired it in 2002. | ||
| byoung
Senior Member Username: byoung Post Number: 1026 Registered: 12-2004 |
Does it have any fret markers (sidelines or dots)? | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6519 Registered: 5-2002 |
Yes, side dots. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6521 Registered: 5-2002 |
An emailer asked for details. - Original hard shell case in excellent condition. - Zebrawood top, Mahogany body, and what looks to me to be a Purpleheart veneer setting the top off from the body. - Balance Point body. - 5 piece Maple set neck with Walnut veneers. - Ebony fingerboard with side dot position markers. - 34" scale comfort taper neck. - Europa electronics with side mount jack. Several emailers have asked about price; and I don't yet know. My plan was to put it up here and see what kind of response I received. This combination of features just doesn't come up often enough on Ebay to get any sense of market price. I plugged it in to my rig yesterday and played for a while; and it sounds wonderful. This is the only bass I have with Europa electronics, and their versatility is readily apparent on this bass. In my view, the Europa electronics package is a significant upgrade over a standard fretless Orion. And I think the Standard Point body and this top are pretty cool. Other than the roundwound marks on the fingerboard, the condition is excellent. And some of you may have heard of the seller before; which, in my view, is a significant upgrade over buying off of Ebay. Going through the exercise of writing this post, I think I'm slowing coming to what I think a reasonable value for this bass might be. Feel free to email suggestions. | ||
| eflat
Junior Username: eflat Post Number: 20 Registered: 11-2006 |
I have never been a fan of the look of Zebrawood, but this one is the exception! The whole package I think does it, the body shape, the narrow pickups that blend in so well without interrupting the flow of the laminate. Best of luck on the sale, and if I fall into some cash.....  | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6561 Registered: 5-2002 |
Several members have emailed asking if I've come up with a price yet. So I'll send out something to you today. If anyone else is interested, send me an email. Thanks! | ||
| rolty
Junior Username: rolty Post Number: 13 Registered: 3-2008 |
Yes its delicious... Now come on dont be shy, what's it worth to you. Or maybe you sold it already? | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6619 Registered: 5-2002 |
Hi Jim. Supposedly, I have a pending sale; however, I haven't heard from the buyer in several days, so I'm not sure where we are. I also have another interested party waiting in the wings. As for shipping oversees, I've never shipped a bass oversees, and I have no idea what's involved. And as for shyness, you are certainly welcome to email me what it's worth to you! | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6674 Registered: 5-2002 |
Bump. This bass is still available. | ||
| thebass
Advanced Member Username: thebass Post Number: 243 Registered: 3-2003 |
Email sent to davehouck @ davehouck . com | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6763 Registered: 5-2002 |
Hi Werner; I did receive your email, I just haven't had a chance to think through a response. I'm unsure about shipping to Europe. My feeling is that it's problematic, but I don't know that for sure; or if I did know, I've forgotten. I need to look in to what's involved. If anybody has any recent experience shipping a bass from the US to Europe, please feel free to post your experiences, suggestions, and a general description of what's involved. | ||
| hasadari
Advanced Member Username: hasadari Post Number: 219 Registered: 6-2005 |
If you call a FedEx store, they will walk you through the process. I did the same when I sold my MK4 to ghostyhead in New Zealand recently. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6766 Registered: 5-2002 |
Thanks Robert! | ||
| dannobasso
Senior Member Username: dannobasso Post Number: 792 Registered: 3-2004 |
I just sent an sf2 to Germany and the shipping store took care of everything. Its not cheap though but our European friends are on the plus side of the monetary exchange. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6769 Registered: 5-2002 |
Not cheap. I guess one of the issues might be getting a good estimate of total shipping costs before actually shipping the bass. | ||
| dannobasso
Senior Member Username: dannobasso Post Number: 794 Registered: 3-2004 |
Dave, fedex has an estimate page where you put in dimensions, weight, destination and insurance. It will most likely be hundreds. http://www.fedex.com/ratefinder/home?cc=US&language=en | ||
| thebass
Advanced Member Username: thebass Post Number: 244 Registered: 3-2003 |
Dave, when shipping to Europe (Germany in my case) german customs office is mainly asking for a customs value declaration bill so that they are able to calculate the correct customs and tax payments. I will have to pay 19% VAT + 3,7% Tax (Musical Instrument) on the declared value and shipping. USPS charges $140 for shipping (Priority Mail International), UPS (Air Freight Consolidated) is about the same. FedEx charges for the same package approx. $340 which seems incredibly high to me. Maybe I did a mistake with the cost estimator. I had my last shipments done with USPS and never had any trouble with them. Choose Priority Mail International and complete the customs declaration Form PS 2976-A. Before shipping please ensure that you note my adress and phone number on the adress label. When the package arrives in Germany to the nearest customs office next to me (Cologne or Wuppertal) they will call me to pick it up and pay customs and tax. Therefore it is handy to have the customs declaration bill accessible without having to open the package. That's all. | ||
| white_cloud
Advanced Member Username: white_cloud Post Number: 380 Registered: 11-2007 |
Let me tell you this Alembic lovers - living in europe (especially the outrageous tax rip off that is Britain)is very painful when trying to source Alembics. Dave Im sad that you have to let this one go - it is quite outstanding. Life is cruel! John. | ||
| tbrannon
Senior Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 812 Registered: 11-2004 |
Werner, Perhaps it's different because it's to Europe, but when Charles shipped the Rogue I currently own to me in New Zealand we found that the box size exceeded the allowable limits for USPS. Charles didn't pick an extraordinarily large box- it was as large as it needed to be in order to protect the bass. I'm not sure USPS will take a box large enough to take one of the G&G Alembic cases to any International destination. Have you used USPS to ship basses recently? My experience is only to the South Pacific, so I may be off, but I've always found that FedEx was competitive price wise, if not slightly cheaper than UPS, DHL or any of the other major international carriers. | ||
| thebass
Advanced Member Username: thebass Post Number: 245 Registered: 3-2003 |
Well, you might be right Toby. I really don't know if there was size limitation shipping with USPS. I bought a Lakland from the US in April and had it shipped by USPS but with neck dismounted. Rather to protect the bass during shipping than to save cost. When I was checking the cost yesterday (as listed above) I checked the UPS cost for a box of 130cm x 50cm x 20cm and 40 lbs. weight. UPS was listing $133 (Air Freight Consolidated) from Alembic factory (that's an adress I know in the US :-) to my house. I guess this should work. FedEx (and TNT also) was way more expensive, even at their lowest rates. As mentioned, it's possible that I made an error entering the data, but I checked it twice with the same result. No transfer for less than $340. Any help welcome. BTW: Don't waste money with ensurance. Not even worth spending one cent for it. I learned an expensive lesson 4 years ago loosing one shipment via TNT. They just covered approx. 25% of my loss just because it was used as well. To make it even worse I was just left plain stunned after the stupid TNT office geek told me that "... a high insurance would even make thieves aware, that it might be worth stealing it...". This guy is just lucky to be still alive. F*** them ! | ||
| thebass
Advanced Member Username: thebass Post Number: 247 Registered: 3-2003 |
This one will stay in the Alembic Club and has found a new home in my house in Germany. The pictures couldn't really catch the beautiful zebrawood top. It looks much better in reality. BTW: shipping was $127.50 with USPS. USPS shipping time took ten days including weekends and another nine (!) days in german customs. | ||
| artswork99
Senior Member Username: artswork99 Post Number: 404 Registered: 7-2007 |
Congratulations Werner! Enjoy that Beauty. Play it Healthy! Art | ||
| klinkepeter
Junior Username: klinkepeter Post Number: 21 Registered: 2-2008 |
Hi folks, there is a better, safer and cheeper way to get intruments of this size to europe, you or a friend of you just takes the intrument on board of an overseeflight, I made the experience that it is better to buy or bring an extra softcase and take the bass with you in the cabin ,itīs just safer, the hardcase just to the baggade. So you can also avoid extra money like taxes and VAT because they treat you as it is your own intrument and you are on tour. I did this for at least 10 years with my upright bass because I was playing every year a tour in US until I became a father of 2 children not having time for this anymore and I never made a declaration for the bass before the flight. Actually the Series I I bought last year in New Jersey came the same way with a friend of mine. Also if you think about all the expenses including taxes and so on it might be sensefull just to get yourself a flight. |
