Author |
Message |
mike1762
Senior Member Username: mike1762
Post Number: 543 Registered: 1-2008
| Posted on Monday, May 17, 2010 - 6:37 pm: | |
Here is a VERY bad fake being offered on CL: http://hattiesburg.craigslist.org/msg/1744567268.html |
artswork99
Moderator Username: artswork99
Post Number: 1124 Registered: 7-2007
| Posted on Monday, May 17, 2010 - 6:50 pm: | |
Mike, thanks for bringing this to the attention of the club. Here are Mica's comments on fake/counterfeit Alembics. (Message edited by artswork99 on May 17, 2010) |
enzo
Advanced Member Username: enzo
Post Number: 221 Registered: 4-2009
| Posted on Monday, May 17, 2010 - 7:10 pm: | |
Fake AND ugly! |
mike1762
Senior Member Username: mike1762
Post Number: 544 Registered: 1-2008
| Posted on Monday, May 17, 2010 - 7:28 pm: | |
Hey Art I Emailed him that post after I saw the listing. We will see if he does the right thing. I got the impression that he really thinks it's an Alembic. |
artswork99
Moderator Username: artswork99
Post Number: 1125 Registered: 7-2007
| Posted on Monday, May 17, 2010 - 7:49 pm: | |
Thanks Mike! It's hard for some to understand when they have a bass with a decal on it. The last time I remember seeing one of these the seller participated here and responded favorably once it was understood. I hope we have a good outcome this time as well. It's hard for a buyer that may not know where to find such information and CL is even more vast than the eBay route. |
u14steelgtr
Intermediate Member Username: u14steelgtr
Post Number: 107 Registered: 7-2003
| Posted on Monday, May 17, 2010 - 7:54 pm: | |
"Asking $200 OBO" indicates to me that the seller knows what they have. I have a real Alembic of Santa Rosa that is uglier than that bass. But ugly as it is I do think that it plays well. -E |
mike1762
Senior Member Username: mike1762
Post Number: 545 Registered: 1-2008
| Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 3:26 am: | |
Most kids (and even some big-boy players) only have a passing familiarity with Alembic and just know what the headstock says. If you had given me that bass 30 years ago, I would have thought I had an Alembic... of course I was pretty STUPID 30 years ago. The ad is still up; therefore, a call from Mica might be in order. |
pas
Advanced Member Username: pas
Post Number: 235 Registered: 3-2003
| Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 6:23 am: | |
Caveat Emptor... |
serialnumber12
Senior Member Username: serialnumber12
Post Number: 739 Registered: 12-2004
| Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 7:05 am: | |
it's a shame ive seen one of those sell for $800.00 |
artswork99
Moderator Username: artswork99
Post Number: 1127 Registered: 7-2007
| Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 7:37 am: | |
yes sad... that's why we try to help here! |
mica
Moderator Username: mica
Post Number: 6749 Registered: 6-2000
| Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 9:57 am: | |
Well, the author decided to delete the listing after I informed them about what they were selling. Thanks everyone. I hope they reply to my email about information how they obtained the instrument. I would so love to talk to the man making these. |
jedisan
Intermediate Member Username: jedisan
Post Number: 130 Registered: 3-2008
| Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 4:26 pm: | |
Well, shoot... I was too late to see the post, as it had been deleted already. I really would have liked to have seen this one. Maybe next time the OP who finds the listing on CL, can do a copy and paste of the image and text, so we can all have a chance to see the content. Just a thought. (Message edited by jedisan on May 18, 2010) |
kenner
New Username: kenner
Post Number: 6 Registered: 4-2010
| Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 6:11 am: | |
Maybe it was here or talkbass (I don't remember which), that had a thread that orginated from CL listing about this particular bass being for sale at a pawn shop in Texas not long ago...... |
fc_spoiler
Senior Member Username: fc_spoiler
Post Number: 1123 Registered: 5-2006
| Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 8:12 am: | |
It was something like this: Though I think another Font was used. |
hifiguy
Advanced Member Username: hifiguy
Post Number: 224 Registered: 10-2006
| Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 8:43 am: | |
Wow, that is not even a fake - that's just sticking the lipstick on a pig. Who, on doing the most basic Google research, would believe this beater bass could possibly be an Alembic?? In the words of Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, "this one is BUSTED!" |
keith_h
Moderator Username: keith_h
Post Number: 1614 Registered: 2-2005
| Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 9:25 am: | |
A lot of folks don't know that much about Alembic other than the name. Most of these seem to originate out of Texas which leads me to believe they are counterfeited there or just over the border in Mexico. Keith |
jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee
Post Number: 1950 Registered: 6-2002
| Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 10:08 am: | |
Now that is just fugly...!!! |
kenner
New Username: kenner
Post Number: 7 Registered: 4-2010
| Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 10:44 am: | |
yup...the above pic is the one I heard about... |
longhorncat
Advanced Member Username: longhorncat
Post Number: 365 Registered: 8-2005
| Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 12:04 pm: | |
The original slime that made these basses basses was selling them to pawn shops where the value would be established by looking in the Orion Blue book - i.e. no pictures. The volume made can't be very high, these were probably done by one or two people (in Houston) over the course of a few years. Here is a web site by a person that got scammed: http://untweb.tripod.com/mgalfor.htm |
bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee
Post Number: 2446 Registered: 3-2004
| Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 5:06 pm: | |
There's an F2-B clone on ebay now, too. At least that one looks like a quality piece, though I still find the concept offensive. |
hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum
Post Number: 798 Registered: 3-2004
| Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2010 - 7:52 am: | |
I'd feel worse about the F2-B clone if Alembic hadn't "borrowed" the original circuit from Fender. There's no honor among circuit boards. |
sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus
Post Number: 949 Registered: 5-2009
| Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2010 - 8:07 am: | |
I contacted the Seller regarding the origin of the preamp unit . His reply was that it had been built by an" independent tech 6 years ago" . If you read his description on ebay it looks like the seller has used a "COPIED" written description on the ebay listing from Alembic Inc. as well, It seems to me that this in not really correct eBay procedure. Perhaps it is not even completely legal ? Look at his low positive feedback % figure .Perhaps this is another matter for Mica ? (Message edited by sonicus on May 20, 2010) |
artswork99
Moderator Username: artswork99
Post Number: 1132 Registered: 7-2007
| Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2010 - 8:39 am: | |
I made Mica aware of the F2-B clone the day it was posted. Thanks! |
hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum
Post Number: 799 Registered: 3-2004
| Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2010 - 9:57 am: | |
I would guess that copying and pasting the text isn't allowed under copyright law, but I don't believe there's any recourse regarding the product itself. Granted, I'm no lawyer, nor do I play one on TV. I'm just going from what I've read. |
mica
Moderator Username: mica
Post Number: 6752 Registered: 6-2000
| Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2010 - 12:52 pm: | |
I wrote to the seller about the lifted text. Heck, the F-2B itself is largely copied from Tom Walker's design for Fender (of course, I am quite upfront about that fact even in our own sales literature). Hopefully they will amend their listing. If they relist without amending, I'll have to contact ebay, though I really don't like having to do that. |