| Author | Message | ||
| series_iii
Member Username: series_iii Post Number: 72 Registered: 8-2005 |
A.K.A. the steve fossen bass. a couple of guys requested pictures of this, so i shot a coupla quick ones while the wife was away...  she's a long neck for sure...  duuno if the bone nut's original  beautiful grain on the top hardly a scratch on it.  | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 4365 Registered: 5-2002 |
Beautiful! | ||
| bassfingers
Intermediate Member Username: bassfingers Post Number: 111 Registered: 11-2005 |
Great pics of a gorgeous bass,thanks for posting them. Simon. | ||
| dela217
Senior Member Username: dela217 Post Number: 713 Registered: 6-2002 |
I remember that one! It was at BassNorthwest, but not for very long. When I enquired about it, the bass was already sold. I always miss out on the good ones. Michael | ||
| 57basstra
Advanced Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 292 Registered: 4-2005 |
Very nice fretless! | ||
| rooney
New Username: rooney Post Number: 6 Registered: 7-2006 |
Those long fretless ebony necks make me wise I played bass instead of guitar sometimes. It's a beauty. | ||
| series_iii
Intermediate Member Username: series_iii Post Number: 131 Registered: 8-2005 |
i posted this in the serial number request thread, it should probably go here as well. i found the original ad from bunnybass while digging through my archives. here is the text: Builder: Alembic Model: Series I Serial Number:76 525 Options: unusual combination of small body in combination with 34" scale, hand cut silver Alembic logo on peghead, hand cut and scalloped bone nut. Case/Gigbag: black gigbag Dimensions Weight: Scale Length: 34 inches. Neck Shape: Width at Nut: 1 3/4 inches. String Width at Bridge: 2 15/16 inches. Overall Length: 47 inches. Widest: 13 1/2 inches. Construction Neck: 5 piece maple/amaranth/beech, single truss rod (old version). Fingerboard: ebony with small sterling silver dots on the side of the fingerboard. Body: american cherry body with beautiful 1/4" thick birdseye maple top and back. Finish: antique yellow satin finish. Hardware Bridge: Alembic (old version), handmade solid brass construction on 1/2 pound brass sustain block inset into the body, Alenbic tailpiece (old version), handmade solid brass plate on mahogany base. Tuners: Alembic (chrome). Strap buttons: Alembic (chrome). Outputs: 1/4" stereo phone jack, five pin XLR for use with external power supplies. Electronics Pickups: 2 Alembic single coil soapbar with monolithic ceramic magnets. 1 Alembic dummy coil pickup (middle position) for humcanceling purposes. Controls: 1 pickup selector switch (including standby position), 2 volume, 2 variable active lowpass filters, 2 3-position q-filter switches. Preamp: Alembic 18-volt preamp, military specification components used for a high level of reliability. Condition Fingerboard wear: small marks from roundwound strings on fretless ebony board. Superficial wear: very very light scratches viewable on back side and on brass plates. one small ding next to the bridge pickup. Deep wear: none. Hardware wear: light oxidation of brass on bridge and tailpiece. Pickups wear: none. Overall Condition: near mint. Curator's statement: "A wonderful instrument with a bit of a storied history - it was owned by Steve Fossen, founding member and bassist for the group Heart. This old alembic is something special, and has the same feeling of elegance and refinement that you may find in, say, a beautifully made antique cello. We here at bunnybass like Alembic basses a lot, we consider them one of the real legends of the bass world. And those made from the early 70's to around 1978 often seem to have something very, very special about them. They vary in feel a lot, and many of them feel like custom basses with real individual personalities, like they've received a lot of special care during their construction. This bass is definately feels like it received a lot of extra attention, especially in the fine carving in the neck and body - it's so round and soft! This particular Series I model is unusual in that it has the small body shape combined with a full-scale neck. After having a conversation about this bass with Alembic's very charming Mica Wickersham, we found out that there have been only 8 basses with this unique combination ever built, and with a laugh she told me that because they were so neck heavy, they hated them and that they wouldn't build one now even if someone specially requested it and was willing to pay extra for it. Too funny! But strangely enough, we can't completely share this feeling, as we here at bunnybass played this bass with a well-padded wide strap and didn't find this one dramatically head-heavy. But we _were_ dazzled by the sound and feel of the bass. Maybe we'll think about it and just keep it for ourselves!..." ~ harry, curator at the BunnyBass Museum. | ||
| hendixclarke
Junior Username: hendixclarke Post Number: 13 Registered: 6-2007 |
Now that's a bad ass bass. | ||
| hendixclarke
Junior Username: hendixclarke Post Number: 38 Registered: 6-2007 |
I have the exact fretted version of this bass. It is a charm to hold such a classic. | ||
| hendixclarke
Junior Username: hendixclarke Post Number: 39 Registered: 6-2007 |
Oh, Just click my profile link "hendixclarke" and you will see my relick...of the same dynasty. | ||
| edwin
Advanced Member Username: edwin Post Number: 276 Registered: 5-2002 |
I live about 15 minutes from this bass, so maybe I'll head down there and check it out. My gig schedule is pretty nuts for the next week or so, so it wouldn't be until next week. I do have some good connections there, so there might be some leeway. Wonder how it ended up here in Colorado. Edwin | ||
| kungfusheriff
Senior Member Username: kungfusheriff Post Number: 649 Registered: 8-2003 |
It's a long story, edwin, and one I'm not at liberty -- or especially willing -- to discuss. For the record, from what I know, there are no legal issues that will come with buying this bass so have at it. If you could try out the five-string and e-mail me your impressions (I'm in NY), I'd appreciate it very much. | ||
| dela217
Senior Member Username: dela217 Post Number: 868 Registered: 6-2002 |
I really like this one. It's just bad timing for me. I just hope someone we know gets it. You know, keep it in the family. | ||
| hendixclarke
Intermediate Member Username: hendixclarke Post Number: 199 Registered: 6-2007 |
What's for sale? Are you guys talking about the fretless Alembic? It looks like mine with frets and it was build around the same month and year (76). What's your asking price? | ||
| kungfusheriff
Senior Member Username: kungfusheriff Post Number: 650 Registered: 8-2003 |
Yes, we're talking about the bass at the top of this page -- at least one of us is nerving himself up to rescue it from Guitar Center (who are asking $3500), and the rest of us are his wingmen, I think. ;) | ||
| hendixclarke
Intermediate Member Username: hendixclarke Post Number: 200 Registered: 6-2007 |
Good luck. I wish it was out here in California... he hehee  | ||
| white_cloud
Advanced Member Username: white_cloud Post Number: 220 Registered: 11-2007 |
I would doubt that bone nut is original, Looks like a modificaton to me! Great bass all the same. love it! John | ||
| dela217
Senior Member Username: dela217 Post Number: 869 Registered: 6-2002 |
I think that the nut is original to that bass. I once had a short scale bass that I sent back to Alembic for a neck repair. I thought that since they had to remove the fingerboard, that they could replace it with a fretless fingerboard. So they did. When I got the bass back from Alembic, they also installed a bone nut. When I asked about this, I was told that it gives a more consistent tone between a fretted and open string being a fretless instrument. Makes sense I guess. They sure did an incredible job of converting that bass to a fretless. | ||
| keurosix
Advanced Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 229 Registered: 10-2005 |
John, I would bet the bone nut is the original. I previously owned the John Judge doubleneck, and it had a scalloped bone nut that was replaced with a scalloped brass nut to match the 8 string neck. Christian now owns it in Germany. He named it Peggy. Kris | ||
| toma_hawk01
Senior Member Username: toma_hawk01 Post Number: 435 Registered: 9-2009 |
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