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room037
Intermediate Member
Username: room037

Post Number: 149
Registered: 9-2003
Posted on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 6:09 am:   Edit Post

I got (probable) the first brochure in Japan.
There are 3 Guitars and 1 Bass with serial No. AE013 to 016.
AE015 was made at 1975.

AE-013AE-014
AE-015AE-016

Brochure

By the way, how many build Serial No. "AE-"and "AC-" products ?
I found "AC-418" at "Stolen Instruments" section.
It has regular products No.418 with "AC-".
But other AC and AE instruments have own lower No.
(for ex. AE-015 was made 1975, but No.15 was made 1972)
I am curious about these confusion.

Eiji

(Message edited by room037 on March 06, 2007)

(Message edited by room037 on March 06, 2007)
adriaan
Senior Member
Username: adriaan

Post Number: 1307
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 6:56 am:   Edit Post

Check the Serial Number Guide.

Looks like the AE numbers were specially built for the Japanese distributor, and perhaps they had a "private" serial number, starting at 1. Or perhaps these were model numbers?

The AC numbers seem to have been part of the main serial number system.
room037
Intermediate Member
Username: room037

Post Number: 150
Registered: 9-2003
Posted on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 8:10 am:   Edit Post

Of course, I know the serial number guide.
AE numbers were prepared for export.
But I know only 4 instruments (for Japan) that I posted.
How about the products for Europe ?

I found these AC numbers in archives.
" 75' AC-025", " 75' AC-033", " 76' AC-070"
(Serial No.33 (SSB) was made 1973.)

And more, Smithsonian Bass has serial No. "74' o13", and Dela217 has "74' A013".

Eiji
hieronymous
Intermediate Member
Username: hieronymous

Post Number: 118
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 8:40 am:   Edit Post

Hi Eiji - first, let me say that your collection of Alembics is SUGOI! (In other words, AMAZING!)

That catalog is very cool too! I like the way they spell Alembic with a chisai "mu".
room037
Intermediate Member
Username: room037

Post Number: 151
Registered: 9-2003
Posted on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 9:05 am:   Edit Post

Hi hieronymous,

Thank you for the comment.
I heard about you from my friend "to 81 0190".
Your double neck AC-025 is "SAIKOU !" and one of my favorite !

70's serial No. is very curious.
Does your bass has another serial No. ?
75's Main serial No. range are 130+ (74' 130, 75' 139) to 250+ (75' 251, 76' 256).
If your bass has another No. on this range, It meens main No. and AC No. are parallel.

Eiji
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 4219
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 9:12 am:   Edit Post

Sorry Eiji, but we haven't taken a survey of how many of each type of serial number we issued. AE and AC are different series of number for sure, there will be the same number in each each series and in the main series.

It's a project I plan to do at some point, to carefully review the early serial numbers, but I haven't had the time to do it yet.
hieronymous
Intermediate Member
Username: hieronymous

Post Number: 119
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 11:10 am:   Edit Post

Hi Eiji san - the serial numbers on the doubleneck are actually a little bit more complicated than just AC-025 - there are slightly different numbers on each headstock!

Unfortunately, I don't think I have time to look until next week, but I will let you know!
room037
Intermediate Member
Username: room037

Post Number: 152
Registered: 9-2003
Posted on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 2:44 pm:   Edit Post

Hi Mica,

Thank you for your reply.
OK, I understand the products are main series (about 600 before 76') + AE, AC.
Latest AC is AC-070 that I know, becouse there were over 700 products before 76'.

Hi Hieronymous,
I am very interested each headstock have different numbers!

Eiji
dela217
Senior Member
Username: dela217

Post Number: 774
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 4:10 pm:   Edit Post

That bass with the cream pickups looks really cool. It almost looks like this one. Could be from the same slice of wood.

http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/13368.html?1165501171

I have also owned 75 Ao49 and 76 Ao62. That numbers thing always intrigued me.
eastcoastepic
Intermediate Member
Username: eastcoastepic

Post Number: 199
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 8:25 pm:   Edit Post

Hi Mica,
Number AE-016 is very unique and, as Alembic body styles go, quite unorthodox, save for the knobby headstock & heart omega. Was this a custom order, or just a random idea for a body style? Was/is there a name for this body style?
(You know how inquisitive we board members are when something really different comes along) :-)
Thanks for the pics, eiji....
byoung
Senior Member
Username: byoung

Post Number: 530
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 8:57 pm:   Edit Post

If they don't have a name for it, maybe the small standard acid trip would work.

:-)
valvil
Moderator
Username: valvil

Post Number: 994
Registered: 7-2002
Posted on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 9:25 pm:   Edit Post

There's a copy of that framed at Alembic in the hallway.
I tried convincing Susan to re-make AE-16, what I called the Flying V with the pointy bits & heart omega (not with the inlay though), but she said no way. Not unless someone asks for it, which of course makes perfect sense, that's not a cheap instrument to make. Also I don't know if there's a template for it. I think this may have been a one-of-a-kind; Susan or Mica would likely know.

Valentino
georgie_boy
Intermediate Member
Username: georgie_boy

Post Number: 192
Registered: 8-2005
Posted on Wednesday, March 07, 2007 - 3:14 am:   Edit Post

I have AE76 069
It's a Series 1 bass completed on 31st March 1976.
You can see it in my profile.

George
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 2162
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Wednesday, March 07, 2007 - 7:17 am:   Edit Post

I don't think the info above about 600 Series instruments manufactured before 1976 is accurate. I have Serial Number 76-476,a Series I guitar. Another member recently sold a 1976 Series Bass numbered 76-275. So there must have been less than 300 built prior to '76. I wonder if '76 was the first year of more expanded production as Alembic was shifting from a sonic jack-of-all-trades to primarily an instrument builder.?

Bill, tgo
room037
Intermediate Member
Username: room037

Post Number: 153
Registered: 9-2003
Posted on Sunday, March 11, 2007 - 1:51 am:   Edit Post

Hi Bill,
Sorry for your confusion.
I was talking about S/N included 1976.
I found these numbers in my archives "76-581" and "77-621".
Because main series number was around 600 at the end of 76'.

By the way, I heard from the owner of AE-15.
The serial number "AE" was cut by hand, not embossed.

Eiji
hieronymous
Intermediate Member
Username: hieronymous

Post Number: 123
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Sunday, March 11, 2007 - 9:36 pm:   Edit Post

Hi Eiji! Finally got back and looked at the serial numbers. On the baritone neck, it says 75-025, and on the fretless neck it says AC 025. They look embossed to me. I can't decide which order the numbers should be read in! Dochira no junban ni yonda hou ga ii ka wakarimasen. Shashin mo totta kedo, amari yokunai node ato de mata totte, okurimasu.

I forgot that the "AC" designation means it was custom made for Canada! It ended up back pretty close to its birthplace!

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