Unbranded Alembic converted to lefty

[tim]

https://reverb.com/item/32744488-alembi ... conversion

I cannot reconcile the description with the price:

"Awesome repaired Alembic bass from the 70's possibly into the 80's. This bass had a head-stock repair and it was professionally done. This bass has fret wear all the way through as you can see in the pictures. This bass plays with good action and does not fret out despite the wear. Frets could use work of course. Most of the dings are on the sides of the body, nothing major. This bass also started out right handed and was converted to left-handed. Truss rod plate was lost and a new one was made. Phaser circuit is fully working as is all electronics and pickups. The pickups are missing some screws as you can see in the photos. Very nice older bass. This is not a stock bass from Alembic since it does not have the original Alembic emblem. These would have been made by someone who worked there for their own use."

Converted from righty, headstock broken and repaired, frets worn to bumps, lost truss rod plate, missing pickup screws, not branded Alembic and has no emblem. $7,000.

[AzWhoFan]

Poor bastardized lil guy <sniff>.
No serial number on the copper plate at the bottom of the neck … the headstock shape does not look right to me … maybe this was one of the Japanese clones (Aria maybe??). A gut shot of the electronics would have been nice ….
… and the seller is out of their mind with that price IMHO.

[tim]

Got curious, so went digging.

The differences that jump out at me from this listing and real Alembics I'm looking at is the plate under the bridge and the cover at the base of the neck on the back of the body.

Real (presumably): https://www.guitarbroker.com/product/19 ... ley-clark/

Matsumoku clone: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/matsum ... t-17798079

[Basshappi]

Not an Alembic.
Looks like one of lawsuit Japanese copies.

Tim is right, looks like the one in the TB thread he linked to.

The seller is out of their mind. Either completely unknowledgeable of what he has or deliberately dishonest.

[Billw97]

I do believe that you guys are correct as to
this bass being a Japanese made version.
The number of pieces used for the core is
the teller here.
Alembic has a 7 piece core and the copy
has a 5 piece core. All pictures I have
found show the series 1 has a 7 piece core.

[Billw97]

I should also note that Alembic used Schaller
M4 mini bass tuners until the early-mid 90's.
At that point the switch to branded Gotoh tuners.
The tuners on the bass in question match the type
that alot Japanese companies used from the
late 70's and into the 80's.

[screambasses]

What we have here is a Fernandes FAB-170 Alembic copy. I notified the seller.
It MIGHT be worth $700-$1,000 depending on the buyer (with the fret wear, conversion, and damage), but I wouldn't touch it with YOUR dick.


https://aucview.aucfan.com/yahoo/p459748938/


pete

[tim]

What we have here is a Fernandes FAB-170 Alembic copy. I notified the seller.
It MIGHT be worth $700-$1,000 depending on the buyer (with the fret wear, conversion, and damage), but I wouldn't touch it with YOUR dick.


https://aucview.aucfan.com/yahoo/p459748938/


pete

Another good possibility.

And I appreciate your consideration for my anatomy

[fivebass52]

What we have here is a Fernandes FAB-170 Alembic copy. I notified the seller.
It MIGHT be worth $700-$1,000 depending on the buyer (with the fret wear, conversion, and damage), but I wouldn't touch it with YOUR dick.


https://aucview.aucfan.com/yahoo/p459748938/


pete

Thanks or the clarification... obviously, we here knew this bass was outrageously overpriced... I have to wonder what the seller is thinking to justify this outrageous price...

[tim]

Whatever the reason, the listing was pulled as of this morning.

[paulo]

It got updated:
https://reverb.com/item/32955348-fernan ... 79-natural

[tim]

Dewd, $3,500???

[screambasses]

I sent him an email telling him what it was. I also reported it to Reverb.

It might be a $700-900 bass, but I still wouldn't touch it.

pete