I'm totally not bothered by the lack of string... but I am concerned about what 15 years of improper tension on the neck might have done to the bass.
Anyway... Since I'm on a hardcore hunt for a quality 5'er right now, I thought I'd shoot this person a message to get more information, and inquire about the controversial asking price... here's what has gone down so far...
Me:
Quote:
Hi... I'm interested in your bass, but it's priced REALLY high. I did a Google search for "used Alembic Essence" and the price ranges that came up were anywhere from $1500-$2000. Here's an example:
http://alembic.com/cgi-bin/alembic-club ... page=27418 It's your bass, so you can obviously sell it for whatever you want... but, I thought I'd pass this information on to you in case you weren't aware of what it was you were selling.
If your price was more in that range, I'd definitely be willing to talk to you about purchasing it.
Him/Her:
Quote:
I ordered this custom and used it only a few times then kept it
stored properly for the past 15 years. If you were to order a new
one it would cost you the below amount. It's very custom and I
believe it's priced well. Thank you so much for taking an interest
and providing the info you did, it's greatly appreciated.
NECK FEATURES
5 string 7200.00
Left-handed 0.00
Long scale 34 inches 0.00
Maple neck w/walnut pinstripes 0.00
Ebony fingerboard 0.00
Fretted 0.00
Comfort fingerboard taper (wide bridge) 0.00
Mother of pearl ovals 200.00
No front LEDs 0.00
Aluminum side dots 0.00
Cone peghead 0.00
No peghead bevel 0.00
BODY FEATURES
Quilted maple 5A top 1200.00
Bookmatched top 0.00
Walnut body 400.00
Quilted maple 5A back 1500.00
Polyester clear gloss finish 0.00
Essence body shape 0.00
Tummy and elbow contour 200.00
HARDWARE FEATURES
Gold plated logo and script 150.00
Bridge block 0.00
Half moon tailpiece 0.00
Continuous wood truss rod cover 300.00
Continuous wood backplate (for model electronics) 800.00
Gold plated hardware (estimated) 1000.00
Gold Alembic Gotoh machine heads 0.00
Gold strap locks 0.00
ELECTRONICS FEATURES
Essence electronics 0.00
Total Price
Essence Quotation $12,950.00
Me:
Quote:
Hello again!
I appreciate the time you took to put that list together, but the bass you're selling does NOT have these features that you gave me:
Mother of pearl ovals 200.00
Walnut body 400.00
Quilted maple 5A back 1500.00
Continuous wood truss rod cover 300.00
Continuous wood backplate (for model electronics) 800.00
Gold plated logo and script 150.00
That would bring the MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) you gave me down to $9600.
Most dealers discount about 30-35% from MSRP... that means I could buy the exact bass you have listed brand new with a full warranty from an Alembic dealer for about $6500.
Your bass is 15 years old... it's missing a string and might need some extensive setup work if it's been sitting around without being played for that amount of time.
When all is said and done, I would value it at about $3000. I've worked in the music industry in retail, manufacturing, and as a player for 20 years... so, I'm not some guy who's just trying to rip you off. I'm honestly trying to help.
BUT... like I said... it's your bass. You can try to sell it for whatever you want.
However, if you do really want to sell it and you need the money, you should consider selling it for what it is worth... especially in today's economy.
Anyway... good luck!
I'll update you guys if I get a response.
At this point I'm thinking that the seller either aquired this bass under false pretenses, is completely clueless and doesn't know what he/she has, or is a total scam artist.
It's too bad... because it is a cool bass. It's be nice to see it in the hands of a lefty who truly appreciates it.
