Alembic Stanley Clarke Signature Deluxe SC4 1987 - Indian Rosewood

The Alembic 1987 Stanley Clarke Signature Deluxe Bass is a highly coveted, boutique short-scale electric bass guitar. Revered for its incredible craftsmanship, complex tonal character, and fast playability, it was designed in collaboration with jazz fusion pioneer Stanley Clarke.

This bass is in VG condition. There are some light scratches / scuff on the back and a few little dings on both sides of the headstock. Given its age, these cosmetic flaws seem rather minor and expected. It comes with its original case and paperwork for provenance.

The Alembic Stanley Clarke Signature Deluxe with Rosewood facings represents one of the most premium, sought-after tonewood combinations across the Alembic catalog. While the Standard model typically features a single top laminate and standard accent woods, the Deluxe configuration upgrade is specifically defined by having matching exotic top and back body laminates, paired with upgraded neck materials.

Distinctive Features of the Deluxe Rosewood Model

• The "Sandwich" Body Construction: The core of the body is composed of premium Mahogany. This core is sandwiched between a book-matched Indian Rosewood top and back, which adds significant visual elegance, structural density, and compressed high-end clarity.

• Upgraded Neck Stringers: While standard models use walnut laminates, the Deluxe model's 5-piece neck replaces them with highly rigid Purpleheart neck stringers running between the primary maple sections. This provides immense neck stiffness, rapid note attack, and a distinct aesthetic stripe down the center of the instrument.

• Tonal Profile: The pairing of an dense ebony fingerboard, purpleheart stringers, and solid rosewood facings emphasizes the signature "Alembic hi-fi sound"—delivering piano-like note definition, instantaneous transient response for slaps, and massive sustain. Hardware: Heavyweight, polished gold-plated brass hardware, including a massive Alembic bridge, tailpiece assembly, and a solid sustain block.

Advanced Active Electronics

The 1987 model is highly regarded for its studio-grade, "hi-fi" tone-shaping capabilities:

• Pickups: Dual original Alembic AXY humbucking pickups which offer a very wide frequency response and low noise floor.

• Tone Filters: Instead of standard passive tone knobs, it features independent active low-pass filters for each pickup. These allow players to sweep through frequencies and tightly dictate the cutoff point.

• Q-Switches: Mini toggle "Q-switches" introduce adjustable resonance peaks at the filter's cutoff frequency, allowing you to jump from clean fingerstyle warmth to bright, cutting slap-and-pop accents.