Here is a stunning Alembic Classico 4-String electric upright bass.
I am the original owner of this rare bass. It is either the first or second one produced and the one pictured in the Owner's Manual.
The Classico was designed by Alembic's team of craftsmen and engineers to help bridge the gap between a traditional upright bass and the modern electric bass. It has the familiar feel of a double bass, but the ease and convenience of a solidbody instrument
As you might expect, the craftsmanship is exquisite !
It features a flame maple top with walnut and maple accent wood.
The neck is laminated from three pieces of maple with the central piece being straight grained while the outer pieces are aligned so that the grains of each piece oppose each other. Not only does this look attractive, but it ensures no neck movement. The neck is attached to the body with a mortise and tenon joint. While the shape of the peghead is strictly aesthetic, the tilt of the peghead is a very specific draft angle so that the strings are fully isolated and do not vibrate above the nut.
The fingerboard is made from roswood as is the tailpiece. The tailpiece is attached by a mortise and tenon type joint for optimum stability.
The body is mahogany and the neck is maple with a rosewood fingerboard and tailpiece. The bridge is constructed of maple with a light oil finish. The veneers are maple and the finish is clear gloss.
The tuners are Grover and the strings are Thomastik.
The foot (peg) of the bass is quite easy to use and creates a very secure support for the bass. It is constructed of steel and has a chrome-plated finish. The locking mechanism for the foot is extremely strong.
In the Classico, the bridge is solid and it rigidly sits on the hard maple top plates of the instrument. The top plates are backed up by solid mahogany core wood. So, the energy you impart to the string when you play is reflected back from the bridge and stays on the string. Thus, there is greater sustain of the critical lower-frequency components of the note, making it easier to maintain a more expressive tone.
The Classico bass responds to the energy in the strings with magnetic pickups. These pickups are the of the same general type found on Alembic's Series I and II instruments and offer wide bandwidth response thereby producing both the low and high frequencies with the middle frequencies neutral ... neither too loud nor too soft. The four signals from the pickups are electronically mixed so that the pickups don't interact or load each other as the settings of the trimpots are varied.
Included is the stand, a heavy-duty padded case, and a new set of strings.
Although "local pickup" is indicated, the bass can be shipped at the buyer's expense. It will require a custom box.
Additional information is available here: alembic.com/prod/classico.html
Current pricing is
available here: alembic.com/prod/prices.html
