This bass surprised me right from the start. It is a 1988 model. I found it at a great guitar in New Hampshire, for $800 used. Playing it is a pure pleasure, as the neck profile is somewhere inbetween my P-Bass and my Rickenbackers, i.e., a bit thick, but wide enough so that isn't like a baseball bat (EB-3?) I especially like the ebony fingerboard- there is something about it that I think makes the overall tone snappy. That, with the Alembic Active P/J setup, makes for a real bright, growly sound. Think of Entwistle playing his old Alembic at "full volume, full treble!" Other interesting features: Brass nut adjustable for string height Brass tail piece and bridge (Real Trick!) Every scew and bolt on this thing is fitted with a brass collar/threaded tube, to prevent the wood from stripping out if you put too much beef on the screws (some of you old salts may remember chucking the "ashtrays" on old Fender basses because the holes would strip out after numerous string changes, leaving it rattling) All of the original documentation from Alembic, including the order sheet, warranty, etc. was included.

I only have two small gripes:

The Jazz bridge pickup is very ineffective in relation to the powerhouse P-Bass pickup, in terms of volume, and I only use it to "color" the tone It isn't shaped like an Explorer

All in all, and EXCELLENT bass!!!

Construction	100%
Playability	95%
Appearance	95%
Sound	95%
Value	95%
Cust. Service	90%
Overall	95%