http://www.gbase.com/gearlist/guitar_picture.asp?guitar=573130
 
Nice looking Zebrawood Series I four string, with the following bizarre description:
 
1976 Alembic Les Purnel, natural oak, excellent, OHSC, $2,750.00  
 
  This guitar is amazing !! It is so Highly figured. Tiger Oak... zebra stripes,,,Sounds Killer , Looks Killer. it comes with the original case.. It is like new
 

 
EffClef

Very nice!  No mention of a power supply, though.  It's a small standard, so probably a short scale.  I will make contact on this one and see if it meets my short-term needs.
 
Thanks!

Hah! I hadn't though of you Bsee, but you are right, a small standard is probably a short or med scale. I believe a PS (nowadays the DS-5R rackmount) is $350 or so, not including cable, so ask...
 
Good luck!
 
EffClef
 
PS and let us know if you find out who Les is/was!

I think Mica might be able to answer the Les Purnel question.  He's probably the customer that originally ordered the bass.  I have a response from the seller and we're continuing negotiations.  They don't know much about Alembics (Alimbic, as she wrote in the last email), but the power supply is present.  They have no cable, so hard to tell if anything works.  
 
She also said it is short scale, I think from having the build sheet, but claimed a very strange serial number.  We're looking into that further.  
 
Mica, anything you can add?
 
(Message edited by bsee on August 19, 2004)

THAT IS NO ALEMBIC!!  That is a Fernandez copy of an Alembic!  
 
Michael

I just called the store where this bass is to ask some specific questions about this bass.  It has no power supply, and no Alembic logo on the headstock.  There is a plaque on the headstock that reads Alembic Les Purnel or something like that.  When I asked them for the serial number they said that on one side of the headstock is stamped 705 and on the other 34 or something like that.  Sounds fishy to me.  I put the thought in his head that it may be an Alembic copy and he got kinda upset.  It seems that he has Alembic money invested in it instead of Fernandez money.  I mentioned to him that he can open the bass up and check to see if the pots are stamped Alembic, and if the circuit card has Alembic written on it.  I suspect he will be disappointed!

Interesting - I was wondering about that.  The knobs looked strange to me, but how can you be sure?  The serial number certainly didn't make sense.  The claim was that the top of the headstock has 06 on one side and 705 on the other.  76-705 would be about the right number for the year, but I was waiting for more photos to be sure.

I've contaced the seller to help set the record straight. I'm with Michael on this one, this really smells like a Fernandes. Fancy that - no photos of the peghead.
 
No idea about Les Purnel. 705 is not a 76 number, and 705 is myrtle anyway.

LOL, I guess there's not much chance that this one will have a happy ending.  I probably would have figured that out before the money plunked down, but thanks for the early save!

I put the thought in his head that it may be an Alembic copy and he got kinda upset.
I did the same thing a month ago, and asked him to contact Alembic to verify its' authenticity. Did anyone see the price or description change? I didn't think so.
Run.

Wow. I'm glad, now, that I posted the link in the first place.
 
Mica, seems to me someone posted Fernandez guts pictures and the wiring in the cavity was really messy - not neat ribbon cables etc. That would clinch it.  
 
Sorry, Bsee. Keep lookin'...you'll find one.
 
EffClef

Hey, at least the case is funky. Can I get mine like that Mica?!?!?!  
 
-Mike

I really liked the cases that came with those basses!  I liked the form fit around the bodies.  

Check out this thread: http://club.alembicguitars.net/Images/395/11929.html?1092867886
 
This is a bass for sale with the same type of case.  

FYI, looks like the dealer has the sale pulled off the web. Looks like he listened to us...
 
EffClef