Hi guys,
I'm brand new to the discussion so go easy on me!
I've been reading the info on this board for about a year and am blown away by the knowledge shared... ok, here goes, I've been an alembic fan for about 15 years (my intro was a friend who was in a band showing me some scales. I would listen to his band and he had this fantastic sound. Needless to say, he played an Alembic. I haven't been the same since). I've been through a few different brands and none have come close to what I heard during those lessons, so now I have the opportunity to obtain my axe. My question is am I being asked to pay to much?  I live in D.C. and there are few dealers of Alembics but I happened to find one called the Guitar Shop and the owner says this was his personal baby. I think it is a spoiler. The serial # is 88S4982 is that an 1988 model?  He is asking $2000.00 for it. I thought that was a little pricey (even for an Alembic) but it is a beautiful piece of work. I would appreciate any input available... and sorry for being so long winded.

Hi Shawn, welcome to the group.  Yes, it's a Spoiler and yes it's an '88.  And yes, generally speaking, $2,000 is a bit on the high side for a Spoiler.  You might want to watch our For Sale section as invariably there are some nice basses available at reasonable prices.

Hi, Shawn -
 
Spoiler 4s on eBay have gone between $900 and $1700.  I show a few that have gone through stores for as high as $2300, and one lefty 5-string for $3200.
 
So, for a Guitar Center sale, $2k is about normal (though they rarely actually _sell_ at that price).
 
nic

Hi Shawn, Every Alembic is a one of a kind custom therefore, it is hard to say if that particular Spoiler is overpriced or not. If you like it and think it could possibly be the one* then go for it. I played several Exploiters before I found the one and at that point I didnt care what it cost or what the other ones sold for because after all....it was the one! Good luck on your quest.
 
*Shawn, the one is a bass that feels great in your hands and has tone that puts a smile on your face. Model shapes and exotic woods should also be something that fit into your playing personality and style.

For a reference, I picked up a used mint essense 5 for $1800, but with 12 months no interest financing. Makes it less painful if you do it in dribs and drabs.
Danno

Hi, Shawn and welcome to the club.  If you don't mind E-bay you can look there.  There are three Spoilers on it right now.  The range of prices is pretty big on them.  One (1983) has an $800 bid on it and closes in about 24 hours.  The other two are higher.  Good luck to you in finding one you like.
Rich