http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/alembicbasses2/message/1972

Interesting post, I wonder if it is true?  I remember a post from Valentino a year or two ago saying that the current owner of 72-01 is registered with them.  I wonder if it is the person who claims it was stolen from him 20 years ago or the person that is currently actually in possession?    
 
-Bob

Good question.

This is the thread: http://club.alembicguitars.net/Images/411/2565.html?1123906353
 
Must be my sense of black humour but I couldn't help but chuckle: The current owner is registered with us but prefers to remain anonymous, for understandable reasons. I could certainly think of at least ONE very understandable reason!
 
But in all seriousness, I'm not suggesting anything here. There's still something strange about this. If 72-01 was stolen from the rightful owner about 20-25 years ago, then who's the current owner? This person in the yahoo group claims that he's contacted Alembic about this, but without any response. Now that doesn't sound right at all, Alembic would not treat any customer that way, certainly not the owner of #1. But it's too early and there's not enough information to conclude that he's just a storyteller. I'm really puzzled... Calling in Sherlock Holmes!
 
Wilfred

My guess is that he's trying to flush out who really owns it.  Just a guess though...
John

Would be nice to see some more pics from 72-01.
 
Harald

In the days when the old Yahoo club was still active this person posted the same question over and over again, claiming #1 had been stolen from him. He was referred to this cosy little club here, but I don't remember him repeating the question here.

He could very well just be bull-shitting.......bullshit aint nothin but chewed up grass!

The Bass was stolen 20 years ago,but Rick Turner said that #1 was exposed in a Museum of modern art in San Francisco in 1999!? MISTERY

Here's a link to the guy's story. Sounds like he is confusing his terms. He claims he was trying to purchase it from a music store who sold it to someone else. Appears to me someone stole his money not the bass.
 
http://www.rawbw.com/~bobh/bass.html  
 
Keith

Like most of the fog and mist surrounding legends, this is really . . . interesting.  
 
I don't think I'd post my resume with a picture of me from a Trekkie Convention in Klingon makeup, but then I'm from Texas . . .  
 
J o e y

So the rightful owner might just be someone who went in that same music store, saw 72-01 hanging on the wall, and pulled out his wallet to pay the full amount there and then. Not wanting to be stalked by a Klingon insisting that it is (or at least should've been) his bass also sounds like a very understandable reason to remain anonymous, LOL!
 
Wilfred

Actually, if you read the story carefully, the guy who thinks he owned 72-01 is the Klingon's younger brother.  Who knows, maybe he's a Romulan?  Live long and prosper.
 
Bill, tgo

This is the first time I've heard of a store stealing merchandise. Puts a whole new definition to shop lifting. That has to be a story in itself. Perhaps, and I'm just speculating here since none of us have all the facts, he did indeed buy the bass, took it to the store in Mill Valley and either sold it to the store for a huge loss or had the store work on it and did not have the funds to retrieve it. He could be saying the store stole the bass metaphorically.  Possibly rather than being dillusional this gentleman is merely still upset over having had such a gem and letting it get away from him. Another possibilty would be that he left the bass at the store for whatever reason and when he tried to retrieve it the store denied having any knowledge of it. But that senario would be a stretch. Again, just speculating. It's a slow day at work.
 
Sam

Nice picture of the bass!!!