Looking at these pictures, I would concur with 85-3549.

*and just for curiosity's sake, in my memory most of the instruments seen with this extended upper horn seem to have been made around that time. I also currently have 85D-3696 a fretless Distillate which shares that feature. https://club.alembicguitars.net/index.php?topic=23259.30

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on January 15, 2022, 11:06:23 AM
Looking at these pictures, I would concur with 85-3549.

*and just for curiosity's sake, in my memory most of the instruments seen with this extended upper horn seem to have been made around that time. I also currently have 85D-3696 a fretless Distillate which shares that feature. https://club.alembicguitars.net/index.php?topic=23259.30

Thank you, Greg, for your input and also the added info. I wasn't aware of that info but always perked up when I saw an Alembic with an extended upper horn like mine. I haven't seen too many of those. Your Distillate is quite tasty-looking.

Thanks again, all. I'm now 99% sure I have the correct serial, and I contacted the moderators to see about updating the post with respect to Mica.

Serial is 853549.

Thread title amended.

Quote from: adriaan on January 19, 2022, 11:25:05 AM
Thread title amended.

Thanks so much, Adriaan!

Was hanging out with Will Gunn last week getting the Alembic some TLC (what a great guy). We removed the truss rod plate—low and behold it had the serial# etched on the bottom. 100% confirmed the serial# is 853549. Yay! 😊

Yes, the serial number is correct - I would suggest writing in the control cavity or under one of the pickups neck time you change strings.

Here's the build information from the file:

top: Rosewood
body: Mahogany
back: Rosewood
neck: Maple and Purpleheart
scale: 32" medium
fingerboard: fretless Ebony
inlays: none
reinforcement: Graphite rods
originally made for: Lipham Music, FL
birthday: April 4, 1985

The original owner registered in Florida in May 1985.  It was registered in 1994 in Tennessee. Sometime after that it was with a new owner in Tennessee, who never registered it but reported it stolen on 8-11-97. In 1998 it surfaced in Alabama and I contacted the person that reported it stolen. The only contact he left was a fax number and a mailing address. Both contacts I attempted went unanswered. I resent the fax (which still resolved to a fax machine!) in 2005 when Dave purchased it, but still no reply. Seeing as the statute of limitations was well past, and I had no way of contacting the person that reported it stolen, I removed it from the stolen list.

In 2011 I sent him another letter, and this time is was returned "attempted - not known - unable to forward" by the postal service. So what happened is a mystery.

What happened to this bass after that is well known here now.

So happy you are reunited with this bass. I think it was meant to be with you, John.

Thank you so much, Mica, for the time you took to gather the info and share it with me. On a weekend, to boot. And thanks for your good vibes. It means a lot to me. If the person who reported it stolen ever surfaces, I will make it right in whatever way possible. I'd hope for the same if it were stolen from me.

For now, and hopefully for forever, this bass is home. 😊