Here are the pictures Trae sent me to compress, I'll admit it was hard to stay on task while staring at this way cool Alembic.  There are a bunch:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   ....more to come...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  I think that's all of them

[Several posts moved to this new thread.]

I have a question - is this guitar really from 1973?

Second pic down you can see the serial number.
 
Peter

...and it fits in the timeline of early instruments :
FC's Database

Right on - I thought that my double-neck may have been the first with the pistol-grip upper-horn shape, but this one beats it by a couple of years.
 
This is a very cool guitar!

Looks like that serial number was stamped a later date.  
Perhaps the instrument was back at the shop for some of it's mods when it received the stamp?
 
I dig the reverse headstock!!!!

Pace - I'm with you on that one.  Or it could be that this guitar was made later than 1973.  
 
From looking at the electronics cover on the back of that guitar it was originally fitted with PF6 electronics. If it were fitted with PF5 electronics the guitar would also have a couple of extra holes in the face of the instrument near the volume knobs. That makes it at least a 1974.  Also the location of the battery compartment suggests that it is not an instrument from 1973.
 
As far as I know the last instrument with PF5 electronics is 73-47.  This guitar is obviously newer than that with a serial number of 28.  Hmmmm.
 
Anything is possible I guess.  Let's say that this instrument really was created in 73 and it's serial number is 28.  Perhaps this guitar sat at Alembic a year or so before it was completed and that is why the instrument has the later features.
 
This seems like a real nice guitar.  If it were mine I would not fit the original electronics.  I bet it's awesome just like it is.
 
Michael

But where's the Logo?......could this have been an employee project? and that serialnumber stamp looks post 1973 to me also.
 
(Message edited by serialnumber12 on October 28, 2010)

Now that you mention it, #28 wouldn't even have the serial number stamped on the fretboard, but, rather, on the peghead.  
 
Perhaps Mica can chime in with more info?
 
Bill, tgo

I received this message this morning from Saiichi Sugiyama...He will be including a photo of Carlos playing this instrument & hopefully his report will help to solve the mystery = )  
 
 
Dear Trae
I am so sorry that I am taking longer than I hoped to come back to you. I have been distracted by Eric Clapton's 3rd Crossroads Auction as we are now going to show some of his guitars and amps to go on sale at the Guitar Nation show in London Olympia this weekend. I had to do some urgent last minute research for it over last week. But I now have at hand all the material I need to write your Santana Alembic report and it is a case of setting aside some time putting the pen to the paper (or creating a Word document nowadays). I have a charity gig tomorrow that I am putting together and I am doing Crossroads presentations this weekend at Guitar Nation but I expect to be able to send you the report during the course of next week. I am so sorry about the delay, Trae. And, yes, I have a photo;-) Will be on touch soon. Thank you for your patience.
Best
Saiichi

Here is an small article from a 1971 issue of Billboard Magazine. It mentions Santana consulting with Alembic for the sound equipment for his studio.
 
http://books.google.com/books?id=sggEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA82&dq=Santana%20Alembic&pg=PA82#v=onepage&q=Santana%20Alembic&f=false

Cool little article,
 ...nice sleuthing Trae , your doing a great job putting together this guitars provenance .

Nice article!