1988 Alembic Spoiler SMSB-4 Vintage Neck Through Bass Cocobolo, Near-Mint w/ Case

Up for sale, a 1988 Alembic Spoiler bass model SMSB-4 in collector-grade, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. With a roster including The Who, The Grateful Dead, and Stanley Clark, Alembic quickly established themselves as one of the pioneering voices in bass guitar artistry in the 1970s, known for their exceptional craftsmanship and premium tonewoods/componentry.This medium scale, neck-through Spoiler features an uncommon premium cocobolo top on a mahogany core, with a maple neck capped by a thick slab ebony fretboard. The neck-through construction yields ample natural resonance and sustain, with the warmth of mahogany and the glassy articulation of the ebony board faithfully captured by the stock pickup pair. The SB II silent single coil pickups were designed for pristine, warm and natural-sounding tones; they’re very dynamic and responsive, with ample midrange complexity and low end heft. There are unique sounds at each position on the four-position rotary pickup selector switch, and this bass also features Alembic’s proprietary Resonance “Q” Switch for further tone sculpting. This Alembic weighs 9lbs 6oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 45-100 roundwound strings, comfortable action, and spot-on intonation.The three-piece figured maple neck has a medium C-shaped profile carve with well-rounded shoulders and lightly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .840” deep at the 1st fret and .935” at the 12th. The thick slab ebony fretboard has a 16” radius with pearloid oval inlay, and the stock medium jumbo fretwire is in fantastic shape, with plenty of meat and well-rounded crowns, exhibiting only faint wear beneath the strings on the crowns of frets 1-9. This bass plays cleanly up the 32” scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod. The adjustable nut measures 1 3/4“ in width, made of brass for optimal articulation and sustain. The headstock sports matching multi-ply cocobolo veneers on both front and back, with a raised Alembic badge, and the chrome-plated tuners turn smoothly and hold accurate pitch.All of the electronics function as intended, with the SB II pickups wired to the stock harness and governed by a four-way rotary pickup selector switch, Master Volume and Resonance (Tone) knobs, and the two-way Resonance “Q” switch. The fourth position on the rotary switch is a standby/off position, and the active Resonance (Tone) knob is powered by a 9V battery. Hardware includes the extremely robust machined brass bridge and toploader tailpiece, both of which have a consistent dusting of surface patina.The finish highlights the highly dynamic bookmatched grain in the cocobolo top, and there’s just a scant few tiny marks on the body as a whole. The smooth gloss finish on the neck profile is similarly pristine.The original hardshell case is included.