Damn, I love these basses so much… In the early days of Leadmusic, one of my friends, Ken Newman, was the Swiss distributor for Alembic and one of the brand’s very few international distributors. He was a close friend of the Wickersham couple and invested a lot of money in the company. When I opened my shop in 2002, I bought many Alembic instruments through Ken and had some very special models. Ken has since passed away, so it’s always a particular feeling when I come across an Alembic… The Wickersham couple has been active since the late 1960s and worked extensively on the development of active electronics and preamps for many companies and recording studios before founding their own brand, Alembic, following their encounter with the Grateful Dead. Then, in 1973, Stanley Clarke asked them to build a short scale bass, and this incredible musician went on to popularize the remarkable Alembic brand.

When you pick up a Stanley Clarke Signature bass, you immediately notice how easy it is to play this fabulous instrument. This is largely due to its short scale length. At 30.75 inches, the scale length is exactly what Stan plays himself, much to many people’s surprise. With the frets being closer together, your fretting hand benefits from a less stretched position in the lower register, which is a real joy for the hands. Stanley Clarke Signature basses are also a natural choice if you want to tune to tenor or piccolo styles. But don’t think for a second that this small bass can’t handle standard tuning, with plenty of low end and sustain.

This superb 1995 Alembic Stanley Clarke Signature Standard SCSB4 is, on the one hand, in near mint condition, carefully collected and lovingly played, and on the other hand features absolutely stunning specifications and woods. The build quality is simply breathtaking, the whole instrument looks like a work of art, and thankfully sounds like one of the best basses you could ever play. This instrument is insane. The body is made of mahogany and features a sandwich construction of flame maple, purpleheart, and mahogany, with a maple and walnut neck through body design and an ebony fingerboard. The top and back of the body are made of beautifully figured maple with stunning patterns. The craftsmanship is spectacular.

This beauty comes with its original case and an invoice from the previous owner.