Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Swap Shop and Wish Lists => Seen on craigslist, eBay, and elsewhere => Topic started by: jazzyvee on October 23, 2014, 01:30:05 AM

Title: 1982 Distillate on Ebay
Post by: jazzyvee on October 23, 2014, 01:30:05 AM: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alembic-Distillate-Bass-Guitar-1982-/251688501774?pt=Guitar&hash=item3a99cdc20e
Price is pretty low at the moment.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/199431.jpg)
Title: 1982 Distillate on Ebay
Post by: funkyjazzjunky on October 23, 2014, 08:03:32 PM: Oh man! I am bidding
Title: 1982 Distillate on Ebay
Post by: jazzyvee on October 25, 2014, 08:57:10 AM: 13 bidders on it at the moment so likely to be hot towards the end. All the best.
Title: 1982 Distillate on Ebay
Post by: StephenR on October 25, 2014, 10:04:56 AM: One thing to keep in mind with the early Distillate basses is that the battery life is pathetic. Something like 20-25 hours due to the little LED that comes on when it is plugged in.

I really liked my Distillate bass but the battery drove me crazy. If you gig a lot you have to change the battery preemptively. If you don't and the battery starts to go when you are playing the sound goes from great to horrible to nothing and it happens quickly, not fun in the middle of a tune.

The LEDs were removed from later Distillates. Other than the LED issue they are great basses.
Title: 1982 Distillate on Ebay
Post by: adriaan on October 25, 2014, 10:46:29 AM: I know there is a work-around for the LED issue, don't let that scare you off.
Title: 1982 Distillate on Ebay
Post by: sonicus on October 25, 2014, 10:53:48 AM: I have an 81 Distillate with that power on LED . I love that Bass !

(Message edited by sonicus on October 25, 2014)
Title: 1982 Distillate on Ebay
Post by: sonicus on October 25, 2014, 10:54:46 AM: I have an 81 Distillate with that power on LED among other Alembics. The LED issue on mine is not really all that bad .
Title: 1982 Distillate on Ebay
Post by: lbpesq on October 25, 2014, 11:32:30 AM: Not being an electronics maven, I suspect that 1981 LEDs might consume a little more power than LEDs produced more than 30 years later. And I imagine that swapping the old one out, or just bypassing it, would be a simple job for anyone who has ever been introduced to a soldering iron.

Bill, tgo
Title: 1982 Distillate on Ebay
Post by: sonicus on October 25, 2014, 11:50:31 AM
Title: 1982 Distillate on Ebay
Post by: mtjam on October 25, 2014, 12:02:33 PM: My first Alembic was a Distillate that I owned until last week. It had the LED, but I never felt that the batteries went dead too quickly. Anyway, Distillates are great!
Title: 1982 Distillate on Ebay
Post by: StephenR on October 25, 2014, 04:45:30 PM: Not trying to scare anyone off from the bass. The Distillate model is one of my favorite Alembics I would recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat and the LED looks kind of cool. But... I thought the short battery life was a good thing for potential buyers to be aware of if they gig a lot so they know to change the batteries regularly. Having my bass go dead mid-tune at a gig was not a pleasant experience.

I don't know how to bypass the LED but imagine it is not very difficult. Is that the workaround you are referring to Adriaan?
Title: 1982 Distillate on Ebay
Post by: pauldo on October 26, 2014, 04:49:42 AM: Is it a trick of the light or is there a gouge on the back of the neck that runs horizontally in the picture?

My 84 Distillate has pretty decent battery life. As mentioned when it does start to die she goes pretty quick - however, IMHO the distortion sound just before she drops out is very righteous.
Title: 1982 Distillate on Ebay
Post by: gearhed289 on October 29, 2014, 05:00:34 PM: I bought a'86 (no LED) over the summer, and it's great! I think they're one of the best bang for your buck basses on the used market.