Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Swap Shop and Wish Lists => Seen on craigslist, eBay, and elsewhere => Topic started by: jphilauren on March 04, 2009, 06:48:58 PM

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: jphilauren on March 04, 2009, 06:48:58 PM

Bought a Roscoe from Brian at The LowEnd Bass Shop great guy to deal with, has a Custom Distillate for sale. There is a thread regarding this bass somewhere on the Forum
http://www.thelowend.net/thelowend/used-basses.html (http://www.thelowend.net/thelowend/used-basses.html)

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: bsee on March 04, 2009, 09:28:13 PM

That's a pretty good deal since the only thing Distillate about that bass is sort of the body shape.  Looks closer to a Signature Standard to me, and absolutely mint.

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: jacko on March 05, 2009, 04:17:47 AM

Anniversary electronics Bob and it is a beautiful instrument. If the ? hadn't fallen so much against the $ I'd be considering this bass even though it has a string missing.  
 
graeme
 
(Message edited by jacko on March 05, 2009)

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: georgie_boy on March 05, 2009, 04:33:42 AM

wow!!!
Love it!!!

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: adriaan on March 05, 2009, 05:16:52 AM

Well, the body has the bottom of the early EvH signature. The see-through black makes me think - didn't we enjoy a FTC thread on this one?

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: David Houck on March 05, 2009, 06:30:33 AM

Very nice!

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: adriaan on March 05, 2009, 07:37:38 AM

It's Adam's Custom with EVH body (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=7297).

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: bsee on March 05, 2009, 12:19:56 PM

I hate seeing FTC basses for sale!  It means someone has really fallen on hard times, or that they screwed up on their specs.  Neither is good.  FTC basses should be loved for life.
 
I guess it is Anniversary. I thought the switch had to be for LEDs with the battery compartment on the back.

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: jedisan on March 05, 2009, 04:49:16 PM

Actually, I think this is go around number two for this instrument. If I remember correctly, Bass Northwest had this one for sale sometime last year.

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: adriaan on March 06, 2009, 01:20:09 AM

Adam seems to be ordering custom builds on a regular basis, then selling them on, like the baby blue set-neck Spoiler. I'm sure he holds on to the ones he likes the most. For the rest, he's dreaming out loud what others are dreaming out quietly.

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: mike1762 on March 06, 2009, 05:02:42 AM

What's with the Dummy Coil?  Was it added so that it could be upgraded to Series electronics?  I noticed in the FTC thread that Adam initially was going to use Series I electronics... must have changed his mind somewhere along the line (perhaps after the cavity was routed?).  Was the stereo/mono switch originally plate mounted like this?  I really like the bass and it's not too far from me... hmmmm.  A year ago I wouldn't have thought twice about it...

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: adriaan on March 06, 2009, 05:37:36 AM

The one for sale at Bass NW was the one with the inlaid batwing top, methinks.

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: keith_h on March 06, 2009, 05:54:21 AM

Mike,
That is called a Series prep. You can order a bass with the correct thickness, routing and a dummy hum canceling pickup so you can install the Series electronics at a later date.  
 
Keith

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: mike1762 on March 06, 2009, 08:21:28 AM

I see now that the mono/stereo switch is in the position of the 5 pin jack (which is why it's plate mounted).  I like it... I just don't know if I $3,899 like it.  I've read a lot of comparisons of Anniversary to Series I electronics, but on paper they seem more similar to Signature electronics.  Any thoughts???

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: jedisan on March 06, 2009, 08:53:14 AM

Hey Adriaan, your right about the batwing top, that's the one I bought from Bass Northwest. But I do still think Adam sent this one to Bass Northwest for consignment as well. It was first mentioned in this thread.
 
http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/56543.html?1224158685 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=11941)
 
Extremely nice bass... I thought long and hard about getting this one too, but then decided not to. Adam has a very nice flair in his designs, in my humble opinion.

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: bsee on March 06, 2009, 10:38:31 AM

Mike, Anniversary is the quality of Signature with the control layout of Series.

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: keith_h on March 06, 2009, 11:34:33 AM

The major difference between Anniversary and  Signature electronics is the ability to run stereo output and separate volume controls for each pickup. The underlying preamp electronics are the same I believe. It is these features that draw the inferences to Series electronics.  
 
Keith

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: mendez4 on March 14, 2009, 09:33:29 AM

hey everybody. thanks for the compliments.  yes, i am an alembic freak.  i have been the proud owner of 10 custom alembics.  The collection is down to 7 (which includes 2 series I's). I'm probably going to put one more up for sale (a custom short scale spoiler) since its not getting enough needed attention.  tuff times and the birth of my second child have forced me to unload a few of these absolutely beautiful instruments.

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: 81distillate on April 25, 2009, 01:05:51 AM

This bass has finally found a home, hopefully for a long while!  I am so happy with this bass.  Adam, its as if you knew what I wanted and went ahead and had it built for me 5 years ago.  And the fact that when I brought it home, it smelled and felt like a brand new bass, I just cant say enough.  And it was a steal at that price, BTW.  Thanks Brian at Low End.  My question is, everyone keeps talking about there being all this information on here about the differences between Anniversary Electronics and Series 1, but I cant find anything.  Since this bass has been prepped, I cant decide if I want to send it to the Mothership for the upgrade, or if I want to just leave it as is.  Ive always wanted a Series bass, and that would make this bass a dream come true, but since I actually play it live, and with a wireless, Im wondering if Im not better off to leave it alone.  I have read a thread or two about some folks on here that were able to run both pickups out of their Series 1 without going to the power supply, is this correct?   I just want the ability to run stereo from the output jack, so if it means sticking with Anniversary, then so be it, but if I can do this with Series 1, then Im going for it.  Any advice out there?

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: David Houck on April 25, 2009, 04:44:32 AM

Congrats Jeff!!!
 
There is some discussion of the difference between Series pickups and the humcancelling pickups in all other Alembic models here (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=293).  There is also a difference in the filters and the filter circuitry, but I don't recall there being any detailed discussion of that difference.  But there is a distinct difference in tone between the two systems.  There are members here who own both and love both.
 
If you get the upgrade to Series, the 1/4 jack can be wired stereo or mono, or both with a switch.  So yes, you can run stereo without the power supply.  However, if you don't use the power supply, you will be changing batteries often.

Title: Custom Distillate
Post by: cozmik_cowboy on April 25, 2009, 07:12:27 AM

Hey, Adam, can I ask you a favor?  I love all of your basses that I've seen - could we get you to start a thread in Showcase with pictures of all of them?
 
Peter