Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Swap Shop and Wish Lists => Seen on craigslist, eBay, and elsewhere => Topic started by: edwardofhuncote on July 05, 2016, 01:51:07 PM

Title: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: edwardofhuncote on July 05, 2016, 01:51:07 PM

Somebody needs to rescue this one... it needs to *not* be me.   ::)

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=381692867203&alt=web

Anyone here got a clue what they've done inside? (see pics of control cavity)

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: elwoodblue on July 05, 2016, 05:01:56 PM

I'd love to take that on...I'd tell the girls:
"It's a Rescue bass"  :-*

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: edwin on July 05, 2016, 09:24:02 PM

It's weirdly tempting. I'd have to sell something first, though....

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: keith_h on July 06, 2016, 04:30:11 AM

It looks like it started off as a Distillate based on the controls and power LED by the output jack. I wonder if it was converted to a Series 1 as I can see where one of the original holes was plugged and fits with where a Distillate filter would have been. It would be nice to have shots of the back, edge (5-pin XLR?) and electronics cavity. If it has been converted and the electronics are functional $895 wouldn't be too bad for a rescue bass.

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: edwardofhuncote on July 06, 2016, 05:27:12 AM

I swear it looks like they mounted an Alembic guitar pickup in between the bass pickups, and maybe the controls too, in addition to, but independent of the Distillate controls.  :o

There are pictures of the control cavity in the description. It's hard to tell for sure what they did, but I don't think these are Series electronics. Happy if not eager to be corrected.  :D

* is it possible they used the odd pickup as a hum-canceller?

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: gtrguy on July 06, 2016, 11:01:34 AM

Nope, not series guts. wow, what an ambitious hack job.

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: mica on July 06, 2016, 02:58:39 PM

Clearly we have a game of Hack-a-Mole here. You guys probably can tell all this from the pictures too:

There appears to be original Distillate electronics in there, but there's obviously some heavy modification. Two pots, a switch, a battery, and an extry pickup.

I think the jack tore out and they added the brass plate around the jack.

The extra pickup is pretty hacky. Hopefully these are all humcancelling pickups. The middle pickup is simply an AXY molded pickup with the mounting holes hacked off.

I think the filled holes on the face have nothing to do with original mounting holes, positions don't really add up correctly. Just a little Swiss-cheese with your bass!

The broken switch is a Gibson type but it's broken - so maybe it's stuck in the on position if all the controls affect the tone. One of the original Distillate switches was replaced (we didn't use a blue switch).

It looks like a well-played, and well-explored bass. Surprisingly the bridge looks pretty darned clean! And even though they are mounted on differing diagonals, the original pickup positions seem to have the normal upper and lower screw mounting.

People do weird things sometimes. 

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: edwardofhuncote on July 06, 2016, 04:22:56 PM

I just wonder how many of the 49 bidders think it's a Series I... If anyone had told me last night this poor bass would be up to $1200 in less than a day, I'd have offered them odds. Man alive...

(Ed of H is a sentimental fool for things like this... as if you couldn't tell) ;D

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: edwin on July 06, 2016, 09:53:04 PM

$1200?! I'm out.

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: sonicus on July 07, 2016, 01:12:08 AM

Yikes !

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: guyzo on July 07, 2016, 03:39:56 AM

Howdy, y'all! I'd have to pass on it, in that the seller does state the bass needs to be tuned.... ;D

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: gearhed289 on July 07, 2016, 08:25:11 AM

Yeah, I was surprised to see it went up that high. Thanks but no thanks. Under a grand would be reasonable.

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: gtrguy on July 07, 2016, 11:12:19 AM

Yes, the auction header is totally misleading. That is not right.

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: edwardofhuncote on July 07, 2016, 12:12:44 PM

FWIW, I did advise the seller this was not a Series bass, but a very modified Distillate.

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: StephenR on July 07, 2016, 12:38:38 PM

Too bad there is no way to advise the potential buyers who may not have a clue what they are actually bidding for... In defense of the seller at least he has provided many pictures of the carnage including the cavity with the electronics.

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: elwoodblue on July 12, 2016, 12:03:14 PM

3K??


I wonder if we'll have a new member soon asking about the 'funky wiring' in
a 'series' bass  ???

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: sonicus on July 12, 2016, 12:08:36 PM

Elwoodblue , your statement is priceless ! :)

 Wolf

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: edwardofhuncote on July 12, 2016, 12:27:13 PM

FWIW, that bass is up to $3001, 80 bids, and still got 10 minutes to go. Un-Be-Lieve-Able.

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: gearhed289 on July 12, 2016, 01:06:47 PM

Unbelievable is right! I guess my pristine '86 Distillate is worth about 6 grand then. I think these people thought they were bidding on an actual Series I.  ::)

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: edwardofhuncote on July 12, 2016, 01:15:02 PM

Yeah, I'm afraid that's probably what happened.  :( Oh well... maybe it'll work out.   

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: tncaveman on July 14, 2016, 04:48:51 AM

3001$$$$$$$$   wow.  I feel sorry for the buyer. 

Stephen

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: cozmik_cowboy on July 14, 2016, 09:14:31 AM

"Pictures of the Carnage" would be a great band name....

Peter

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: hammer on July 15, 2016, 07:27:01 AM

Hopefully the buyer will do a search looking for information about Alembic basses now that he has purchased one, will see this thread, and cancel the transaction. I would not be surprised  to see this coming up for sale again.

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: mica on July 15, 2016, 11:17:30 AM

Ebay used to not hide the bidder's identities. Back then I would have contacted the high bidder directly and saved them some grief. Now I just cross my fingers and hope they contact me.

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: edwardofhuncote on July 15, 2016, 11:25:50 AM

<deja-vu mode> I'll never forget how I felt this day, 1082 posts ago: http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=601.15 (see reply #19)

Fortunately for me, (and Thanks to Flip) I found this place. ;)

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: keith_h on July 15, 2016, 11:45:01 AM

I don't have an e-bay id but maybe they could be notified that the sale is fraudulent by saying it is a Series 1.

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: rnolan on July 16, 2016, 07:48:05 AM

The seller has posted this:
On Jul-05-16 at 14:02:39 PDT, seller added the following information:Members of the eBay Community have helped me identify this as a distillate model that has been heavily modified.

Title: Re: Well... it was a Distillate I think.
Post by: edwardofhuncote on July 16, 2016, 08:12:00 AM

 <comment deleted> in an act of self-policing.