Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Owning an Alembic => Serial Number / History Requests => Topic started by: tx196059 on April 10, 2017, 10:54:28 AM
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Hello again Mica, I have been busy buying, when I should be selling. Always wanted a Scorpion. This bass has some strange electronics. It has an LED light up when plugged in, with two 3 way switches, and one 2 way, with pickup -selector on the lower horn. One volume and one filter knob. It almost looks like a Series 1 wana-be. The inside is hollow to, and weighs only 8.5 lbs. The pickups do not have an Alembic stamp on them, but it very much sounds like they are. The wood coloring is amazing, but looks like some repair was done on the Omega's lower horn. Any info would be appropriated. Obviously there has been some modifications. Thanks!!
Joe
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Nice one, congrats!
For the controls look here: http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=232.0
"Blank" pickups are normal for these old instruments (I think all pre '84?) and iirc it's still an option. I know for sure it is for the 5 string wide Jazz pickups :-)
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Oh, so YOU'RE the one who got that! Looks amazing. A Distillate with Scorpion body, heart omega and knobby headstock. :o You did great on the price, congrats!
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Here's what's in the file:
serial number: 83D2778
model name: Distillate
model number: DMB4S
top: Walnut
accent: none
body: Mahogany
back: Walnut
neck: 5-piece Maple and Purplheart
scale: 32" medium
fingerboard: Ebony
inlays: Pearloid (plastic) ovals
pickups: Alembic AXY
electronics: "Distillate DS-1" volume, pickup selector switch, filter, Q-switch, bass cut/flat/boost, treble cut/flat/boost, mono output, LED indicator
body shape: Scorpion
peghead shape: Little Knobby
originally made for: not recorded
birthday: July 13, 1983
Some stuff... One of the switches has been replaced, and the pickups have been soldered on to the modular connectors. The LED is a real battery drainer. You will want to replace the IC with a TLE2024 and get some more life from it. If you want to get the electronics RF upgraded, you have the option to eliminate the LED or keep it.
Flip is correct - the pickups are original for the time.
And that wood is amazing - I thought it was Koa at first glance. But add a few decades to Walnut and it just glows!
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Thanks for all the info. The back looks nice to, but does show some wear. Hats off to Alembic. Great sounding and beautiful instruments, even after 34 years of use!!
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Polishing up the brass would make it look pretty good. I suspect some of the brass has a coat of lacquer that would have to come of first. If you polished it and then got it perfectly clean afterwards, you could re-spray the clear on it.
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Great idea!