Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Owning an Alembic => Serial Number / History Requests => Topic started by: Valve on July 30, 2019, 09:39:23 PM

Title: (x) Distillate Bass 84D3238
Post by: Valve on July 30, 2019, 09:39:23 PM

Hi. I just bought a Distillate in Japan with a broken headstock and , I presume, an aftermarket white paint job.
I would like to know it's original look so I can have it corrected along with the neck repair.

Best regards from Manila.
Erick

Title: Re: Distillate Bass 84D3238
Post by: edwardofhuncote on July 31, 2019, 02:09:36 AM

Welcome Erick. I bet this is the same Distillate: http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=24854.0 A couple of us were watching that one too.


I'm very glad someone is going to fix that one up... I was trying to figure out how to get it back to the U.S. myself to do just that. Looking forward to seeing what wood details Mica finds on your bass. Please keep us updated here.


Again, Welcome.  :)

Title: Re: Distillate Bass 84D3238
Post by: Valve on July 31, 2019, 02:59:50 AM

Thank you for the welcome. And yes, that is the Distillate with the awful paint job!   :D
I have already sent the pictures to the Alembic FB page a while ago asking the same question. The good folks will let me know before the end of the week if they have a file on it.

I am so excited to have the Distillate restored. Will bring this to the best luthier in Manila tomorrow.  This is be my first Alembic, and hopefully not the last.  :)

Title: Re: Distillate Bass 84D3238
Post by: mica on March 05, 2020, 08:45:29 AM

Hi Erick,

Here's what's in the file for your bass:

Top: Koa
Body: Mahogany
neck: 3-piece Maple
scale: 32" Medium
fingerboard: Ebony
inlays: Pearloid (plastic) ovals
originally made for: Sound Vibrations, TX
birthday: July 30, 1981

There's a note about the neck carve being special. Nut width slightly smaller 1.70 width and the neck carve was .76 at the thinnest, which is smaller that typical.

Title: Re: (x) Distillate Bass 84D3238
Post by: Valve on March 08, 2020, 08:49:48 PM

Thank you, Mica!  :)

Title: Re: (x) Distillate Bass 84D3238
Post by: edwardofhuncote on March 09, 2020, 03:59:39 AM

How's the restoration going Erick? Great to see you back here!

Title: Re: (x) Distillate Bass 84D3238
Post by: Valve on March 09, 2020, 05:25:48 AM

Oh, the repair is on a turtle pace. The tech promised to finish it on December last year, but I learned that he went to New Zealand. He is back here now in Manila  and said that he'll finish it by next weekend.   :)

Title: Re: (x) Distillate Bass 84D3238
Post by: Valve on March 09, 2020, 05:31:10 AM

1st photo shows the beautiful koa hiding beneath the bondo.

He will add some reinforcent along the 2 stripes under the wood laminates, which he removed as shown on the 2nd photo.

The 3rd photo shows the 2 different pickups in there  :)

Title: Re: (x) Distillate Bass 84D3238
Post by: edwardofhuncote on March 09, 2020, 06:34:00 AM

I love to see one getting fixed up!  :)

Title: Re: (x) Distillate Bass 84D3238
Post by: Valve on April 05, 2020, 03:50:48 AM

Promise to finish by this time failed, but making progress!

Title: Re: (x) Distillate Bass 84D3238
Post by: edwardofhuncote on April 05, 2020, 04:24:09 AM

This should be a very sturdy repair... looks like your luthier is a quite skillful fellow. And all us repair guys are slower than we think we'll be!  ;)


Thanks for the update, Erick.  :)