Author Topic: (x) 84D3121 (Read 331 times)

longhorncat · « **on:** July 23, 2010, 09:51:24 PM »

I just bought this '85 Distillate and would like to know more about it. The previous owner says the top is Bubinga, but I have my doubts.

It's out getting re-fretted right now, but I'll post some pictures in the showcase when I get it back.

dadabass2001 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 24, 2010, 10:27:16 AM »

Hi Bill,
By the serial number, your bass was completed in 1984 rather than '85. Enjoy it when it gets back!
Mike

longhorncat · « **Reply #2 on:** July 24, 2010, 08:16:38 PM »

D'uh, I knew better than that.
I just repeated the sellers ad copy without thinking.

Here is an old pic:

sonicus · « **Reply #3 on:** July 24, 2010, 11:00:45 PM »

Congratulations ! I think I saw this on ebay or craigslist a while back , is that correct ? It has that RCA jack by the 1/4 output jack. Is the RCA jack wired for an external power source? I like Distillates , I have an '81 single pickup export model. ( Cyclops) I just took it to a recording gig with great results. Alembic (the mother ship) did a great job improving mine . Enjoy !

keith_h · « **Reply #4 on:** July 25, 2010, 06:02:22 AM »

Wolf,
I believe that is a power LED. It goes on when the bass is plugged in. I don't recall the years but they were standard equipment for awhile. Due to the extra drain on the battery a number of folks disconnected them.

Keith

David Houck · « **Reply #5 on:** July 25, 2010, 06:24:15 AM »

Keith; looks to me like there's something else going on there.

The LED is on the left. My guess is that the thing on the right is not original.

sonicus · « **Reply #6 on:** July 25, 2010, 07:11:28 AM »

I have a power LED on mine as well . I see what looks like an RCA jack (aka phono jack) next to the 1/4 output jack. I think I remember another thing about this Bass; the higher register frets had been pulled and were filled in to make the instrument half fretless; does my memory serve me right ? Perhaps that Ginkgo Biloba that I have been taking really works for my memory. LOL___

Sonic Regards !

artswork99 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 25, 2010, 08:38:02 AM »

I faintly recall talk about that being a way to feed 9V to the bass instead of the internal battery.

Duh, that may have been Wolf's post above where I heard it. Ha!

(Message edited by artswork99 on July 25, 2010)

longhorncat · « **Reply #8 on:** July 25, 2010, 08:32:58 PM »

That extra jack was for an external power pack.
It's now a hole waiting for a 3-way battery switch.

It was half-fretless.
My Jedi luthier will have that fixed by next week.

Any ideas on the top wood?

(Message edited by longhorncat on July 25, 2010)

keith_h · « **Reply #9 on:** July 26, 2010, 08:03:51 AM »

It is hard to tell on my monitor as it looks like a red dot in the style of housing I used to use for indicator lights on test equipment. I happily retract my previous statement.

Keith

mica · « **Reply #10 on:** December 28, 2010, 09:05:52 PM »

Here's the details from the instrument file:

top: Bubinga
accent: none
body: Mahogany
neck: 5-piece Maple and Purpleheart
scale: 32 medium
fingerboard: Ebony
inlays: Pearloid (plastic) ovals
controls: volume, filter, Q switch, bass cut/flat/boost, treble cut/flat/boost, pickup selector switch, LED power indicator, mono output
originally made for: not recorded
birthday: April 12, 1984