Author Topic: Going rate for a Distillate? (Read 401 times)

1983_distillate · « **on:** November 29, 2012, 03:27:39 AM »

I have a 1983 Short Scale Distillate
Walnut& Mahogany body, Maple, Ebony, Purple heart neck with Mother of Pearl inlays.
Pretty standard I guess.
Well played over the years, but no major scratches, but some marks on the back from jeans rivets and belt buckles.

Original owner with the original Birth Certificate signed by the employees at Alembic and the original warranty cards + instructions and recent new hard shell case. Old one just got worn out.
It was repaired on the face of the body long ago by Hideo Kamamoto himself in San Jose back in 1985 who literally wrote the book on guitar repair.
The veneer cracked by the input jack, you only can see it if you look very close. He did an outstanding repair.
What should be my asking price if I wanted to sell it? What can I expect to get for it?
The guitar was won by me in a contest drawing at Guitar Center, and I also have the original receipt for ZERO dollars, along with pics of me opening the box at Guitar Center when it came in 2 weeks after the drawing. That was a fine day indeed.
So a bit of a story to it.

longhorncat · « **Reply #1 on:** November 29, 2012, 08:03:45 AM »

You'll need to post pictures for an accurate estimate, but the average 4-string Distillate sells for $2100-$2500
But, your bass doesn't sound like an average Distillate.
Most are medium scale and don't come with an Ebony stringer.
Just for reference, I sold a nice one exactly a year ago for $2200 and bought one needing wood repair last month for $1100.

hammer · « **Reply #2 on:** November 29, 2012, 08:50:44 AM »

I'd agree with Bill as to the approximate price and the need to post some photos. The ebony certainly adds to the value as does the short scale, but the overall condition of the instrument is the most critical.

I purchased an extremely nice (as in no cracks in the finish or any marking at all on the back) medium scale Walnut Distillate several years ago off Ebay for $1,950. It was originally listed at $2,200. The other thing to consider is the quality of the walnut and whether it has a walnut (would have been a special add on) or mahogany back. My experience has been that more than a lot of other woods walnut can either be spectacular looking or pretty bland. The nicer the figuring the more you'll probably be able to get.

eligilam · « **Reply #3 on:** November 29, 2012, 01:43:35 PM »

I took the description to be ebony fretboard, not a stringer. An ebony stringer from an Alembic of that age would be truly unusual. (Weren't they first done in the late nineties?)

Is that the case, 1983_distillate?

longhorncat · « **Reply #4 on:** November 29, 2012, 03:44:52 PM »

eligilam, you are wise beyond your years.

I was going to question the scale, not the wood.

1983_distillate · « **Reply #5 on:** November 29, 2012, 05:46:30 PM »

Yes, ebony fretboard.
I'll get some pics next sunny day.
Damn, shoulda done it yesterday.
Well, I'll take some anyway.

1983_distillate · « **Reply #6 on:** November 29, 2012, 08:28:57 PM »

longhorn,
You say mine isn't the average bear, ha Distillate.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

longhorncat · « **Reply #7 on:** November 29, 2012, 08:35:53 PM »

Sounds like it would have been a rare beast with ebony in the neck lams.
A 30.75 scale is also rare and probably evens out the hit in value a top repair would cause.

bsee · « **Reply #8 on:** November 29, 2012, 09:42:52 PM »

I'm not sure that short scale increases the value, only the rarity of that particular configuration. You may be able to get above $2K, but pictures will tell the tale. Is it really short scale, or is it a typical 32 Distillate that you are calling short scale? Could be a miscommunication, as with the confusion about the neck configuration. If it's an average Distillate with a body repair, no matter how well repaired, it could be under $2K fair value.

Hammer, would be extraordinary for a Distillate to have a back on it. Generally, they are thinner in the body than other Alembic models and I can't say I ever saw one with a back wood of any kind. Maybe someone could have ordered a bass with top and back woods in that body shape, but I doubt you'd find that on a contest instrument.

One thing is certain, people have paid both more and less for instruments of that description. If it is fully functional and has a clean repair, the minimum is probably around $1500, and the top end might be $2500 if someone sees it and has a craving.

hammer · « **Reply #9 on:** November 30, 2012, 07:11:11 AM »

Bob is correct about the rarity of a true Distillate with a back lam but I have seen at least one custom that used the body shape and essentially the same electronics as a Distillate. It's possible this was a custom job if its really is a short scale given the ebony neck lam which I haven't seen before.

Good point on measuring the scale though. Even though I tend to think of an Alembic medium scale (32) as big, there are some guys out there that have described medium scale instruments as far too small for them to play.

The last thing to consider regarding pricing is how many Distillates are out there for sale when you are attempting to find a new home for your bass and how quickly do you want to sell it. Unlike Epics, of which there are often 6-10 up for sale at any given time, Distillates don't come up for sale nearly so often. This means it's a little more of a case that its a sellers rather than a buyers market than with the Epic. On the other hand, there aren't nearly as many people out there who have the finances to drop the dollars for an Alembic bass as there are for lesser instruments.

The best thing to do would be to post some really good pics here so that that the experts, including those who might be looking for a Distillate, can take a close look at what you have for sale. People will definitely provide you a good idea as to what a fair value would be for your bass. The last thing you want to do is over price it. We've all seen some Alembics that keep coming up for sale again and again over several years primarily because people are just asking more for them than the market will bear.

cozmik_cowboy · « **Reply #10 on:** November 30, 2012, 07:29:18 PM »

Per Todd's post #3, 5 above this, he was referring to the fretboard being ebony, not a neck lam.

Peter

1983_distillate · « **Reply #11 on:** November 30, 2012, 08:42:45 PM »

Ok. Have the Original Alembic Log in front of me.
Mfg, 4-8-83
Model- Short Scale Bass
Series- Distillate

Top and back Walnut-
Core- Mahogany
Neck- Maple/ purple heart
Veneers- Walnut
Tuners- Shaller
Inlay- MOP
Scale Length- 30 3/4
Alembic Electronics- DS-1

Yeak, ok still need Pics.
Whoever filled out this Log has very nice handwriting.

There's a list of names of the people who helped build it.

1983_distillate · « **Reply #12 on:** November 30, 2012, 08:55:56 PM »

Me, a much younger man, with my precious!
At Guitar Center, THE day it was available to be picked up.
FOB Fresh outta da box. Yeah, it came in a box.
I couldn't afford a case right away and used to carry it around in the box. Pretty funny eh?

I'd only just started playing bass at the time.
I figured it was an Omen when I won it.
God wanted me to play bass!
Prior to that, I had a Fender Mustang short scale.
Imagine my surprise when I won this, one foot in and one foot out the door at midnight at the Grand Opening in Santa Clara. You had to be present to win and I was on my way out the door when my name got called.
Not only that, but I was with friends originally who left. I got in my car and went BACK! I felt lucky, was hoping for a set of speakers they had.
Ha!

(Message edited by 1983_distillate on November 30, 2012)

(Message edited by 1983_distillate on November 30, 2012)

1983_distillate · « **Reply #13 on:** December 09, 2012, 03:11:50 PM »

Went ahead and listed it on craigslist @ 2500.
See what happens.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/msg/3467183497.html

warriorbass05 · « **Reply #14 on:** December 22, 2012, 11:23:50 AM »

That's a real beaut!