Distillate in Distress (eBay)

[edwardofhuncote]

Help me Alembic Club, you're my only hope. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/192322408814

I'd totally do a restore project on this one if the price gets more realistic. I'm thinking; a Distillate with East-Meets-West electronics. Already got the Volume/Pan/Filter...

[hammer]

Needs a good deal of TLC. What possesses people to do things like this?

[keith_h]

I wonder if someone put a set of Activators in there after the original ones broke. The collet knobs would fit with that happening.  I've no seen one in years that has one but wasn't 84' the era where these basses had a power LED? That might explain the extra hole.

In any event the value is nowhere near the asking price.

[edwardofhuncote]

I think they still had the LED in '84... my '81 has one in that same location. It looks like there was a chunk broken out around the volume pot too...

[gearhed289]

I thought this was unusually low priced until I got a good look at it. Sounds like the original guts were replaced with a V/P/F Activator preamp as Keith suggested. It would be cool to add variable bass and treble controls to this since the toggles are gone. The wood isn't in TOO bad of shape.

[southpaw]

Another item to note:those are not the original '84 pickups, they are recent style pickups, (minor note: pickup screws not correctly installed). 
The extra hole near the jack would be the power LED from that era. The listing mentions the strap button added to the upper horn, no, that would be original, the button that was in the back would have been the added one.
In the Showcase section Pauldo was kind enough to share several detailed pictures of his original '84 Distillate. Yes, for the right price this could be fully restored and well worth it. 
I have a Distillate and absolutely love it.  The body and neck appear in excellent condition.  Some pictures from the seller of the control cavity would help.  I hope someone restores this beauty.

[southpaw]

My bad...The modern pickups are mentioned in the EBay ad, I bet they sounds great. 
I am not sure, better pictures would be required to confirm the scarf joint has not been stressed.  From the one close up of the back of the neck,  I cannot tell if there is a fine line at the scarf joint, perhaps just a lacquer seam. The seller is providing many great pictures, which is always appreciated. Perhaps a forum member lives in the Kansas City area could visit in person and provide an update.