Sorry for writing in portuguese, is much easier to me and would be funny write in english first to another brazilian alembician. But don't want to look rude, if you want to know what I said to him, there is an effort of free translation below:
Hail, Everton, here is a brazilian fellow at the Club, welcome!
Concerning originality, check the Truss Rod cover plate at scale's end. May the photo tricks me, but it should be brass with engraved serial number.
Screws are wrong, too. One should be at PU's top (pushing it towards the body) and the other should be below (to pull it away). And they are alternated on each side and inverted between sides. Check this link:
It is a shame previous owner had abused this Essence like that. I can bet the same person that mistake with the srews tried to brutally took knobs out and broke them (to lose them you must lift its cap - truly a lid that hides a screw accessed by the top).
Hey, you should buy from Mica. Alembic's standards are very high and the pots they use seem never fail or oxidize. The investment will pay off, we don't have pots like this in Brazil, believe me.
Regarding finishing, note that they use glossy polyester. If you really care about originality, don't use varnish.
(Message edited by mario farufyno on July 30, 2013)