https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/msg/d/fairfax-alembic-1981-distillate-bass/7458754709.html

Heavily modded

There's another thread on this one here somewhere... maybe was it a year ago? I remember we were musing over the extra plate. If memory serves, it's a rather crudely routed battery box.


Hang on, lemesee if I can find it...

*here it was. It was an ebay Japan listing. You can still see the pictures. https://club.alembicguitars.net/index.php?topic=26220.msg265699#msg265699

Seller is trying to get $4k for it. Not sure that is realistic, but what do I know?

Seller is basing his price on the $9,995.00 modified long-scale Distillate being sold at Bananas at Large in San Rafael. I don't expect either bass to move at the listed price.

Looks like it was modded into a lefty at some point.

I'm fairly attached to my '81 Distillate. It's not mint by any stretch, but it's nice. It's been played, played a lot, but never abused. And it ain't had any mystery holes routed in it. Or any strap button experimentation. It has yet to cross my mind to sell it, but if someone decided to give me twice or three times what I paid for it four years ago, I'd probably do that. (and send the proceeds directly to Will Gunn Guitars...)


It's fun to look at these things on the internet, but I'm about done trying to buy anything on the so-called online marketplace. It's so jacked-up now with silliness like this, I'm honestly not that interested anymore. If I buy another Alembic, or really anything else that isn't trivial, it'll be a new one, or a quiet, private sale.


You spotted this one before David. 

Sad when these orphans can't find forever homes.

I am intrigued.  I don't understand why they needed to add an additional battery cavity.  They did a decent job of placing the second plate in a symmetrical orientation.  Curious as to what the tone palette is like with that physical positioning of the pickups.