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longhorncat
Advanced Member
Username: longhorncat

Post Number: 371
Registered: 8-2005
Posted on Friday, July 23, 2010 - 9:51 pm:   Edit Post

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
Senior Member
Username: dadabass2001

Post Number: 1461
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Saturday, July 24, 2010 - 10:27 am:   Edit Post

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

Post Number: 372
Registered: 8-2005
Posted on Saturday, July 24, 2010 - 8:16 pm:   Edit Post

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

Here is an old pic:

sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 1166
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Saturday, July 24, 2010 - 11:00 pm:   Edit Post

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
Member
Username: keith_h

Post Number: 1651
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Sunday, July 25, 2010 - 6:02 am:   Edit Post

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
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 9477
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Sunday, July 25, 2010 - 6:24 am:   Edit Post

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
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 1167
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Sunday, July 25, 2010 - 7:11 am:   Edit Post

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
Moderator
Username: artswork99

Post Number: 1221
Registered: 7-2007
Posted on Sunday, July 25, 2010 - 8:38 am:   Edit Post

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
Advanced Member
Username: longhorncat

Post Number: 373
Registered: 8-2005
Posted on Sunday, July 25, 2010 - 8:32 pm:   Edit Post

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
Intermediate Member
Username: keith_h

Post Number: 1652
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Monday, July 26, 2010 - 8:03 am:   Edit Post

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
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 7131
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2010 - 9:05 pm:   Edit Post

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

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