Bass Gear Review

Reviewer	Jeff Eason
Experience	28 years
Email	jeffbass4@hotmail.com
Review date	August 09 2003
Manufacturer	Alembic
Model	Distillate
Price	$1650/2300 list new in 1985
Item owned for	A very, very long time

Bass type	4 string fretted
Neck join	Neck Through
Neck construction	5 pieces with 3 maple stripes and 2 purple heart
Fingerboard	24 fret Ebony fretboard with oval mother-of-pearl inlays
Body	Mahogany body with bookmatched CocoBolo top
Finish	Gloss finish
Pickups	Alembic AXY4 pick-ups
Hardware	Schaller tuning keys with a Hipshot D-tuner.
Electronics	Active electronis with volume, pick-up blend, and "Q" midrange
	filter with bass/treble cut and boost switches.

This is absolutely the "Top Dog" in my bass collection. The sound and "roundness" of tone is a cut above the rest. This bass just has the most full sound live or in the studio. I have done many recording sessions with this bass and it is an engineers dream. Set the bass flat, run it through a tube pre-amp, and get started. It doesn't take much tweaking because it is just amazing. Unfortunately they do not make this model anymore, but the electronics are the same as in the Europa model. Alembic's are generally very expensive, but if you can past that you will have an instrument that can be as versatile as you'll ever need and last a long time . Using the cut and boost switches and midrange "Q" filter tone control, you can get ultra low low's, to trebly almost unusable highs. The electronics run off a 9 volt battery. The sustain on this bass is also excellent. Many fellow band members are commented on how much they like the sound of this bass. The construction is awesome. The woods used are excellent and the laminates show amazing attention to detail. The headstock has 9 layers. Cocobolo front and back with maple core and 3 tiny mahogany laminates. I bought this bass sight unseen. I just knew what model and what wood I wanted and ordered it. I had no doubts about ordering an instrument from Alembic this way. Other brands I definitely would not. The neck feels great and plays very smooth. It is also a medium scale bass so it feels a little more "limber" the a long scale bass while making it easier to reach across frets in the first position. I would recommend an Alembic to anyone wanting an active bass and am a avid supporter of their basses.

Construction	100%
Appearance	100%
Playability	100%
Sound	100%
Customer Service	100%
Value	100%
Overall	100%