LukeFRC

So.... well this is a big question - but the short one is, how do you guys (and girls) control/alter your mids? The longer question is thus.... Before I played bass I used to do loads of PA and mixing desk- I love setting mids so things sound just right and fit in the mix well. It makes me happy to have 2-3 band parametric eq, if variable Q... even better! my bass (the warwick) got new pickups and preamp in jan. Loved the pickups not the pre which got sold within a month and the bass has been sat preamp less since. Since then it's been sat looking sad without a preamp - do I go for the original one back in, or do I find a different pre that gives me more variability on the mids and tweaking the sounds? The ACG pre looks appealing. It then struck me that the original 2 band eq is part of the sound of the bass (plus I like how it sounds) and maybe the flexibility in the mids could come from the amp (i'm thinking Eden, SWR or Thunderfunk who have multi band semi parametric mids) or an additional box in the effects loop or otherwise of my amp. Or should I just shut up and just play the damn thing and stop trying to tweak? but asking 'what should I do' is naval gazing and... well dull.... so the question is, how do you guys do it?

they cost gibson £10 each to make?

[quote name='BarnacleBob' timestamp='1343894304' post='1756824'] Cheers Luke, I wouldn't have spotted this one otherwise being under 'decor' although ironically that is what it would be for me as i dont play live anymore. I think at least one BC'r is already bidding but will keep an eye on it BB I know it's a default but collection in person is listed under P&P [/quote] I'm with happyjack here.... ask him!

[quote name='BarnacleBob' timestamp='1343861453' post='1756660'] seems happy with cash on pick up which would be the way to go to be on the safe side. Unless he's one of those Glaswegian heroin addicts ;-) BB [/quote] well then it looks more like a bargain than a scam! and well worth me posting it for you! good luck

[quote name='Jeverson28' timestamp='1343859607' post='1756619'] Ahhh right I've done some more research and I see what you're talking about now. EMG pickups need a 25k pot like you said for volume and blend. I'll check the pots I have on my bass when I get home so hopefully I won't have to change them. We shall see... I'm guessing when I order the preamp they will send me the EQ pots that need replacing too? According to EMG the pups need to be wired so that they go to the blend first, then preamp, then master volume and then the jack. Does this sound normal to you? [/quote] the aguilar diagram on their website had it going blend>volume>pre> that's a more common way of doing it

yeah that reply isn't that helpful! He's presuming you've already got the pups installed..... You will need a set of volume/blend pots for the EMGs - these will be different to the pots for the passive MK1's - he seems to say you will need different tone pots. If I were you I would open your bass and see what the current tone pots are - it may be that they are suitable for reuse. Out of interest, I've heard the MK1's arn't amazing - but is the pre a bart one or something else?

either a scam or a bargin for someone in glasgow http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wal-Bass-Guitar-/271024061334?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Decorative_Accents_LE&hash=item3f1a4afb96#ht_500wt_1219

btw- if you haven't already got it.... whats wrong with whats on there already?

[quote name='Jeverson28' timestamp='1343855539' post='1756521'] So as the bass I'm getting (I've now bought it, just waiting to collect it) has a Bartolini preamp (with MK1 pickups, which I think are passive) in it I probably won't be able to use the pots supplied with the Aguilar preamp? I'm getting very confused. I'm going to email tech support and see what they say. I'll post on here the results in case anyone is interested. Oh and I'm guessing a logarithmic pot will have less effect as the resistance is decreased (ie closer to open position)? [/quote] log/lin no- the curve of position/resitance won't be straight but curved- as our ears aren't that good at picking up subtle differences to sound. Different set ups prefer different.... according to this http://www.aguilaramp.com/pdf/support_wiring_obp3.pdf you will need 50k lin pots for the preamp. (plus a 500k lin for variable mids if you want) the EMGs will need a 25k blend and a 25k volume - you may need to ask what type - so If you are lucky you may just need to pick up new volume and blend pots. Hope this is of some help!

so a pot is short for potentiometer which is more or less a variable resistor. normally in the "off" position the resistance will be infinity* and at the other end it will be open- this will be a resistance - so 25k ohms or 50k ohms or so on. Different preamps will use different values for different parts- for instance bartolini will use 50k pots on the bass and treble pots, for most preamps though a volume and blend pot are critical as they take the signal before it goes into the preamp. What values you use effect if it will work or not, or how it will sound. Active pickups like some EMG's or MEC's need power and already have a preamp in them - the signal they output generally needs a 25k pot for volume and blend. Passive pickups give an unbuffered signal and will need typically 250k or 500k volume and blend pots. Pots alls can have a linear or logarhymic taper on them.... but i'll leave that for another day! * not actually, but very high

[quote name='lowdowner' timestamp='1343847458' post='1756342'] Oh god... that's all I need - do you reckon it's 'better' than a 5 string NT thumb? [/quote] what is a BO better than a NT? They are different, I think it was romour6 who had a couple of BO he loved and then 'upgraded' to the NT and didn't like them. If I were you I would look for an early NT.... but thats just me.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1343836938' post='1756086'] There's probably a guitarist on 'RhythmChat' somewhere ranting on about how he's walked out on a bunch of @rseholes. Glad to hear it's worked out in your favour, but something like that seemed inevitable really. If bandmates don't get on together then it'll never work out. Onwards and upwards! [/quote] i think us lot get the rhythmchat too.... what would it be called? 2ndstringguitaristtalk ?

I saw a thread on warwick jack sockets... and was shocked to find not one reference to chocolate!

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1343826605' post='1755837'] I totally agree but there seems to be a new breed of MM player emerging who can not wait to stick a JE in their newly acquired MM thus rendering it no longer an authentic sounding MM - kind of pointless perhaps but at least it is reversible. [/quote] this I find odd. For me the preamp is half the sound of a MM. as I type this I wonder if the same is true with my streamer....

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1343833357' post='1755981'] Haha, careful now, or that might sound like a good suggestion - nay, [i]a fantastic opportunity[/i] - for you to give back to the Basschat community, by explaining to us muggles how we might go about doing it I'd be interested in hearing a lot more from the pros about the tools they have for the job. I've worked with the wood, I've soldered circuits - but would be interested in hearing more about the people who do it regularly, and simply what kit and techniques they use; rather than my sole example in Jon's workshop, where everything was to hand in quantity! [/quote] I would imagine thats his wee secret buy a osprey bass to find out. I would imagine it's either a bit like the G&L L1000 or the Sandberg Umbo.

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1343821023' post='1755684'] Just wee bit of black magic wizardry I have in couple of my basses. [/quote] is it similar to the G&L passive boost type thing?

I have a MEC 25k MN blend pot that will be going spare soon if that helps

[quote name='CHRISDABASS' timestamp='1343808308' post='1755402'] I have a pre for sale..... [/quote] you do? (is there a joke here i don't get?)

[quote name='AndyBob09' timestamp='1343811644' post='1755456'] I don't think that chippies necessarily have deep fried Mars bars on their priceboard but most chippies that I know sell sweeties. Just ask them to deep fry you a mars bar?!?! If they sell Mars bars, there's nothing stopping them dipping it in batter and flinging it in the fryer... [/quote] make sure they unwrap it first.

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1343779274' post='1755271'] There's a version after this one, but before the redesigned TRB6ii. This one has a single truss rod, whereas the other has dual truss rods. That's the one people are more likely to be looking out for. Like the P/J version of the TRB5P this version of the TRB6P doesn't go for big money. Look back through listings here and you'll see that figures between £600 and £800 are what get paid. At £1,250 it's overpriced. [/quote] all I know is that I've spoken to at least 3-4 people on here who've gone along the lines of - yes I have this bass you are asking about, but I'll only trade for a TRB6P 1st ed.

[quote name='TomRichards' timestamp='1343753023' post='1754665'] Now I'm done, for sure. On to bigger and better things, like getting some Brubaker basses in the UK! [/quote] baws to all this endorsement stuff.... that's more interesting. Loan one to one of the mods to make a video blog review of it or something - you can get it back and we'll all get to hear it/ hear all about it. Find someone small to distribute it, even just mail order only- see what happens.