bloke_zero

Are we talking about the same thing? Both the GR-300 and GR33b are early 80's? This is pretty interesting - https://www.premierguitar.com/side-by-side-roland-vb-99-and-gr-33b-bass-synthesizers

Oh cool! I had a good go with a GR-300 that a friend loaned me (the guitar version of this). It's fundamentally different from later guitar synths as it derives the pitch directly from the pickup output, so it doesn't 'track' the pitch and then play something, it automatically generates a 'synth' sound from the input and you can then vary the pitch and pass through a filter. On the guitar version the tracking was instant and flawless, through it sounds like the bass version had some issues with tracking the open E & A? (https://www.joness.com/gr300/GR-33B.htm) You have a really interesting and unique instrument there! I'd say that if the sound is intermittent then it's very likely the switch as the synth portion pretty much just works as it's derived from the pickup output (though as noted the pitch tracking might be a bit off on the open notes). I do know a guy that works on vintage synths if you identify issues with the synth part.

That is a lovely thing! Good choice.

I've done this - I think it works pretty well. Doesn't quite have that P growl, but has a full modern sound. I should record it!

Nice - I love the Kramer aluminium neck - very solid fundamental. I saw one of these 5000's that was double P - dream bass!

I was going to say it looked like aluminium under plating. I've got a hipshot: https://www.allparts.uk.com/products/hipshot-top-load-or-through-the-body-bass-bridge?variant=660408693 that I never really knew what to make of. I guess the idea is that it is more neutral and connects to the body better? I find myself preferring more solid metals. They say: https://ksmguitars.com/faq/

Yes, and the headstock seems further back if you know what I mean? Might be just my eyes. To promote better break angle over nut?

Nice! Are you using a metal last underneath when doing the letter stamping?

Hawt!

I had to look it up: https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/differences-between-hard-maple-and-soft-maple/ - seems like its probably denser than basswood

I was in the studio with someone and they had me listen to a late 70's live recording and he was going into raptures of the mustang bass sound, which to me sounded much like you describe. Sort of muddy. I guess it's a thing! Not for me though - glad you had a good result!

I'd keep them on one side and if you sell it you can mention you still have them, then anyone with concerns about it could easily solder them in. I would take quite a lot of convincing that replacing the new ones with the old ones would make a positive difference to the sound. I'd guess they were replaced as the conductive track had started to wear out meaning they were crackling or dropping out. Pots wear out over time.

Well, not today, more like a month ago, but who's counting? For your consideration a Kramer DMZ4001A kindly sold to me by @roger (excellent chap by the way!). I just got it back from a quick electrical service as the preamp was playing up a little bit, well a lot - a capacitor went (well after Roger sent it to me - it played fine at first!), and I thought it would be interesting to play through the settings. They are: series/parallel flat/tone 1/tone 2 And the way they interact is pretty mad: You're looking at the same line 6 times, straight into a UAD interface: parallel flat, parallel tone 1, parallel tone 2, series flat, series tone 1, series tone 2. By the time you get to the last you can see something is going on (excuse my playing!): Kramer no norm.mp3 Here is the same thing but normalised so they are all the same volume: Kramer norm.mp3 Playing into an amp you'd get radically different effect across the settings. I really like parallel flat and parallel tone 1. It plays really well. It keeps it's tuning really really well and compared to my 74/76 P-bass it has a much stronger fundamental tone, I assume because of the neck and how it's attached to the body. And I love the pickups - it has that P growl with extra body. Anyway! Who cares what it sounds like!? Here is what he looks like (I've named it The Winstone after Ray Winstone, because, let's face it - it's a sexy beast!): (that big grey cap is the one that went) - this is the only schematic I can find: http://www.vintagekramer.com/Electric/wiring-dmz4000preamp.jpeg - apparently not that trustworthy!

As an experiment just wire a pickup straight to the output - you'll hear a lot of high frequency signal coming through that you don't have with the volume wired in. Some extreme guitar metal dudes have a switch to remove all the pots from the circuit so they can get maximum ear shred frequency from their axe. So what would you put in line to replace the effect of the pot? I have no idea.

The FX from this: Maybe they could be hooked up to something like a b-bender mechanism attached to the neck, which instead of tensioning one of the strings could be attached to a pot so pulling the neck down controlled the wah effect? A switch to turn it all off and just go passive (with a complete set of passive treble and bass controls ala G&L L2000).

Volume off at 8 sounds like a QC issue to me - if it's passive then it could be wired wrong/badly and affecting the tone control? Picture of the electronics?

I did wonder with the EQP sticker if it was Pultec related and the lowrider is Nice. Does it do the trick?

I didn't find another schematic, just the other descriptions all had 'coil tap' as one of the switches, where it is surely series/parallel. Thanks for having a look guys! I'm thinking of them as 'big, bigger & biggest' settings right now. With the PU too close to the strings I think I can hear some overdrive in the preamp so some further experimentation required (battery is fresh).

That certainly jibes with what I hear, so I think that makes sense.

I recently acquired a Kramer DMZ4001A from @roger (thanks Roger!) and I'm wondering about what the preamp does. I can see one of the switches is series/parallel and the knobs are volume and what looks like passive tone. So all I really need to know is what the 3 position switch next to the volume control does (switching it it seems like it gives a lot of boost!). There is a schematic here but I can't read them: http://www.vintagekramer.com/Electric/wiring-dmz4000preamp.jpeg Anyone know? My googling leads me to various sold listings with slightly dubious technical descriptions - the linked schematic seems the most spot on.