Jerry C

I designed a circuit specifically to once and for all remove battery status anxiety from my life. I use it in every battery-powered instrument I own. You might want to check it out at http://jtex.ca/indicator While it's normally designed for 9V systems, I can easily mod it for 18V by request.

If you're not averse to the idea of installing a compressor onboard, like an EQ, then might I be so bold as to suggest the One-Knob compressor that I make: jtex.ca/okc I think it really whips the Llama's arse, but I might be biased, so don't just listen to me. If it must be in a pedal format, you can easily mount it in a stomp box yourself. Just needs the I/O jacks.

I've put basses on an oscilloscope and some can easily have transient peaks as high as 2V when played hard. Yes, the average level tends to be in the hundreds of mV, but they're very peaky. Having said that, I've never felt that 18V was necessary. One can always use rail-to-rail op amps that can make full use of the 9V supply. That ought to be enough headroom for anything I can think of in an electric guitar/bass.

Dear people who care about bass effects, I haven't visited here in a while, since I live on the wrong side of the pond, in TalkBass land. I'm happy to report that I managed to put together a one-knob compressor that I consider worthy of installing onboard a bass and thus becoming part of its sound. It's a miniature, 9V battery-powered offspring of the classic dbx 163 "Over Easy" one-slider half-rack compressor. I just thought I should inform the other five bassists on the planet who think an onboard compressor is a good idea 😊 Just for you, here's where you can find out more: jtex.ca/okc From frozen Canada with love, Jerry

You wouldn't forget to unplug the cable if you had something like this to remind you that the bass is on. And no, I'm not offering them anymore, due to general apathy JTEX Indicator Demo - YouTube

Trial and error, trying to get rid of dead notes on many basses over many years. Physics, resonant systems, oscillators, damping. Think of a pendulum you're holding in your hand (a weight on a string). If you don't move your hand while the pendulum swings, it will take a while before it comes to a stop. That's like a string vibrating on a stiff, non-moving neck. Now, if you move your hand with the pendulum (same direction), it will stop a lot faster. That's a string on a neck that vibrates (resonates) at just the right frequency and in phase with the string. It will dampen it. Now, if you prevent the neck from vibrating with the string, such as by propping it against a wall, or by adding weight to the headstock, to increase its inertia, it won't be able to dampen the string, so no dead notes. Try it with the usual dead notes on the G string some day. Only problem is, it's awkward to play with your bass pushed into a wall, or with a big weight bolted to the headstock... Solution? Stiffer, denser necks.

No. Pushing the end of the neck against a wall restored full sustain to the open E. Leaving the neck hanging killed E sustain, and you could feel it in the bass body vibrating too much on that note (sucking energy out of it). Just a bad combination of resonances between neck and body, cancelling out at E 😕

Steinberger XM2. Took me years to find one. I think it's absolutely beautiful in black with white binding - a work of modern art. Unfortunately, it was the only bass I've ever owned that had a dead note on an open string - the E. I didn't even think it was possible, but it happened.

Yes, they do. They buffer the pickups so they're not affected by the cable capacitance (the longer the cable, the more loss of highs). Also, they can use a low value volume pot (such as 10k or 25k), which again prevents loss of highs when you roll off the volume, in addition to lowering noise. And I agree that filter preamps are particularly useful. They're a great improvement over a passive tone pot, while having the same immediacy. I owned a couple of Alembic basses over time and thought that it was the filter that made them sound great (I don't mean to put down the stellar build quality and great looks).

Yep, this one is legit. I used to build a very similar one. The one I build now also flashes green on a good battery, to confirm that the bass is powered. Still negligible power consumption.

When it decides to work, grab a pen or some other small non conductive, hard stick and gently tap the components and or solder joints, one at a time. With a bit of luck, you'll find your intermittent problem. You may also try a "freeze mist" spray, if you have one.

Yes, it's definitely a good way to fill an extra hole. Might need a little grommet or something, as the LED is only 3mm diameter.

40ms latency is OK for things such as watching TV, it's low enough that the sound is still in sync-ish with the picture. For playing an instrument, though, it's way too high, you'll definitely notice it. 10ms from string to ear is about as high as I'd settle for.

I had the AmPlug version 1 and found it quite noisy and it couldn't get loud enough without nasty clipping. Can anyone who's had both versions compare them?

I think I made a cool thing that others may or may not find useful. While I built a few for myself, I went ahead and made a few more, that I am offering on eBay for what I think is a very reasonable amount, that barely covers the parts and the half an hour it takes me to build one. Basically beer money, that I don't even need, since I quit drinking a year ago... I'm new to Basschat, didn't know if it would be acceptable to promote a "product" - if you can even call it that. It's more of a hobby with sometimes some benefits. My day job takes care of my finances, not this.