Mrmulluk Posted May 18, 2020 Share Posted May 18, 2020 Hey everyone, I’m new to the forum so minor background: I haven’t played for YEARS but dusted off my loved Hohner B2A headless to play with. I was hoping to plug it into GarageBand and have a fiddle around, but need an iRig or similar it seems. Stupid technology and real life. Anyway, The red light indicating the preamp is on never comes on, and while it will play passively through an amp the preamp just acts as an off switch. Tried so far: Change battery. Talk sternly to guitar. Cry. Now I was an utter beginner anyway with the tech side of things, so I’m only vaguely aware at best what the preamp actually does or why I have three volume controls. In my head the preamp will let me plug my bass into GarageBand without using anything but I suspect that is wishful thinking. In short, I guess I just want my red light back. Please explain as if you were speaking to a small child. A big, fat, bearded small child. TLDR: Dumbass has non working B2A Preamp - what do?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted May 18, 2020 Share Posted May 18, 2020 (edited) If it doesn't work in active mode, even after changing the battery, then just switch it to passive and use it in passive mode. To connect it to a software package like GarageBand you will need an audio interface like a Focusrite Scarlett or something similar - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Focusrite-Scarlett-Solo-Audio-Interface/dp/B07QR6Z1JB Edited May 18, 2020 by ikay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted May 18, 2020 Share Posted May 18, 2020 Second option is to open the back cover and take few sharp, big and well lit photos. Then share them with us. We may be able to see, if there is a clear issue, that can be repaired. A bass preamp is very simple like a bassist (read: me). Fifth option is to bring the bass to someone who has some understanding in electronics. S/he can fix the unit for you. OR (option #1) is that this person takes the preamp out and changes it or only takes it away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted May 18, 2020 Share Posted May 18, 2020 Another possibility is a battery leakage having damaged the battery (sorry for the repetition) connector. It's quite common. Take photos, that will help a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrmulluk Posted May 28, 2020 Author Share Posted May 28, 2020 Hey guys, sorry for the tardy reply, and thanks for the responses so far! Photos below for smart folk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted May 28, 2020 Share Posted May 28, 2020 Crikey, that's a bit of jumble! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hubrad Posted May 28, 2020 Share Posted May 28, 2020 Nothing looks immediately obvious, but one thing springs to mind.. if a bass has been sat idle for an age, the jack socket and pots can oxidise inside, and as we all know it doesn't take much to interfere with the sound. Try lacing the jack socket with switch cleaner/lubricant such as Servisol Super 10 (other brands are available, and it's great for scratchy pots) and repeatedly insert and remove the jack plug. Something as simple as a bit of a dirty contact might be enough to stop the switching part of the jack socket working, hence no active circuit or LED. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrmulluk Posted May 28, 2020 Author Share Posted May 28, 2020 1 hour ago, ikay said: Crikey, that's a bit of jumble! It’s like colourful spaghetti, isn’t it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted May 28, 2020 Share Posted May 28, 2020 This article on fixing a B2A with dodgy wiring contains a wiring diagram which might be useful - https://richsstudioproject.wpcomstaging.com/2015/08/19/hohner-b2a-active-electronics-repair/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsampson Posted May 28, 2020 Share Posted May 28, 2020 Zooming in, it looks like there's some corrosion on both terminals of the battery connector (and those connectors are pretty flimsy at the best of times). Give it a clean with a stiff brush, and if you've got a multimeter, check that the 9V is actually making it to the preamp board... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted May 28, 2020 Share Posted May 28, 2020 The first pictures shows your fingers, some vitamin B would be in order. The third shows the capacitor which is a bit too close to the cover. Previous comments about corrosion are probably on the right path. Use a plug to put it in several times to the jack. Battery contact, brush it. If you have a DMM (digital multimeter), check cables, too. A battery and a lamp is a cheap and simple tester. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted May 28, 2020 Share Posted May 28, 2020 Looking at the battery connector, it has suffered from some battery leakage. Clean it with this tool that you can buy elsewhere (it's a glass fiber brush) : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122200385603 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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