Delamitri79 Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 (edited) Hey folks. I have a lovely yamaha trb 5ii bass. I'm very happy with the build quality and playability. Unfortunately I'm a little disappointed with the preamp and possibly the pickups. It seems to sound muddy almost all the time. I'm trying to eq it onboard as best I can but I can't get that nice clear tone I'm after. I have put new strings on it about 2 weeks ago. Would anyone have any suggestions Thanks Edited June 5, 2020 by Delamitri79 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 I had a TRB6 a few years ago, that had an amazing clear tone, very bell like. Have you tried changing the battery? Silly question I know, but I’ve convinced myself a couple of times that there’s something wrong with my instrument, only to suddenly realise it’s the battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delamitri79 Posted June 5, 2020 Author Share Posted June 5, 2020 Yeah I've tried a couple of batteries and no improvement. It's a funny one. I've everything flat and the bass sounds huge and powerful but slightly muddy. I don't know if the preamp needs a service or complete replacement but it's really annoying. I've Ernie Ball Slinkys on it now but I'm not sure if different strings will make enough of a difference Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyJ Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 Have you tried tweaking the two trimpots inside the control cavity? They adjust the mix of the second coil of each pickup. The tonal difference is subtle, but effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delamitri79 Posted June 5, 2020 Author Share Posted June 5, 2020 Yeah I've changed them around a good bit and mixed them and I can hear the difference but it stills leaves everything muddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 I've got a TRB1005J, so similar, but I don't know how close the electrics are. I too am underwhelmed with the pre-amp, pickups are pretty good I think, but the pre isn't great. For my money the centre frequency of the mid-range control is set too low, so there's too much bottom end. I tend to cut the bass by about 50%, boost the mids to max, boost the treble by about 30% and then favour the bridge pickup by about 50% That gives me a much clearer and articulate sound, though my strings are a bit old, so would back those ratios off a bit with new strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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