Distorting Lakland Duck Dunn

[Linus27]

I'm sure this bass is cursed as it seems to have had problem after problem

When I play my Lakland Duck Dunn, at times it makes a horrible distored crackling sound. Not like an electric crackling sound but like a nasty clipping sound, as if the speaker can't take it. I play through an Ashdown MAG 300H connected to a Ashdown MAG 1 x 15 and Ashdown MAG 2 x 10. So I am getting the full 300 watts yet the input dial is not even on quarter full and the needle goes off the scale. The output volume dial on the head is also not even on a quarter full and its very loud. When I play my Stingray and Jazz through the rig its so much quieter and despite thrashing as hard as I can on the strings with a plectrum, I cannot re-create the clipping distored sound with either of those two basses.

The bass has had problems with the potts and wiring in the past from previous owners and has had either one or both potts replaced. Is it possible that the output from this bass is to much and causing the clipping/distortion? The reason I ask is the bass is very loud and with the input dial on really low, the needle goes off the scale.

Any advice is really appreciated.

[bumnote]

[quote name='Linus27' post='449912' date='Mar 30 2009, 08:56 PM']I'm sure this bass is cursed as it seems to have had problem after problem

When I play my Lakland Duck Dunn, at times it makes a horrible distored crackling sound. Not like an electric crackling sound but like a nasty clipping sound, as if the speaker can't take it. I play through an Ashdown MAG 300H connected to a Ashdown MAG 1 x 15 and Ashdown MAG 2 x 10. So I am getting the full 300 watts yet the input dial is not even on quarter full and the needle goes off the scale. The output volume dial on the head is also not even on a quarter full and its very loud. When I play my Stingray and Jazz through the rig its so much quieter and despite thrashing as hard as I can on the strings with a plectrum, I cannot re-create the clipping distored sound with either of those two basses.

The bass has had problems with the potts and wiring in the past from previous owners and has had either one or both potts replaced. Is it possible that the output from this bass is to much and causing the clipping/distortion? The reason I ask is the bass is very loud and with the input dial on really low, the needle goes off the scale.

Any advice is really appreciated.[/quote]

Hi
Hows the lotus

The duck IIRC is a precision body with a jazz neck
I have fralins in my precision and also my jo osb and they are not as powerfull as a musicman.
Logic says that a standard pick up wont be as hot as a guitar with a preamp such as a stingray
Have you checked the pick up height relative to the strings? If the pick up is very close to the strings it might want lowering a bit to prevent you getting too strong a signal.
If you driva a lotus you must have to rebuild it every other week, so you should be good with your hands
Have a look under the scratch plate and make sure all the wires are fitted properly.
Go to the seymour duncan site or the fralin one a get a precsion wiring diagram, see if its connected correctly.
Its very simple, it really is only a few wires. check the pickup height.
If its had new pots fitted, check they are the right ones, again, you can get that from one of the sites. They are 250K if I recall correctly.
Good luck

[Linus27]

[quote name='bumnote' post='449985' date='Mar 30 2009, 09:44 PM']Hi
Hows the lotus

The duck IIRC is a precision body with a jazz neck
I have fralins in my precision and also my jo osb and they are not as powerfull as a musicman.
Logic says that a standard pick up wont be as hot as a guitar with a preamp such as a stingray
Have you checked the pick up height relative to the strings? If the pick up is very close to the strings it might want lowering a bit to prevent you getting too strong a signal.
If you driva a lotus you must have to rebuild it every other week, so you should be good with your hands
Have a look under the scratch plate and make sure all the wires are fitted properly.
Go to the seymour duncan site or the fralin one a get a precsion wiring diagram, see if its connected correctly.
Its very simple, it really is only a few wires. check the pickup height.
If its had new pots fitted, check they are the right ones, again, you can get that from one of the sites. They are 250K if I recall correctly.
Good luck[/quote]

hahaha hiya, the Lotus is great, got back from a track day at Snetterton the other week. Thankfully, my Loti has been pretty reliable and thats after 4 trackdays and 10,000 miles but I do know what your saying though :) Not sure i could afford it if it kept breaking down.

I know my pickups are the Lakland own brand. If the pots were wrong then, could it be possible then that they are too powerful and causing this problem. Is that a possibility? The pickups could be a little high, especially the E string but you only really need to play the string softly for the input needle to go off the scale. I would think that lowering the pickups would not reduce it that much. Maybe I am wrong on this.

[bumnote]

[quote name='Linus27' post='450032' date='Mar 30 2009, 10:12 PM']hahaha hiya, the Lotus is great, got back from a track day at Snetterton the other week. Thankfully, my Loti has been pretty reliable and thats after 4 trackdays and 10,000 miles but I do know what your saying though :) Not sure i could afford it if it kept breaking down.

I know my pickups are the Lakland own brand. If the pots were wrong then, could it be possible then that they are too powerful and causing this problem. Is that a possibility? The pickups could be a little high, especially the E string but you only really need to play the string softly for the input needle to go off the scale. I would think that lowering the pickups would not reduce it that much. Maybe I am wrong on this.[/quote]

I didnt realise they were lakland own I know they changed to their own make.

Lakland customer service is absolutely first rate, 5* super terrific, why dont you send them an e mail, outlining your problem. Bet you will get a response within 24 hrs

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='Linus27' post='449912' date='Mar 30 2009, 08:56 PM']I'm sure this bass is cursed as it seems to have had problem after problem

Any advice is really appreciated.[/quote]

Sell it to me for eleventy-twelve pence... problem solved!

Soz can't be more constructive but as it is a passive bass it can't be rocket science to get the pups/pots/wiring either changed or checked... or sell it to me.

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='Linus27' post='449912' date='Mar 30 2009, 08:56 PM']I'm sure this bass is cursed as it seems to have had problem after problem [/quote]

Damn that Bass. After all you have been through with it and now this.
Cant really offer anything other than its obviously not right. a passive P should be that hot, especially with that Lakland pup.

I would suggest it could well be the amp but if you haven't had any other issues with your other basses then its obviously the DD.
Can you not take it back to the guy who fixed it up before and get him to check the pots and pup for you.?
My guess is its the pots or wiring but then i know nothing about pup's. I do know that ages ago i had a SD QP in a P and even that wasn't clipping the VU in my Ashdown MAG.

Good luck mate.

Edited April 1, 2009 by dave_bass5

[Linus27]

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='451206' date='Apr 1 2009, 09:29 AM']Damn that Bass. After all you have been through with it and now this.
Cant really offer anything other than its obviously not right. a passive P should be that hot, especially with that Lakland pup.

I would suggest it could well be the amp but if you haven't had any other issues with your other basses then its obviously the DD.
Can you not take it back to the guy who fixed it up before and get him to check the pots and pup for you.?
My guess is its the pots or wiring but then i know nothing about pup's. I do know that ages ago i had a SD QP in a P and even that wasn't clipping the VU in my Ashdown MAG.

Good luck mate.[/quote]

Yeah, tell me about it. It plays great and the tone is great but its just problem after problem. Hopefully though, this is going to be the last problem.

Definately not the amp. I tested my three main basses again last night, The Stingray, The Duck Dunn and the Fender Jazz. Not sure what the top series of numbers mean on the VU meter, but with the input set at 9 o clock and the volume set 8 o clock, the Fender on full volume is staying around the 15 mark. The Stingray was around the 20 mark and goes up to 15 if I plug it into the active input. The Duck Dunn on the same settings shoots the VU meter all the way to max and is bouncing off the edge. The only way i can stop it from doing this is by reducing the volume on the bass, which I guess is reducing the input to the amp.

As for taking it back to my luthier, yep, this is what i am going to do today so fingers crossed its something simple.

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='Linus27' post='451219' date='Apr 1 2009, 09:48 AM']As for taking it back to my luthier, yep, this is what i am going to do today so fingers crossed its something simple.[/quote]

Well good luck. Im sure its nothing too serious that cant be sorted. At least the necks not bent or damaged etc.

Edited April 1, 2009 by dave_bass5

[Linus27]

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='451257' date='Apr 1 2009, 10:35 AM']Well good luck. Im sure its nothing too serious that cant be sorted. At least the necks not bent or damaged etc.[/quote]

Thank you. Not yet its not but considering how cursed this bass is, its only a matter of time before that happens. Its funny how the car in the film Chritine is the same colour as this bass. I'm sure this bass is cursed. I might have to call it Christine

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='Linus27' post='451292' date='Apr 1 2009, 11:06 AM']Thank you. Not yet its not but considering how cursed this bass is, its only a matter of time before that happens. Its funny how the car in the film Chritine is the same colour as this bass. I'm sure this bass is cursed. I might have to call it Christine [/quote]

LOL, nice one. Best start wearing a crucifix as well.

[bumnote]

If it had a 'PROPER' precision neck, i would have given you a couple of hundred for it and taken a chance

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='bumnote' post='451453' date='Apr 1 2009, 01:23 PM']If it had a 'PROPER' precision neck, i would have given you a couple of hundred for it and taken a chance [/quote]


Now that this Bass has a history and a thread of its own its worth a lot more LOL.

[obbm]

Do you want to bring it down and A/B it with mine?

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='obbm' post='451459' date='Apr 1 2009, 01:29 PM']Do you want to bring it down and A/B it with mine?[/quote]

Thats just rubbing salt in to his wounds

Edited April 1, 2009 by dave_bass5

[obbm]

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='451461' date='Apr 1 2009, 01:31 PM']Thats just rubbing salt in to his wounds [/quote]

You might think that Dave, i couldn't possibly comment. It would be useful to try it through several different amps and try mine through the MAG.

[Linus27]

[quote name='obbm' post='451475' date='Apr 1 2009, 01:41 PM']You might think that Dave, i couldn't possibly comment. It would be useful to try it through several different amps and try mine through the MAG.[/quote]

Dave, thats a very kind offer, thank you. It's at Jo's at the moment being looked at. If he fails to fix the problem then yes, I would love to come down and compare bass for bass. Do you want me to bring my rig also?

I hope to hear back this afternoon so I'll let you know how it goes.

[Huge Hands]

I have a MAG300 combo and even with my high output Wizard pups I struggle to get the VU meter to move much unless I have the input gain set pretty high.

If these are passive pups I'm surprised they'd be able to throw out any crazy high level signal. You haven't got an active preamp hidden under the scratchplate have you?

[Linus27]

[quote name='bumnote' post='451453' date='Apr 1 2009, 01:23 PM']If it had a 'PROPER' precision neck, i would have given you a couple of hundred for it and taken a chance [/quote]

The funny thing is, this bass was bought with the intention of being my main workhorse, yet so far has never worked

I won't give up on her yet though, she will be my bitch and do what I say or else I will torch her

[Linus27]

[quote name='Huge Hands' post='451495' date='Apr 1 2009, 02:02 PM']I have a MAG300 combo and even with my high output Wizard pups I struggle to get the VU meter to move much unless I have the input gain set pretty high.

If these are passive pups I'm surprised they'd be able to throw out any crazy high level signal. You haven't got an active preamp hidden under the scratchplate have you?[/quote]

Yeah, thats what my Jazz and Stingray are like. Defo no pre-amp. Checked that one. Two pots, one jack socket and some wires.

[obbm]

[quote name='Linus27' post='451487' date='Apr 1 2009, 01:56 PM']Dave, thats a very kind offer, thank you. It's at Jo's at the moment being looked at. If he fails to fix the problem then yes, I would love to come down and compare bass for bass. Do you want me to bring my rig also?

I hope to hear back this afternoon so I'll let you know how it goes.[/quote]

It might be a good idea to bring your rig, or at least the amp part. When you hear back from Joe PM me.

[Linus27]

[quote name='obbm' post='451503' date='Apr 1 2009, 02:09 PM']It might be a good idea to bring your rig, or at least the amp part. When you hear back from Joe PM me.[/quote]

Will do. Thanks again Dave for your help.

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='obbm' post='451475' date='Apr 1 2009, 01:41 PM']You might think that Dave, i couldn't possibly comment. It would be useful to try it through several different amps and try mine through the MAG.[/quote]

Agreed although it sounds to me like maybe the Lakland is turning its nose up at the Ashdown.

Seriously, ive had my old DD going through my MAG and there is no way that needle should be moving that much.

Edited April 1, 2009 by dave_bass5

[Linus27]

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='451507' date='Apr 1 2009, 02:12 PM']Agreed although it sounds to me like maybe the Lakland is turning its nose up at the Ashdown. [/quote]

How very rude of it Maybe I should show it the wood saw, that might make it change its mind :)

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='Linus27' post='451518' date='Apr 1 2009, 02:20 PM']How very rude of it Maybe I should show it the wood saw, that might make it change its mind :)[/quote]

Buy it a nice MarkBass head and it will play itself :-)

still, fingers crossed its something easy to sort out.

[Linus27]

Well I got the devil bass back from my Luthier who changed all the electrics (pots and wires) in the bass but alas, no difference. He copied a standard precision setup and also set the pickup height to what Lakland recommends and despite being slightly better, overall, its not that different and the problem continues. However, he did notice that the coils are vibrating like crazy and Lakland have offered to replace the pickups free of charge which I thought was rather superb of them. So this is what I will do and fingers crossed, will solve the problem. It has to really as everything else has been changed already.