Musicman shorted out onboard pre-amp replace / rip out

[Chaddy]

Had abit of fun today... my Sub musicman just went up in smoke in a literal sense.

 

No sound and some head scratching later wondering why and then a gush of smoke out the jack port was a nice surprise. It seems a short happened which burnt the board, abit of the inside went up and the battery was very very hot. 

 

I've been debating ripping it out for a while as its one of the too hot China made ones (prefer 12* radius necks).

 

Any recommendations? Open to suggestions but no 100 quid pre-amps!, I feel passive might be safer which is fine. 

 

 

[Waddo Soqable]

You let the magic smoke out....! 

I would just get a couple of ordinary replacement pots and wire the PU to them as a regular passive thing. Would only cost pennies comparatively. 

[fleabag]

Be careful on which pots you buy if you intend to use your existing knobs.

 

Ask me how i know

[PaulThePlug]

Passive...

Have a look at the Artec QTP (stellatone-a-thing...) for a Passive Tone Control... bit more 'scope' than a pot 'n 47u...

[Downunderwonder]

Idiot question. I always thought pickups were designed with active or passive in mind so is it ok to blithely covert to passive?

[itu]

Pickups are designed with some output in mind. If you want a buffer and some tone tweaking with the little help of a battery, it is up to you. True, EMGs need the battery because the buffer circuitry is molded beside the coil(s), but the pickup output can be doped with nearly any preamp. Find your favourite or leave everything out, it is up to your preference.

[Chaddy]

Hmm Dave bass has a pre-amp for £60. - Choices!  

[bloke_zero]

People like these: https://retrovibe.co.uk/product/retrovibe-stinger-77-classic-mm-stingray-bass-eq-pre-amp-2-band-pre-eb-circuit/

 

I've not tried it myself.

 

A portion of the Stingray sound is the preamp - it adds a bit of bass IIRC. Depends on how keen you are to keep the original tone? I like the MM passive - there is quite a bit of discussion on here about it. Like:

 

[Chaddy]

16 hours ago, bloke_zero said:

People like these: https://retrovibe.co.uk/product/retrovibe-stinger-77-classic-mm-stingray-bass-eq-pre-amp-2-band-pre-eb-circuit/

 

I've not tried it myself.

 

A portion of the Stingray sound is the preamp - it adds a bit of bass IIRC. Depends on how keen you are to keep the original tone? I like the MM passive - there is quite a bit of discussion on here about it. Like:

 

Thankyou mate, I don't mind passive or active tbh. It's an old beaten up China model. Spent ages searching and waiting for a black body maple neck one and now two have appeared online.... sigh. 

Tone wise the installed pre-amp was terrible and would be too hot for nothing. Pretty sure it was a design fault ( remember reading about it online for a hotfix ). 

[bloke_zero]

9 minutes ago, Chaddy said:

Thankyou mate, I don't mind passive or active tbh.

What are you going to do with the extra hole in the control plate :-)? You could try the Passive Treble and Bass circuit they put in G&L basses? I think I have some details if you're interested. The only thing is it's a bass cut and treble cut.

[Hellzero]

18 hours ago, bloke_zero said:

People like these: https://retrovibe.co.uk/product/retrovibe-stinger-77-classic-mm-stingray-bass-eq-pre-amp-2-band-pre-eb-circuit/

 

I've not tried it myself.

 

A portion of the Stingray sound is the preamp - it adds a bit of bass IIRC. Depends on how keen you are to keep the original tone? I like the MM passive - there is quite a bit of discussion on here about it. Like:

 

 

On 11/05/2023 at 09:14, Chaddy said:

Hmm Dave bass has a pre-amp for £60. - Choices!  

Exact same preamp with different links... 😉

[bloke_zero]

Ack sorry - I thought 'Dave' meant somone on the forum selling a preamp! All links point to retrovibe!

[Chaddy]

3 hours ago, bloke_zero said:

What are you going to do with the extra hole in the control plate :-)? You could try the Passive Treble and Bass circuit they put in G&L basses? I think I have some details if you're interested. The only thing is it's a bass cut and treble cut.

Dummy Knob of course! 

[mcnach]

On 11/05/2023 at 03:04, Downunderwonder said:

Idiot question. I always thought pickups were designed with active or passive in mind so is it ok to blithely covert to passive?

 

Yes, they're fine passive.

[Chaddy]

I went l passive with CTS and the old switch craft. 

 

My brother has my old multimeter a so I've been head scratching and failing to marry up the pick up wiring correctly by the old trick of headphones and connecting stuff by hand to see the results. 

 

There is the following from the standard sub pickup which I think is a dual live and ground for series? 

 

Red

Black

 

Red & unshielded combined. 

 

Anyone got recent experience of subs to confirm this theory?