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Everything posted by Obrienp
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Fitting Passive Switch and Circuit to Ibanez SRMD 200
Obrienp replied to Obrienp's topic in Repairs and Technical
I quite like the idea of a rotary switch like a Varitone but I have looked for one of those switches before and I haven’t been able to find one. Do you know a source? WRT the Glockenlang. I guess it depends how much value you put on your time. The Glockenlang and the Bartolini preamps come prewired, which would save me several hours with a soldering iron (I am a bit clumsy in my old age, also lazy). -
Fitting Passive Switch and Circuit to Ibanez SRMD 200
Obrienp replied to Obrienp's topic in Repairs and Technical
I find cloth covered wire easier to work with, especially when it is pre-tinned. You just push the cloth up to expose a bit of wire, instead of having to mess around with wire strippers, or a knife. You are right about reusing the jack socket but those Ibby sockets do tend to fail after a bit and I prefer the more conventional Switchcraft type. They are more reliable and the Pure Tone ones give a very good contact. -
Fitting Passive Switch and Circuit to Ibanez SRMD 200
Obrienp replied to Obrienp's topic in Repairs and Technical
Well it is marked concentric and it doesn’t look like the Bourne balance pot I also got from Allparts several years ago and haven’t used yet. -
Fitting Passive Switch and Circuit to Ibanez SRMD 200
Obrienp replied to Obrienp's topic in Repairs and Technical
Yeah. You are right. The only thing I could find was from Allparts and it must have the smallest diameter pots in the world attached. They are barely bigger than the shaft and I have no idea whether it is log or lin. All the usual culprits are sold out and anything by CTS, or Alpha in 250k doesn’t seem to have a deep enough thread to mount through the body. I am beginning to think it is going to be a lot easier to go the replacement preamp route (Glockenlang I think), or make it completely passive: vol, vol, tone, tone. Passive will be cheaper but not a huge amount: 4 x decent 250k long shaft pots, 2 x caps, more cloth covered wire, decent replacement mono jack socket that fits (difficult), or use a standard mono socket and a surface mounting plate, in which case I will have to ream out the hole for the jack socket. Although I might do the reaming anyway, as I am not a great fan of the acoustic style, cylinder jack sockets that Ibanez use. -
Fitting Passive Switch and Circuit to Ibanez SRMD 200
Obrienp replied to Obrienp's topic in Repairs and Technical
Thank you. That’s very helpful. I would go for the 4 pot 2 band, if I decided to go down that route. I feel like I want to try my mod, just to see if it works but I am just going to wire it up to test it, before I drill any holes in the body, like you did. If that proves to be a failure, I might well go for a Glockenlang. I suppose one benefit of going for a replacement preamp and pickups is that you can remove the existing electronics without cutting any wires, which would make it easier to put it back to stock to sell it. Alternatively I could just convert it to all passive and keep the stock electronics intact for resale: that would be the low cost option. Decisions, decisions! -
Fitting Passive Switch and Circuit to Ibanez SRMD 200
Obrienp replied to Obrienp's topic in Repairs and Technical
Sorry. Follow up question: when you put the Glockenlang in passive mode, does one of the pots act as a passive tone control, or is it straight through to the output? -
Fitting Passive Switch and Circuit to Ibanez SRMD 200
Obrienp replied to Obrienp's topic in Repairs and Technical
Thanks, that good to know. -
Fitting Passive Switch and Circuit to Ibanez SRMD 200
Obrienp replied to Obrienp's topic in Repairs and Technical
Thank you for sharing that. That is food for thought. I can think of a few possible causes for the noise: 1). I wonder if the problem was not switching the preamp off. If I have understood your diagram properly, your passive mode rerouted the output from the pickups directly to the output jack but left the preamp powered up. Perhaps that generated some kind of radio interference; 2). The bass doesn’t look very well shielded because the active electronics make it pretty quiet, so it’s not necessary in stock configuration but in passive mode there would be hum from the single coil jazz pickup. Although if they are both on in passive mode you would think this would be less of a problem. I guess it depends how they are phased; 3.) in passive mode was the bridge ground interrupted? According to the OEM circuit diagram, the bridge ground goes to the volume pot and then the circuit seems to go to the main board of the preamp, which means it might stop there in passive mode because that route is interrupted, or is it? I think I would need to test that one with a multimeter; 4). I am assuming that the input from the pickups was the hot wires only, in which case where did the ground wires go? Did they get a direct run to the output jack, or did they go to the preamp, in which case could that have caused noise? I guess it could be a combination of some, or all of the above. I think the lesson for me might be to shield all the cavities with copper tape and run ground wires everywhere. I am only using the P pickup in passive mode, so hopefully there won’t be any out of phase issues with the Jazz pickup. 🤞 I’m thinking that, when I have done with adding the switch and extra knob, the controls will look like those on the more expensive SR series basses that have three band preamps and a three position toggle switch (coil tap, active, passive). Perhaps it won’t take too much of a value hit in that case. I agree with you that they are great little basses. For me the only thing missing is a passive switch. In fact I did think of just removing the preamp and converting it to all passive: vol/tone, vol/tone but I quite like having the active option. BTW, which replacement preamp did you use and would you recommend it? Just in case I decide my wiring plans are too much like hard work! -
Fitting Passive Switch and Circuit to Ibanez SRMD 200
Obrienp replied to Obrienp's topic in Repairs and Technical
@itu Thank you for reading through all the waffle in my post and for your suggestions. Yes, you are right. Switching from active to passive is going to create quite a loud pop. I will just have to remember to engage the mute on my tuner pedal, or amp when I do it. Especially when I DI into the PA. I like your hidden switch idea. If I was just adding the passive circuit in case the battery died during a gig, I would do this but my motivation is more about getting the classic passive P bass tone. Unfortunately I don’t think it would be possible to replace the treble and bass pots with stacked pots, without messing up the preamp. The OEM pots Ibanez fit have circuit boards attached and mini connector sockets. The connectors are not an insurmountable problem but I think there might actually be some processing occurring in the circuit on the boards. The pots are also a weird impedance, which wouldn’t really be compatible with a passive circuit. I’m not sure I could find stacked pots with the right combination of impedance values for both the active and passive circuits. If I was going to go down the route of not drilling holes, I think I would bite the bullet and buy a replacement preamp with an active/passive switch. However, together with a better P bass pickup, that option would cost as much as the bass itself did. In my experience, you never recover anything like what you have spent on modifications when you come to sell a bass. -
Looking for guidance, preferably from someone who has done this mod to their SRMD200 or similar active only bass. I searched and didn’t quite find this particular topic. What I want to do: replace the stock P Bass pickup with something better (I don’t care about the J pickup), fit a DPDT switch to switch the active electronics on/off and simultaneously route the P pickup to a passive circuit consisting of a stacked vol/tone control. Yes, I know I could just replace the preamp with a better 4 control unit with a push/pull active/passive switch but I don’t want to spend that amount of cash on a cheap bass. Anyway my thoughts on doing this are as follows. Please let me know if this is not the way to do it. It will help understand this if you look at the attached SRMD200 wiring diagram I found on TalkBass (it seems to be accurate). Obviously I’m going to have to drill two new holes: one for the stacked pot and one for the switch. There seems to be enough space in the control cavity to accommodate this. Now for the wiring. First to change the P pickup, I’m not going to try soldering onto the blend control circuit board: it looks too fragile and I might cook it if I keep the iron on it for too long. I intend to cut the original pickup wires, shrink wrap the new pickup ground wire to the original ground wire and take a separate ground wire from this joint straight to the chassis of the stacked vol/tone pot. The live wire from the pickup will go to one of the middle terminals of an on/on DPDT switch. The other terminals on that side will route the live output to either the preamp blend pot (using the original cable), or to the new stacked vol/tone pot. Currently the negative wire from the battery is routed directly to the spare terminal of the stereo output jack. This creates an on/off switch for the power to the preamp. When a jack plug is inserted into the socket it closes the circuit, when it is removed the circuit is broken. I intend to cut this wire and route it from the battery to the other middle terminal of the DPDT. I will then run the other half of the original wire will to the appropriate terminal on the DPDT, such that when the live output from the pickup is routed to the preamp, the power circuit will be complete and the preamp active. When it is switched the other way, the circuit will be left open and the pickup live output will be routed to the vol/tone pot. The Vol/tone stacked pot will be wired in the conventional way with a .047 capacitor. The live and ground wires will be taken to the output jack socket where they will be in parallel with the live and ground from the preamp. I think this will work but I just wonder whether there is any issue with the pickup ground wire being split so that it is connected to both the active preamp circuit and the passive circuit simultaneously. My feeling is that the live wire will only be routed to one of the circuits, so there shouldn’t be an issue. However, is it likely to cause any background noise? I would have drawn a circuit diagram for this but I don’t have an editor that will do it, or the knowledge of the correct symbols. Your thoughts and experience would be welcome. Thanks in advance. P.S. Is this likely to kill the resale value of the bass?
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Nordstrand Acinonyx - LPB - Nordy Mute *£575* - *SOLD*
Obrienp replied to jay-syncro's topic in Basses For Sale
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I was lusting after the 32” version of this that was at Bass Direct. Unfortunately, a full scale, big boy bass is beyond me these days, which is of no interest to you at all I am sure. Otherwise I would have been shaking out my piggy bank. It is a beautiful looking bass. Anyway, to the point: there are so many different configurations available from Maruszczyk, it might be worth mentioning what style neck is on this: profile, nut width, etc. GLWTS.
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Wow! Cheap beer or what? Even in the backwater I live in (Norfolk, UK), a pint in a pub that puts on live music is going to cost you from £3.50 to £6, depending on how hip and up itself the establishment is. Door charges in pubs are quite rare (tends to be special nights) but clubs and other venues will have them. Sometimes it includes a drink and can vary enormously depending on the previously mentioned parameters. Also the drinks can be very expensive.
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The band I have depped for recently does covers, so I just had to learn their set list and do a couple of rehearsals with them. It has gone pretty well on the gigs I have done with them. i also depped on guitar and bass in a ceilidh band a few years back. They gave me a bunch of sheet music, which wasn’t much use as I can barely read traditional notation. Fortunately, one of them had the patience to go through it with me, identifying the chords and I took it from there, plus several rehearsals. Fortunately, the fiddle player played most of the lead parts. It would be much more difficult with a band doing their own material. As for being known: I go along to our local blues society jams regularly and met the band leader (drummer) at those. The society has an available for depping list that I had put my name down on. He approached me to dep. I also used to go to lots of local folk club sing arounds, which is how I got the ceilidh band slot. Depping is fun IMO. It stretches you a bit and you get to play with a wider group of musicians. It does require a lot of effort but the return is that you improve as a musician.
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I am in two bands and dep with another. Normally it works pretty well to get the gigs rolling in but occasionally they behave like buses: none for ages and then you get 3 on the same weekend. 🥴
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Barefaced Super Compact (one only) - *SOLD*
Obrienp replied to graham1945's topic in Amps and Cabs For Sale
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“Don’t get off a bus while it’s still moving” is a good tip. You can also try “ don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched”.
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Nordstrand Acinonyx - LPB - Nordy Mute *£575* - *SOLD*
Obrienp replied to jay-syncro's topic in Basses For Sale
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The Short Scale Bass Appreciation Society!
Obrienp replied to Baloney Balderdash's topic in Bass Guitars
Thanks. I will pass that on to him. -
The Short Scale Bass Appreciation Society!
Obrienp replied to Baloney Balderdash's topic in Bass Guitars
The guitarist, in one of the bands I play in, also plays bass in another band. He bought one of the Squier VMs last year and has been very unhappy with the pickup set, which he describes as completely gutless. Admittedly, he is comparing it with his other bass, one of the more expensive Yamaha BBs. He said he has been unable to find a replacement set that will fit. Which gets me round to my question: is the Squier VM pickup set not the standard Mustang size? -
So, I got through the dep gig previously posted about. I ended up being the one wearing the mask, while Covid afflicted drummer coughed away behind me. It was a private function for a bloke’s 70 in a large pub. As can be seen from the photo, it was pretty cramped for the 6 of us. We had a lot of feedback issues tracked down to one of the drummer’s overhead mics, the sax player’s mic attachment and I suspect the guitarist’s miced cab. We cured the first two after an anxious half hour but the latter announced itself between each song. The gig itself went really well. Lots of dancing and general appreciation from around 100 party goers. I only came unstuck once, which was not being able to remember the groove for Stand By Me, which is embarrassing when you are doing the intro. My mind went a complete blank. By the end of the third set, about a quarter past midnight, I was really enjoying myself and wanted to keep going. Gear was a Maruszczyk Elwood 4a (medium scale) through an MB LMIII and Barefaced Two10, with a DI the PA. Got home about 2am. Crossing my fingers that I didn’t catch Covid from the drummer and I will be able to have my operation on Tuesday!
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This is turning into a bit of a nightmare. The singer has decided he can do the gig on strong pain killers (could be interesting). However, the drummer has tested positive for Covid! Apparently he feels fine and only tested because his son’s girlfriend has tested positive and they were all together over Christmas. The organiser has said do the gig anyway: there will be people in the audience with it knowingly, or unknowingly. I guess it’s too late for him to get a replacement act. Personally, I feel that is a bit irresponsible but the band have said they are going to play with, or without a bassist. I am due to have a heart “procedure” on Tuesday, which I don’t want to compromise but I spent 4 hours in a rehearsal room with the drummer on Friday, so if I am going to get Covid from him, I will have probably caught it then. All the same, I’m going to stand the opposite side of the stage from him tonight! All this for a deep gig!
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Mark Bass CMD121 gain clipping using a Boss WL-20 wireless
Obrienp replied to Rusco's topic in Amps and Cabs
Ah, OK. One of these days I might read a manual 😏. -
Mark Bass CMD121 gain clipping using a Boss WL-20 wireless
Obrienp replied to Rusco's topic in Amps and Cabs
I use a WL-20 with a MB III. I have not noticed any issues but I have never tried to turn the gain up to clipping level. As a matter of interest, what is the benefit of having the gain so high? Doesn’t it distort? -
Forthcoming New Year’s Eve dep gig is now looking shaky, as the singer has done his back in big time. Spent most of today chasing my contacts for possible dep vocalists. Actually got two potential takers from a post on Norfolk & Suffolk Musicians Wanted Facebook group. Not bad seeing I had only posted a couple of hours previously. Unfortunately, my top candidate (who can play all the instruments in the band too) has the cold and cough that is doing the rounds. Over to the BL now 🤞. Rehearsal booked for this evening could be interesting with two deps!