gilli1812 Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 (edited) One for you electric boffins out there, i am resurrecting my old Tokai jazz bass out into the light, many years ago i fitted some Reflex rotosound jazz pickups with active circuit to the bass but now every couple of tunes the sound cuts out then comes back on, there are no loose wires and the battery is new, so as its unlikely to be the pickups themselves, can i purchase a new aftermarket circuit from a different supplier ie Emg and fit to the existing pickups? Any suggestions Edited March 4, 2013 by gilli1812 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 Aftermarket preamp you mean? Loads of them. for example the John East J-Retro at http://www.east-uk.com/ . However, I have no idea how well it will fit to your pickups. Others will have to hurry in and contribute. I was wondering: Is there any additional noise? Or just sound cleanly cutting out and coming back? Replacing a capacitor or cleaning the pots might just help. best, bert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bass Doc Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 Somewhere in my ancient records of circuitry I have a wiring diagram relating to Reflex Reds. Would this possibly help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilli1812 Posted March 4, 2013 Author Share Posted March 4, 2013 With this setup when you plug the jack in there is i 1 second delay before the sound comes through, i can only describe it as being like a poor connection but i've cleaned all the pots with elec cleaner plus checked jack input for loose parts etc even used a 90 degree guitar lead to reduce stress on input jack but as its happens maybe once every 30mins then nowt for a while, it would prob be better if it stop working altogether as then i would no choice but to replace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bass Doc Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 From past experience the 1 second delay in 'cutting in' is normal for these pickups. The principal they work on is similar to EMGs except the preamp is external (the black box you have) instead of being built into the body of the pickups themselves (the EMG system). As such you do not have an active circuit in the usual way - the pickups being passive and the active boost applied when you plug in. Afraid the cutting out you are experiencing is not something I am familiar with - others may chime in with a possible cause? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilli1812 Posted March 4, 2013 Author Share Posted March 4, 2013 I do have and original wiring [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]diagram in my files in attic thanks, the big prob with active circuit is that it is inside a square block which is filled with resin so there are no parts your can replace, would like something similar but using the same pickups if poss, there is only 2 wires coming from them so it would be ideal to get something that would fit into the same cavity as the Relfex system is a snug fit.[/font][/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 (edited) [quote name='gilli1812' timestamp='1362422953' post='1999531'] happens maybe once every 30mins then nowt for a while [/quote] Before using big money, I'd replace the caps, one at a time. I can't do the math anymore, but IIRC this type of behaviour often points towards ruined caps. Edit, didn't see your last post. Still one cap left to try though? best, bert Edited March 4, 2013 by BassTractor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilli1812 Posted March 4, 2013 Author Share Posted March 4, 2013 Bass Doc you mention i you reply that the pickups could be passive which if that is so then i could use fender wiring diagram and use them in a passive setup which would not be a problem for me. I own a multi meter, is there anyway i could check the resistance on the pickups to determine this before stripping down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bass Doc Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 Checking the output with a meter should be straightforward. I would guess they would read low - hence the black box acting as a signal boost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bass Doc Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 I have in my spares box a Hollis GX 10 preamp thingy. Anyone here know if this would take the place of the black box in the OP's Reflex circuit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilli1812 Posted March 4, 2013 Author Share Posted March 4, 2013 I think in the meantime i will double clean the pots replace the 2 capacitors fit new battery (i did replace a few months ago but you never know) and maybe re-solder everything to rule out dry joint if that don't work then a new pre amp it will have to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHound Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Bass Doc, I'd be interested in the Reflex Reds diagram, if it's for the bass and not the guitar pickup diagram I've seen online, which is poor quality. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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