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Warwick Rockbass Electronics - No Treble? - Help Please?


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Posted this in the Bass Guitars Forum but might have more joy in here.

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I've got a Vampyre Rockbass as my backup gigging bass.[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]The treble pot is not working at all.[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]All appears wired up correctly.[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]The pot is turning - i.e. the knob is not just 'spinning' on the pot.[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Being completely useless at this type of thing how do I go about fixing this and identifying / proving where the problem lies?[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Any input appreciated[/font][/color]

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Just had the answer to my first question, yes we have active electronics. There are several possibilities: failed capacitor, failed integrated circuit, failed potentiometer even when the other concentric one works. I suspect the most probable culprit are a failed solder joint - even if it looks good, or a very fine strand of wire causing a short circuit.

Post pic of electronics please, I will then go compare with my Warwick Active and if I can will make some suggestions how to test.

Edited by 3below
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Thanks for pic, seems to be a lot more in there than in my Corvette :gas: Next thing to start looking at / for is the circuit diagram, Warwick have these, how much detail is another matter. My best first attempt would be: unplug and replug any detachable connectors several times. Might be oxidation on contact causing poor connection (you may not have any detachable connectors - hard to see in pic). If this does not fix, next identify the treble pot connection terminals, give the wires on these these a gentle pull, if one comes off - resolder. Next follow wires back to whatever they connect into next, give them a gentle pull where they connect, if it detaches - reconnect.

FWIW one of my Warwicks (Rockbass not German one) had a badly connected wire that was not picked up in manufacture.

Are there any

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If it has previously worked for you then that would rule out incorrect wiring. Like the previous replies have stated, the most common is dry joints (old solder) , or even a "short"...In my years as a guitar tech the amount of times I've seen this, where the pot has twisted inside the cavity and the lugs are pressing against the wood making it "short out" Have a look out for that.

The EQ pots are wired to a snap panel, so check the connector isnt half hanging out too (its a little white plastic clip)

There is an outside chance that the previous owner has changed the wiring in error.

Here is a schematic
http://www.warwickbass.com/en/Warwick---Support.html#current_site_id

Good luck

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  • 5 months later...

Find out the value of the pot, either from circuit diags or by disconnecting one terminal and measuring resistance with multimeter. At this point I would buy a new pot and replace the existing one - Alpha pots are good value, should only be few £. Either the problem goes away or you now know it is elsewhere. Life is great - you fix a problem and then it comes back to bite you later :)

Edited by 3below
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I have a Thumb Bass with a 2 band circuit, bass and treble controls have a definite usable effect. I was trying out a used later model with 3 band electronics and the treble control appeared not to be working. I bought the bass as it was a good price and thought the problem may be an easy fix. Turned out there was nothing wrong with it but it worked at a higher band than that on the two way and on my amp settings I have this frequency cut so turning it had no effect.
I prefer the 2 band circuit.

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[quote name='goingdownslow' timestamp='1415369240' post='2599686']
I have a Thumb Bass with a 2 band circuit, bass and treble controls have a definite usable effect. I was trying out a used later model with 3 band electronics and the treble control appeared not to be working. I bought the bass as it was a good price and thought the problem may be an easy fix. Turned out there was nothing wrong with it but it worked at a higher band than that on the two way and on my amp settings I have this frequency cut so turning it had no effect.
I prefer the 2 band circuit.
[/quote]

Thanks - you are right, problem solved.
Wiring checked out by our techies at work - all fine.
When I got it home tried again - still appeared not to be working. Tried it through the practice amp and it works.
Eureka! - I'd been putting it through a amp head with a 'RnB' Modelling setting - completely EQing out the range I was trying to adjust!!!

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