drTStingray Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 23 minutes ago, Twigman said: I ALWAYS have the DI on post and ALWAYS press the Mute button on my amp at the end of soundcheck and have not yet forgotten to un-Mute it before the start of the set - it's the last thing I press before playing and the first thing I press before going off stage - that way any plugging and unplugging of cables won't get pops and bangs won't get to the speakers. I also currently drape the bass end of the cable over the stand....i was just concerned about if I could get away with not unplugging the bass end as it would give me one less thing to remember when I get out on stage. All sounds good - my amp doesn't have a mute but excellent if you do - I always go post EQ as well, gets good results. Don't quote me but I reckon you'd be ok leaving the bass plugged in on a gig. Different matter if you're going to leave it plugged in for three months at home! I think Musicman only changed the circuit because there were active bass competitors (eg Ibanez Musician) from the end of the 70s - of course it meant the battery life would be extended - no doubt batteries are even better these days as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 23 minutes ago, caitlin said: Why wouldn't one re-flow the joints with *some* regularity, this is just *maintenance* Well indeed, a bit like checking batteries, but nonetheless soldering at a gig seems a little more problematic than flipping a lid and replacing a battery. I'm sure people with such vintage equipment take a spare instrument just in case something 'falls off the old girl', to quote vintage Bentley owners. I wonder if a day will come when on a par with vintage cars, a vintage P Bass will de rigeur require it's operator to wear period clothing - perhaps a dapper 1960 style suit, shoes, shirt and tie a la Shadows and other beat combos of the era 😀 😏 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caitlin Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 1 minute ago, drTStingray said: Well indeed, a bit like checking batteries, but nonetheless soldering at a gig seems a little more problematic than flipping a lid and replacing a battery. I'm sure people with such vintage equipment take a spare instrument just in case something 'falls off the old girl', to quote vintage Bentley owners. I wonder if a day will come when on a par with vintage cars, a vintage P Bass will de rigeur require it's operator to wear period clothing - perhaps a dapper 1960 style suit, shoes, shirt and tie a la Shadows and other beat combos of the era 😀 😏 True enough, but I guess that's the difference between preventive maintenance every few years and waiting till stuff breaks to fix it. I mean, I change my drum heads before any big events rather than waiting till they tear to switch one out in the middle of a show. Oh, big events , how I miss them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 4 hours ago, TimR said: You will start to hear distortion from the preamp well before (hours) the battery dies. In my experience, they don’t just suddenly stop working. Some do, others however give you little warning. By the time you detect distortion you're too late. The preamp on my old Warwick Corvette $$ worked just fine until it started making some horrible noises (nothing to do with my playing!) and that was it. It varies a lot with different designs, it seems. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Steve Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 I tend not to take any chances for gigs - batteries are pretty cheap so it's not a massive extra cost to replace them so I'll usually replace them before a show, or after a week or two if there are a run of gigs. I'll also usually replace the strings if they're more than a couple of shows old, so batteries are a minor cost. They then get relegated to my gig bag as replacements for emergencies or pedals On reflection, I'd probably be much better off with a couple of rechargeable batteries that I re-charge and swap between gigs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 One thing about the Hohner design is that if the battery is flat you CAN switch to passive. Many basses don't let you do this. I've never been 100% convinced that a preamp inside the bass can actually do anything you can't do better with one outside it, except, perhaps, drive a VERY long jack lead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 12 minutes ago, mcnach said: Some do, others however give you little warning. By the time you detect distortion you're too late. The preamp on my old Warwick Corvette $$ worked just fine until it started making some horrible noises (nothing to do with my playing!) and that was it. It varies a lot with different designs, it seems. Only happened to me once with my P-bass Lyte, enough for me to make sure it never does again. Playing at a wedding, had about 10 secs of crackling distortion and then completely dead. Most embarrassing. My tech guy did a small mod to my bass a while ago which dramatically increased the battery life. Prior to this it did used to get through a fair few Duracell’s IIRC. I’m afraid I don’t know exactly what he did, but seem to remember him saying it would have cost Fender only small change to use the improved component he substituted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goingdownslow Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 I've just changed the PP3 in my go-to Warwick only 'cause I had some new ones and I had put the date on when installed, it was July 2015 and it was still tasting salty. It'll find a use in something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 Those of you stressing about pops and crackles when unplugging an active bass, this is your friend... 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 I tried using switching jack plugs. But my bass is an old dog, and you can't teach an old dog Neutrix. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 2 hours ago, goingdownslow said: I've just changed the PP3 in my go-to Warwick only 'cause I had some new ones and I had put the date on when installed, it was July 2015 and it was still tasting salty. It'll find a use in something else. Have to admit my Warwick Thumb is the same. Even tho i check it regularly thru the year the battery does seem to last a very long time. My Overwater is same. In 9 yrs i've had it i reckon i've only changed the batteries 2 or 3 times. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky 4000 Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 4 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said: I've never been 100% convinced that a preamp inside the bass can actually do anything you can't do better with one outside it, except, perhaps, drive a VERY long jack lead. It's just the modern trend for combining things. Like the toilet brush / soap dish. I'm not convinced about that either TBH. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 3 hours ago, dmccombe7 said: Have to admit my Warwick Thumb is the same. Even tho i check it regularly thru the year the battery does seem to last a very long time. My Overwater is same. In 9 yrs i've had it i reckon i've only changed the batteries 2 or 3 times. Dave Change mine once a year on New Year’s Day (or the day after), whether they need it or not (they never do). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 I’ve never kept a bass which relied on the pre for its sound so if a batt dies I’m more than happy to switch to passive - in fact all my current actives sound the same in passive (with everything centred) so I’d only use the active EQ to adjust on-the-fly but could easily do without. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 And that's the only purpose of a(n inboard) preamp. If you want sounds from the grave, buy pedals, that's what they are intended for. 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted October 16, 2019 Author Share Posted October 16, 2019 19 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said: I've never been 100% convinced that a preamp inside the bass can actually do anything you can't do better with one outside it, except, perhaps, drive a VERY long jack lead. While I prefer a passive bass, certainly the bass that prompted my original post (a Spector EuroLT) delivers something a little more different over the Lulls, dare I say it, more shizzle/dynamic. On the subjective matter of pre-amps (or whatever you'd classify as a pre-amp), over the years I've transitioned from a wholly clean tone (straight in), through a variety of Sansamps into power amps, up to where I'm at now (Darkglass A/O head or a Sansamp dUg into the effects return thereon); in isolation, I would not expect the bass to replicate anything the Sansamps or the Darkglass does to shape my tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 I have 3 band EQ at my fingertips on my bass. That’s nothing like having it on the amp or a pedal. It makes a big difference to be able to control on stage/room sound like that. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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