danny-79 Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 (edited) Hi all. I’m totally new to the world of Spector, I’ve been after an 8 string for a while and this was about the best of the lot in my opinion (in this price bracket and what I’ve personally seen anyway).it’s only a base model I’m guessing. I brought it new, given it a good set up and it’s playing lovely now, the machine heads let it down but that’s soon remedied (new Wilkinson’s in the post) but anyways...... the Tonepump. It’s a bit ??..... hot. Open the volume just ever so slightly and it’s boomy and starting to break up on 1. Bass and tone pots all the way off. It’s possible to get a nice tone but takes some fiddling and completely new amp settings. I’ve done a bit of reading on here and some useful reading. I was hoping I could adjust the gain on it with the rim pot but it doesn’t seem to have one, or I’m looking in wrong place. It looks like a hole has been drilled in the top.. there is no screw in there I’ve had a poke! any suggestions? cheers Dan Edited April 15, 2021 by danny-79 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 (edited) Bit of an obvious one, but have you tried new batteries? Low battery power can cause a preamp to distort. Edited April 15, 2021 by Cato Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danny-79 Posted April 15, 2021 Author Share Posted April 15, 2021 2 hours ago, Cato said: Bit of an obvious one, but have you tried new batteries? Low battery power can cause a preamp to distort. That’s a brand new battery, fist thing I did was put a new one in. From what I’ve read that’s just the nature of that pre amp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulhauser Posted April 16, 2021 Share Posted April 16, 2021 @danny-79 this is a Tonepump Jr which is a Far-East made version of the Tonepump and it has no trimpot, never had. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dov65 Posted April 16, 2021 Share Posted April 16, 2021 If your after a TonePump with a trimpot give me a shout, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 I had one of these, bought it stupid cheap off eBay; speculative bid that nobody bettered. Detested the Tonepump Jnr, muddy/just horrific. Pulled that out a few days after I got it and went passive for a bit, then put a John East unit in it, afterwhich it came alive. Used it for some recording and then it just sat gathering dust. Sold it on a couple of months ago. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 I had one of those briefly, and didn't have the distortion in it. Wasn't totally impressed by the tonepump and would have probably done something else if I hadn't returned it (Not because it was bad, just because I got a dean 8 string really cheap right after it). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danny-79 Posted April 18, 2021 Author Share Posted April 18, 2021 (edited) So what are people’s favourite upgrades regarding pickups and pre amps? I Have just fitted the new machine heads. Bit of filing required but it’s staying in tune now so all good on that front Edited April 18, 2021 by danny-79 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldon Tyrell Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 8 strings? Wow, four too many for my skill level 😉 Preamp recommendations: 1. Hazlab (but pretty expensive), 2. Tonepump with trimpot. 3. Aguilar OBP 2 or 3 Pickup recommendations: 1. EMG 35P4X, 2. EMG 35DCX or a combination of both (P4X for the neck, DCX for the bridge) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 2 hours ago, Eldon Tyrell said: 8 strings? Wow, four too many for my skill level 😉 Preamp recommendations: 1. Hazlab (but pretty expensive), 2. Tonepump with trimpot. 3. Aguilar OBP 2 or 3 Pickup recommendations: 1. EMG 35P4X, 2. EMG 35DCX or a combination of both (P4X for the neck, DCX for the bridge) In answer to this, as a previous owner of one of these, I'm not of the opinion that there's anything specifically wrong with the stock pickups, but (IMO) the pairing of these with the Tonepump Jr was/is a disaster; it added nothing but mush to the output tone and the stocks were considerably more responsive/dynamic once the pre-amp was out of the circuit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danny-79 Posted April 19, 2021 Author Share Posted April 19, 2021 21 hours ago, Eldon Tyrell said: 8 strings? Wow, four too many for my skill level 😉 Preamp recommendations: 1. Hazlab (but pretty expensive), 2. Tonepump with trimpot. 3. Aguilar OBP 2 or 3 Pickup recommendations: 1. EMG 35P4X, 2. EMG 35DCX or a combination of both (P4X for the neck, DCX for the bridge) Ok thank you I will look them up 18 hours ago, NancyJohnson said: In answer to this, as a previous owner of one of these, I'm not of the opinion that there's anything specifically wrong with the stock pickups, but (IMO) the pairing of these with the Tonepump Jr was/is a disaster; it added nothing but mush to the output tone and the stocks were considerably more responsive/dynamic once the pre-amp was out of the circuit. Did you just remove/bypass the preamp and set it up passive with the original pickups ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 11 minutes ago, danny-79 said: Did you just remove/bypass the preamp and set it up passive with the original pickups ? Initially, I just de-soldered everything, then popped out the unit and battery box. I found a wiring schematic online and just re-did the wiring. When I installed the John East, I went with a Uni Pre-4 unit (https://www.east-uk.com/product/uni-pre-4-knob/). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 Just now, NancyJohnson said: Initially, I just de-soldered everything, then popped out the unit and battery box. I found a wiring schematic online and just re-did the wiring [edit - the pickups are passive, it's only the Tonepump Jnr that effectively makes the bass active]. When I installed the John East, I went with a Uni Pre-4 unit (https://www.east-uk.com/product/uni-pre-4-knob/); there was adequate space insde the body cavity to accommodate this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prowla Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 I've looked at these, but the problem is I don't like actually playing an 8-string; I either don't press hard enough and get fret bzz fom the thin string or I press too hard and get a sore finger. I've just bought a Digitech Mosaic octave doubler pedal instead... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danny-79 Posted April 19, 2021 Author Share Posted April 19, 2021 15 minutes ago, prowla said: I've looked at these, but the problem is I don't like actually playing an 8-string; I either don't press hard enough and get fret bzz fom the thin string or I press too hard and get a sore finger. I've just bought a Digitech Mosaic octave doubler pedal instead... This one is surprisingly easy to play. It’s exactly the same neck as the four string version, (it’s exactly the same bass as the four string version just different bridge and machine head holes, the extra four octave strings have just been squeezed in there) personality I don’t think it feel awkward at all unlike some I’ve tried and I’ve tried a fair few. Octave pedals are great, not tried the one you mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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