Glockenklang Preamp

d sage · #1 05-03-2008, 09:44 AM

Well I bit the bullet and installed a Glockenklang 3 band in my LG 3005. Last night was the first night out with it. My first impression is WOW! The room we played isn't very difficult to play into but the tone was a huge step closer to what I am looking for vs. the Bart it replaced. The bottom was full and defined from F down to B, especially with a little boost. Seems like it filled the room much better with no hint of distortion or overload in the highest volume passages. As I worked my way up the neck it didn't wimp out, the sound was razor sharp but remained full and articulate - never lost in the mix. So far it gets an A+. My previous Roscoe had an Audere which sounded great but was devilishly difficult to set up and play. I think the Glock sounds a bit better and it is easier to dial in the sound I want.

For reference, last night's rig was a Demeter HBP-1 pre and a QSC PLX 2402 on a Accugroove stack, Tri 115 and Tri 112.

For now I am a happy camper!

Whappo Grande · #2 05-03-2008, 11:27 AM

Congrats on the Glock pre! I've always wanted to try one so it's good to hear someone enjoying it.

lsu921 · #3 05-03-2008, 11:54 AM

I haven't tried one, but I'm sure they sound much like their amps.. Very clean and transparent. Glad you like it.

JOME77 · #4 05-03-2008, 07:02 PM

Cool!

I've heard a few others really praising the sound of the Glockenklang pre in a Roscoe!

I've never heard any piece of gear offered by Glockenklang. I've heard good things about their cabinets and amps too.

Definitely need to add it to my "got to check it out" list.......

**T. B. Player** · #5 05-03-2008, 08:38 PM

I'm glad someone's posted about a Glock pre!

Now, Glock v. Audere?

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Z

Shiveringbass · #6 05-04-2008, 04:34 AM

Well mine has been installed this last week with some new pickups too.

But I've only tested the passive sound.

I had that pre for two years at home and actualy it has a problem. When you go from passive to active, the sound is right for 2 seconde then it get distorted and go down in a bad buzz to finaly have no sound at all.

It seems that one of the circuit board may have a problem since when you slightly touch it, the sound comes and goes...

I'm totaly upset.

Cheers

CrashClint · #7 05-04-2008, 05:49 AM

It sounds as though you have a dead/cold solder joint. Get a thin peice of sturdy plastic and when the sound drops, light press the plastic on to the components close to the where they go through the board. When you find a component that causes the sound to come back on after you press it, you will know will solder joint needs to be repaired.

To install the 3 band Glok, didn't you have to drill an extra hole for the additional pot?

If they would have used stack pots, I think I would have tried one. As it is now I am revisiting the non Roscoe Audere and the Bart Classics will be here tomorrow.

Scoopbass · #8 05-04-2008, 06:50 AM

Bernie Goodfellow is a well respected UK luthier ( http://www.gbguitars.co.uk/ ) and is the UK importer of both ken Smith and EBS. I bought a KSD jazz direct from him some time ago and asked him to retrofit an EBS preamp in it.

EBS's preamp doesn't get much press and they seem to have not bothered promoting it at all really but in my Jazz it's the bees-knees. I really must get around to swapping it into my SKB3005 for a spell to see how it goes. I suspect it's going to be fab.

One thing I will *definately* try in my Roscoe is the ACG fitering pre-amp that will come with my custom build. It's a complicated pre-amp which doesn't work on the usual cut and boost, rather you set a sound for each pick up individually and then blend them using a filtering system. It's built for ACG by John East (the guy who does the East J-Retro) and it's pretty unique. I asked another ACG owner "does that pre have a signature tone?"

He replied "it has EVERY signature tone!"

There's more info here
http://www.acguitars.co.uk/newsarticle.php?ID=63

and they are available to buy individually for retro-fittings. Great pre-amps, and utterly unique.

Shiveringbass · #9 05-04-2008, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrashClint

It sounds as though you have a dead/cold solder joint. Get a thin peice of sturdy plastic and when the sound drops, light press the plastic on to the components close to the where they go through the board. When you find a component that causes the sound to come back on after you press it, you will know will solder joint needs to be repaired.

To install the 3 band Glok, didn't you have to drill an extra hole for the additional pot?

If they would have used stack pots, I think I would have tried one. As it is now I am revisiting the non Roscoe Audere and the Bart Classics will be here tomorrow.

Hello Clint,

Indeed, Udo (Glock owner and ingenior) makes me a custom preamp so no added hole was needed. there's a volume, balance, treb and a stacked bass/mid pots.

It seems that the problem comes from that stacked pot. On the Glock pre, there is no suplementary module, eeach pot have a small circuitboard directly fixed on it. When I gently press on the stacked pot's circuit, the sound comes and goes. When there's no sound, if I put the mid (upper knob) all the way down, there's a clic each time the pot is at the end of its course.

Unfortunatly, I won't be able to fixe it myself.

Thanks

groov'ster · #10 05-04-2008, 10:59 AM

How about some sound bytes with the Glock.

I am really interested because of one things you said about the Audere. Sounds good but hard to dial-in.

CrashClint · #11 05-05-2008, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shiveringbass

Unfortunatly, I won't be able to fixe it myself.

Thanks

Is there an electronics repair business near where you live? I hope you can get it fixed, it is terrible getting the wrong pickups and now you have the right pickups but the preamp is not working correctly.

I pray that it is an easy fix and you will be jamming soon!

JOME77 · #12 05-05-2008, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrashClint

I pray that it is an easy fix and you will be jamming soon!

+1

That's got to be a bummer for sure.......

KSB - Ken Smith · #13 05-05-2008, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scoopbass

Bernie Goodfellow is a well respected UK luthier ( http://www.gbguitars.co.uk/ ) and is the UK importer of both ken Smith and EBS. I bought a KSD jazz direct from him some time ago and asked him to retrofit an EBS preamp in it.

No, he imports the KSD's thru Brooklyn Gear. He is not a dealer of Ken Smith Basses. I hope this clears up any confusion. We sell only direct lately in the UK and not thur any shops.

KSD is Brooklyn Gear, not Ken Smith.

Gard · #14 05-05-2008, 03:27 PM

Ken, thanks for straightening that out, I had overlooked that bit, but knew the situation was as such.

Hope all's well up in Perkasie!

Scoopbass · #15 05-05-2008, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

No, he imports the KSD's thru Brooklyn Gear. He is not a dealer of Ken Smith Basses. I hope this clears up any confusion. We sell only direct lately in the UK and not thur any shops.

KSD is Brooklyn Gear, not Ken Smith.

I wasn't aware that he was only dealing in KSD - also sorry if I caused any confusion. Not my intention to do so.

CrashClint · #16 05-06-2008, 12:06 PM

What is Ken doing sneaking around the Roscoe Forum, he trying to figure out how to build a better bass?

There is Roscoe Basses

____________________________

And then there is every thing else

Ok, ok, I am just having fun, Ken makes nice basses as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scoopbass

sorry if I caused any confusion. Not my intention to do so.

Ok Scoop you get 30 minutes in "Time Out" for causing confusion.

Everyone else can go to Recess

Shiveringbass · #17 05-17-2008, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrashClint

Is there an electronics repair business near where you live? I hope you can get it fixed, it is terrible getting the wrong pickups and now you have the right pickups but the preamp is not working correctly.

I pray that it is an easy fix and you will be jamming soon!

Well to let my fellow Roscoeheads know the following of my story, after exchanging some pics by mail with Udo from Glock, the stacked bass/mid pot of my preamp is broken. It may have happened during transport or installation, who knows ?

A new pot will be on my way as soon as Udo can send it.

It's a chance taht this pre have a passive function with a passive tone control so that I can at least play my Roscoe in passive and appreciate my new pickups.

To be followed.

Cheers

Ludo

Shiveringbass · #18 06-14-2008, 07:24 AM

Hey there,

Well too months after the begining of my adventure which consisted into changing all the elec of my LG, at least, everything is working now.

My drumer installed the new pot on wednesday after my luthier refused to do it.

First, my impressions about the Delano pickups that I could appreciate during the last month playing in passive.

Those pickups, to my ears, are much more open than the stock Bart./Roscoe pickups and this, from top to bottom. But more importantly, they also are very linear and does not have that low mid bump that Bart have and that I found a bit overwelming in my band mix.

The only drawback I found is that that low mid bump contribute, from my observation, to that very tight Roscoe B string in not reproducing those very low frequencies that can suck clarity.

In other words, with the Delano, the B string is a bit less focused and tight but the general tone is much wider from top to bottom with some huge low end.

Now to the Glockenklang preamp.

Well after a few time passed with my bass, I can just say that the Glock pre, for my need and for my ears, is totaly killing.
Smilie

A lot of people questionned the very high centred treb control frequency (18khz) but in reality, it does exactly what I want a treb control to do.

It realy opens up the sound and add some snap when slapping but without being arsh or agressive. The most impressive is that it does all that without any noise. Realy impressive. .

The mid control is also very well voiced to my taste and add just what I need to punch through in fingerstyle with a tasty warm.

Finaly I haven't got too much things to say about the bass control except you can realy use it without making your sound muddy.

Bottom line is that every control of this pre can be used within its entire range. It was not the case with my Bart 3 bands.

I also feel that the balance control is quite well made, it is not what you would often have : neck both or bridge.
The slightest move to bridge or to neck makes a difference.

I'll add to all those great things that this pre have a passive function which you engage by pulling on the volume knob.

In that mode, the treb control becomes a passive tone roll off. I realy like the tone I get in that mode when soloing the bridge pickup and rolling the tone all the way off.
A very jazzy/"Jaco like tone" that I could never get with the Bart setup.

My strings are a bit old now but I should have some fresh one in the next week. Some soundclips may follow soon after that.

Thanks for reading.

Ludo

Shiveringbass · #19 06-28-2008, 08:28 AM

Well, my Glockenklang/Delano equiped Roscoe had been through the live test on yesterday evening.

And it absolutly kicked !

First discovery, with the Glock pre at gig volume, a little goes a long way.

For slapping, I just put bass and treb up a bit, just after the center clic and the sound was thick and adictivly crisp with that shining high end I expected.

Because of the big wide lows that came with the Delano, I alsoexpected to have to boost the mids a bit to cut through the mix. But it was not required. I just panned the balance knob towards the bridge (once more just a little bit off center) and got this fantastic growl you like to hear in a groovy bass line.

Another difference with the Bart pickups is that before, I used to cut a bit of low mids on the amp, yesterday, I put them up just a bit.

To conclude, before my elec. change, my settings were :
balance in the middle
high mids fairly cranked up
treb almost all the way up.

Now with the new setup everything is almost flat on the bass. Just a very small boost on bass and treb when slapping and a very small pan towards the bridge pickups when I realy want some furious growl.

Hope it will helps my fellow Roscoeheads to understand the beauty of that european electronic package.

Regards

Ludo

groov'ster · #20 06-28-2008, 05:55 PM

I'll chime in on this....

My glock install has made me a happy....we have had several choir practices leading up to a big service.

The glock has allowed me to cut through the mix with ease. Almost no tweaking at all, a lil high, cut a hair on the mids and there I am right where I need to be.

The other band members have even commented without me telling them about the new pre. First thing they noticed was the noise is gone.

Cant agree more with you shivering.....this thing is worth every penny and more.

My hats off to the Glock crew.