Quiet pickups

[Lithos]

First post, but it wont be my only one, and I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but I have a bass, a crappy ibanez, and it doesn't function like it should. It's currently the best bass I have access to until I get some cash together, but it has one problem. The bass is very very quiet. I haven't actually had it looked at or taken it all apart, but I am sick of it. It's an Ibanez SR305. Active pickups, and I've replaced the battery quite a few times to see if that's the problem. If anyone could help me fix this, and possibly provide a guide to how to fix it, it would be much appreciated.

[HeavyDuty]

Welcome to TB! Have you tried adjusting the pickup height?

[mcnach]

Originally Posted by Lithos

First post, but it wont be my only one, and I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but I have a bass, a crappy ibanez, and it doesn't function like it should. It's currently the best bass I have access to until I get some cash together, but it has one problem. The bass is very very quiet. I haven't actually had it looked at or taken it all apart, but I am sick of it. It's an Ibanez SR305. Active pickups, and I've replaced the battery quite a few times to see if that's the problem. If anyone could help me fix this, and possibly provide a guide to how to fix it, it would be much appreciated.

Why is your Ibanez "crappy"? Or did you just hear someone referring to Ibanez basses as crappy? Because I've played quite a few that may not cost $2000, but are far from crappy, including an SR400 that I own.

How is it quiet? How do you get the impression that it is quiet? Compared to what?

Raising the pickups will increase the output, for sure, but unless they're way low into the body it will not double its output or anything.

Some basses are louder than others, just because of the pickups, the preamp if they have one... but once it gets to the amplifier it doesn't matter.

What do you play it through? An amplifier (what kind) or some multiFX/headphone rig?

[Lithos]

It's quiet compared to my all my friends other basses and other ones that I've plugged into my amp. I have an acoustic B600H Head on the 8x10 Acoustic B810 cabinet, so volume isn't really that big of a problem, but I hate having to turn it up so loud just for that bass. It has to be at 7 volume and gain just to play audibly over a drummer, and every other bass is almost unbearably loud at 3.


Also, I wasn't saying that all Ibanez basses are crappy, the one I have, I just hate. Every part of my bass functions terribly, and rather try again with another, I'm just going to avoid them.

[mcnach]

Originally Posted by Lithos

It's quiet compared to my all my friends other basses and other ones that I've plugged into my amp. I have an acoustic B600H Head on the 8x10 Acoustic B810 cabinet, so volume isn't really that big of a problem, but I hate having to turn it up so loud just for that bass. It has to be at 7 volume and gain just to play audibly over a drummer, and every other bass is almost unbearably loud at 3.


Also, I wasn't saying that all Ibanez basses are crappy, the one I have, I just hate. Every part of my bass functions terribly, and rather try again with another, I'm just going to avoid them.

If you hate yours... well, that's another matter. I've also owned instruments I liked at first and hated soon after.

I personally wouldn't worry about the volume output unless it's unworkable... if it sounds good, let the amp do its job. I have used a pedal to increase the signal from one of my basses into an amp, because the signal is quite low compared to teh otehrs. I have used a Behringer Power Booster PB100 (cheap, and it works), but many other pedals will do the job (preamp pedals, eq pedals...).
Maybe there really is something wrong with that bass, I'd have it checked if in doubt. If you try to sell it but it's faulty you'll probably have problems selling it too. Best to make sure the bass is ok, just lower output than you're used to.

I hope you sort it out.