Installing Lane Poor MM4/5HB with Bartolini NTBT preamp in Modulus Flea

[Klavierbass]

I recently purchased a used (fully functional) 2001 Modulus Flea bass with a Bartolini MMX pickup and Bartolini NTBT (9V "N" preamp) preamp, and I am attempting to switch the Bartolini MMX out for a new Legacy Lane Poor MM4/5HB. Can anyone explain to me how to wire in the Lane Poor? I tried to install it, but upon testing the bass the output was low to nonexistent, and I got horrible fuzz related to the treble knob. The Lane Poor has a red wire which I know goes to the yellow wire on the NTBT, a black and blue wire pair that are connected to allow the coils to work in series, and a clear coated wire and copper drain wire. It is the clear coated wire and copper drain that I am not sure where to place. I have had no success with attaching them to the back of the volume pot, or the sleeve of the jack. Thanks!

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by Klavierbass

It is the clear coated wire and copper drain that I am not sure where to place. I have had no success with attaching them to the back of the volume pot, or the sleeve of the jack. Thanks!

The drain wire goes to ground. I'd guess the other one does too.

Did the pickup comes with wiring instructions?

[Klavierbass]

No instructions were included, but where to ground? Just to the bridge?

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by Klavierbass

No instructions were included, but where to ground? Just to the bridge?

Really? No instructions at all? How did you know red it hot and to connect the black and blue wires together?

If you have an ohm meter you can tell which two wires are from each coil. I'm thinking it's not wired up right.

The bridge is not ground, but the bridge gets grounded. Ground starts at the output jack, and usually the backs of the pots are grounded.

[Klavierbass]

I knew to connect the red to yellow from research and asking the manufacturer, and the black and blue were already connected, which the manufacturer kindly explained the purpose of. I thought that attaching the copper drain and clear to the pot or the jack would ground them, but neither worked, leading me to believe something is broken. I'm going to reinstall the original pickup (which I know works) to see if the electronics still function, which would show that pickup is the problem. If I reinstall the original pickup and the bass doesn't function, I would then know that other parts in the system are damaged. Also, I'm running my preamp on 9V, does a Lane Poor need 18V?

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by Klavierbass

Also, I'm running my preamp on 9V, does a Lane Poor need 18V?

The Lane Poor is passive, so it doesn't matter. They are not high output pickups, so running the preamp at 9 volts should be fine.

Are you sure the back of the pots are grounded?

[Klavierbass]

All of the pots are connected by a wire which meets up with the wire going to the bridge, and the wire then goes to the jack. I'm sure they're grounded because immediately prior to my first attempt to install the lane poor, the bass had been functioning beautifully.

[SGD Lutherie]

Do you have a multimeter to test the pickup? It certainly sounds like the pickup is the problem.

[Klavierbass]

I don't believe I own one. If I were to get one, how would I use it to test the pickup?

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by Klavierbass

I don't believe I own one. If I were to get one, how would I use it to test the pickup?

Yu can get an inexpensive one in places like RadioShack and even Home Depot.

You want to set it for resistance, and auto-range if it has that, or in the K or thousands range.

Then touch the probes to each pickup wire. You should try and avoid holding each probe tip in your fingers. If the pickup is open (broken coil), you will get a reading between your two fingers, which is in the meg-ohm (millions) range.

If use test clips, but if I don't have those, I hold one wire to one probe with my left hand, and press the other probe to the pickup wire against the table it's on.

Then you should either get a reading between 6 and 8k, if the pickup is "normal" or nothing if the coil is broken. WQhat thsi wont tell you is if the pickup has a short.