Now I know why I love my J-Retro!

[bassybill]

Played a gig the other night at a big, very packed club. Stage volume was pretty loud and all through the first set I was struggling to get my tone to cut through without actually blasting the rest of the band's eardrums into orbit. My usual little tweaks just didn't seem to be helping (well, duh - read on).

When I got back on to the stage for the second set, I realised that the little toggle switch on my J-Retro was "off"!!! God knows how, it's usually permanently in use. I switched it back in and re-tweaked the amp back to my normal settings. The relief during the second set was overwhelming! No extreme EQ or other weirdness, but there it was again - my tone! The difference it made on stage was stunning, and it did so in a way that I don't think would really show up when noodling around at home.

Being forced in a dumb way to manage without it kind of made me appreciate just how much this gizmo is a vital part of my sound. I've loved it since I had it (six years!) but I think I love it even more now, if that's possible. The J-Retro is PERFECT for me. The combination of that pre with my NJ4SEs on this particular Jazz bass just fits my gig needs 100%. I cannot thank John East enough for this design.

I have no affiliation to John (or Carey Nordstrand) other than as a totally satisfied customer.

[Kwesi]

Glad to hear it man! Have you ever compared it to an Aguilar? If so, what would you say the major differences are?

[bassybill]

I've only tried one bass with an OBP-3 in it and I did like the sound of that, but it wasn't in a gig situation.

Specs wise, the main differences would be the flexibility of the EQ. The J-Retro just seems really well thought out in that respect. The treble control boosts at one frequency (3kHz, I think) but cuts at another, more like the hi-mids, and the effect is just what I want a treble control to do. There's also a pull-bright option that's great for slap, really brings out the click. The mids are sweepable and that can help nail some tones to a tee. When I favour the bridge pickup, the bass control dials back in some lows to compensate just where I want them. Like I said, all very well thought out by someone who obviously knew when he designed it exactly what he wanted the thing to actually do.

One of John's stated aims is to make it easier for the player to hear themselves and his pre certainly does that in a subtle but still extremely powerful way - hence the OP.

It might not be to everyone's taste and other pre amps certainly have their fair share of fans, but for me personally the J-Retro is spot on what I want. I might add that we all often rave about new gear when we first have it, it's human nature, but I think the fact that I'm still totally digging this in a "mini-review" six years after getting it speaks volumes.

I should perhaps also add that the thing definitely does have a "sound of its own" even when set totally flat and in the "off" mode you lose some of the flexibility of the normal passive VVT setup. It's 50:50 or bridge only and that's it. So if you like having a passive J and want a pre that will let you keep exactly what it is and only affect the tone when switched on, it won't be for you. It's definitely more suited to someone like me who sees it as an integral part of their sound, to be used all the time.

[bassybill]

Added bonus, of course - it's made right here in England, the birthplace of engineering and quality manufacturing.

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by bassybill

It's 50:50 or bridge only and that's it.

Overall, it sounds like I'd love it. I run my basses active 99% of the time anyway so I'd have no problem with not getting the passive vibe. But what exactly do you mean by 50:50 or bridge only?

[bassybill]

With the pre-amp switched off, one of the toggle switches changes between a 50:50 blend of neck and bridge pickup in position 1, and bridge pickup only in position 2.

Check it out here for more detailed specs:

Welcome to east-uk.com, home of the J-Retro and U-Retro Bass Preamps

Click "products", scroll to the J-Retro and then click the technical tab. In there, the little "View" tab on the right then switches between what the controls do when the pre is on and what they do when it's switched off.

[Kipaste]

Yeah, I absolutely love mine too, I got the four knob M-retro. For me, the sweepable mids are the golden ticket. I could do just fine with the mids sweep and passive tone actually, but apart from the insane amounts of tones possible I just like the overall character of the pre and the way it cuts through the mix with some nice beef.

I went through a couple of other pres too and while the retro series definately isn't the most subtle and transparent pre, it's exactly what I like in an active pre. If I'm going to bother with active electronics, they better bring something else than just an eq to the mix.

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by bassybill

With the pre-amp switched off, one of the toggle switches changes between a 50:50 blend of neck and bridge pickup in position 1, and bridge pickup only in position 2.

Check it out here for more detailed specs:

Welcome to east-uk.com, home of the J-Retro and U-Retro Bass Preamps

Click "products", scroll to the J-Retro and then click the technical tab. In there, the little "View" tab on the right then switches between what the controls do when the pre is on and what they do when it's switched off.

Ah, ok so the blend is active? That's cool. I'd use it in active all the time anyway. Depending on my next bass I was trying to figure out what pre I'd like to upgrade to if the stock one wasn't doing it for me. The J-retros have always had me interested.

[retardedpossum]

Kwesi I can't brag on the Jretro enough...I have the same pickup that bassybill has too. I put these in a squier and that bass sound as good if not better than my stingrays and laklands...If you are ever in NC you are more than welcome to try it out.

[bassybill]

Originally Posted by bassybill

Added bonus, of course - it's made right here in England, the birthplace of engineering and quality manufacturing.

The downside of this for you US guys is the price over there. I checked this out at bestbassgear.com and the J-Retro basic model is $300 compared to around $200 for the OBP-3. This probably explains some of the difference in popularity, although I have to say that if I was in the US, I'd still have a personal preference for the J-Retro based on my experience and would consider it worth every cent of the extra $100.

[knappymer]

Has anyone used the j-retro with stock pickups? Or is the popular thing to change pickups when replacing electronics?

Thanks for your time gents, I'm new to this end of the spectrum. I mostly frequent the effects and amp subjects, but I have a '00 American jazz that could use a little sprucing.

[debass]

Originally Posted by bassybill

I've only tried one bass with an OBP-3 in it and I did like the sound of that, but it wasn't in a gig situation.

Specs wise, the main differences would be the flexibility of the EQ. The J-Retro just seems really well thought out in that respect. The treble control boosts at one frequency (3kHz, I think) but cuts at another, more like the hi-mids, and the effect is just what I want a treble control to do. There's also a pull-bright option that's great for slap, really brings out the click. The mids are sweepable and that can help nail some tones to a tee. When I favour the bridge pickup, the bass control dials back in some lows to compensate just where I want them. Like I said, all very well thought out by someone who obviously knew when he designed it exactly what he wanted the thing to actually do.

One of John's stated aims is to make it easier for the player to hear themselves and his pre certainly does that in a subtle but still extremely powerful way - hence the OP.

It might not be to everyone's taste and other pre amps certainly have their fair share of fans, but for me personally the J-Retro is spot on what I want. I might add that we all often rave about new gear when we first have it, it's human nature, but I think the fact that I'm still totally digging this in a "mini-review" six years after getting it speaks volumes.

I should perhaps also add that the thing definitely does have a "sound of its own" even when set totally flat and in the "off" mode you lose some of the flexibility of the normal passive VVT setup. It's 50:50 or bridge only and that's it. So if you like having a passive J and want a pre that will let you keep exactly what it is and only affect the tone when switched on, it won't be for you. It's definitely more suited to someone like me who sees it as an integral part of their sound, to be used all the time.

Thank you so much for the info, bassybill!!!
Do you know by chance any preamps that when switched off, they DON'T affect the original passive tone?

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by bassybill

Added bonus, of course - it's made right here in England, the birthplace of engineering and quality manufacturing.

Exactly. The birthplace of Lucas Electrics, for example.......