Onboard volume boost buffer?!

[Smit_Dogg]

Hello,

Recently I've had a glockenklang 3 band installed into my Yamaha TRB1005J. I love its pure crystalline tone but i have noticed that the volume is quite low on it. I was wondering if adding some sort of onboard boost buffer would increase things a few decibels?! If so, which buffer would be suitable?

The only one i know of is the Reedemer but from what I've read its more of a tone integrity circuit, am i right saying that?!

Any feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks

Smit Dogg

[Means2nEnd]

http://www.bestbassgear.com/bartolin...s-agdb-918.htm

[Smit_Dogg]

These look like just what i need at an affordable price. I've never bought anything from that site. is it a trusted site? Also, I've looked at the wiring spec and can see you wire it between the pickups and the pre. Im not sure how i would put the Yamaha pickups into that config as they are dual coils consisting of a single coil and a dummy coil. They have an output and ground each. Might mean a trip to the local techy.... again!

[Mo_Fonk]

Im havving the same problem. I have a bass where the custom made humbuckers are paired up with a 4 band 18 volt Audere pre. I love the tone, just not enough gain. I wonder if this Bartolini thingi would help

[Doner Designs]

Best Bass Gear is very reputable and will give you great service too. If you have a question about how to wire it up (common with Bartolini since their standard instructions are often hard to follow) they can help. I'm not affiliated, just a happy customer.

Also check out the Bartolini TC-3 which is single channel and does not have the trimmers. I have used the TC-3 before on a a couple of basses. It will give you a big gain boost and is quiet as a whisper. Sometimes they are backordered however. I may order a couple of spares for that reason.

[DWBass]

Does the Glock pre have a gain adjustment on the preamp module? I know the Bartolini's do. I would think most of the high end preamps would have them.

[Smit_Dogg]

Surprisingly, No the Glock doesn't have any trim pots. From what I gather ,it is a naturally subtle preamp that's design more for its transparent qualities than for volume. I've had a look at the wiring for the AGDB-918 and realise it wont be all that straight forward to install. Ive opened my cavity up and done a mental picture of things - The way the glocks control pots are placed in the cavity means the only place the buffer would fit is near the output jack , opposite to the blend knob, where the pickups wire to. This means I'd be wiring the pickups to the AGDB on the opposite side of the cavity so I'd either have to - strip the outer shell of the pickup wires so the ground can reach over to the blend (yamaha stock pickups have a wire that consists of single coil output, dummy coil output and a ground with a separate dummy coil ground wire) or, alternatively, ground everything to the output jack.. I dont know if its worth disturbing things for an extra few dB per pickup when I can just turn up my amp/preamp volume another notch??!

[Mo_Fonk]

Found out why my Audere pre seems..........ungainful

Audere called me and said to always treat it as a passive instrument when plugging into an amp. They dont put all that boost in their pres like everyone else. I did not know that

It does sound really good. And Ive noticed several luthier's that make their own humbuckers, use Audere pre amps

May not be wise to add an on board boost to an Audere pre. Maybe a clean boost pedal

[Doner Designs]

Originally Posted by Mo_Fonk

Found out why my Audere pre seems..........ungainful

Audere called me and said to always treat it as a passive instrument when plugging into an amp. They dont put all that boost in their pres like everyone else. I did not know that

It does sound really good. And Ive noticed several luthier's that make their own humbuckers, use Audere pre amps

May not be wise to add an on board boost to an Audere pre. Maybe a clean boost pedal

Good to know about the audere. I prefer more standard (passive-ish) gain level. My Stingray is like that.

[Smit_Dogg]

OK, so I've installed a bartolini agdb between the pickups and the Glock (bought from bestbassgear.com). It was a fairly straightforward installation, it serves its purpose well and hasn't made any noticeable colouration of tone. I've fully cranked both trim pots and its brought the bass up to unity, or ever so slightly louder, than my main bass (Lakland 44-02), albeit it wasn't mishap free... I ran the solder iron cable round the back of my chair, so when I got out my seat, it made the cable taut, turning the iron onto the body of the bass :-( . on the plus side it is quite a small, neat and uniform burn in a discrete area ( on the back curve of the lower horn), but I'm still pretty gutted about tainting the bass with a blemish.