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01-25-2013, 11:43 AM
| | | | Replacing Passive Pickups with the Active Ones, Please Help!
Hi everyone, I'm new in the forum but I follow here all the time and now I'm glad to be a member of the family  .
About my problem, I bought a new bass guitar schecter stiletto studio 6. I loved it but the only thing I didn't like about it was its pickups, passive EMG -HZs. I like the sound of EMG-DCs (one of my basses has it) and I decided to replace HZs with them.
However, I don't know much about pickup circuits and here's my question. The bass is running with 2 9Vs already (only for its active electronics circuit I think, because the pickups are passive). If I replace the passive HZs with active DCs, how can I feed them with battery. Am I need a 3rd 9V? Or is there a way to feed them with its original electronics. By the way, do I need to change the electronics completely for active EMGs or do the original ones work fine? Please explain clearly, I'm not very good at guitar electronics.
Thanks everyone for your attention.
Last edited by airbass0 : 01-25-2013 at 11:57 AM.
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01-25-2013, 11:58 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Lansing, Michigan | | Quote:
Originally Posted by airbass0  Hi everyone, I'm new in the forum but I follow here all the time and now I'm glad to be a member of the family .
About my problem, I bought a new bass guitar schecter stiletto studio 6. I loved it but the only thing I didn't like about it was its pickups, passive EMG -HZs. I like the sound of EMG-DCs (one of my basses has it) and I decided to replace HZs with them.
However, I don't know much about pickup circuits and here's my question. The bass is running with 2 9Vs already (only for its active electronics circuit I think, because the pickups are passive). If I replace the passive HZs with active DCs, how can I feed them with battery. Am I need a 3rd 9V? Or is there a way to feed them with its original electronics. Please explain clearly, I'm not very good at guitar electronics.
Thanks everyone for your attention. | To get the power you can use the existing batteries. Simply cut the red wire coming out of the batteries, and wire the existing red from the preamp and your two pickup red's to the red wire from the battery. That should give everything 18v.
As far as the preamp though; you might need to trace down a diagram so we can help you integrate the pickups with the preamp. The problem exists that active pickups need a different pot value than passives, and as such you will probably need to replace the volume and/or blend pots on your bass as well. A wiring diagram would be helpful.
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"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:" Matthew 6:20
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01-25-2013, 11:58 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Southern California | | | The simplest solution is to change the pickups and the preamp. EMG has a solderless system that simplifies the installation. Otherwise you'll need to replace the volume and blend pot because active pickups require a different value than passive. Then you will need to connect the power bus from each pickup to the battery (EMG pickups have 3 wires: 1 for signal, 1 for ground and 1 for power).
That said you do run the risk of frying the preamp if the work is not done properly. It might be worth the extra expense of having this done by a tech.
Cheers
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Originally Posted by bradjonesbass Study what Pino does and do that! WWPD? | Quote: |
"Bob Babbitt changed the world with 4 strings and a groove." -Dave Pomeroy
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01-25-2013, 01:11 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Close to Los Angeles, CA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by joelb79 As far as the preamp though; you might need to trace down a diagram so we can help you integrate the pickups with the preamp. The problem exists that active pickups need a different pot value than passives, and as such you will probably need to replace the volume and/or blend pots on your bass as well. A wiring diagram would be helpful. | It doesn't really matter whether or not there is a diagram. Nothing is going to change, the OP is just replacing existing pots. |
01-25-2013, 02:30 PM
| | | | Hmm... I think the easiest way is buying a EMG BQS system (my bass have 3 band EQ) with the pickups. However, I think this costs too much, BQS system is more expensive than the pickups. Is there any cheaper way to solve this problem? |
01-25-2013, 03:27 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2010 Location: southern virginia | |
Quote:
Originally Posted by airbass0 Hmm... I think the easiest way is buying a EMG BQS system (my bass have 3 band EQ) with the pickups. However, I think this costs too much, BQS system is more expensive than the pickups. Is there any cheaper way to solve this problem? | Yes there is,your emg's come with a 25k volume pot,just order a 25k blend pot(8 to 10 bucks),have your favorite tech install them. I had this same mod done,to the same schecter bass,invested about $40 for the mod,$200 for active emg's!  |
01-25-2013, 05:04 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by bassmanRick Yes there is,your emg's come with a 25k volume pot,just order a 25k blend pot(8 to 10 bucks),have your favorite tech install them. I had this same mod done,to the same schecter bass,invested about $40 for the mod,$200 for active emg's! | Just a blend pot is enough then. That's good news . But, can you use the old 3 band EQ system with active EMGs? Am I need to change them too or can I still use them? |
01-25-2013, 05:14 PM
| | | By the way, even if I don't want to get away with the subject, I can't control myself I should ask this too .
Do you advice DC/DC combination or CS/DC (neck/bridge) combination to get warmer lows with CS but powerful mids with DC. I think I'll try the second one but I didn't play with EMG CS and I don't have a chance to try it  |
01-25-2013, 05:31 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2010 Location: southern virginia | | | Your 3band eq is made by emg,one of their low end deals,but will work with active pups after changing vol & blend to 25k.I run the cs in the neck position & dc on the bridge,sweet sounding mix to my ears! |
01-25-2013, 07:38 PM
| | | | One last question I don't know it's important or not but which one is suitable for my bass split, solid or long shaft pots? |
01-25-2013, 08:06 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Lansing, Michigan | | Quote:
Originally Posted by line6man It doesn't really matter whether or not there is a diagram. Nothing is going to change, the OP is just replacing existing pots. | It kinda does depending on the preamp as the preamp might take the pickup input and do mixing and volume through the active circuit instead of doing the mixing and volume before the preamp shapes the signal. It varies from preamp to preamp; hence the reason for wanting a schematic before I could offer any other advice. Quote:
Originally Posted by bassmanRick Your 3band eq is made by emg,one of their low end deals,but will work with active pups after changing vol & blend to 25k.I run the cs in the neck position & dc on the bridge,sweet sounding mix to my ears! | So now that we know this, then yes then he can just change the pots and install the pickups.
__________________
"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:" Matthew 6:20
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