suggestion for active stereo onboard preamp

gricko · #1 09-10-2009, 01:10 PM

please correct me if i'm wrong, but it seems like no one makes active onboard preamp that has stereo output. or at least i can't seem to find one...

any suggestion?

walterw · #2 09-10-2009, 08:34 PM

you mean like one output for each pickup?

every few decades (rick in the '60s, gibson in the '70s, billy sheehan in the '80s) someone comes up with this idea. it sounds sort of OK but not great, is not worth the hassle, and goes away.

gricko · #3 09-11-2009, 09:56 AM

no, i mean one stereo output.

been playing a ric for almost 20 years and i'm kind of used to having two channels. some time ago i got a warwick thumb and i miss two channels.

as the matter of fact i do not need much EQ onboard - maybe just mid control and volume control for each pickup. if that was a passive bass i'd rewire it in no time, but do not have much experience w/ active electronics.

walterw · #4 09-11-2009, 11:16 AM

so yes, you mean one output for each pickup

you would need two separate preamps in the bass, each running one pickup, and going to either the tip or the ring of a special switching stereo jack, so that the outputs were kept separate while still allowing for the battery to be switched by the jack.

Basstovsky · #5 09-11-2009, 06:06 PM

The problem is that preamps already use a stereo jack, but the second tip connects the battery through the jack, so that it is on when a plug is inserted, and off when the bass is unplugged.

walterw · #6 09-11-2009, 06:42 PM

they do make switching stereo jacks, which have a tip and a ring output, as well as separate switching contacts to engage the battery.