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2020 Winter Build Off - 4000LS
- Thread starter ctmullins
- Start date
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,008
- 1
- 31,708
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
This is one of those instruments that was completed on time, but had some issues that caused it to languish in the corner while others got all of the play time. The most vexing thing about this build was the noise. There was so much noise coming from the electronics that I was picking up radio stations loud & clear with the volume down; they went away with the volume turned up, but were replaced by a horrendous buzz.
And the build was completed just as the COVID-19 curtain was coming down over the whole world. Life went topsy-turvy, not too bad for me, but my lifestyle certainly changed, as did everyone else's. I think it put a subconscious damper on this build too.
Recently I decided to dig it out and try and address the issues.
The first thing I did was try to add some shielding. I found other photos of ChiSonics online that had a layer of copper tape underneath, with a third wire attached. Mine didn't have this, so I added it. I also added a bit of copper tape underneath the controls. All of that effort didn't really help, and anyway it's impossible to do a full shielding job on a hollowed-out build like this.
Next I chased the theory that the light organ was somehow interfering with the audio signal. So I completely separated the light organ circuit from the pickup circuit, and fed the light organ with a piezo disc mounted in the pickup cavity. That worked fine, but didn't do anything to change the amount of buzz generated by the pickup circuit.
Then it dawned on me - if the pickup is noisy, then we need a different pickup. And who makes the most noise-immune pickups in the world? EMG!
I've liked the EMG pickups I've had in other basses. But they don't make their bass soapbars in chrome, and this build needs chrome. So after a bit of research, I settled on the 60, their clearest-sounding guitar pickup. The seven-string version guarantees enough width to sense the strings, the X series preamp has a more open and organic tone, and the H version mounts on a pickup ring, and it comes in chrome!
I made a pickup ring out of some leftover black pearl pickguard material, which looks kinda neat, and lets me use the cavity as-is.
I pulled all of the piezo wiring back out, and also pulled the East two-band for an EMG EXB I had acquired from the Classifieds. We shall see how well it works. I can always go back to the East if I need to.
Finally, I added a toggle switch for the lights, and changed the knobs.
First impressions are good - no more noise, yay! And the tone from the 60-7XH sounds pretty good to me, nice and bright like a Rick-style bass needs. I think I'll take it to the next rehearsal (yay, we're rehearsing again!) and see how it does in a band mix.
This might finally be on its way to getting some regular play time.
And the build was completed just as the COVID-19 curtain was coming down over the whole world. Life went topsy-turvy, not too bad for me, but my lifestyle certainly changed, as did everyone else's. I think it put a subconscious damper on this build too.
Recently I decided to dig it out and try and address the issues.
The first thing I did was try to add some shielding. I found other photos of ChiSonics online that had a layer of copper tape underneath, with a third wire attached. Mine didn't have this, so I added it. I also added a bit of copper tape underneath the controls. All of that effort didn't really help, and anyway it's impossible to do a full shielding job on a hollowed-out build like this.
Next I chased the theory that the light organ was somehow interfering with the audio signal. So I completely separated the light organ circuit from the pickup circuit, and fed the light organ with a piezo disc mounted in the pickup cavity. That worked fine, but didn't do anything to change the amount of buzz generated by the pickup circuit.
Then it dawned on me - if the pickup is noisy, then we need a different pickup. And who makes the most noise-immune pickups in the world? EMG!
I've liked the EMG pickups I've had in other basses. But they don't make their bass soapbars in chrome, and this build needs chrome. So after a bit of research, I settled on the 60, their clearest-sounding guitar pickup. The seven-string version guarantees enough width to sense the strings, the X series preamp has a more open and organic tone, and the H version mounts on a pickup ring, and it comes in chrome!
I made a pickup ring out of some leftover black pearl pickguard material, which looks kinda neat, and lets me use the cavity as-is.
I pulled all of the piezo wiring back out, and also pulled the East two-band for an EMG EXB I had acquired from the Classifieds. We shall see how well it works. I can always go back to the East if I need to.
Finally, I added a toggle switch for the lights, and changed the knobs.
First impressions are good - no more noise, yay! And the tone from the 60-7XH sounds pretty good to me, nice and bright like a Rick-style bass needs. I think I'll take it to the next rehearsal (yay, we're rehearsing again!) and see how it does in a band mix.
This might finally be on its way to getting some regular play time.
Last edited:
..........and then he turned on the friggin' Lights! Arrrrggghhhh! This is how Epic Feats of Showmanship are achieved.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,008
- 1
- 31,708
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,008
- 1
- 31,708
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
So here’s a quick and dirty sound bite. This is how the bass sounds with the EMG 60-7XH, straight into the interface, straight into a raw track, with zero effects or amp sims. The line is an absolute gem from the recent pop song catalog; a genius line from a brilliant player; a workout for the left hand stretch and the right hand accuracy. I will be butchering this line in three sections:
This bass does not thump. Although I can still achieve some mellow tones when playing fingerstyle right over the end of the fretboard. It is happiest when it is clanking!
- Picked, with the EXB at its minimum setting (most mids). I didn’t make it all the way through this one before screwing up...
- Picked, with the EXB about halfway up, beginning to scoop out the tone. I made it through this one, albeit sloppily.
- Picked, with the EXB at its max. This one crashed near the end too....
This bass does not thump. Although I can still achieve some mellow tones when playing fingerstyle right over the end of the fretboard. It is happiest when it is clanking!
Nicely played. Sounds like...... A Ric!
NO -- I just figured it out ... XTC and the great Colin Moulding - Mayor of Simpleton!
Apologies Colin.
Apologies Colin.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,008
- 1
- 31,708
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,008
- 1
- 31,708
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Sounds good, like it should….maybe emgs aren’t all bad!So here’s a quick and dirty sound bite. This is how the bass sounds with the EMG 60-7XH, straight into the interface, straight into a raw track, with zero effects or amp sims. The line is an absolute gem from the recent pop song catalog; a genius line from a brilliant player; a workout for the left hand stretch and the right hand accuracy. I will be butchering this line in three sections:
4000LS EMG 60-7XH quick demo
- Picked, with the EXB at its minimum setting (most mids). I didn’t make it all the way through this one before screwing up...
- Picked, with the EXB about halfway up, beginning to scoop out the tone. I made it through this one, albeit sloppily.
- Picked, with the EXB at its max. This one crashed near the end too....
This bass does not thump. Although I can still achieve some mellow tones when playing fingerstyle right over the end of the fretboard. It is happiest when it is clanking!
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,008
- 1
- 31,708
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
YESSSSSS!
Man, it feels so good to get back out there!
Man, it feels so good to get back out there!
Last edited:
Nice!! My band Monogroove is scheduled to play a local club the last Saturday of June.
It will be my first time playing out with them. Looking forward to,it!
If it isn't dark enough to turn that thing on correctly I'm not interested.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,008
- 1
- 31,708
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
If it isn't dark enough to turn that thing on correctly I'm not interested.
Too funny!
This was the first outing for the LS, so it was a watershed event. I played the 4004CTM for the first half of the gig. It is my gold standard of tone, versatility, and ergonomics, and I wanted to see how the LS compared. While the ergonomics are essentially identical, the single EMG in the LS produces a similar tone to just using the single pickup in the CTM (not surprising). And the EMG has plenty of output too. I had swapped out the EXB for a BTC a couple of weeks ago, but I didn’t need to tweak it too much.
Of course, lately my ratio of new basses to new gigs has been astronomical….
