• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Active/passive toggle on a BQC System?

takfar

takfar

Dec 21, 2008
599
25
#1
Hey there! I've got a BQC System on the way and will start building (well, paying a luthier to build) a new bass soon. My current bass has a pair of EMG 40DC pickups, and a handmade preamp circuit (knobs are volume, volume, tone, bass, treble).

The guy who made and installed the preamp added a push/pull toggle on the tone knob which allows the circuit to be deactivated, thus overriding the EQ (the pickups, obviously, remain active). I've found this to be very useful when I want to flatten the eq on a single touch; some effects work better on this passive'd circuit position.

So, question (which might be silly, I know jack about electronics) is: will I be able to have a similar system on my new bass once the BQC System is installed? Does this type of system have any disadvantage I should be aware of?
 
#3
it should work fine if wired right. you'll want to "true bypass" the preamp switching in such a way that the preamp's input is shorted to ground when bypassed. this should prevent popping noises when the thing is switched. (pedal builders do this all the time).

i've installed lots of the emg preamps with bypass switching; even with passive pickups, they work nicely, and when set flat, are right at unity gain, so switching them out doesn't change the volume.
 
#4
ahh, nice. Good to know it is possible. If the luthier I'm building the bass with has any trouble doing it (I don't think he will), I could call up the guy who manufactured the circuit I'm currently using... works pretty well, no pop when switching on/off.

Thanks, walterw.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back