Audere Preamp and SD Music Man

[Mike Edmonds]

Hello;
Long time lurker first time poster. I recently put together a 5 string fretless using Warmoth parts. I finished assembly today and it made noise for the first time, but I have a problem. Only my neck pickup works. Nothing at all from the bridge pickup... no static or anything.. just like nothing is there. I swapped the neck and bridge leads at the preamp and that neck pickup makes noise going into the bridge circuit. I'm pretty sure based on that the preamp is fine, so suspect I have a pickup or a wiring problem.. Specs are Audere preamp:

Audere Audio Legacy Site

SD Quarter Pound jazz at the neck neck and SD MM SMD-5D at the bridge

I've tried wiring it both in parallel and series per the standard wiring in the link below, which of coarse matches the wiring diagram that came with the pickup.

https://www.bestbassgear.com/wiring-diagrams/STC_3M4_Wiring_Diagram.pdf

I ultimately want it wired standard parallel.

What am I missing?

How do I diagnose a problem with the pickup?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Zooberwerx]

You really need to follow the Audere install instructions in this case. Which Audere preamp? If you have continued issues, contact Audere...very helpful!

Riis

 

[Mike Edmonds]

JZ3 VB 2B preamp.

 

[Zooberwerx]

JZ3 VB 2B preamp.

I would shy away from the pickup install instructions and stick w/ Audere's (below). The preamp is a strange agent as it acts like a 2-channel mini mixer so I'm not sure you will have access to some of the features found on the more conventional pre's. On the plus side, the design and Z modes will provide voicings which surpass serial / parallel switching, etc.

https://www.audereaudio.com/assets/pro_jz_install.pdf

Riis

 

[Mike Edmonds]

Fixed. For future reference: red+black to hot, green+white to common. bare to ground.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Fixed. For future reference: red+black to hot, green+white to common. bare to ground.

Did those instructions help or did you have that “a-ha!” moment?

Riis

 

[Mike Edmonds]

The instructions came with the preamp; the part that was throwing me was the disconnect between what Audere said and what SD stated in their directions. Audere is very clear for pickups with a black wire and a white wire. Beyond that, they say to refer to the PU manufacturer.

Below is what the manufacturer shows, I could not find the green or white wire referred to as 'common' in any documentation:

The above didn't work, as Audere said. After I slept on it I rationalized that I had already effectively done the worst possible wiring job to this preamp and it hadn't blown up yet, so I started testing different configurations with the green and white wires. Some of the diagrams for splitting the coil had me thinking the white wire alone in the common terminal would have done it, but when that didn't work I figured I may as well try both. Sounds like butter now.