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Club Fbass (thread 13)

#4,783
Thanks for the tips guys. I double checked and with tone open, all EQ flat (no boost) there is still a really audible difference. Please see below - played straight into DAW (SSL 2 into Reaper). Toggle active then passive.



That doesnt sound healthy does it?
 
#4,784
Ok folks ... leaving this for posteriority. Made fool of myself lol

Apparently in (new to me) SSL 2 audio interface there is a Hi-Z impendance switch. If not selected this causes volume drops between active/passive (i suppose due to lack of buffering from preamp?).

Anyway I must have deselected it by accident some time ago and because I played active it never occurred to me.

All is fine with the F bass!

upload_2022-10-27_11-21-47.png
 
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#4,786
JRMK said:
Ok folks ... leaving this for posteriority. Made fool of myself lol

Apparently in (new to me) SSL 2 audio interface there is a Hi-Z impendance switch. If not selected this causes volume drops between active/passive (i suppose due to lack of buffering from preamp?).

Anyway I must have deselected it by accident some time ago and because I played active it never occurred to me.

All is fine with the F bass!

View attachment 4855473
Click to expand...
That was going to be my suggestion to plug directly into the amp with no pedals or effects in the signal chain, next time you have a spotty input jack try spraying a little bit of DeOxit on the plug and plug it in and out several times, worked just fine on my 57 year old Jazz Bass.
 
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#4,787
Well, I am bonding more and more with this bass. As I originally described, the bass and case came with a rather strong“ air freshener” odor. Not repulsive, just strong. Fortunately, after a few repeated strong ozone treatments, 80% of the odor is gone from both the bass and the case !!! Essentially now a non-issue.


So now, as the tone chasing continues, I am experimenting with preamp, bridge and possibly even the beautiful wood encased pickups. There is also most likely a fingerboard leveling in the future.


The bass came with an Audere preamp. That is gone and has been replaced with an F preamp which is nice but I am not sure it as full sounding as I would like. I am pretty much a Bartolini electronics fan so the first mod is to try the Bart preamp I have ordered.


The bridge on this bass is crazy beautiful but of course, essentially non-adjustable. I also wondering if the wider saddle might be muting the tone some. So, I am also strongly considering installing a Hipshot B bridge. This would eliminate the body through stringing but perhaps give me more clarity than the current bridge and certainly give me the adjustment capability I need.


Any opinions here on brass vs aluminum for the bridge?


thumbnail_IMG_4675.jpg
 
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#4,789
Well, my bass settled down nicely after a small truss rod tweak, saddle and pickups height adjustments. I went to the forest to play through my tube amp and Berg cab but I wasn't expecting such a drastic improvement overall. Millimeters really matter here, as the pickups are now 2 mill lower than the original set up and 1 full Millimeter lower than the suggested set up height. I now have a perfect, dry bark from both pickups and the blend is simply amazing. I don't even need the "enhance" feature in my d.a.w, when editing practice video.
I got back to my weekday spot and saw that my knobs had arrived. I put them on but one actually cracked. I know not to over tighten them and the other 5 are fine but I guess I'll have to ask for a replacement. Honestly, I like the look but I much prefer the immediately grippy feel of the metal knobs. I may end up putting them back and marking them with a line of some sort, to see my levels. That's the only reason I wanted the wood ones in the first place.
Most importantly, my tone is perfect now and I can focus on playing.
 
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#4,793
Well, it's as finished as it's going to get, lol. Not bad for a knob that was in 2 pieces yesterday. Only the slightest evidence of an incident remains on the tone knob. I reached out to Mr Marcel for a new one because during the polishing process, it's somehow no longer perfectly round at the bottom, where it flares out. I laughed for like 10 minutes. That wood must be super soft! I used 1000 grit after bonding and a fluffy buffing wheel on the drill.
All good though. I'm going to put a white or fluorescent line on the metal knobs at some point. Most adjustments I make are done quickly and I'm not the most gentle at times.
Most importantly, working with wood is so relaxing, I was able to resolve a harmony that's been in my head for a week now. Ha.
20221031_131919.jpg
 
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