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Colored Preamp?

arbitrary

arbitrary

Oct 24, 2005
4,175
1,787
Boston, MA
#1
Instead of looking for a pre that is neutral and lets the natural sound of my bass through, I am looking for a colored preamps. Take that convention!

I bascially want as little of my "natural" bass sound present as possible.

So throw some options out there for me for pre's with color.

Thanks.

Edit: Just for clarification, I'm looking for an onboard pre.
 
#7
FWIW:

Alembic tone filter.

The Sans is actually a good suggestion. Why jack with the bass AND be stuck with it when you can plug/unplug and play and use the piece with any bass. You're not going to know whether you approve before it's in the chain so why find out the hard way. All my tone shaping is outside the - including the Alembic which I boxed as an outboard.

Going a step further, why limit yourself. Something along the lines of a bass pod (which includes a Sans model) which gives you a pallette of colored tones as well as ones that reflect the properties of your bass and shades in between.
 
#13
Now I am confused?

arbitrary said:
The trick its trying to get my Carvin to not sound like a Carvin.
Click to expand...

So the real goal is to change the sound of the Carvin?

In general, the Z-Modes should allow you to have at least 2 sounds not like the present Carvin sound. You could change the Z-Mode switch to an On-NONE-ON and select any 2 of the 3 modes if you really do not want to ever hit the present sound. My guess is all 3 sounds might be different...

luknfur - there is already at least one outboard box which meets this description on the market. I was just thinking about how arbitrary could actually fit it into his bass...
FWIW we are on the same page. I like putting the parts of my preamp designs into the body which can not be exported. For example, I have 2 basses with no tone controls in them - just Z-Mode controls...
Other players like having more controls on the bass - that is cool also...
 
#14
arbitrary said:
I'm actually debating an Audere. The trick its trying to get my Carvin to not sound like a Carvin.
Click to expand...


oh ok - for a minute I was thinking 'Rout That Ritter!', B!tch...

You probably know my response when it comes to on-board pre's - talk to Mr Meadows ...

I would think about a * pickup swap and then a pre... oddly enough - or maybe not given that I'm mostly a passive guy (in bass terms anyway ...) I'm totally diggin a 62 RI Jazz setup withthe stacked pots and stock pickups - I, Mr. FrankenMod, Can't leave well enough alone - have an absolutely stock bass in the house. It's been here like two weeks already. Just a string swap ...

' course my wife hid the router ... only kiddin' on that one ...

I had expected to call Dave and get a Jazz style Audere, which may still happen but the stacked pot thing is pretty cool.

*I'm on my 4th set of pickups with the Audere'd Fender. One observation I'll make on the Audere is that if there are any weaknesses in your pickups, you'll notice that big time. The downside of transparency is that whatever comes in had best be good 'cause there's no veil. I have a Lawrence P-46 ready to drop in, hopefully later today. Currently a 62 RI J pickup in the bridge. Tonality wise the Fender is better than I thought it would be. The question is how well will it match up with the Lawrence... always the tricky part with a mis-matched PJ set ...
 
#15
Audere said:
Now I am confused?



So the real goal is to change the sound of the Carvin?

In general, the Z-Modes should allow you to have at least 2 sounds not like the present Carvin sound. You could change the Z-Mode switch to an On-NONE-ON and select any 2 of the 3 modes if you really do not want to ever hit the present sound. My guess is all 3 sounds might be different...

luknfur - there is already at least one outboard box which meets this description on the market. I was just thinking about how arbitrary could actually fit it into his bass...
FWIW we are on the same page. I like putting the parts of my preamp designs into the body which can not be exported. For example, I have 2 basses with no tone controls in them - just Z-Mode controls...
Other players like having more controls on the bass - that is cool also...
Click to expand...


Hmmm...Interesting.

After buying this Carvin I put a pair of Barts in it and then an opb3. The Obp3 isn't really my thing and these barts have too much treble on them (Which is where I put the "Carvin sound freq. at). Essentially its a lot of upper midrange and treble, which I'm trying to stay clear of.


Maybe pickups might be a better way to go first. Damn, I dunno.


4Mal said:
oh ok - for a minute I was thinking 'Rout That Ritter!', B!tch
Click to expand...

Ummm....no. That one is fine the way it is damnit.
 
#16
arbitrary said:
Hmmm...Interesting.

After buying this Carvin I put a pair of Barts in it and then an opb3. The Obp3 isn't really my thing and these barts have too much treble on them (Which is where I put the "Carvin sound freq. at). Essentially its a lot of upper midrange and treble, which I'm trying to stay clear of.


Maybe pickups might be a better way to go first. Damn, I dunno.
Click to expand...

oh man. Barts and Aguillar - that has to be my least favorite combo out there. I know other folks dig that stuff but I just can't find my tone in there. It sound more like me playing through something. and a something I don't care for to boot...

having said that - I might try the Audere first as I really did not like the Aggie pre at all... IIRC Passinwind used Bart's for a while in his Crescent Moon bass.

You might also chat with John Wymore. He does Duncan & Norstrand among other things. I tried a Nord Music Man pickup last year that I thought was pretty cool. oddly enough - it replaced a Bart. If you don't already know John, he's a Portland local and has a bass bbuilding and accessories biz. (www.wymoreguitars.com) IIRC on the web address.

arbitrary said:
Ummm....no. That one is fine the way it is damnit.
Click to expand...

No doubt about that !
 
#17
It might end up between a bart or audere pre.

And I'll have to get some new pickups: something lacking in high-mids and treble I imagine: I'll look into maybe the Fralin & Nordstrand J's, I had some ultra jazzes @ one point that I liked, isn't the quarter pounder supposed to have gearth?


I guess a pickup hunt is on again as well.
 
#18
Maybe at some point soon we should do a mini GTG. I can bring my f'ess with Duncan SJB2's (or is it 3's - I'll have to figure that out) and the 62 RI J, I also have a 62 RI in the bridge position of the Audere'd Fender and and Aero type 1 in the bridge of the Reverend - You can rule out the Areo as it has an agressive upper mid's thing. It works great for me but the Reverend, being hollow mitigates some of the attack.

Out of 18 basses or so, Atrapp has to have a few J's kickin' around ...

You could also take something relatively clear, like a Lawrence J-45 and hardwire a small cap and a resistor to darken it up. Think of it like a pre-tone control. Or on a switch it becomes the dark switch ..
 
#19
John East is custom building the preamp for my new Kinal. We're discussing the pre-shape...probably will go without it. He's supposed to get back to me about maybe using some mini switches in the cavity to turn it on or off. I may just go completely without it. The point is, he can make one without the pre-shape, but it has to be custom. My preamp has several other mods, so the preshape was just one detail in the mix. The other mods include an additional piezo input, a mini-toggle to kill the mid control, and an EQ bypass toggle but staying in active in both positions. There will be a PP knob for active/passive that will bypass the buffer section too. John is great!!! (But I hope this doesn't break the bank!)
 
#20
4Mal said:
Maybe at some point soon we should do a mini GTG.

Out of 18 basses or so, Atrapp has to have a few J's kickin' around ...
Click to expand...

Here here!!!

16 thank you very much. I have a Mod VJ4 and a Sad RV4.

I pulled the Barts out of the Mod (i just don't like Fartolinis) replacing them with Dimarzio Super J's its getting better but I don't think it's a keeper. The Sadowsky (yes I installed some TI flats) is pretty cool but the vote is still out on that one too... Neither really growl like the Benavente VV or the Ibanez 1205 Zebrawood (with Nordy's and Audere)...

So I'd focus more on tryin to find the right pup rather than a "colored" pre... What pups does it take?

OH and BTW Amy has a ring on THAT finger now...

Cheers and I hope to see you two soon

Toby

Arbitrary are you selling that Ampeg Fliptop cab on CL? If so you're a cruel man for posting a pic with it next to your Berg 610
 

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