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Covert a P-Bass to Active? Help!!!!

#21
Audix99 said:
There is a pre-amp that uses rechargeable battery, thus no body modification is needed.
At least, that's what the product description says.

It's John East pre-amp that you can find here.
http://www.bestbassgear.com/p-retro-preamp.htm

I do NOT have any personal experience with this, so I know nothing of its tone, reliability, ease of use, etc...
But if you are looking for a pre-amp that does not require permanent body mode, you may want to check it out.

Hope this helps.

Steve
Click to expand...

Im absolutely considering one of this and i dig the J-Retro i have in my jazz bass. My question is the battery recharging system on those. It is a genius idea and eliminates the need for routing...I'm just curious how often the battery needs charging and what the working life of the battery is.

Does anyone have experience with this?
 
#23
faulknersj said:
Im absolutely considering one of this and i dig the J-Retro i have in my jazz bass. My question is the battery recharging system on those. It is a genius idea and eliminates the need for routing...I'm just curious how often the battery needs charging and what the working life of the battery is.

Does anyone have experience with this?
Click to expand...
The product description in the linked site has the following info.

* Rechargeable internal Li-Pol Battery, giving up to 40 hours use per charge.

But it doesn't say anything about the lifespan of the battery itself though...
 
#25
I've been wanting to put one in one of my P's for a long time. It's pretty cool and sounds great in the clips I've heard. Plus it's a complete drop in replacement, no permanent modifications at all.

I just wish that you could use a regular 9V if you wanted to, I'm not really a fan of the recharging system as a whole. John East has said that there is really no way to fit a preamp and battery into the cavity of a P as it's pretty tight. That's why he went with the rechargeable system.
 
#26
I had a mid 70s P bass that I modded for an EMG PJ set (back in the early 90s so it was hardly vintage, hindsight can be rough) and it was one of the best sounding basses I ever owned by a long shot. During the time I owned it I also had an Alembic Epic, a Ken Smith Burner, a mid 70s Ric, a Euro Spector (with different model EMGs), and other assorted basses but the Precision with the EMGs was easily the best sounding out of the bunch. Amp at the time was an SVT head with 2 "baby SVT" 2X15 cabs loaded with JBLs.

That said it I owned another mid 70s P that wasn't already altered I wouldn't do the EMG thing again. Something newer like a Road Worn or a Hwy 1 sure, but your 74 is 40 years old now, routing it out will devalue it. It is your bass so if you love it and you have to go active then just rout it and get it over with, otherwise keep it as it or trade it for something you won't mind altering.

Just my 2 cents.

* Just read the post with the lipo battery. You can get a charger and lipo batteries for any preamp, hobby stores will have what you need. I'd considered doing this to drop an old set of EMGs P pickups in my '63, but through my Boogie D-180 the stock P pickup sounds great.
 
#27
Played my '69 P-bass for many years with external Pre amp. Never felt the need for extensive on the fly tone mods, but putting the pre on top my amp made it easy.

You are going to open a pristine solder joint just to get more knobs to twiddle? Wow. Say it ain't so.
 
#29
I understand the urge to 'go active' but don't want to modify my Highway One Precision. Two outboard preamps caught my eye and one is the MXR 10 Band preamp for about $120 with a power supply . Another is the Eden for about $150. Is the MXR too cheap to be good?
 
#30
Maybe I'm kind of failing to grasp the concept of an outboard pre-amp on top of my amp. Couldn't I just tweak my amps EQ? An on board pre allows on the fly adjustments at your finger tips at any time, from any where. My band never stops between songs...like never. Even tweaking on my active jazz can be a challenge sometimes with our set flow let alone trying to twist knobs on top of my amp while transitioning from a finger style tune like September right into the lead slap part on Blame It On The Boogie.

BTW. I could remove the pups, and the whole pick guard with pots and jack and everything with all original solder joints 100% unmolested and build an active set up with different pups, and a P-Retro on a new pick guard and drop in an active system without any mods....right? Easy to do....unscrew the pups....unscrew the bridge and pull the ground back into the cavity and remove...right? Bass still 100% original condition right? Easy to just drop back in...right?
 
#33
faulknersj said:
An on board pre allows on the fly adjustments at your finger tips at any time, from any where.
Click to expand...
Just like the tone and volume knobs you already have ?

Just what would you want to be tweaking on the fly with an active system that you cannot now? 'Cause if your setlist is that busy, i don't think you'll find twiddling with sweep frequencies and mid-high levels any faster no matter where the knobs are...

I get the 'complete package swap' concept. It strikes me as risky. trusting old wires and connections to withstand handling they were never designed for. If you're determined to do this, it does seem to have the least damage potential.

It's your bass, do what you want.
It's only original once.
 
#35
DSCF3472.gif


This bass was mine, I installed a P-retro in it (I was stupid to sell it... :()

As you can see, the controls are pretty tidy, keeping the look.
 
#38
faulknersj said:
Maybe I'm kind of failing to grasp the concept of an outboard pre-amp on top of my amp. Couldn't I just tweak my amps EQ? An on board pre allows on the fly adjustments at your finger tips at any time, from any where. My band never stops between songs...like never....
Click to expand...

My outboard did drive, EQ, boost, and some compression. It had a very different EQ contour than the SWR 350 head I was using.

But yes, an on board pre is better for EQ changes in the throes of battle. How about a programmable foot operated system?


faulknersj said:
BTW. I could remove the pups, and the whole pick guard with pots and jack and everything with all original solder joints 100% unmolested and build an active set up with different pups, and a P-Retro on a new pick guard and drop in an active system without any mods...right?
Click to expand...

Yes, I guess so. So do it. Just don't route it. :eek:
 
#39
i would not make it active (actually i'd leave this bass as stock as possible).. can you buy another active bass? even if i did modify i'd do it in a way that could go back to the original... if i didn't like the changes (eg. battery in the tone cavity etc)
 

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