And the Dan Armstrong plexi bass reissue has swappable pickups as well.
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Devon basses and switching "components". Is that important to you?
- Thread starter TonyP-
- Start date
And the Dan Armstrong plexi bass reissue has swappable pickups as well.
- Aug 21, 2003
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- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
Of course…Hell, I even changed pickup positioning on my Signature Mike Lull.
That is not the question per say. The question is having the ability to swap out pieces…Is it worth it?
- Aug 21, 2003
- 11,598
- 18,627
- Disclosures
- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
I get that, it’s like playing with a sequencer that has a crazy amount of options…When the exploring to much?
With sequencing I will purposely limit what I use to not go down a rabbit hole.
No one has mentioned yet what this may do for his own manufacturing process. It’s possible that once he’s got the jigs and fixtures lined up that this may be a major time saver in manufacturing for him, as well as a benefit for fickle minded players.
T H I S .
Fickle minded players . . . . if you could take any of the custom builders out to dinner, feed them a few drinks and get them to talk 'out of school' . . . . believe me, you wouldn't BELIEVE some of the 'user ideas' they've heard.
I think it’s a cool idea. Swapping components for fun out for repair can be a pain between stripping and soldering wires, pickup screws that freeze and are a struggle to get out (looking at you, every jazz bass I’ve ever had). Easily swappable parts with normal slide-on terminals or what have you sounds like a convenient option. I’m not really into upgrading individual components anymore but I do have a couple of repair projects sitting on my bench that I might not be procrastinating if the work was a little less tedious.
I'm skeptical. Particularly as the designer has indicated it would be a proprietary system that needs to be licensed. Who's going to pay? How many times in the life of the average bass guitar are the pickups and preamp completely changed? Maybe once or twice - three times at a push. Now some might argue that this is because it's not straightforward to change these components, but I'm not so sure. I'm very confident changing pickups or wiring, or replacing a preamp - I still can't see myself doing it very often unless a bass has real problems. If you are lucky enough to love your tone, you're unlikely to keep shelling out for new pickups and preamps. Making the instrument itself into a platform for electronics is something that would affect/benefit guitar tech/repair people - and preamp/pickup makers - more than players.
It is a great idea but because it is likely that each builder of guitars, pickups and electronics will choose a different interface you will still have a problem with universal switching and future changes. It would be useful for those manufacturers to choose a standard for connection device and wiring.
Those were very nice basses, even putting aside the novelty of switching modules. A friend has one and really likes it.
The Devon idea and design looks to be clever and well executed. But I have no interest in one. What’s the fun in only having one bass? I like excuses to justify having more basses.
- Aug 21, 2003
- 11,598
- 18,627
- Disclosures
- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
From my perspective as a builder, tech and player myself, I can basically say that I prefer the spaces and shapes cut in an instrument to be able to handle multiple configurations and options.
In other words, I really don't enjoy when pickup options are limited to a very specific size and shape, let alone something completely proprietary. And I can't stand when a control cavity only has enough space to install either passive controls only or a very certain shape of preamp.
In other words, I really don't enjoy when pickup options are limited to a very specific size and shape, let alone something completely proprietary. And I can't stand when a control cavity only has enough space to install either passive controls only or a very certain shape of preamp.
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
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- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Devon does brilliant work and is a really great guy to boot, so I hope this works out well for him.
As a player, I prefer to just roll my own preamps and changing pickups has little appeal, assuming I picked the right ones to begin with. And I love soldering, so plug in anything is out of my wheelhouse.
My primary concern would be what happens to the various bits one ends up not using. Reselling bespoke parts like that seems like it would be much more of a chore, no?
That's how I see it. I googled it and 4 different companies doing this now came up on the first page. I've been to 20 NAMM shows and have seen this and other great ideas "invented" many many times over. The idea is nice in discussion but it alway fails. It requires a small builder to be the sole provider of options and dedicating an instrument to that format. Want Barts or Seymour Duncans? Are you willing to pay an extra hundred or so more to get them in a module that will only work in your bass? Snap in parts come loose and rattle, it's more points of failure. The idea appeals to the human lust for options and choice but I suspect like all the dozens of others who've tried this particular one it will join the Game Changer, numerous compensation schemes, Betamax, and robotic tuners leaving you with an instrument that doesn't get played. It has a neat idea but it cannot succeed as a business and will likely join the others as a niche product with a few hardcore fans. Even if he sells hundreds it will still fail economically. It's a highly complex proprietary alternative giving a small fraction of what you get with a mini switch being sold to a market that doesn't like things different than it was in the '60s.
But maybe it's different this time.
Many many have. The Novatone Switchboard was probably the most successful though not with a lever, and few even know what that is.
Found a video on the preamps.
I can't hear much if any difference outside of a volume change and can't understand why it sounds the same with the preamp in or out. If I'm not looking at the video I can't tell where the changes are being made. Try listening to the video first without looking at it.
I can't hear much if any difference outside of a volume change and can't understand why it sounds the same with the preamp in or out. If I'm not looking at the video I can't tell where the changes are being made. Try listening to the video first without looking at it.
Not at all important to me.
Looks like a great idea for someone to buy so they can do a YouTube video comparing all Devon compatible pickups & preamps.
