I would sure check all the grounds before undertaking a full shielding. To do it right takes a lot of work.
Here is a guy shielding a Strat.
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I would sure check all the grounds before undertaking a full shielding. To do it right takes a lot of work.
Here is a guy shielding a Strat.
I'll check tonight, but I don't think my piezo hisses at all. The hum I get through the mags is even apparent with the treble fully cut but it's almost unnoticeable. It seems to have a noticeable increase around 30% or so, which I guess has to do with the taper on the pot.
Shielding should help some of the mag pickup hum but I won't know for sure until I correct it. I'll chime in when I do. I'll check the wiring and stuff this weekend.
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Thanks! I'll look at that.
I did shield a VM Jazz I had and it worked well (minus the hum from the single coils, but it was quieter). Definitely not an easy job, but I think it only took me a few hours, and that included replacing all of the pots.
The inside of the Portamento is a lot more packed though, which worries me, lol. I'll definitely check grounds and things to correct/improve before doing a full-scale reshielding job.
You know, I went back to re-test the piezo noise thing, and I think I just let some video I watched on YouTube about piezo systems get into my head: I compared the SRF706 piezo at full tone against a Brice bass with humbuckers (pre-amp disabled) and my Les Paul, and they all have about the same (very minimal) background static/noise. The LP might be a little better than the basses, but they are all noticeably quieter than my Squier Jazz with volumes balanced.
I'm thinking it's just my house's old wiring or my cheap amp. In any event, I look forward to hearing how everything works out for you!
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If you have the Allen wrench that came with the bass, just loosen it 1/4 turn. Maybe a half. It shouldn't take much.Interesting; my 4 string has slight buzz on the D and G strings only, where the 2nd and 3rd frets would be.
And this started about 3 weeks ago, just as it began to get warm.
I may try to adjust the truss rod myself, or wait for the stores to open up, and have mine set up.
It really is a fantastic bass.
I never get tired of playing it.
Mike
Anyone here ever swapped out the pickups of an SRF705? Might look into doing that when I acquire a 705 with either real Bartolinis or Nordstrand to drop in. I'm not sure if by replacing the pickups will it tamper with the piezo or will alter the way the piezo sound? I'm fairly new to this sort of project so please bare with me.
My SRF705 has been carrying a pair of Bartolini MK5CBCs in the place of the MK1 pickups in the last 3 years or so. Honestly, they aren't better sounding for the bass. These dual coil USA Barts are too thick/boomy sounding for fretless bass applications.
Good thing I asked the tech guy who did the MK5 installation to add coil switching using a push-pull potentio in the place of the neck vol potentio, so the MK5 pair could be run on their outer single coils when the neck vol knob is pulled. IMO, for fretless applications, the single coil mode sound fits better (than their dual coil mode). Although... the sound is actually close to the original MK1s with a drawback of less apparent mid range that the MK1s had. And... there's another drawback of introducing single coil noise when the pair volume knobs aren't equal turned. So on this bass, the USA MK5s aren't necessarily superior to the MK1 pair.
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Yeah but mids is what makes a Fretless bass sound like a Fretless bass if you know what I mean. I don't want to sacrifice mid range when replacing the pickups to original Bartolini's. Not the MK's.
Agree. Less mid range is also what makes the MK5 pair don't fit so well for a fretless bass (I edited the previous post to make this clear). This is why I actually have planned to switch the magnetics back to the MK1s. I just haven't made time to bring the SRF to my tech friend.
I like the stock Bartolinis that come with the Portamento, but I think they're matched perfectly to the bass. I wouldn't want a more powerful or hotter-sounding pickup, but that's just me.
I use either the magnetics or the piezos, but rarely blend them.
Again, that's just my preference.
Mike
I use either the magnetics or the piezos, but rarely blend them.
Again, that's just my preference.
Mike
Hi all!
Here is my srf706 with Noll mixpot and EMG BQC three band eq with mid sweep for magnetics, three way switch for piezo-both-magnetics and a small Lo-batt LED.
Bought it on eBay right before corona-closedown, so I have had lots of time for modifying the electronics...
Here is my srf706 with Noll mixpot and EMG BQC three band eq with mid sweep for magnetics, three way switch for piezo-both-magnetics and a small Lo-batt LED.
Bought it on eBay right before corona-closedown, so I have had lots of time for modifying the electronics...
Cool. Can you tell us what each knob does? I like my 706, but don't like having separate volumes for each pickup. Would rather have a master volume and either separate pickup volumes or blends.
Would be cool if someone invented a blend joystick that moved in a triangle and could allow you to select any amount of blend from three different pickups. In a corner, one pickup full. In the middle of a side, two mixed. In the middle of the triangle, three mixed.
I have separate volumes for magnetics and piezo and a three way switch for selecting magnetics, piezo or both. This way I can switch directly between the "uprightish" piezo sound and any "preset" pickup sound without changing the volume settings.
That's great. I particularly like that you can switch between piezo and magnetics without messing about with the volume/blend. It's always been a major pain to me that you get a nice blend sound then have to demolish it if you want the piezo. Nice one!
Hello again, loyal Portamento owners!
I've gotten even more mwah out of my Portamento using only the piezos.
As some of you know, I love and always use my Empress Para EQ on all my basses. It can EQ any bass more precisely than I've ever heard.
But, I had a habbit of keeping the instrument and amp flat, and letting the Empress do all the work, and for the last year or so, this worked out fine.
Until tonight.
By accident, I moved the treble knob on my amp from flat (12 o'clock) to about 9 o'clock.
All of a sudden, I was hearing this extra-smooth, creamy mwah I hadn't heard before, and it sounded fantastic!
As much as I have experimented with just the Empress, I have been deliberately ignoring the amp and instrument controls.
I should have experimented with all the controls, something I will now begin to do.
This is another feather in the Portamento's cap, as well as the Empress'.
Back to the drawing board or rather the notebook.
A pleasant surprise.
Mike
I've gotten even more mwah out of my Portamento using only the piezos.
As some of you know, I love and always use my Empress Para EQ on all my basses. It can EQ any bass more precisely than I've ever heard.
But, I had a habbit of keeping the instrument and amp flat, and letting the Empress do all the work, and for the last year or so, this worked out fine.
Until tonight.
By accident, I moved the treble knob on my amp from flat (12 o'clock) to about 9 o'clock.
All of a sudden, I was hearing this extra-smooth, creamy mwah I hadn't heard before, and it sounded fantastic!
As much as I have experimented with just the Empress, I have been deliberately ignoring the amp and instrument controls.
I should have experimented with all the controls, something I will now begin to do.
This is another feather in the Portamento's cap, as well as the Empress'.
Back to the drawing board or rather the notebook.
A pleasant surprise.
Mike
I'm not sure if I can describe this correctly, but...
The magnetic pickup volumes on my 706 almost more like on/off switches. Roll them both off, no sound. Start to turn either of them and instantly that pickup is at full volume with no discernible increase in volume the more you turn it up. There's no tonal difference in blending the two volumes. For instance, if I want full bridge pickup with 75% neck pickup, the tone and volume is the same as if both pickups are on at full volume. Full neck pickup with just a touch of bridge for bite? Nope, same thing, sounds just like both pickups at full volume. What gives?
The magnetic pickup volumes on my 706 almost more like on/off switches. Roll them both off, no sound. Start to turn either of them and instantly that pickup is at full volume with no discernible increase in volume the more you turn it up. There's no tonal difference in blending the two volumes. For instance, if I want full bridge pickup with 75% neck pickup, the tone and volume is the same as if both pickups are on at full volume. Full neck pickup with just a touch of bridge for bite? Nope, same thing, sounds just like both pickups at full volume. What gives?
Papazita, I honestly don't know what's going on with your bass.
As nice as they are, I think a certain batch of Portamentos left the factory with electrical defects.
Hopefully someone more knowledgable than I will add their advice.
I'm sorry I couldn't help you more.
Mike
As nice as they are, I think a certain batch of Portamentos left the factory with electrical defects.
Hopefully someone more knowledgable than I will add their advice.
I'm sorry I couldn't help you more.
Mike
