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Low output active

monkeyking

monkeyking

Feb 6, 2009
301
11
Indianapolis
#1
Though I've been playing for 30 years, I'm an electrical imbecile, so have pity please.

For years my main player has been a wonderful Conklin GT5 with (I believe) Conklin pickups and a Mighty Mite 9v active pre-amp.

I also play a 5 string Lightwave, a fretless Wish bass with EMG select (passive), and a Boulder Creek ABG with a 9v active. Yes, I realize that I lean toward oddball basses.

I've come to realize that the Conklin is exceptionally quiet compared to the rest. Not even half the volume. I'd like to get the output up with the rest, or at least near the Lightwave, as I swap those two in and out most frequently during gigs.

Currently (everyone do the Electric Pun), I run the Lightwave into the active input of my Demeter pre-amp, the Conklin into the passive input and still have to kick up the gain a good 4 increments to achieve balance when on the Conklin. That's with running the onboard volume full while the Lightwave is about 1/2.

The GT5 is more than a decade old. Am I just due for fresh pickups? Replace all the stuff with a Bartolini (or some other) system? Hotwire a car battery into the mix? Onboard gas powered generator?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
 
#2
monkeyking said:
Though I've been playing for 30 years, I'm an electrical imbecile, so have pity please.

For years my main player has been a wonderful Conklin GT5 with (I believe) Conklin pickups and a Mighty Mite 9v active pre-amp.

I also play a 5 string Lightwave, a fretless Wish bass with EMG select (passive), and a Boulder Creek ABG with a 9v active. Yes, I realize that I lean toward oddball basses.

I've come to realize that the Conklin is exceptionally quiet compared to the rest. Not even half the volume. I'd like to get the output up with the rest, or at least near the Lightwave, as I swap those two in and out most frequently during gigs.

Currently (everyone do the Electric Pun), I run the Lightwave into the active input of my Demeter pre-amp, the Conklin into the passive input and still have to kick up the gain a good 4 increments to achieve balance when on the Conklin. That's with running the onboard volume full while the Lightwave is about 1/2.

The GT5 is more than a decade old. Am I just due for fresh pickups? Replace all the stuff with a Bartolini (or some other) system? Hotwire a car battery into the mix? Onboard gas powered generator?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

Actually, a small nuclear reactor would be your best bet.

Seriously, though, I have no personal experience with the GT5's preamp. Is there an internal trim pot that you might be able to adjust?
 
#3
^Well, if we've learned anything from the Simpsons, replacing batteries with plutonium fuel rods will only result in hilarious hijinks.

You were almost a hero there, Geoff. Sadly, there is no trim pot, though I see on the Conklin website that they have been added to the newer models. Thanks for the effort though!
 
#4
mighty mite preamp?

sounds low-budget to me; a preamp upgrade, especially one like a bart system with an overall level trimpot, might be the answer.
 
#6
The Lightwave is definitely out of the ordinary and does have a lot of output.

Noticed that the newer models of this have a Bart pre with 2 trimpots, one apparently for overall volume and one to control a level of mid-contour provided by a "slap switch". So that might be a way to go.
 
#7
monkeyking said:
The Lightwave is definitely out of the ordinary and does have a lot of output.

Noticed that the newer models of this have a Bart pre with 2 trimpots, one apparently for overall volume and one to control a level of mid-contour provided by a "slap switch". So that might be a way to go.
Click to expand...

If wouldn't be hard to either add a trim to reduce the output, or use some kind of an external box with a pot in it. Or use something like a Radial Bassbone.

Also, are you keeping both instrument cables plugged into the amp at the same time?
 
#8
^That's a good question. I have been keeping them both plugged in when gigging. I haven't noticed a difference when I have only one plugged in, but then, I haven't really looked for a difference either, so maybe a little experimenting is in order.

I'd like to keep things on board, as I'm not one for pedals or fussing. Just seems odd that the Conklin is so much quieter than even my passive fretless. Do pickups just get tired and worn out after 10+ years and a ton of gigs?
 
#9
Check to see if you get a difference with only one plugged in. Those two inputs are connected together, but one usually has a resistor to pad down the input a little. So if you plug both basses in, you are also connecting the two outputs together, which may affect the volume.

I wouldn't keep them both plugged in.
 
#10
monkeyking said:
Just seems odd that the Conklin is so much quieter than even my passive fretless. Do pickups just get tired and worn out after 10+ years and a ton of gigs?
Click to expand...

I can't answer that question in regard to your pickups, but I can say that there are lots of pickups out there well over ten years old that still work well and sound good.

I have a Fender P/J set up with EMG pickups -- the pickups themselves run off a 9V battery, but there are only passive volume and tone controls -- no active preamp. I found its output to be lower than that of many basses, including my passive P-bass with a single Bill Lawrence/Wilde P-46 pickup, even though the quality of the signal was very good. Adjusting the height of the pickups helped (I ended up moving the bridge pup much closer to the strings in order to get a balanced level with the neck pup), and I find the level decent and acceptable, but it's still not a super hot bass, level wise.

I have two other basses with Bart pickups and a Bart NTMB preamp, which has a passive bypass feature. Run passive, the output on those basses is a little lower than that of my EMG P/J. Run active, it can get MUCH hotter. There is a trim pot on the preamp -- near the bottom, you can match the level of the passive signal, but there's quite a bit of boost that can be dialed in.

I find the NTMB to be pretty clean set flat (i.e. I don't hear any obvious coloration vs. the passive signal), but the bass, mid, and treble controls are, to me, a little heavy-handed. Mids are selectable between two frequencies with a push-pull pot, but not sweepable. Not sure what the bass and treble frequencies are.

Don't know anything about the pickups in your bass. If you like everything but the level, a different pre might help (as might checking the setup). If not, there are lots of different pups (and pres) that others more knowledgeable than I could weigh in on.
 
#11
^That's another great point, Mark. I should try raising the pup height a bit. That action on the Conklin is exceptionally low due to an amazing neck. (one truss rod adjustment in ten years, no buzz, no foolin.)

I'm constantly amazed at how little I know about how my instrument works. I'm a happy idiot.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!
 
#12
Is that the mm114 pre? Volume/blend /treble/bass ? That is a hot preamp (haz lab copy). You can possibly have it wired backwards, it will work but the output is decreased. Also what pickups are you using? I run that pre with emg's and its hot. I tried it with passive pickups and the output wasn't as hot but was still pretty high.
The lightwave has an abnormally high output as said before. You might just need a fresh battery in the pre as well.
 
#13
^The mm114 sounds familiar to me, but, as we've established, I am a knucklehead so who knows? It is vol/blend/treble/bass. I would assume that it's wired properly, as it hasn't been touched since it left the factory.

(On a side note, love the avatar! I have really been gas'ing for a trans-green bass lately.)

As an update, I did some comparisons between the Conklin and the Lightwave with each plugged into the assive and passive and all combinations there-of. Same results all around with the Conklin being much quieter.

At this point, I think there may be a loose wire, degraded circuit, or something similar. It still sounds great and does everything I want it to, but I suspect it ready for a refurbish to reveal all it's glory.

So, if I were to pull out the pups and pre-amp and replace, does anyone have a recommendation?

On a side (or grace) note, I've noticed that the locking 1/4" input may be getting a bit loose. That could be the problem, yes?
 

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