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Double Bass Need electronics suggestions for this EUB(Yamaha SLB300)

Low Class

Low Class

Jul 4, 2005
4,418
2,750
Disclosures
Gasaholic
#1
Just purchased a SLB300 on eBay.


New unplayed SLB300 with the preamp removed, still has the piezo pickup. Any ideas on the best way to get this up and running would be appreciated. My first thought would be to replace the connector for the piezo with a 1/4" jack and use an external preamp, but I'm way open to suggestions.
​
 
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#3
Low Class said:
Just purchased this SLB300 on eBay.
Yamaha Silent Bass SLB300, NO ELECTRONICS!!! | eBay

New unplayed SLB300 with the preamp removed, still has the piezo pickup. Any ideas on the best way to get this up and running would be appreciated. My first thought would be to replace the connector for the piezo with a 1/4" jack and use an external preamp, but I'm way open to suggestions.
​
Click to expand...

Although it would probably be a hassle and expensive, I would contact Yamaha and see if it's possible to get the original SRT preamp. I think the original preamp does some sort of digital modeling that is similar to Audio Sprockets Tone Dexter. Basically a mic'ed signal was sampled and used to modify the signal from pickup so it sounds more like a mic'ed acoustic instrument. The manual mentions three modes; two emulate different vacuum tube mics, and the third emulates a dynamic mic .

Barring this, as a minimum you probably just need some sort of a buffer that provides at least 1 Meg ohm to smooth out the response of the pickup. The ideal impedance will likely be somewhere between 1-3 Meg, but it may be higher. 10 Meg is fairly common, but can be too high for some pickups.

It looks like there is enough space where you could build a plate and install a preamp of your choice. LR Baggs and Fishman make models that are common in ABGs that may fit.

If possible I would try to track down the mating connector and make an adapter rather than cutting the end off of the pickup cable, in case you ever come across the original preamp.
 
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#4
Wasnex said:
Although it would probably be a hassle and expensive, I would contact Yamaha and see if it's possible to get the original SRT preamp. I think the original preamp does some sort of digital modeling that is similar to Audio Sprockets Tone Dexter. Basically a mic'ed signal was sampled and used to modify the signal from pickup so it sounds more like a mic'ed acoustic instrument. The manual mentions three modes; two emulate different vacuum tube mics, and the third emulates a dynamic mic .

Barring this, as a minimum you probably just need some sort of a buffer that provides at least 1 Meg ohm to smooth out the response of the pickup. The ideal impedance will likely be somewhere between 1-3 Meg, but it may be higher. 10 Meg is fairly common, but can be too high for some pickups.

It looks like there is enough space where you could build a plate and install a preamp of your choice. LR Baggs and Fishman make models that are common in ABGs that may fit.

If possible I would try to track down the mating connector and make an adapter rather than cutting the end off of the pickup cable, in case you ever come across the original preamp.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the idea about the connector, something I didn't consider. My original thought is possibly get the Tonedexter, but my problem is I don't have a real URB to create the wavemaps. I've already emailed Audiosprockets to see if they had any wavemap downloads for URB like they do some other instruments and they were quick to respond to say that they do not and no plans to do so.

I'll try to contact Yamaha about buying the original electronics just to see, but for now I just ordered a Krivo magnetic pickup. The manufacturer has them listed on eBay and I made an offer I was surprised they accepted. This will give me something to get the bass working for me right away(at least hopefully depending on the strings that are on it) til I get the rest of it figured out. I'm considering installing one of these buffers by Bartolini, either for just the piezo or to use both the piezo and magnetic. Does anybody know anything about these?

Buffer Preamps - Bartolini Pickups & Electronics

If I use something like the K&K Dual Channel Pro or LR Baggs Mixpro preamp will I still need a buffer?

Dual Channel Pro Preamp | K&K Sound
 
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#6
It would be great if you can find that original modelling pre from Yamaha without breaking the bank. In all other cases I would follow your own suggestion and go straight to jack and us an external pre.

another option might be to build the small and simple buffering pre that Fdeck designed. The design is on his website. I did that for my wav-4 once. That little pre is great, but it holds no advantage over a good external pre.
 
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#9
Francois Blais said:
No.
It has a 10megs input impedance IIRC.
Click to expand...

Thanks!! So it looks like the easiest and most economical way to go is the piezo and magnetic straight into the LR Baggs Mixpro. My amplification is an AI Focus Series III into a AK Hathor 1203 and iAmp 800 into a Nl112. That should work for my needs.
 
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#11
I just sent an email to Yamaha support asking if it's possible to purchase what is needed to bring this instrument back to its original state. I'll see where that goes before I do anything else.
 
#12
Low Class said:
I just sent an email to Yamaha support asking if it's possible to purchase what is needed to bring this instrument back to its original state. I'll see where that goes before I do anything else.
Click to expand...
I suspect they will not sell it to you - they don't sell to non authorized shops either. If you read the ebay listing you will recall the whole bass was bought just to get the Yamaha pre, so a good bet it is not for sale separately.

I bought a nice setup that will blend mag with piezo on ebay a couple years ago. Works great and has been durable. Sweep mids really come in handy when bowing.
 
#13
carl h. said:
I suspect they will not sell it to you - they don't sell to non authorized shops either. If you read the ebay listing you will recall the whole bass was bought just to get the Yamaha pre, so a good bet it is not for sale separately.

I bought a nice setup that will blend mag with piezo on ebay a couple years ago. Works great and has been durable. Sweep mids really come in handy when bowing.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much what I expect from Yamaha, but it's worth a try. What is the unit you bought on eBay?
 
#14
Whether you need a buffer depends on the input impedance of the preamp. So if specs are available for the preamp you are considering you can figure it out for yourself. As I mentioned earlier, the absolute minimum is 1 Meg, and the ideal range varies with pickup design. If you get a preamp with a 10 Meg input impedance, you don't need a separate buffer. I do believe there is potential benefit to having the buffer fairly close to the pickup though, as opposed to at the other end of a long cable.
 
#15
Wasnex said:
Whether you need a buffer depends on the input impedance of the preamp. So if specs are available for the preamp you are considering you can figure it out for yourself. As I mentioned earlier, the absolute minimum is 1 Meg, and the ideal range varies with pickup design. If you get a preamp with a 10 Meg input impedance, you don't need a separate buffer. I do believe there is potential benefit to having the buffer fairly close to the pickup though, as opposed to at the other end of a long cable.
Click to expand...

I plan on mounting the preamp on the bass so cable length will be at a minimum. Here's the specs on the LR Baggs Mixpro:

Specifications:
  • Size: 4.75 x 2.85 x 1.25
  • Weight (with battery): 7.3 oz.
  • Battery Type: Single 9V
  • Power Consumption: 2.3mA
  • Battery Life: 200+ Hours
  • Class: Pure Class A, all discrete
  • EQ: Passive
    • Treb: +/- 6dB @ 7kHz
    • Bass: +/- 6dB @ 80Hz
    • Low Cut: 12dB/oct.
  • Gain (flat EQ): +6dB to +28d
  • Signal-To-Noise: -90dB, 27Hz-20kHz unweighted
  • Input Impedance: Phantom Off: 10 Megohms/Phantom On: 15k
  • Output Impedance: 800 Ohms
 
#17
carl h. said:
This is what I put in a Palatino - yeah I know furniture grade instruments, but their EUB is decent for an electric.
The write up of what I did starts here.

The seller responds quickly to questions and customer service was A+.
Click to expand...

Well to my surprise Yamaha responded by sending me an exploded view of the SLB300. They asked me to identify which parts I needed and they will reply back with the part #'s and how to purchase.
 
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