• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

New Bartolini Preamp Issues

ragetoca

ragetoca

Joe
Sep 16, 2013
1,200
1,980
Georgia
#1
I picked up a 1999 Yamaha TRB5 in amazing new condition but the preamp was very noisy and I decided to upgrade both the pre and the pickups (EMG 45 soapbars)
I am having problems with the bartolini NTMB preamp....it works in passive mode, blend and volume works fine but as soon as I engage the push/pull/9v active pre it goes silent....no sound at all
I already checked the jack, the battery (I even bypass the onboard battery cavity and wired it directly to another battery) the wiring, everything is per the instructions.
What could it be?
The EMGs have 3 wires, a stand alone red (I am assuming is ground) and a hot white wire that has a metal stranded wire/shield around it
Any help will be much appreciated! Thx
 
#6
iplay5strings said:
Correct, but they are still great pickups. I actually prefer the passive models as the tone isn't so firmly "baked in". I also recommend doing away with the quick connectors to make it easier to integrate with non EMG preamps.
Click to expand...
Thats the case here, these pickups came without the quick connectors and I am trying to wire them to a bartolini preamp to no luck!
 
#7
Sorry about that. EMG webpage shows several different 45-series pickups and all the ones I looked at were active. Do you know which exact model EMG 45 pickups you have?

It's unlikely that the red wire is ground. Ground wires will usually be green, black, or bare, power wires will often be red, and negative power wires often blue. There's no requirement or law for it, just general conventional practice. (Bartolini's NTBT-918 preamp follows that convention.)
 
#11
ragetoca said:
Let me post some pics, that will probably be helpful! Thanks for the help Adam
Click to expand...
Here is the wiring breakdown for the HZ (EMG's passive line of) pickups
emg-hz.jpg

Pictured is series (stock) wiring. For parallel wiring, red+white are tied together as the hot wire and black+green+shield go to ground.
 
Last edited:
#16
ragetoca said:
Question, Why do they sound in passive mode but not in active?
Click to expand...
That is curious...maybe somehow they were receiving power when you switched to passive because of the way you wired them initially? You need to tie the red wire into the hot wire of your battery supply, then solder the white wire to the blend (or vol depending on your setup). Make sure to use 25k pot(s) since they're active pickups, then tie the shielding part of the white wire to ground.
 
#17
iplay5strings said:
That is curious...maybe somehow they were receiving power when you switched to passive because of the way you wired them initially? You need to tie the red wire into the hot wire of your battery supply, then solder the white wire to the blend (or vol depending on your setup). Make sure to use 25k pot(s) since they're active pickups, then tie the shielding part of the white wire to ground.
Click to expand...
I actually installed the original pickups and I am having the same issue....I have started to think it is actually the preamp that is bad....
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back