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Nordstrand onboard Preamp convert to pedal? Need Advice

bhoff5150

bhoff5150

Jan 30, 2011
725
1,122
Lawrenceburg, IN (West Cincy)
www.flipsidecincy.com
#1
Hello,

My tastes in my bass tone have become quite specific, and when it doesn't sound right to me it really bugs me. One of the key pieces to my sound is an onboard Nordstrand 3b-4a preamp in my Fender Custom Classic Jazz. I have this preamp in 2 different jazz basses (one is a backup) and have found I can't live without it which is where my dilemma comes in. I own a 1975 Fender jazz and for obvious reasons don't want to modify it to fit this preamp in the body. I really want to play this bass more, but every time I take it to a gig, I'll play half a set with it, and then pickup my other CS jazz that has the Nordstrand preamp in it because I'm jouncing for that sound. So my question is this:

How can I take a Nordstrand 3b-4a (or other version of Nordstrand 3 band pre) and put it into a box, where I can run the 1/4" out of my passive 75, plug it into the outboard boxed preamp and then run another 1/4" to my amp??

Is this possible?? Easy I hope?? I have tried many other outboard preamps (Sadowsky, Darkglass, Sansamp, Aguilar, etc....) and none of them give me what I get out of the Nordstrand.

Thanks TB for your input/advice!!
 
#5
Looking at the wiring diagram for that preamp, it has the input from the pickup(s) going through the volume and tone and then to the switch to put the preamp in/active or out/passive. Hopefully I've got that right. That would suggest to me that you should be fine to take the output of the bass and put it in a pedal that has that pre-amp module in it. You could even have a true bypass switch to turn it on/off (though it sounds like an always on situation for you :).
I would suggest a test to determine if this is king of approach is going to give you the sound you want before investing in another preamp module. My concern is that it's the sound of the bass itself and not the preamp that is the issue. I would take the bass with the preamp already in it and unsolder the input lead to the preamp and then using some alligator clips or similar take the output from the bass you want to fix and send it through the preamp. This way you can test the idea to determine if it is going to get you where you want to go or not.
 

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