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Peavey Millennium Preamp Upgrade - Step by Step!

#21
Thanks for the update, Anthony.

I bought a Millennium preamp from renniw and got my tech to install it in my G-Bass a couple of weeks ago. Sounds great! I'm very glad I did the upgrade. Now I want to get another preamp and upgrade my G-V, too.
 
#22
Just for posterity, I thought I would post this.

Today, I ordered another pair of Millennium preamps and sets of knobs so I can upgrade my G-V and my Cirrus 5.

If you want to do the same upgrade, call Peavey Parts at (877) 732-8391. You can talk to Steve, if you want. He's the guy who can identify the part numbers. But, he'll just pass you over to Lisa to actually handle taking your order.

The part # and prices are:

Preamp part # 99099040 - $51.64

Knurled Knobs - Brass/Gold
Top 75025018 - $7.98 x 1
Bottom 75025019 - $6.84 x 1
Dome 75025030 - $4.21 x 4 <---- NOT the correct part # - will not fit

Knurled Knobs - Black Chrome
Top 75025021 - $6.04 x 1
Bottom 75025022 - $5.35 x 1
Dome 75025010 - $7.27 x 4

Bottom line for me: $175 total to upgrade both my basses or $88 apiece. From what the upgrade did to my G-Bass, I think it's money well spent.
 
#23
Another update. I got the preamps installed in my G-V and Cirrus. The part #s above for the 4 gold knobs is wrong. Those knobs do not fit. I just got off the phone with Steve (guitar tech) and Patrick (parts guy) at Peavey and they confirmed that they sent the wrong gold knobs and are sending me the correct ones.

I will update the part # when I get the new parts.

ps. My G-Bass, G-V, and Cirrus all sound HUGELY better with this preamp upgrade! Highly recommended!!
 
#24
I got a Cirrus 6-string last week and love it. It does not have the Mill pre in it, so I just ordered yet another one, to go in it. This time, they gave me completely different part numbers for the gold knobs. I think the last ones were considered "Brass" in color. They said these ones are shiny gold and they are the same ones that come (came?) on Custom Shop Cirruses with gold hardware.

Preamp part # 99099040 - $51.64 (<-- glad to see that didn't change)
Knobs - Shiny Gold
Top - 75025043 $3.98
Bottom - 75025044 $4.14
Dome x 4 - 75025045 $4.73

Less than $80, delivered, for a SWEET upgrade.

:bassist:

:D
 
#26
StuartV said:
I got a Cirrus 6-string last week and love it. It does not have the Mill pre in it, so I just ordered yet another one, to go in it. This time, they gave me completely different part numbers for the gold knobs. I think the last ones were considered "Brass" in color. They said these ones are shiny gold and they are the same ones that come (came?) on Custom Shop Cirruses with gold hardware.

Preamp part # 99099040 - $51.64 (<-- glad to see that didn't change)
Knobs - Shiny Gold
Top - 75025043 $3.98
Bottom - 75025044 $4.14
Dome x 4 - 75025045 $4.73

Less than $80, delivered, for a SWEET upgrade.

:bassist:

:D
Click to expand...

Just for the record, these Shiny Gold knobs do not match the gold bridge and tuners very well at all. The Brass/Gold knobs I got previously look MUCH better with the stock bridge and tuners. I'm calling Peavey right now to see about returning these and getting the other kind. The ones they call "shiny" are more yellow and actually seem like more of a brushed finish.

Just FYI.
 
#27
One post to consolidate all the info.

The part # and prices are:

Preamp part # 99099040 - $51.64

Knurled Knobs - Brass/Gold
Top 75025018 - $7.98 x 1
Bottom 75025019 - $6.84 x 1
Dome 75025011 - $?.?? x 4 <---- Updated - correct part #, not sure of the exact price
Dome 75025030 - $4.21 x 4 <---- NOT the correct part # - will not fit

Knurled Knobs - Black Chrome
Top 75025021 - $6.04 x 1
Bottom 75025022 - $5.35 x 1
Dome 75025010 - $7.27 x 4

Knurled Knobs - Shiny Gold
Top - 75025043 $3.98
Bottom - 75025044 $4.14
Dome x 4 - 75025045 $4.73

The Brass/Gold knobs are a good match for the gold bridge and tuners on my Cirruses. The Shiny Gold knobs look like poo on my Cirrus with gold bridge and tuners. The Black knobs look great on my G-V that has a black bridge and black holo-flake finish.

And huge props to Peavey Customer Service (and, specifically, Patrick in Parts). When I got my first order with Brass/Gold knobs, the dome knobs they sent didn't fit. I called him and he figured out what the right part # was and sent me 4 correct knobs at no additional charge - told me to just keep the first 4 knobs.

When I got my most recent gold knobs (Shiny Gold), they look like poo on my Cirrus. I just called Patrick again and he is sending me a whole set of the Brass/Gold ones, again at no additional charge and, again, told me I can just keep the first set he sent.

Awesome!

ps. I don't know why they call the knobs that go on the Master, Blend, Treble and Bass "Dome" knobs. They're cylindrical metal with a flat top. Knurled on the sides with a smooth top. Here's a pic of the Brass/Gold ones on my Cirrus 5.

IMG_0908.jpg
 
#29
I don't really know anything about preamp pedals. The only thing remotely like that that I've tried is my Sansamp BDDI and I don't really think it does the same thing.

I suppose a preamp pedal with a 3-band EQ and a sweepable mid-frequency *could* do the same thing.

As to whether it's worth the money for the preamp and knobs, well, all I can say is that I upgraded my G-Bass. Then I upgraded my G-V and my Cirrus 5. And now I've done the upgrade on my Cirrus 6. So, yes, it's worth the money to me. My purely subjective impression is that even when you compare the stock pre and the Mill pre with all the settings set flat, the Mill pre has a slightly better sound to it. But I can't characterize the difference for you. I guess I should have tried recording my Cirrus 5 with the Mill pre and my 6 without. Oh, well. Too late now. :)
 
#31
Just for you, Tim... ;)

I played around with the 6 over the weekend. I have found that if I set the mid-frequency to the high end and then cut the mids most or all of the way, and I also cut the Treble all the way, solo the neck pickup, and play up over the fretboard, I get a P-like sound that is completely different than the sounds I have been playing with. It's very thumpy and kind of "syrupy" or "round" sounding.

Usually, I play down over the pickups, with the Blend centered, the low-mids boosted, the Bass boosted a little, and the Treble rolled off a little. That gives a totally different sound that has more of an edge to it and is more hi-fi sounding, I guess.

This new sound I have found (which I couldn't get without the mid-freq sweep on the new pre) is just new love for the Cirrus (and G and G-V and TL-Five :D).
 
#32
StuartV said:
I got a Cirrus 6-string last week and love it. It does not have the Mill pre in it, so I just ordered yet another one, to go in it. This time, they gave me completely different part numbers for the gold knobs. I think the last ones were considered "Brass" in color. They said these ones are shiny gold and they are the same ones that come (came?) on Custom Shop Cirruses with gold hardware.

Preamp part # 99099040 - $51.64 (<-- glad to see that didn't change)
Knobs - Shiny Gold
Top - 75025043 $3.98
Bottom - 75025044 $4.14
Dome x 4 - 75025045 $4.73

Less than $80, delivered, for a SWEET upgrade.

:bassist:

:D
Click to expand...

Hey StuartV,
when you got those knobs from Peavey, do all those knobs need a side screw? Because I'm hearing if those are the knobs Peavey may have the knobs but not the side screw in available.

Strange.
 
#33
Yes, all the knobs need a set-screw.

Almost all of them came with the needed set-screws. All the black knobs did. The only ones I have had trouble with were the set-screws for the gold knobs for the stacked mid-pot. The other 4 gold knobs had 'em. I have talked to Steve at Peavey more than once where he's told me that they don't have the right sized set-screws for those two gold knobs on the stacked mid-pot.

All that said, I have put the gold knobs on both of my Cirrus, and I'm not exactly sure how my tech did it. I think he may have reused set screws from the stock black rubbery plastic knobs. One at least one of the top gold knobs, I think he said he had to grind it down a bit, to keep it from poking out of the knob a little, but that the thread pattern was the same.
 
#39
puremusic said:
It doesn't have neither one of the pre's mentioned I own a Cirrus USA and I used to have a Cirrus BXP and the bxp pre was a small box with a lot of wires coming out of it connected to pots. You can upgrade to the Milennium pre or US Cirrus pre if you want because it will fit with no problem.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I had a BXP 4 years ago and I remember that it sounded OK? I had a US Cirrus until a couple of months back and did not like the pre in it. (it did not have the mid sweep).

Maybe it will be OK like it is, if not I will put the Millennium pre in it.
 

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