soundgear preamp help

[frankenbass2014]

Ok I bought my kid a low dollar pawn shop soundgear that has active electronics. Its a Gio N427. I plug it in at the pawn shop and all I get is nothing. So I figure the battery is dead (this particular bass does not have a active/passive switch to check things out further) so I shell out the 50 clams the pawn guy is asking and load it into the Pontiac. Once im home I swap out the suspicions dollar general battery with a Duracell and...... nothing. I start playing with the pots and after a few minutes Im able to get the occasional pop and sometimes a very faint note. Now, i have zero experience with the soundgear preamps, and only amateur experience with active electronics in general. Anybody out there in Talkbass land know what I can do to make this plank make sound? Its going to be his first bass so no high dollar pup swaps or preamp swaps. I have no clue if he will even stick with it. If he does then ill add mods as necessary later on. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

 

[JustForSport]

First, if you're up to it, jumper the pickups to the jack.
If they work, then you know you can prob run it passive- vol and tone.
While at it, look closely for loose or barely hanging on wiring.
Could also be a bad pot.

 

[frankenbass2014]

I've thought on the pots. Its a p/j bass, v/v/t. I guess its possible for both the pots to be shot. Im an auto mechanic so I've seen a lot of things go out in pairs. Ill wire each pup straight to the jack first (never thought of that lol) and if I get sound ill bypass the preamp altogether with a spare jazz harness I have. I thought about doing that anyway.

 

[frankenbass2014]

Fixed it. I just cut the red wire from the preamp to the jack, cut the lead from the tone pot to the pre amp and soldered the two together. I figured, what tbe hell, worst it could do is catch on fire, right? Plugged it in and BINGO! Works just like a passive p/j soundgear. I followed the rest of the wires for the preamo and drew a diagram, then just clipped them all and left the preamp in place. Hell just have a dead knob until such a time (if any lol) he decides he wants a new preamp. Thanks for getting me thinking Sport lol