Yeah, apologies for the delay.
It's the 8 pin ribbon. I see some breadboard ribbon jumper cables on Amazon, just not sure if these are proprietary or regular cables.
Thank you,
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The John East preamp club
- Thread starter datsaxguy
- Start date
It's the 8 pin ribbon. I see some breadboard ribbon jumper cables on Amazon, just not sure if these are proprietary or regular cables.
Thank you,
Wire's wire, and those rainbow colored ribbon cables are cheap and available on Amazon. You might look at the connector head-on, but my guess is that it's something like 22 or 24awg wiring with a 2.54mm 8 pin housing connector at the end. John then put some heat-shrink tubing around the end to keep it all together
There are some crimpers online that are pretty cheap and will do the job, but to be honest those pin housing connectors are kind of a pain to work with if you don't do it every day. What I might suggest for one option is getting a multimeter or continuity tester and figure out which wire is bad. You can then separate it out from the rest in the ribbon and splice in a replacement wire. Ugly solution but might be easier for you than making your own wire.
Alternatively, measure the spacing between the holes in the connector (or between the pins on the receiving side) and figure out the pitch. As I said my guess is that it's 2.54mm (as that's what I use on my preamps and it's really common), but it could also be 3mm. If it is 2.54mm then I see there are some premade female to female 8 pin cables on Amazon with a 2.54mm pitch. Link:
https://www.amazon.com/ZYAMY-Dupont-Connector-Multicolor-Breadboard/dp/B0789F2Y1T
https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-2-54mm-Female-Breadboard-Jumper/dp/B01ABTBL6G/
Note that I don't know much about these cables - from what I can see the cables seem straight through and there aren't any flipped wires. Worst case scenario would be you using a paperclip or small flathead to get the pin out and switch them within the header.
If you decide to make your own (and it's 2.54mm), I bought this crimper off of Amazon and it did well for me. I used it to make some wire headers for my pedal-based test rig for my preamps. Just practice a few times on some spare wires before trying it on the one you want to use. It's tricky at first to set up and the instructions are lacking.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VQ6YNSC/
Good luck and let us know what you end up doing!
There are some crimpers online that are pretty cheap and will do the job, but to be honest those pin housing connectors are kind of a pain to work with if you don't do it every day. What I might suggest for one option is getting a multimeter or continuity tester and figure out which wire is bad. You can then separate it out from the rest in the ribbon and splice in a replacement wire. Ugly solution but might be easier for you than making your own wire.
Alternatively, measure the spacing between the holes in the connector (or between the pins on the receiving side) and figure out the pitch. As I said my guess is that it's 2.54mm (as that's what I use on my preamps and it's really common), but it could also be 3mm. If it is 2.54mm then I see there are some premade female to female 8 pin cables on Amazon with a 2.54mm pitch. Link:
https://www.amazon.com/ZYAMY-Dupont-Connector-Multicolor-Breadboard/dp/B0789F2Y1T
https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-2-54mm-Female-Breadboard-Jumper/dp/B01ABTBL6G/
Note that I don't know much about these cables - from what I can see the cables seem straight through and there aren't any flipped wires. Worst case scenario would be you using a paperclip or small flathead to get the pin out and switch them within the header.
If you decide to make your own (and it's 2.54mm), I bought this crimper off of Amazon and it did well for me. I used it to make some wire headers for my pedal-based test rig for my preamps. Just practice a few times on some spare wires before trying it on the one you want to use. It's tricky at first to set up and the instructions are lacking.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VQ6YNSC/
Good luck and let us know what you end up doing!
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Someone in this group should be able to guide me in the right direction.
My passive sound on my uni 5 is brighter than the active sound. I dont like that.
I assume this has something to do with the pre curve. It's been a few years since I've opened the bass.
If I remember correctly, adjusting the pre curve is just moving a jumper to set the pre curve flat or contoured ? It's only those 2 choices ?
Not talking about setting up eq points, just the built in curve adjustment.
My passive sound on my uni 5 is brighter than the active sound. I dont like that.
I assume this has something to do with the pre curve. It's been a few years since I've opened the bass.
If I remember correctly, adjusting the pre curve is just moving a jumper to set the pre curve flat or contoured ? It's only those 2 choices ?
Not talking about setting up eq points, just the built in curve adjustment.
It's 2 jumpers but that's all it takes.
2 jumpers, in my mind raises the notion that one is for bass and one is for treble. But I'd be too scared to try it without rock solid advice.
Seems odd that, with 18 db cut and boost plus a treble boost, you are having trouble getting enough highs out of your bass.
No no, I'm not having any trouble getting highs at all. I just want the active section to start flat. I think the pre is set to contour which gives a slight bass boost making it sound a bit less bright. I just wanna turn that off so my neutral sound is , well, more neutral.
In the couple of weeks preceeding the P-Retro getting stocked, I managed ro acquire both an STMP-01 and a Raven Labs PBR-1. Then, this arrived today:
Guess what's going in the Number 1?
Guess what's going in the Number 1?
I may actually move the STMP along. I've got a DJ-Retro in my DJ5 and now the P-Retro. I did get a few decent captures of the STMP on the Quad Cortex, so I at least have an approximation for the basses that don't have an East. But, I may not always have the Quad Cortex...
Day and night! I did this swap from a Sadowsky Metroline stock pre to JE Uni Pre ….. oh man! The John East mode those Sadowsky jazz pickups SING! If I can be more specific, I would say that there much more booty on the bass now. More details going on in the low mid range and with the ability to play with the high frequencies and tone control, gave me the chance to dial the perfect tone without that harshness of the Sadowsky Pre
Thanks for the reply. My Sadowsky pre in my Valenti is okay if I tame it with the VTC.
I've been lurking on this thread for some time and I almost pulled the trigger on a J retro but the control cavity in my CIJ Fender Jazz is 1 or 2 mm shallow from the suggested depth that Mr East suggests.
I've been lurking on this thread for some time and I almost pulled the trigger on a J retro but the control cavity in my CIJ Fender Jazz is 1 or 2 mm shallow from the suggested depth that Mr East suggests.
If memory serves, that suggested depth includes a battery in the clip mounted to the control plate. It may be a couple of MMs less without the battery in the clip. Just a thought.
I have a Japanese metro and a east unipre in a Lakland bass - I would completely agree with @KevinPaulo here.
Sadowsky is like a really musical boost only thing, it's like plugging into a coloured tube DI.
East stuff is like plugging into a really high end preamp and eq channel strip, clean, pure.
What are the symptoms of a dying battery with these pre's? I'm feeling like the bass has lost some high end and some output over the last few days, but I cant tell for sure. It could just be my strings breaking in.
I've had this pre for years, but ive always accidentally killed the battery by leaving the bass plugged in. Like every single time. This is the first time I've been able to keep a battery alive for more than a week. I've been on the same battery for months now playing several hours daily. I'm honestly kinda surprised the battery is still going. I thought the easy pres were a but power hungry.
I figured I'd ask cuase all my other basses rhe sound gets thinner then turns to distortion right before a battery dies.
I've had this pre for years, but ive always accidentally killed the battery by leaving the bass plugged in. Like every single time. This is the first time I've been able to keep a battery alive for more than a week. I've been on the same battery for months now playing several hours daily. I'm honestly kinda surprised the battery is still going. I thought the easy pres were a but power hungry.
I figured I'd ask cuase all my other basses rhe sound gets thinner then turns to distortion right before a battery dies.
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Months?
As in, how many months? I change batteries every three months regardless. That keeps from worrying about it.
The symptoms are pretty much the same as any preamp. Change 'em early and it will be a non-issue.
About 2 months , but 4 ot 5 hours a day and 10 to 12 hours on weekends. I didn't expect the battery to go this long honestly. Nit at the rate the battery would die when I accidentally leave it plugged in. I never got more than 2 days out a battery I didn't unplug. Even a fresh one.
I love my uni 5 so much. You can push the eq so hard without it breaking up.
I've been rolling the tone off about 70% then pushing some high mids back in with the eq and adding a bit of bass. Such a groovy sound sitting around the house.
I usually just make very mild adjustments , sometimes it's fun to push harder on the controls and the east pre let's you do that without the sound becoming a sloppy distorted mess.
I've been rolling the tone off about 70% then pushing some high mids back in with the eq and adding a bit of bass. Such a groovy sound sitting around the house.
I usually just make very mild adjustments , sometimes it's fun to push harder on the controls and the east pre let's you do that without the sound becoming a sloppy distorted mess.
So, I'm committed! Or maybe should be committed? Story is I bought a S.U.B ray4 after selling a used minty 3 months ago. I was working on playing the guitar, shouldnt have sold the Sterling I realized after as its simply my favorite bass sound!
So, I bought this one new last week..and immediately started getting to know it better from reading a lot here. Next thing you know I have an Aguilar pickup and East Preamp ordered. (The East of course why I'm joining "the club". Can't wait to get this modded up. Going to put on a black pickguard to replace the white while I'm at it, copper tape the cavities and back of the pg I suppose.
Wow! I'm post 1000! Do I get a prize?
So, I bought this one new last week..and immediately started getting to know it better from reading a lot here. Next thing you know I have an Aguilar pickup and East Preamp ordered. (The East of course why I'm joining "the club". Can't wait to get this modded up. Going to put on a black pickguard to replace the white while I'm at it, copper tape the cavities and back of the pg I suppose.
Wow! I'm post 1000! Do I get a prize?
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