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The Soundgear Club

#8,841
PrimitiveMan said:
It's really really tight but doable. I had the East in there and switched to the Nordstrand. Outside of the active blend on the East I preferred the Nordstrand. With the East there is no room for switches also.

This is the preamp I put in my 5005

Nordstrand 3B-5b - PREWIRED – 3 band bass preamp with volume (pull passive), blend, tone, push pull frequency selector on mid, and treble/bass stack

East is undoubtedly more flexible and sounds great, but I found the Nordstrand easier to dial in a great tone quickly. Couldn't get a bad sound out of it really.

Can't go wrong with either.
Click to expand...

Big thumbs up on the Nordstrand 3b pre-wires. I've installed two--both of mine have a ToneDrop that works in active or passive mode. I recently installed a Mike Pope 4-band from Trickfish that was even easier to install. But like you, next time I need one I'll probably go back to Nordstand--it adds almost no audible hiss when switched on, which puts in the same rare class as Glockenklang and (so I've heard) John East. The Nordstrand uses EQ points modeled after a Sadowsky design. It's clear, clean and is easy to dial.
 
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#8,842
Took my newly revived older model SR-705 to band practice to hear how the Big Singles did in a mix. Beefy, bold tone - I could hear every little playing nuance, run, fill, etc., with perfect clarity. Played effortlessly & notes on the B string where huge, solid, punchy. Absolutely perfect. The guys in the band were loving the tone as well, had plenty of compliments about it. Decided then & there that I should be playing an active bass with the band I'm currently in - more specifically, an Ibanez SR, of course. Yes, I could have just keep on playing the SR-705, but I missed having something from the Premium line & a lot has changed option-wise since I last owned one. Those little extras like string spacing options, passive-mode operation, 3-way mids, Big Singles as standard equipment, etc., made it well worth it to me. Came straight home and ordered up a current Ibanez Premium model - traded in some things that are definitely not serving me as well as a Soundgear.

Got this beautiful Premium SR-1345B Dual Shadow Burst: :bassist:

Ibanez-SR1345-B-23.jpg
 
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#8,844
Hymnofthedoomed said:
Thanks to everyone that was involved in the preamp discussions over the last few pages. I decided to buy a Bartolini HR5.4AP as it was available through a distributor in New Zealand and would get here quickly. I suppose I could hardly go wrong with any of the other suggestions here, all different flavours of something great.
Click to expand...
Still loving mine! It's a great pre-amp! Enjoy it.
 
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#8,845
stingray69 said:
Took my newly revived older model SR-705 to band practice to hear how the Big Singles did in a mix. Beefy, bold tone - I could hear every little playing nuance, run, fill, etc., with perfect clarity. Played effortlessly & notes on the B string where huge, solid, punchy. Absolutely perfect. The guys in the band were loving the tone as well, had plenty of compliments about it. Decided then & there that I should be playing an active bass with the band I'm currently in - more specifically, an Ibanez SR, of course. Yes, I could have just keep on playing the SR-705, but I missed having something from the Premium line & a lot has changed option-wise since I last owned one. Those little extras like string spacing options, passive-mode operation, 3-way mids, Big Singles as standard equipment, etc., made it well worth it to me. Came straight home and ordered up a current Ibanez Premium model - traded in some things that are definitely not serving me as well as a Soundgear.

Got this beautiful Premium SR-1345B Dual Shadow Burst: :bassist:

Ibanez-SR1345-B-23.jpg
Click to expand...

Lovely addition

Those premium SR with the Big Singles are amazing. Ibanez and Nordstrand made a classic series with them
 
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#8,848
stingray69 said:
Took my newly revived older model SR-705 to band practice to hear how the Big Singles did in a mix. Beefy, bold tone - I could hear every little playing nuance, run, fill, etc., with perfect clarity. Played effortlessly & notes on the B string where huge, solid, punchy. Absolutely perfect. The guys in the band were loving the tone as well, had plenty of compliments about it. Decided then & there that I should be playing an active bass with the band I'm currently in - more specifically, an Ibanez SR, of course. Yes, I could have just keep on playing the SR-705, but I missed having something from the Premium line & a lot has changed option-wise since I last owned one. Those little extras like string spacing options, passive-mode operation, 3-way mids, Big Singles as standard equipment, etc., made it well worth it to me. Came straight home and ordered up a current Ibanez Premium model - traded in some things that are definitely not serving me as well as a Soundgear.

Got this beautiful Premium SR-1345B Dual Shadow Burst: :bassist:

Ibanez-SR1345-B-23.jpg
Click to expand...

Congrats! I have that same bass and it's wicked!
 
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#8,849
I would love to join this club if I could here's my two very modified Soundgears, SR1200 and Sr1000
VillageIdiott said:
I wonder if it's possible to find out the production quantity of basses like mine. Since it is limited run bass.... anyone know whether this info is obtainable?

I am mostly just curious.... did they make hundreds of them vs couple thousand?

The finish is just gorgeous. Ibanez are making some really cool looking basses these days. View attachment 4756683
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I'm just itching for someone to take the plastic covering off of that pick up LOL
 
#8,850
Snert said:
In between the replies I put a 6 string set in the cart and once imported, taxes paid etc, they're expensive*. Might need to sell some of the kids off for medical experimentation.

* Why are the 5s $269 and the 6s $330? Big difference.
Click to expand...
I just measured the Mk1s in my 6 and they're 108x34mm so closest to the P2 size (108x32mm) which is a 5 string size in the Nord catalogue. the 6 string Nord equivalent is the P4 (117x32mm). To go with Nords I'd have to use the P2, so 5 sets of poles visible, or rout for the EMG45 or P4.
I might email Nord and ask what the magnetic aperture of the P2 version is to see if the strings on the Ibby are inside it.

However, I'm thinking it might simply be easiest to rout for EMG45s.
 
#8,851
Ozzman500 said:
Thanks so much for this info - yes, there is a mids frequency switch - 3 way between 250 450 and 700hz. I must honestly say that i am working on what this all means. I have an sr500 which i really only played with the preamp set at zero for all..
When in active everything is very much magnified. - even a simple finger liftedView attachment 4788421 View attachment 4788422 off of a string can be heard..
Click to expand...
OK, all the talk of pickups, pre amp type, preamp settings etc etc, all along my issue was just a simple string height adjustment (out by 1mm across the board) and a new set of strings - just because the bass comes new with good (Elixir strings) does not mean that they are new - mine infact were 5 years under tension and hung in a music store.....
A new set of strings, quick action adjustment and i have a tone from heaven! I am in love with this bass and her sound and her everything. I can only hit my forehead in disbelief with my oversight!!!!
This is quite embarrassing as i really did know better....
 
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#8,852
Ozzman500 said:
OK, all the talk of pickups, pre amp type, preamp settings etc etc, all along my issue was just a simple string height adjustment (out by 1mm across the board) and a new set of strings - just because the bass comes new with good (Elixir strings) does not mean that they are new - mine infact were 5 years under tension and hung in a music store.....
A new set of strings, quick action adjustment and i have a tone from heaven! I am in love with this bass and her sound and her everything. I can only hit my forehead in disbelief with my oversight!!!!
This is quite embarrassing as i really did know better....
Click to expand...

Strings are the number one thing we can change to get a different sound. Glad you have a tone you love now!
 
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#8,854
The B string that came in my 5-string set of Chromes—a 0.130, I think—is too thick just above the ball to fit into the monorail bridge on my SRSC805 for the ball to reach the recess where should seat.

Has anyone run into this issue? If I trim the silk, will that solve the problem? Is there another solution?
 
#8,855
Snert said:
I just measured the Mk1s in my 6 and they're 108x34mm so closest to the P2 size (108x32mm) which is a 5 string size in the Nord catalogue. the 6 string Nord equivalent is the P4 (117x32mm). To go with Nords I'd have to use the P2, so 5 sets of poles visible, or rout for the EMG45 or P4.
I might email Nord and ask what the magnetic aperture of the P2 version is to see if the strings on the Ibby are inside it.

However, I'm thinking it might simply be easiest to rout for EMG45s.
Click to expand...

You may want to check their website or contact them directly.

IIRC, they often (very often) do custom sizes for not much more at all above normal price. I'm sure they could shoot you a quote.
 
#8,856
skeeler said:
The B string that came in my 5-string set of Chromes—a 0.130, I think—is too thick just above the ball to fit into the monorail bridge on my SRSC805 for the ball to reach the recess where should seat.

Has anyone run into this issue? If I trim the silk, will that solve the problem? Is there another solution?
Click to expand...
I had to do that more than once with no issue.
 
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