JACK PANEL AND TERMINAL STRIP
Here we go. First off, I've had to start using smaller photos. Photobucket started whining at me about using too much bandwidth so I've gone down to 640x480 pics. I may be reducing the size of pics I have already posted as well to reduce my monthly bandwdith useage, so if there are any pics you particularly like in the larger size you'd be well advised to copy them soon. As I get time I'll be resizing and reposting the pics at a smaler size over the days/weeks ahead. I'll also be paying for more bandwidth from Photobucket so as to be able to continue providing these project threads with as much photographic content as possible.
Onward .....
Ok, I made a jack panel that I was able to mount five Switchcraft #11 1/4" Tip/Sleeve jacks to. I made the panel out of 1.5" x 1.5" x 1/16th" aluminum angle that I got at Lowes. 3 feet of it was about $15. I use that type of stuff for many things so it was of no matter that I had so much of it left over. I made the panel 12 inches long. I did so because what I had done was measured between a couple of holes that were already drilled into the bass's body that were used for the pickguard. They would be covered by a piece of aluminum 12" long. So I cut the aluminum, filed the cut edges down smooth and rounded the corners. Then I measured the distance between two predrilled holes and transfered that dimension to the angle, and drilled holes in it accordingly.
I knew I wanted to have five output jacks .. just cuz .. so I decided on a good distance between them to keep things easy to do (1.25" between centers), and centered that group of five holes on the aluminum angle on the other flange. Marked and drilled those holes. Dressed up the jack panel to keep any sharp edges from being a problem. Then I went ahead and mounted the five TS jacks to the panel, and placed blue painter's tape on the surface that would be contacting the bass body to keep from making unneeded damage to the bass.
It took a little bit of searching at our local Lowes, but I located some screws that would work to mount the terminal strip to the bass. They are the same type of screw used to mount the pickups (#4 screws) these are just 1/2" shorter in length. #4 x 1" stainless steel sheet metal screws (package of FIVE was $1.29) ....
As you can see they work out really well for the terminal strip ..
After doing a little more clean up of the carved out cavity and dressing the edges a little, it was ready.
All of the screwholes used to mount both the terminal strip and the jack panel were existing holes that had been drilled at the factory for the stock control plate and/or the pickguard. So no extra holes had to be drilled to mount the t-strip or the jack panel.
I then remounted the two stock pickups, and faked-in the first two added pickups. I was unable to locate any 1.5" long #4 screws locally to mount the additional pickups so I am waiting on some that I've ordered via eBay. For the time being I'll just use 2 screws per pickup (one in each opposing corner).
Now, the idea is to wire up the output jacks with the grounds all tied together and connected to the t-strip, which will be connected to the bridge-ground. Then, each pickup will be wired in to the t-strip however I see fit to do so. I may route them so they are parallel, or series .. with any other pickups I wish simply by loosening a set screw on the t-strip and reconnecting any given pickup in any manner I choose. I may wire each pickup to it's own dedicated output jack if I wish, or parallel up two (3? 4?) so they all go out of one jack. However I'll most likely leave each pickup connected to it's own dedicated jack and then each pickup will be piped to it's own dedicated mic preamp.
Each mic preamp will be routed to it's own dedicated channel on an 8 channel mixer then pickup blending and controlling will be taken care of at the mixer.
I am going to calibrate all four ART mic preamps by using one pickup. I'll connect one pickup to a "control" preamp and get the gain settings and output levels set to optimum levels as well as make careful observations (and hand written notes) of what the TrueRTA analyzer is saying about the signal. Then I'll repeat that process with the other three preamps, using the same pickup that I used to set up the control preamp, play the same stuff through each one and watch the TrueRTA analyzer carefully. I'll set each mic preamp so that it has the same readings as the first one (the "control" preamp) and make careful notes about how to set each mic preamp so that each one has as close to the ~exact~ same gain levels (etc) as the control preamp. That way there will be as little variation caused by different settings among the preamp array. Simply setting each preamp's controls to the same markings or panel settings is poor bench practice ... each one has to be calibrated to a control preamp and notes must be taken about how to set each one so that they perform as close to the same as the control preamp, thereby removing any chances of variations throwing off the results of the forthcoming tests.
It ain't perfect, and of course there will still be flaws and probable cause to doubt some of the preciseness of the calibration process. But it is the best I can do. And that is all that can be asked. At least I am taking all the precautions I have at my disposal to eliminate as many variables as possible. And in the end, context has to be remembered, after all I'm not building a friggin space shuttle here, this is just some pickup comparisons for a bass guitar, y'know?
Anyhow, so there's today's update. Next update will include wiring up the jacks and the pickups. Then soon after will be the very first tests which will be of the stock pickups to obtain control data which can be used to compare any of the upcoming configurations. So after pickup wiring, and the first control readings, THEN the fun will begin by testing out different pickup configurations.
Bonzai !!
And so now we dance .....
shprockets ....
