johnnyboy
Rookie Solder Flinger
If it's too loud, you're too old!!!
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Post by johnnyboy on Oct 12, 2005 16:08:18 GMT -5
Hi everyone, nice to finally get onto the forum. Some help or suggestions please. I have put together a Stratocaster with a 25db "EC" pre-amp, gold Lace sensors and TBX pot (and 9v battery), the problem is, it is quieter than my Standard Mex strat. As far as I can see, the wiring and soldering are both OK, would something like an earth loop cause this phenomenon? Thanks
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Post by UnklMickey on Oct 12, 2005 17:02:27 GMT -5
of course anything is possible, but my suspicion would not be for ground loops to cause that kind of loss. more likely result would be hum/noise.
i'd start by bypassing the preamp and comparing that to your mex. assuming that your pickups are at the same height, you would expect somewhat similar outputs. if this is true and the 25dB refers to the gain of the pre-amp, that means that with the preamp it should be over 4 times as loud. either the preamp is defective or you're getting some signal passively through it and the battery is dead. come to think of it, that might be the first thing you should check. how loud w/ battery, how loud (if any sound at all) without. not all preamps will pass signal without power, but many do.
U.M.
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johnnyboy
Rookie Solder Flinger
If it's too loud, you're too old!!!
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Post by johnnyboy on Oct 13, 2005 11:56:15 GMT -5
problem is if I bypass the pre-amp, I have to completely rewire the guitar. I have already changed the pickups, I had 3 red Lace Sensors fitted but that sounded like a muddy thing in a field of mud - on a planet of mud - from a muddy galaxy, anyway, you get the point...
Battery checks out at 9.5 volts (no signal without it). I hope I can get this to work, as I originally ran a Red, Blue and Silver set of Sensors before I installed the pre-amp, but couldn't get anywhere near the tone of my friends Clapton .... so I thought I'd build one - after all, how hard could it be...........
AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
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Post by zjokka on Oct 14, 2005 9:55:41 GMT -5
I don't know which booster you have and I don't have personal experience wiring it, but I remembered reading something on ebay (check item 7355434804):
"You have two choices- Use your existing 500K volume control to feed the passive input of your guitar into the circuit- this works just fine, but you'll REALLY want to drill a small hole in your rear control cavity cover to access the onboard gain pot. Option 2 is what I like- buy the 50K Audio pot from our ebay store (Search for item # F30). Now you just feed the output from your toggle switch directly to the circuit, jack the on board gain pot, and use the volume pot as a Master Gain control- Now the entire signal chain becomes LOW IMPEDANCE- NICE!"
are you sure yours doens't have an gain on the board?
If you are gettin a weak signal, the booster cannot be completely dead (or even half, for that matter)
hope this helps...
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Post by JohnH on Oct 14, 2005 16:06:29 GMT -5
zjokka - that is a very smart thought, maybe a preset trimpot on the board can be adjusted. So, JB, what is the preamp, is a bought one or a home brew? can you post a link to a photo or schematic of it?
John
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johnnyboy
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If it's too loud, you're too old!!!
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Post by johnnyboy on Oct 17, 2005 12:08:08 GMT -5
Its a Fender Eric Clapton mid boost kit, can't seem to find a decent link for it, it doesn't seem to have a trim screw anywhere and there was no schematic........
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johnnyboy
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If it's too loud, you're too old!!!
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Post by johnnyboy on Oct 17, 2005 12:27:29 GMT -5
OK, I found a picture - but can't paste it in the reply box.....
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Post by UnklMickey on Oct 17, 2005 13:51:53 GMT -5
OK, I found a picture - but can't paste it in the reply box..... if you found the picture on the web, just post a link that points to it. |
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johnnyboy
Rookie Solder Flinger
If it's too loud, you're too old!!!
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Post by johnnyboy on Oct 17, 2005 15:56:09 GMT -5
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Post by UnklMickey on Oct 17, 2005 18:20:54 GMT -5
... onboard gain pot. ... are you sure yours doens't have an gain on the board? If you are gettin a weak signal, the booster cannot be completely dead (or even half, for that matter... so true, i can't believe i didn't suggest you start there. the photos don't have much detail, esp. since they're through a plastic bag and the coiled up wires obscure the view and stuff. if there is a trimpot, they might have put it on the top or the bottom of the board. it might be round or square with a slotted or crosspoint mechanism in the center to drive the wiper. it could even be rectangular with a screw-head on one end, so look carefully before you give up on it. U.M. |
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johnnyboy
Rookie Solder Flinger
If it's too loud, you're too old!!!
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Post by johnnyboy on Oct 18, 2005 4:39:55 GMT -5
Right, the guitar is stripped again, there is no trim pot, please see the third picture on the link page I pasted for a clear shot of the pre-amp. Maybe I should just chuck the poreamp and go back to straight Lace sensors, but it would be a shame as I have removed so much wood from the body to fit the circuit board and battery. AND the TBX doesn't work properly!
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Post by UnklMickey on Oct 18, 2005 11:12:58 GMT -5
...Maybe I should just chuck the poreamp and go back to straight Lace sensors... maybe your fingers are sending you an unconscious message here. you'd have known for sure if it came out " pooreamp"! the other picture is much better. i sure don't see a trimpot. too bad they didn't give you a schematic. just out of curiosity, what is the printing on the board for the circle under that "finished" tag? never used a TBX. how's it suppoded to work. what's wrong about yours? U.M. |
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johnnyboy
Rookie Solder Flinger
If it's too loud, you're too old!!!
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Post by johnnyboy on Nov 9, 2005 5:55:13 GMT -5
Hi everyone - finally got this sorted - a friend offerd to check the guitar out and found a problem with the Fender pre-amp - there was a component missing from the board!! Everything now works, played last night and can't believe the tones available. Thanks for your help.
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Post by UnklMickey on Nov 9, 2005 9:14:34 GMT -5
Hi everyone - finally got this sorted - a friend offerd to check the guitar out and found a problem with the Fender pre-amp - [glow=red,2,300]there was a component missing from the board!! [/glow]Everything now works, played last night and can't believe the tones available. Thanks for your help. ... i sure don't see a trimpot. too bad they didn't give you a schematic. just out of curiosity, what is the printing on the board for the circle under that "finished" tag?... i was kinda suspecting that might be the case, but held back from making that call. i often shoot from the hip (and sometimes take a bullet in the toe because of it). now i'm wondering if i could have saved you a little time if i pushed a bit harder with my question. so indulge me. was the component missing from the area inside the circle i mentioned. what was it? thanks, U.M. |
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johnnyboy
Rookie Solder Flinger
If it's too loud, you're too old!!!
Posts: 9
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Post by johnnyboy on Nov 12, 2005 8:18:42 GMT -5
Actually the picture I showed wasn't of my board, just a similar one. Part of the initial pre-amp circuit was missing, I'll check on Tuesday when I go to the weekly jam. Don't know what's under the tag, I'm not going to open up the guitar again!! I wonder if this was a product rejected by Fender. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to have bought it already installed in a Clapton Signature Strat. Makes me wonder what the Red Lace Sensors would have sounded like now...........
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Post by crunchypotato on Nov 17, 2005 17:54:21 GMT -5
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