Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: yogalembic on June 07, 2012, 03:18:36 AM

Title: Series I Sans Pwr Supply
Post by: yogalembic on June 07, 2012, 03:18:36 AM

Curious...and still under the Alembic learning curve...
 
Looking to grab a Series I.
My understanding is, using a regular cord from the 1/4 jack of a Series I allows only the neck pup to be employed.  If I slip out to a jam session and don't want to tote the power supply, what am I looking at, here?
 
Battery drain issue aside, what's it sound like?
 
Granted, verbal description is subjective, but, you know.....let's hear it.
Thanks much~~~

Title: Series I Sans Pwr Supply
Post by: tbrannon on June 07, 2012, 04:47:18 AM

Check out the link below- if you wire a 1/4 stereo cable to 1/4 mono, you'll be able to hear both pickups without the power supply.  Your only worry then will be battery drain.  
http://club.alembic.com/Images/16271/24370.html?1138068087 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=275)

Title: Series I Sans Pwr Supply
Post by: keith_h on June 07, 2012, 05:03:24 AM

It will depend upon when your instrument was made. Later ones are wired mono and while I can't say all current ones are wired this way, mine came with a stereo/mono switch.
 
The batteries should be sufficient for an evening of playing.  
 
Keith

Title: Series I Sans Pwr Supply
Post by: David Houck on June 07, 2012, 05:28:31 AM

As Keith said, it depends.  Early on, the quarter inch jacks were stereo, later mono, later with stereo/mono switches.  Some were custom ordered one way or another.  Some were later modified with help from the mothership one way or another.
 
If I recall correctly, if it's a mono jack, then both pickups are wired together into a single signal.  If it's a stereo jack and you plug a regular mono cable into it, then yes, you only get one pickup.  As Toby suggests, the solution here is to make, or acquire, the stereo to mono cable that Mica describes on the linked page.
 
Of course if you are out at an open mic night and you have a stereo to stereo cable, the thing to do is to plug the neck pickup side into channel one of the bass amp, and then plug the bridge pickup side into the guitar amp on the other side of the stage; then tell the guitar player to sit this one out, you've got it covered.

Title: Series I Sans Pwr Supply
Post by: jazzyvee on June 08, 2012, 03:06:46 AM

Batteries sufficient for an evening of playing???!!!
Is the drain really that heavy for two new 9v batteries?
 
Jazzyvee

Title: Series I Sans Pwr Supply
Post by: jon_jackson on June 08, 2012, 04:56:54 AM

I get no more than 4 - 4.5 hours on new batteries in the Twin SII.
Jon

Title: Series I Sans Pwr Supply
Post by: mica on June 13, 2012, 09:45:10 AM

Wow, that's really short, Jon. Are you using alkaline batteries? I usually think you can get at least 20 hours (standby counts of course!).  
 
We might need to test your preamp card, because that just doesn't sound right.

Title: Series I Sans Pwr Supply
Post by: jon_jackson on June 13, 2012, 05:21:30 PM

New alkalines. They are good for about 1 1/2 practices of about three hours before they expire. I have just been using the power supply unless it is a gig where I use a wireless in the 1/4 jack, and I change the batteries before we start. Since it's my only series, I didn't know it should be longer.

Title: Series I Sans Pwr Supply
Post by: keith_h on June 15, 2012, 11:43:18 AM

I was without a DS-5R for a while so had to use batteries. I didn't pay close attention to the number of hours but I got about a week and a half, maybe a touch more, of use. This would have been with an hour or so of playing time per day. As I recall the older ones from the 70's got about 4-4.5 hours on a set of 9 volts batteries.
 
There is some difference between the brands of batteries. I typically use the generic alkalines so YMMV with a name brand.  
 
Keith