Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Dreaming... for now => Topic started by: jazzyvee on April 08, 2019, 05:52:05 AM
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I'm in the process of finalising my upgrade to anniversary electronics for my SC Deluxe and signature Europa bass. For the Europa I am adding a bass boost switch that usually comes with a standard Europa/Rogue bass but instead of having a bass cut option I want two boost settings. Hopefully Mica will say that is possible. The reason for that is that sometimes when doing reggae I want to add some more meat to the bottom end in a drum and bass section without having to close the filter down and up the volume or on other occasions add some gentle heft to the bottom when I'm playing quieter whilst the vocalist is talking to the crowd and I want to reduce the overall volume but keep the deep feel in the bottom end. I hope I get the green light from that.
One question I'd like your input on is the location of the pickup selector switch. have a look at the two pictures below. I'm going for a circular one because there will be less room for a pointy switch between the two volume knobs and the bridge or pickup than either an anniversary or series bass that has been designed with that switch in mind.
If you have done the mod and kept the pointy switch, did it work out ok and does it get in the way of operating either of the volume knobs. I would rather keep the position of the switch close to the two volumes for familiarity with my series basses rather than move it somewhere non standard.
Practically it would be easier to grab and operate the pointy switch and feel what position it is in whilst playing but depending on it's position it may impede quick access to the two volume knobs.
For the boost switch I would like it to be where the existing LED switch is (closest to the outer right edge of the bass) and move the LED function to the short throw switch nearest the jack, which currently is the mute switch and never used and will become redundant when I have the anniversary switch installed.
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I can't offer much in the way of helpful advice, but wholeheartedly applaud the effort, Jazzy... sounds like some great, common-sense mods. You only need to figure out what will work best for you from a user-friendly perspective. Go man, go. 8)
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Do you actually use the pickup selector on your Series basses? You might consider ordering the package without the selector, or with a master volume instead.
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Yes I do use it mostly for the neck pickup. I can't really think of a time when I use the bridge on it's own. But, you make a good point that I had not considered as an option. That said as I gig more with my series I bass than the II, so whenever I use the series II on a gig, I almost forget I have a master volume and adjust both volumes to drop the volume or just play lightly. hmmmmm
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I can't speak to the pointy knob with the selector switch near the controls. I will say I am happy with the round knob in the tradition selector switch position and have never had a problem determining where it was set.
I think your idea for the Europa is a good one. I've found over the years that the LED's are either on or off (mostly one) so having the switch out of the way isn't a big deal. Also by putting the boost in the current LED switch location you don't have to retrain your muscle memory for the various pickup controls.
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I got the two electronics packages yesterday with the other goodies, T-shirts badges etc and managed to get the new loom into the SC Deluxe. However at the moment I don't have access to a pillar drill to put the holes in for the pickup selector and mono stereo switch but my mate has a carpentry business so will do the deeds for me once the covid restrictions allow. But those two bits are insulated and are in the cavity until the drilling can be done.
I set the stereo/mono switch to stereo so I could try bi-amping with my new F-2B. I'm more comfortable now with the two volumes for bass so the signature feels more familiar in terms of how I move the controls to get sounds I want.
I've spent most of the day playing it through two barefaced cabs and my rack in stereo and it sounds great. Then this evening I plugged in my 1980 series i shorty to compare and Jeepers......the difference was incredible. I play the series basses most of the time at home, saves the batteries, but when you play it in isolation you kind of know it sounds great and in a sense you don't really think anything more about it, and it's only when play it alongside another bass you realise just how different these series basses sound even compared to other alembics.
I know all the alembics sound great but there is a clear sonic reason the series basses are the pinnale of the alembic range. I'm so glad I have a choice.
I have a few queries about the fitting of the second loom in my Europa signature bass so will have to be patient until I can speak to the mothership.
I'm glad I managed to get the upgrade and from my experience so far I would highly recommend it and I think it's going to make both basses much more versatile for my needs anyway. :-)
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Well done, Jazzy. Good call, making your controls all work in a similar way.
I am not surprised by how quickly you heard the wider spectrum of Series electronics... I noticed this immediately too, and I think most of us would. It does make one appreciate the simpler activator circuits though, and how incredibly responsive they are. I still say, there isn't a gig on the planet I couldn't do with my original Alembic, Persuader 5-string. Then you plug in a Series I... and a whole extra set of parameters becomes available. A bigger sonic playground.
Looking forward to your thoughts on the post-upgraded Europa too. As an aside, I received shipping confirmation from Alembic on my Telecaster activators and wiring loom yesterday. :)
English-to-English translations... I figured out "loom" must be what I would think of as a "harness", but because I am interested in shop tools, "pillar drill"? Is this a "drill press"?
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This is what a pillar drill is
https://www.axminstertools.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/920x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/1/0/102553_xl.jpg (https://www.axminstertools.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/920x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/1/0/102553_xl.jpg)
I think you will love the telecaster activators. I have SS activators in a couple of strats and they are splendid!! To me it gives the guitar a slight acoustic guitar quality and a really strong but pleasant attack. I found alembic guitars and those with alembic pickups in really unpleasant with a solid state or digital overdrive/distortion pedals but a valve one works superbly I have Radial Trimode Tonebone and Classic British pedals and in my rack unit I have a peavey Tube sweetener which is lovely but too much hiss.
I look forward to your findings on that tele.
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Jazeevee, interesting that you replaced the pan with separate volume controls. I replaced the separate volume controls with a pan control and master volume on my fretless Spoiler and really like it.
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When I first had my bass I liked the idea of a single volume because I had little experience of bass playing (being a guitarist at the time) and I have always preferred strat style guitars with a single volume so that setup was more intuitive to me when moving to bass. However having got more into playing a series bass I have found that being able to choose the volume of each pickup much more flexible for my needs. Now I find that I want a master volume on my basses with two volumes so I can raise the overall volume and keep my individual pickup ratios in tact. But that's something I can live with. :-)
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Today I got the new loom into my signature Europa5, though the mono/stereo switch on the new loom was wired as if the switch was above the jack socket, which from the pictures I have seen is the norm. Unfortunately the location for this switch to go on my bass is below the jack socket where a previous mute switch was located. So there was not enough slack to get it to where it needed to be without cutting one of the cable ties. Eventually I got it to fit but it was tight and took some fiddling to get the jack socket and switch into a position that did not bock the jack socket contacts when the jack plug was inserted. Phew. So at the moment as with the my SC deluxe I just need to wait till the covid risk is low enough for me to take it to my friend's carpentry workshop to drill a. hole for the pickup selector switch. I probably need to get the circular knob for that switch because the pointy one may be a bit too big and awkward to use without moving either of the two vol switches.
I've ordered a stereo splitter jack cable with metal neutrix jacks as the existing trs cable I tried from my guitar pedal board has plastic jacks and don't allow the metal part of the jack to extend far enough into the socket to locate firm and make the contact.
I'm much happier now that all my gigging basses now operate on the same principle. :-)
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I need to take a drill to my basses to install the pickup selector switch does anyone know the exact size drill I need for the selector switch and the stereo/mono switch so I get it right first time. Preferably metric as that's probably easier to get over here in the UK than imperial measurements.
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Jazzyvee you are scaring me. :)
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I am quite nervous about it too but it needs to be done right first time without damaging the finish and wood in the cavity.
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Clamp a sacrificial wood block behind where you plan to bore, especially for Cocobolo... rosewoods tend to tear out in long shards. Use a brad-point bit. These are nice. https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/types-of-tools/drill-bits/brad-point-drill-bit-sets.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=2021-04-gp&gclid=CjwKCAjwgZuDBhBTEiwAXNofRIhLZ5LUcHBw1plelljj5zx61h-qFmeEUiY73JJB6DN9JWqHh0iTgxoCvDAQAvD_BwE
*apologies for the wacky-lookin' link.
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Fisch makes high quality drill bits.
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When I installed the Q-switch in my 5 string Orion there wasn't enough room in the cavity to use a piece of backup wood. It also took more than drilling a single hole as the top is thicker than the switch bushing length. I also don't have access to a drill press so used a variable speed hand drill.
I started with a small bit from the backside to create a pilot hole. It was just large enough to use as a guide for my larger brad point bits. I used a bit large enough to allow the switch to fit flush with the cavity and deep enough for the bushing to go through to the top. I then used a brad point bit to drill the hole for the bushing. I again removed a small amount from the back to prevent a break out. I then finished drilling the hole from the top. An important part of all of this was I did not let the drill run too fast and I used minimal weight on the drill to not cause a breakout. To keep from scratching the finish I used a couple of terrycloth towels folded into large pads.
Edit: Forgot to add I removed the controls to determine the thickness of the top and how much I would need to remove for the switch before I started drilling.
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Thanks for those tips. I think i will also need to find some of that silver conductive paint too before i start.
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I can't help on the paint as I've always been able to get materials like that through associates at work (before I retired that is).
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Stewmac has shielding paint
https://www.stewmac.com/electronics/shielding/conductive-shielding-paint.html
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The stewmac is a too big a tin for my needs of just two basses and shipping and duty makes it a steep purchase.
I have found a supplier and just wondered if one of you, Mica maybe?, can check the spec sheet and let me know if that is compatible with the existing silver coating in my alembic control cavity.
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Oops I forgot to post the link.
https://electrolube.com/product/scpsilver-conductive-paint/
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I've spent the past few evenings on my SC signature/anniversary bass trying out different combinations of my pickups.
I have two standard AXY pickups, a Fat Boy and an AXY with the coil offset towards the top end of the pickup.
For most of this year I have had the offset AXY in the neck and the fatboy in the bridge. However that config didn't seem to have the sweetness that i recall from the standard axy pickups.
So after some swapping and changing options. I now have the fatboy in the neck and standard axy in the bridge.
I was actually going back to both standard axy in both positions but the connector broke off the end of one of the cables when i was trying to plug the neck pickup connector into the preamp board so I popped the Fatboy in there instead and that sounds really good, less sweet than the standard axy and sounds to me like it has a bigger bottom end plus more attack. So it will stay there for a while until i get to repair the original neck pickup connector.
Then i got my series I shorty out and did some playing with both basses and more and more living with these two short scale basses i am finding the series I sound is really what my ears prefer even though i can't really explain what it is about the series that makes it preferable.
Whilst i'm not planning to sell any of them anytime soon, i would consider selling or trading the SC Deluxe if i found an affordable series shorty especially if it was cocobolo. :-)
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One day when you have no other chores to tend to, try installing those FatBoys in your Series I short-scale. (just turn the humcanceller trimpots all the way off...) ;)
It's remarkable how they sound when powered by the Series preamp and signal processed by those electronics. You can really tell what the different pickups sound like with those.
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Well, i've never thought of doing that. I presume you have tried that yes? What did you find the difference is?
I take it that doing that would be a quick solution for someone with a noisy vintage series that needed a noise update?
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In my case, necessity.
The original pickups in my 1980 Series bass were cracked, one was microphonic and weak. I bought a new pair of AXY FatBoys and installed them as a temporary fix until I could send the bass out for repairs, upgrades, and ultimately, a new set of Series single-coils.
If I recall correctly, the magnets in FatBoys are the same size as in Series pickups, but there two coils in the shell, hence the humcancelling capability within.
You have a very good ear, and would be able to tell the difference. I can tell them from the SC-1's in my '77. It's probably 95-97% of the way. Me personally, I think the real wizardry is in the Series electronics. The pickups get you that last little smidge... and the Series single-coils simply are more sensitive than their self humcancelling counterparts. They just are. I could live and work without that 3-5%, but can totally respect that some can't.
I seem to remember reading somewhere here, part of the drawback to the humcancelling AXY pickups is that the coils are stacked, putting the magnets much closer to the ones in the coil that's 'listening'to the strings, unlike the Series pickups, where the humcanceller coil is at a standoff distance. Having those coils elsewhere is an advantage; the ones picking up the strings aren't being influenced by anything else.
They still sounded amazing to me, and I continue to believe it's mostly to do with all those squiggly little wires and doodads inside that I don't understand.
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I seem to remember reading somewhere here, part of the drawback to the humcancelling AXY pickups is that the coils are stacked, putting the magnets much closer to the ones in the coil that's 'listening'to the strings, unlike the Series pickups, where the humcanceller coil is at a standoff distance. Having those coils elsewhere is an advantage; the ones picking up the strings aren't being influenced by anything else.
This reminds me of the early PRS basses with a dummy coil beneath the bridge. The bridge pickup sounded fine, the middle pickup was even better, and the neck pickup was amazing. Factor in the neck pickup being right up against the fingerboard and you get pure bliss for dub or reggae.
Ken
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Hey Jazzy, since now it's been a while since I have Anniversary model, I have to say that I'm actually missing the volume control for both pickups, I love that I have 2 volumes, but master volume would be great, because I'm always using that mute switch, and I'm scared of breaking that thing how much I use it.
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Goran,
I find the master volume handy for the rare swelled note or when playing in a very dynamic situation to trim my overall volume or step out for a solo. (I run my master about 15% below full). But I ALWAYS use the pickup selector "standby" position - between songs or even during the drum solo. :D That's been my habit since the beginning of time. Considering the thousands of times I've cycled that switch I have never experienced (nor heard of) a failure of the switch itself. I have however broken a knob or two over my lifetime so I carry spares....
Jimmy J
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Oh, perfect, then I'm set. Yea, I miss swells too but not that much to drill a hole in the bass :)
I love my bass, haven't touched my Series I for a year now...
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Not the greatest picture….
I broke my pickup selector switch and a good friend made a replacement out of stainless steel for me.
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After a couple of weeks now with the fatboy in the neck and standard axy in the bridge, I think that position of the fat boy is much preferable to my ears than in the brige position. I think the wider aperture in that location works better than the offset neck pickup I had tried previously. New strings back on yesterday and sounds even better. I love the sound of new strings.