Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Owning an Alembic => Troubleshooting => Topic started by: jazzyvee on April 16, 2013, 11:00:42 PM

Title: Noisy Q and pickup selector switches
Post by: jazzyvee on April 16, 2013, 11:00:42 PM

Operating either the Q-switches or the pickup selector switches on my basses produce a click sound through the speaker. It's louder on my series basses than the others.  I have tried exercising the switches numerous times and have not had any success in getting rid of the click. Any suggestions. The switches feel firm and not worn although the series basses, according to their previous owners, have not seen much playing action in their  lives... yet.
 
Jazzyvee

Title: Noisy Q and pickup selector switches
Post by: terryc on April 17, 2013, 07:48:24 AM

Jazzyvee..the Q switches do the same on my MK Signature, I guess they all will unless they use expensive noiseless switches.

Title: Noisy Q and pickup selector switches
Post by: jazzyvee on April 17, 2013, 11:00:47 AM

Hi Terry, I guess I will have to throw switches on the crack of the snare drum then. :-)
 
Jazzyvee

Title: Noisy Q and pickup selector switches
Post by: mario_farufyno on April 17, 2013, 03:06:35 PM

Hi, Jazzyvee, I've had some similar issue when flicked my Rogue's hi boost/cut switch (how if it charged for sometime and suddenly discharged with a loud click when switched). It used to happen once and just then I could use it normally, since I didn't let it in a steady position for a while.  
 
Sometime ago Mica told me to add a new resistor in it to solve this. I will try to find this old thread to show you, but I'm not sure if the solution should be the same (and probably the resistor's specification to an other application would be different, I presume). Ask Mica, she will figure out a solution...

Title: Noisy Q and pickup selector switches
Post by: mario_farufyno on April 17, 2013, 03:25:49 PM

double post
 
(Message edited by mario farufyno on April 17, 2013)

Title: Noisy Q and pickup selector switches
Post by: mario_farufyno on April 17, 2013, 03:26:48 PM

Found it!
 
http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/10711.html (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=2939)
 
Ops, just noted that you already know about that
 
http://club.alembic.com/Images/394/12370.html (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=4334)
 
(Message edited by mario farufyno on April 17, 2013)

Title: Noisy Q and pickup selector switches
Post by: jazzyvee on April 17, 2013, 03:56:33 PM

Yeah Mario your reply reminds me that, I think mica sent me something about adding a resistor when this was happening on my first signature bass.  
 
I better see if I can find that email

Title: Noisy Q and pickup selector switches
Post by: that_sustain on April 17, 2013, 08:33:06 PM

With the tone filter all the way up..I can hear a static click in the bass and treble boost switches of my Distillate.  Roll it back to 9-1/2 and it goes away.  This is when I'm sitting directly in front of the computer monitor.
 
I used to get a pop when I switched the bass boost on(flicked forward).  A routine of placing all the switches on standby before turning the amp off(and unplugging your guitar cord from the bass) put a stop to that.

Title: Noisy Q and pickup selector switches
Post by: mica on April 18, 2013, 06:10:39 PM

I think we are talking about different noises here.  
 
If you change the position of the switch with a signal going through it (like a sustained note), you are interrupting the signal in the middle of a cycle, and that's an audible event. If you change the pickup selector or Q switch when you have the strings muted, you won't hear that same sound.  
 
There's another mechanical sound of the switch taking action that can resonate the whole instrument depending on how you hold it. This can produce an audible sound by exciting the strings that aren't dampened.  
 
The Q switch on the Europa/Rogue and Activator style filters is a different issue. That's also when interrupting the signal midcycle, but the capacitor keeps a charge in this case without the resistor.  
 
So does your switch click happen during a sustained note? Does it happen when the strings are damped?

Title: Noisy Q and pickup selector switches
Post by: terryc on April 19, 2013, 01:21:12 PM

The clicking doesn't bother me as I have everthing turned full up and on!
Aye Jazzy..just wait until the drummer hits a mistake and blame him....

Title: Noisy Q and pickup selector switches
Post by: jazzyvee on April 25, 2013, 11:13:51 PM

Hi Mica, I tried my clickers last night. The click only comes through the speakers as an electrical click when there is a note playing. When the strings are muted it seems that the noise is more acoustic similar to tapping the top of a pickup but nowhere as loud as that would be.
 
Jazzyvee

Title: Noisy Q and pickup selector switches
Post by: mica on April 26, 2013, 01:05:15 PM

Sounds like it's working as well as switches can. That's great!

Title: Noisy Q and pickup selector switches
Post by: georgie_boy on April 28, 2013, 04:47:26 AM

Hey Terry!
Re your post 2078, Nice to see you've mastered the subtle art of tone setting on your Alembic bass......LOLOL
 
George

Title: Noisy Q and pickup selector switches
Post by: terryc on April 30, 2013, 07:27:30 AM

georgie...yup I certainly have especially when you are up against pedalboard, whammy bar,fret tapping,volume maxed out at 10 guitarists!

Title: Noisy Q and pickup selector switches
Post by: georgie_boy on May 09, 2013, 12:22:54 PM

Terry.
Can I contact you off site for a bit of advice re a non Alembic???? It's a seemingly simple problem, but maybe not as simple as it seems.
 
G

Title: Noisy Q and pickup selector switches
Post by: terryc on May 13, 2013, 11:49:16 AM

georgie..have sent you an e mail

Title: Noisy Q and pickup selector switches
Post by: georgie_boy on May 16, 2013, 08:50:17 AM

Got it!
Thanks Terry
 
G