Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Owning an Alembic => Troubleshooting => Topic started by: scotty1 on November 21, 2009, 05:49:06 AM

Title: Epic 5 issue
Post by: scotty1 on November 21, 2009, 05:49:06 AM

Hello
Thanks to the guys who responded to my thread regarding the MK Signature I was offered, it is now mine, pictures to follow!
I have a problem with my Epic 5. I was rehearsing last weekend and the bass just cut out. I checked amp, cables etc - all fine. I gave the bass to my luthier and he thought it may be the jack input, but on examination it is fine. The wiring all seems fine and he is at a loss as to what may be wrong. The only explanation we can come up with is that perhaps one of the pots behind the controls has failed and is stopping the signal?
Can anyone help please!!??
 
Cheers
 
Iain

Title: Epic 5 issue
Post by: lbpesq on November 21, 2009, 09:44:54 AM

I know it seems obvious, but since you didn't mention it, have you changed the battery?
 
Bill, tgo

Title: Epic 5 issue
Post by: briant on November 21, 2009, 10:43:20 AM

Battery.

Title: Epic 5 issue
Post by: crobbins on November 21, 2009, 10:58:01 AM

Battery?

Title: Epic 5 issue
Post by: tmoney61092 on November 21, 2009, 11:02:18 AM

sounds like a battery to me
 
~Taylor Watterson

Title: Epic 5 issue
Post by: pauldo on November 21, 2009, 12:22:53 PM

yep - usually on my Distillate the sound will start getting to an ultra cool distortion just before the signal drops out.  
 
Sometimes it just drops out. . . Battery

Title: Epic 5 issue
Post by: scotty1 on November 22, 2009, 03:24:56 AM

Hey guys
 
Thanks for the responses. The first thing I did was change the battery for a new one, but no joy.
Should have mentioned it - sorry!
 
Iain

Title: Epic 5 issue
Post by: adriaan on November 22, 2009, 11:07:00 AM

Check if one of the pots is touching the side of the control cavity. This can short out the signal, since the cavity is covered in conductive paint.

Title: Epic 5 issue
Post by: scotty1 on November 26, 2009, 10:38:20 AM

Thanks for the info Adriaan. I have checked this also and they are not touching the sides. I am now totally at a loss to know what to try next. My thoughts are that it may be the volume pot that has failed?  
 
Iain

Title: Epic 5 issue
Post by: JuancarlinBass on November 26, 2009, 12:39:12 PM

Try this: Plug the bass in. With the back cover unscrewed, try touching with a small screwdriver's tip each soldering point related to the hot audio wire path (ie, the jack, the volume pot, the balance pot) and check where it does sounds, where it does not, and how (low or high volume, meaning after or before the preamp),. that will give you an idea of where the failure would be...
 
(Message edited by jcdlc72 on November 26, 2009)

Title: Epic 5 issue
Post by: David Houck on November 29, 2009, 08:41:36 PM

Is the problem intermittent, or did it just cut out and never worked again?
 
Did you try a different cable?
 
Did the luthier check the entire circuit with a multimeter and not find any breaks in the circuit, including the pots?
 
Do the pots feel firmly attached to the body, or do any feel loose?  Do the knobs still point to the same places they've always pointed to, or has one moved any?
 
Check the connector that the battery plus in to.  Check the wires that attach to the connector and make sure they are not loose.
 
When a cable is plugged into the jack, there is a contact that is made which completes the circuit to the battery.  When the cable is unplugged the contact is broken so that the battery isn't being used.  Are you sure that when a cable is plugged into the jack, that the contact that completes this circuit is making a good connection?
 
Do you have access to a multimeter?

Title: Epic 5 issue
Post by: scotty1 on March 03, 2010, 11:39:48 AM

Hey Dave
 
Finally tracked down the issue. A cracked joint on the PCB, probably from a jolt to the bass at some point - all fixed now!!
Thanks to all who assisted on the thread, much appreciated guys.
 
Cheers
 
Iain