Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Owning an Alembic => Troubleshooting => Topic started by: georgie_boy on June 26, 2009, 05:27:15 AM
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Hi everyone!!
I've been speaking with Bigyouth in France recently, as he speaks very little English, and I speak French.
He has this problem.............He was playing his 83 Series 1, when he heard a buzz from the bass
Unacceptable to all of us , so what does he do?? Sends the card back to Alembic for a Makeover!
The buzz was still there!!
So.the problem isn't the card...so he sends to Alembic for a new pickup...........problem still the same!!
It moves when he moves, but the other pickup seems to be fine!
NOT an Alembic problem, but if anyone has any ideas on this, I'd/we be gratefull
If you speak French then contact Mehdi directly........or just contact me!!
Hope to solve this prob that may affect all older Series owners
G
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Did Mehdi try different location, different rig, etc.? Problem could even be in the DS-R5 - easily tested by running on batteries.
(Message edited by adriaan on June 26, 2009)
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Let's start from the top.
Turn the selector switch to the neck pickup. Is the buzz there?
Turn the selector switch to the bridge pickup. Is the buzz there?
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I'll try all these with him.
Thanks guys!
G
(Message edited by georgie_boy on June 26, 2009)
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I have had some hum/noise/buzz problems in the past with my Series II. It was tereble on a sound check just too much noise. I did soleve the problem for that gig by usin batteries and not the DS5 and everything was OK.
Its also good to check the bass in a studio. If everything is quiet there then the bass is OK. Also remember to check the trimmers behind the bass because they also causes noise if they are set wrongly. Alembic basses have single coil pickups??.
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Just waiting for him to get back to me on these suggestions.
Thankyou for your help!
George
(Message edited by georgie_boy on June 27, 2009)
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I had a bad buzz from my series I guitar recently and using the jack it was quiet. I opened the back of the DS5 and re-soldered the connections on the mains side of the circuit and it has been quiet ever since.
Jazzyvee
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Mehdi has told me that the same problem exists even when using batteries.
He now thinks that it could be the connections on the hum canceller. He's going to have that looked at , and report back to me.
George
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Have him plug a pair of headphones into the quarter inch jack. Can he hear the buzz in the headphones?
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Just curious?
What would that reveal?
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That the problem is not in the bass.
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He's due to e mail me shortly.
i told hom to try this yesterday, so I'll keep you posted.
Thanks David!
George
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Buzz usually is earth(grounding) or inductance from lights particulary fluoro's.
Check plug in amp, earth lift, speaker connections, if batteries then check lead.
One easy way is to open the back of the bass and touch the ground connection, if it get louder then it's the earth.
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Still waiting to hear back from him, but thanks everyone. He says he's tried all the usual stuff, so I'll report the headphone result ASAP
George
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Well....it seems he put his bass into a local guy,who touched the strings and, at the same time, touched the solder points on the pots.
Seems that the Buzz went away!!
He'll pickup the bass tomorrow and get back to me.
Seems that the Earth to the Bridge is not connected properly!
Will get back to the forum tomorrow with the results..yet I thought Series electronics didn't need to be earthed to the bridge.
An expensive lesson.......new pickup, and the preamp card sent to Alembic for a check over!!
Still!..till tomorrow!
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There is no ground connection to the bridge. We must look elsewhere.
Does the same pickup plugged into the other channel have the same buzz?
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Thanks Mica.
He just E mailed me to say that there is still a slight buzz, but is now a lot less than before.
Could it be the grounding on some of the pots/parts??
I'll ask him right now, about whether it's the pickup or maybe the card/connections.
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E Mail sent to Mehdi now.
Just waiting for the reply
G
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He says now, that even when he swaps the pickups around, the buzz is still in the same position.ie at the neck side.
So it appears that the problem is not the pickups.
Could be the card??.yet he told me he sent the card to the Mothership to have it redone!
Anyone any further ideas??
Mica??
George
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Have him check the connections listed as jumper to ground bus as shown on this picture are properly soldered:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/394/67163.jpg)
It would be helpful to understand exactly what modification was done for the buzz reduction yesterday. Can he upload a picture of the work? It will make it harder to remote troubleshoot if we don't know what we're dealing with on the other end. Thanks!
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Thanks Mica!
I'll send him the info!
George
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Picture sent.
He says that he has now all but eliminated the buzz..but there is still a slight buzz there!?
I suggested that the DS5 does produce a slight buzz, so am still waiting for the reply.
Thanks Mica................you are ever so helpful, as is the Company.
I know, that even at home, I get a slight buzz from my DS5....normal...I assume??
George
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Well.
He's all happy now!
Seems the buzz is gone.
What he has asked me now is.........
Can he take the electronics out of his SC Standard, and replace them with Series stuff?
I said that it would be expensive, and, that the body might not be thick enough.
Any ideas?
George
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Unless the SC Standard was built with a Series prep package the Series electronics won't fit. You hit the nail on the head when you suspected the body is not thick enough.
Keith
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Thanks Keith!
Just what I thought. His does NOT have the prep package.
George
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So, after all that..........seems that the problem was a few solder connections, and then a reset of the trim pots!!
Operator error yet again.........happens to us all guys!!
Thanks for all your help
George