Author Topic: Need info on Series I ? (Read 207 times)

jigme · « **on:** July 04, 2004, 09:28:47 PM »

Hi...I'm new...

I've searched but cannot find an explanation of the Series I controls and the trim pots. Can someone direct me to an explanation. The reason is I have a '74 Pbass with old Series I and I've never had info on how it works, the pups that is! ;0)

TIA,
Jeffrey

David Houck · « **Reply #1 on:** July 05, 2004, 06:06:52 AM »

Now that's unusual, a Pbass with Series I electronics. Do you have a picture?

I believe your Series I electronics should have the following. This is off the top of my head and before my first cup of coffee and the numbers and other info may thus be inaccurate. This topic has been discussed several times before in this forum; so for more information you may want to click on the Search link in the top right hand corner of this page and find some better explanations.

Pickup selector switch. Stand-by, bridge pickup, both pickups, neck pickup.

Neck pickup volume.

Neck pickup filter. This is a low pass filter that ranges from 6kHz to 350Hz. As you roll back the filter, the frequencies above the point where you position the knob are blocked; but not entirely, there is a roll off of the frequency curve over a couple octaves above the cut-off point. It doesn't take much movement of this knob to significantly change the tone.

Neck pickup Q switch. This is a three position switch with 0, 6db and 9db of boost at the frequency where you have set the filter knob. If the filter is all the way open, the boost is at 6,000kHz. Thus this switch works in concert with the filter control, and also significantly effects the tone.

Bridge pickup volume.

Bridge pickup filter.

Bridge pickup Q switch.

There should be four trim pots.

The outside trims adjust the amount of signal you are sending from each pickup to your amp. They are useful for balancing the volumes of the two pickups after you have set each pickup's height to where you want it. They do not affect tone except for some amps that might be overdriven if the trims are all the way up.

The inside trim pots are used to reduce hum for each pickup. I believe the procedure is to set the trim in the center position and adjust from there to reduce any hum.

I hope that's helpful. If you have more questions, just post; there are a lots of folks around here that know more about Series electronics than I.

jigme · « **Reply #2 on:** July 05, 2004, 09:35:25 AM »

Dave,

Thank you soooo much! This is exactly what I was hoping for. The knobs are set-up exactly as you describe. I was having difficulty understanding what a low-pass filter really does let alone the Q-switches. I can hear the difference but need to know more.

My main frustration with this bass is not being able to find a midrange, nasty growl. I can get a lot of good usable sounds but not that one. Sometimes it is too hi-fi and clear and transparent for my taste. Alembic has been known to be able to create any sound and yet I can't get this one. It still sounds like an Alembic, not a bad thing! B-)

I did do a search but couldn't find exactly what I wanted to get that gnarly, nasty sound. Any ideas where to start?

Pics: I don't have a digital, but when I get a photo I will post it. It is kinda cool!
Thanks again,

Jeffrey
Jeffrey

David Houck · « **Reply #3 on:** July 05, 2004, 11:12:15 AM »

I don't have a bass with Series electronics, so I would only be guessing. I'm sure there are other members of this forum that can be much more helpful. But I do have basses with the filter and Q, so I can make some suggestions. If I need more overall mid growl and/or punch to cut through the guitars, I use my rig to dial it in. That growl is there, it's just a matter of working with the controls and with your amp rig to dial it in. On particular songs, I may switch to the front pickup to get growl. I believe I mentioned in my response to your post in another thread that raising the pickups might help; and increasing the amount of signal going to your amp by turning up the volume trim pots might be a good idea too, if for no other reason than to make sure your amp is getting enough signal to work with.

Off the top of my head, I would try this. Turn the volume on the bridge pickup all the way down. On the neck pickup, back the filter off to maybe midway and switch the Q to the 0db position. On your amp, set the bass and treble flat and turn up the mid. That should give you all kinds of growl. Depending on your amp, the interplay between the bass and mid controls will significantly shape the growl.

Now turn the back pickup all the way down and do the same exercise with the bridge pickup. Both pickups by themselves should give you a good starting point.

Now go back to the neck pickup example; once you've found a good growly starting point you can blend in the bridge pickup to round out the tone. Open the bridge filter all the way and begin to slowly bring the bridge volume up to taste.

This is just a suggestion for how you might dial in growl. But for me, dialing in growl depends significantly on the rig setup. If your rig is setup for a different bass and you're trying to dial the Series controls without adjusting your rig, then you might not find your sound. As a generalization, it is my impression that the players in this forum that are going for the sound that I think you are talking about tend to play through tube amps such as the Ampegs and Mesas.

Hopefully, someone else will be along soon who will be of more help; someone whose main sound is that tone you are looking for and who can more easily suggest how to get there.

yorob · « **Reply #4 on:** July 08, 2004, 06:14:01 PM »

I picked up a custom bass with Alembic electronics. All work well but the bass isn't me. When I opened the back up, the card said ALEMBIC PF-6 and written in the upper left corner the # 757. The question: Can anyone tell me the origin and vintage of these electronics? Thank you, yorob

dela217 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 08, 2004, 07:46:31 PM »

Yorob, What kind of bass is it? Got any pictures?? Just curious who would put Series 1 guts in a custom bass. Thanks, Michael

pegleg · « **Reply #6 on:** July 08, 2004, 08:54:48 PM »

So, you wanna growl? May I recommend a Bartolini NTMB-918 wiring harness (3 band preamp)? Oh what?s this? I just happen to have one that I got to replace the Series 1 electronics that were ?missing? from an S1 project bass that I acquired. New ones from the mothership are too ?spensive Lucy. Wanna trade? Don?t get me wrong, the Bart Preamp is cool. However, as George Clinton would say: ?...Can you imagine doobie in your funk??

jigme · « **Reply #7 on:** August 03, 2004, 09:45:13 AM »

I walked away from this thread a while ago, but it lives...!

Dave--thanks for all the info on tone control settings, that was quite thorough!

Pegleg--I'm not really interested in the Barts, but thanks.

After more thought what I've realized is that getting growl is not really the problem. Actually the bass has tons of it. The problem is that it seems to get lost in the mix, and, it has a nasal tone that I can't get around. So I'll start a new thread asking for help on this.

cheers,

Jeffrey