Musing - Alembic guts OUTSIDE the body?

[ojo]

I've been mulling this over for a bit, and I figured I'd reach out to the experts.  
 
So, here's what I'm thinking.  
 
I have a full set of Alembic Activators - Jazz pickups, V/B/LPF, and I'm thinking of installing this into my passive fretless jazz bass.  
 
Here's the thing.  
 
There's no room for the battery under the control plate, and I'm hesitant to have it routed. Though it's a franken-bass, the body is an '83 Fullerton reissue, and I'm wary to route the old wood.
 
I'd like to install the jazz pickups into the bass, solder them up to the existing passive controls, then put the Alembic Guts into a breakout box as a sort of external pre-amp.
 
I've read that people have done this, but I don't understand how the heck to do it.
 
It can't be that difficult to construct a breakout box (soldering an input/output jack, adding a battery, and maybe an on/off switch), but my electronic knowledge is limited to following simple wiring diagrams.  
 
Alternatively, has anyone safely mounted the battery outside the body, or come up with an alternative to power (like a phantom power).
 
Oh, I'm also going to need to source an output jack and a battery connector - both are missing from my electronics.  
 
Thanks all,
 
Joe

[afrobeat_fool]

Joe, I have a suggestion. Why not get a SF-2. Active or passive this tool will get you the Alembic tone from any instrument. You can resell for what you pay for it at any time, and you don't have to go thru the mess of building an external box with the same electronics of the SF-2. The filters in these units are the same as a Series instrument. Just a thought.    
 
 
Nick

[mario_farufyno]

Usually Active PUs (alembic's for sure) have very low Impedance to offer us extended frequency range, but this means it has a very low out put. If you use them with passive circuit you may suffer with noise and RFI/MFI issues.
 
I'm not sure about how bad it could be, but this doesn't look much promising. If you want an Alembic Preamp on a Passive set, should be better to get one os those Alembic's racks as Nick recomended.

[cozmik_cowboy]

Mario, Joe says he has the p/ups as well as guts; he's just considering the feasibility of putting the Alembic p/ups in the bass & rigging the rest of the circuit remotely - which it seems like you could.  And by that, I don't mean I could do it, so I won't offer any thoughts in that direction.
Nick, I think Joe already has the stuff to do his plan.
Joe, it's an 80s Fender - make it easy on yourself and start routing.
 
Peter

[terryc]

ojo..okay it's an 83 re issue and I can understand your reluctance but Alembic Activators work best with all the preamp & filter modules properly connected in the bass.
I routed an 83 Squier P bass with a Alembic PJ set..I personally don't care about the age..okay if it was a pre CBS then there would be an issue.
Another alternative is to get a replacement J body and keep the original one if you don't want to modify it.
I agree with cozmik..get it routed, I mean who is going to look under the pickguard???
I would contact Alembic for the battery connector and jack socket to get the proper components

[lidon2001]

Having had an '82 Fullerton AV Jazz stolen from me, I'd go buy an inexpensive light weight body for any routing; no need to hurt that one with other suitable bodies available.  Two franken J's are better than one.
 
T

[mario_farufyno]

Peter, my concern is about how far we can move apart the preamp from PUs. If it was simple, no one would use an on-board preamp, would be more effective (and light) to use it as a Stomp Box.
 
As magnetic field interefences contaminates PU's signal on wiring, the more apart you put your preamp, more noise you will get. If you turn up gain at that further point, you will enhance noise together with the signal.
 
I'm really not sure about how bad it could be, but I would simply scoop out as you and Terry suggested to keep everything as close as possible. Or do this in a Squier or any cheaper Fender wannabe...

[ojo]

Well, certainly some interesting points made here.  
 
As mentioned, I already own all the parts, and I'm just exploring my options - besides, I'm kind of a sucker for finding out what could be. I've thought about an SF-2, but I just downsized the rig, and am trying to keep the amp gear to a minimum (Mesa Walkabout with a Schroeder Neo 12 cab). Heck, even when I bring out the F-1x, it's in a compact 2U shallow rack, with a stewart world 250 (yes, they actually made them that small some years back).  
 
On to the instrument. Yeah, it's just a Fender, but it's kind of a special Fender . . . I hate to say it on this site, but it's my #1. While a parts bass, it's definitely something special. It's relatively light, responsive, and plays like a dream.
 
I already have one Franken-jazz bass with the East-Meets-West setup, as well as an Epic, and I love the wide dynamic range of the Alembic pickups/electronics.  
 
I'm not totally in love with the passive setup in this bass, and I'm interested in making my #1 as awesome as my other basses.  
 
That make sense?
 
Anyhow, sounds like the most convenient way to go is to route the body and call it good. I need to think about that for a bit.  
 
But, out of curiosity . . . _has_ anyone ever put the electronics outside the body? *smirks*
 
Thanks all - maybe one of these days I'll post pics of my East-Meets-West Jazz!
 
Joe

[edwin]

What the heck, get an SF-2 and a couple of Dark Star pickups and call it done!

[bob2]

ahem:
 
http://alembic.stores.yahoo.net/activecable.html

[cozmik_cowboy]

My routing advise was specific to your case of an 80s Fender, Joe; I find the idea it self appealling.  For several decades now I've pondered the possibilities of something like a Series II with only the p/ups onboard, and all the controls on a pedalboard.
And I do understand how you could feel about the bass.  Rarely does a day go by that I don't play my 1st guitar, a low-end 000-sized '79 Alverez; nothing to recommend it, except 30+ years of cowboy-chord divets put there by my fingers, but I'd never cut it up.
 
Peter

[edwin]

Ah, Peter, you are looking for a Pluto pedal, then! A cool idea, but I think it might still be necessary to preamp the pickups if you are using Alembic pickups. A circuit like the Blaster ought to do it and than can be built very small so it can fit onboard. You could probably even do a stereo version that would fit in there, run off of a battery and give you a stereo out via a TRS cable.

[sonicus]

I think a combination of a Blaster circuit or an Alembic Active Cable and an Alembic SF-2 might be good.

[lbpesq]

I have an employee shopnight guitar that has Alembic pickups and a stratoblaster as the only preamp.  It seems to work just fine.
 
Bill, tgo

[ojo]

So, this brings up another question.
 
Will my normal passive pickups have the same dynamic range as the Alembic Pups if I use an Active Cable and/or an SF-2?
 
I thought it was the magic of the low impedance pickups that brought the Hi-Fi (in combination with the electronics of course).
 
If that's the case, could I use the Alembic pickups with the Active Cable for a pseudo activator setup?
 
Oh, the can of worms is open.
 
Joe