New 1983 Series 1 owner

[dslapster64]

@edwardofhuncote, thank you I will definitely look into getting one of those cables as soon as I come back from vacation next week. Although I prefer using the DS5, sound wise, which I will continue to use, how's the sound is just simply superior. It's just nice to be able to use the cable once in a while.

@JimmyJ, yes there is a switch, but it does not appear to do anything. At least I don't recognize any changes in a sound, when switched back or forth. Did you do the modifying yourself? And if so was it a simple process? Just curious of course.

@jazzyvee, , yes sir,I have seen your Basses. I am absolutely loving these things. They are getting so much love in fact, that my Smiths are being neglected

@keith_h, going to look into all of this.

You guys are just great, thank you so much. I am still learning.

[rv_bass]

I inquired about that switch at one point, apparently it is a ground switch that was installed.  Below is the reply that I received:

“Good morning.

I had the toggle switch installed by a renowned guitar tech. I was touring with a nationally known artist and was having a “buzzproblem” caused by the lighting system of one of the lighting companies. My tech friend suggested I let him install a ground switch on my guitar, which I did. And I never had a problem with a buzz again. “

[JimmyJ]

Interesting!  I can't imagine how that "ground switch" might be working with the Series electronics.  At some point when you get the chance we'd love to see a few pics of your electronics cavity.  Now we're curious.

Meanwhile, yes I did the mono mods myself but I'm a bit of a self-taught electrical nerd.  If you're handy with a soldering iron it's not difficult.  Follow Keith's links above for more info.  Or just get a cable made, that's a fine alternative.

The sound from the 1/4" jack (when it's mono) should be the same as that from the DS5 mono out.  Just again, relying on batteries can be dodgy.  It's great for sitting in on somebody else's rig but when you have the choice I recommend the DS5 option. 

Jimmy J

[dslapster64]

I really was not aware of a "ground switch" at all, and I was always curious about what that switch was for.  Well now I know, thank you all. I am going to be sending a picture of the electronics as soon as I am able. I am playing this evening, so I will try and do it tonight. Thanks for the insight, and yes, the DS5 is by far the  superior option.

[adriaan]

I really was not aware of a "ground switch" at all, and I was always curious about what that switch was for.  Well now I know, thank you all. I am going to be sending a picture of the electronics as soon as I am able. I am playing this evening, so I will try and do it tonight. Thanks for the insight, and yes, the DS5 is by far the  superior option.

You're not alone in never having heard about a "ground switch" on an elecric instrument, let alone an Alembic. The request for snapshots of the electronics are more from a concern that the "renowned guitar tech" may not have been wise to the fact that Series electronics have been and will always be a different kettle of fish.

[dslapster64]

So I played the series 1 this evening for a rehearsal, and the humming was ridiculous, due to the lighting of a very old church. I have never heard this humming from any other bass, including the Stanley Clarke. I've got so many compliments last week when I played it at another venue, so you could imagine how disappointed I was to know that the sound was this different as opposed to just last week alone. Any ideas would be very appreciated, because I am not confident with the soldering iron at all. I have attached two photos of the circuit. Feel free to chime in if you have any ideas.

[cntrabssn]

I wonder if the ground switch was installed to add a string ground via the switch. If you have a multimeter, you can check this fairly easily.
Use the meter to check continuity between the nut on the 1/4 inch jack and the bridge in each position of the ground switch. If you don't have a meter, your tech can check it for you. A string ground may help in some particularly bad environments, but I'd rather avoid them.

With a string ground, your body becomes part of the shielding when you touch the strings. A lot of companies do this, but you usually don't need it if the instrument is properly shielded. As Alembics are well shielded, they don't have string grounds. Also, a string ground makes you part of the overall system ground, so you can sometimes get a shock if you touch something at a different ground potential while touching the strings. it's another reason not to have a string ground and have a properly shielded instrument instead.

Regarding hum, Series instruments have trim pots to adjust the hum canceller. With these, you might be able to reduce or eliminate the hum. Take a look at the hum cancelling procedure on the FAQ, it may help:
https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=269.0

The older Series instruments can be sensitive to RF interference. It really depends on the instrument as well as the environment. You can get an upgrade for this if necessary (look for references to "the upgrade" elsewhere in the forum). If needed, contact Mica for details. I've had it done and it works wonders. However my oldest Series bass is a '77, and it works fine without the upgrade.

-nate.

[edwardofhuncote]

The silver shielding in the pictures looks okay. I wonder about this switch though... it is somehow connected to the tailpiece to get continuity to the strings, and the switch either engaged or disengaged that? What does the other side terminate to though?


If I were going to CSI this one, definitely start with the standard humcancelling process. It may well be, that's all it ever needed, and unfortunately someone performed a mod to correct it here.


It's weird; that bass was for sale very close to me here in Virginia, so I watched it on Reverb. (I think we talked about it here too, somewhere...) and I never once noticed that switch. Enthalled by the bubbly maple I reckon. 


Hopefully the trimpot adjustments fixes you up. That's all it sounds like. Alembic Series electronics just aren't like anything else, and even 'qualified guitar techs' that haven't experienced them don't quite know what to expect, much less how to work on them.

[dslapster64]

Thanks fellas, I am in the process now of adjusting the trim parts to see if that works. I don't go back to that particular venue for a couple of weeks but I'm going to try it out anyway. As far as the switch is concerned, I really do not know what it does on my particular bass, but I'm really curious to see what it does. I think you are right about the techs. Because my usual tech is brilliant and has been doing this stuff for decades, but I am not sure if he was fully aware of all the intricacies of the Alembic majesty. After almost 40 years of playing, I'm still in school fellas. Thanks.

[StephenR]

To address the noise in your rehearsal space you need to adjust the trim pots while standing where you will be playing. Face different directions and listen to where the noise sounds worst. Then try the trim pots.

Is the bass noisy in every environment? Usually the trim pots rarely need adjustment. If it isn’t noisy at home leave them alone until you encounter a noisy environment.

[mica]

Would like to see a picture of the wiring of the "ground" switch. Especially since we're dealing with hum, anything that involves the grounding is a little suspect.

When you are that space again, confirm that that the noise is low-frequency hum (60Hz). Generally, you won't really adjust the trimpots for different places, but if you have a particularly hummy place, then it's a good place to make the adjustments.

If the noise is directional and high frequency, more of a buzz or a hiss, then you have a different issue. You still want to null the hum balance controls, but the bass will need to visit here for an upgrade to add a high frequency noise cancelling network. Appointments are out pretty far for this service, I can't accept new work until October.

[dslapster64]

Thanks so much for all the input. It seems that the one venue is the only place I hear the humming, especially with all the lights on. So I’ll adjust when I play there again. I’m out of town right now, but when I get back I’ll be sending a pic of the switch wiring, because it does not appear to change anything at all. If the humming does continue, Mica, I’ll point the bass in your direction, but I am hoping I dont have to 🙂. Thanks again.