Question For Players of Pre-1999 Series Instruments

[lbpesq]

The current thread about “hum and noise” got me thinking about the upgrade and what percentage of pre-1999 Series instruments actually need it.   I have a ‘76 Series 1 MSG and a ‘77 Series 1 LSG 12 string, neither of which need the upgrade.  I have no real evidence to base this upon, but I suspect at least 50% don’t need it.   So I invite y’all to share your experience.  Whatcha got, and upgrade or not?


Bill, tgo

[hammer]

Quiet in every environment in which they have been played1983 Series I Standard Point
1990 Series I SC


Xxxx Shop Night Scroll Series I - Had the upgrade done based upon sellers comments. Can’t hear any RF interference at this point.


1980 fretless Series I - Really needs the upgrade. Quite noisy in 60-70% of environments. Very sensitive to where I stand and the direction I’m facing. (P.S. Drummers get really pissed when you tell them they need to move their whole kit because where they have set up is the only quiet spot in the house. And they totally lose it after they move and the spot they were in turns out to not be that quiet for the series bass.

[jazzyvee]

I think my 1980 Series I could do with the upgrade although it is not been noisy on gigs since i re-did the humcancelling procedure i think if i was stateside again i would get it done.

[dela217]

I own a few Alembic Series basses right now.    I play gigs several nights a week, always using my Alembics.    I have never had one that needed the upgrade.   

I probably have had 20ish Series instruments over the years, maybe more.   All of them quiet.

I think it's less than 50 percent.

Michael

[lembic76450]

'76er here, mine has always been quiet, while quietly knocking on the coffee table.

[gearhed289]

My now former '86 Distillate didn't seem to need it. Always quiet on gigs, at rehearsal, and in the studio.

[rv_bass]

I think I’ve had at least a dozen different pre-1981 series instruments over time. Two indicated a noticeable need for an upgrade.

[edwardofhuncote]

My '77 had it (the upgrade) before I got it, so I don't know. Dead quiet now.


My '80 had damaged pickups when I got it, so since it had to go back for replacements anyway, having the the RF upgrades done just made sense. I figured since it already had a Master Volume, I might as well have the shop swap out the Q-switches for CVQ's too. Sort of a Series II conversion, without really altering the appearance of the instrument.


One would assume it'll be nice and quiet after the work. 

[adriaan]

My now former '86 Distillate didn't seem to need it. Always quiet on gigs, at rehearsal, and in the studio.

Older non-Series instruments may require an RF upgrade, but nothing quite as involved as with a Series instrument.

[garyhead]

My 96 Classico was too noisy to play out live.  Ron invented an updated circuit in 2019 and is now in use!  I know its different than Series circuits but I just wanted to "poke" at Jazzy that there is a new upgrade for Classico's! 

[mica]

We estimate that about 30% of the pre 1999 instrument have a tolerable level of noise, especially once making music in a live situation. As a solo recording instrument, the number might be higher.

I would say that if you have significant high frequency hearing loss, it might not be as dramatic to you.

Distillates, Spoilers, Elans, and Europas all have RF upgrades available.  Europas tend to be the worst of that family and will be cured with an entirely new circuit. Distillates should probably be replaced with Europas because upgrading them is extremely tedious (read expensive) as they are completely hand-wired.

[mica]

Note that none of the upgrades have anything to do with hum - that's 100% taken care of with the hum-balance procedure on Series I/II, and by the hum-cancelling pickups on the other models. Hum is low frequency (60Hz in the USA). The upgrades are for high frequency hiss and directional noise.

[cntrabssn]

My '87, '89 and '99 Series II basses were upgraded. They were all quite noisy. I am in the Bay Area, so the environment with respect to RF is a bit worse. The '99 was a new build that was completed just before the RF upgrade was available.
I have a '77 Series I that seems pretty quiet without the upgrade, but I don't really gig on that one.

[jazzyvee]

My 96 Classico was too noisy to play out live.  Ron invented an updated circuit in 2019 and is now in use!  I know its different than Series circuits but I just wanted to "poke" at Jazzy that there is a new upgrade for Classico's! 

Well thank you for sharing that. I can imagine sending mine back to alembic for that upgrade being seriously expensive and that's just the shipping. Probably cheaper to bring Ron over here an have him look at all my basses at the same time.

[rv_bass]

I would say that if you have significant high frequency hearing loss, it might not be as dramatic to you.

Mica, I likely fall into this category, that and just being more tolerable about noise since that was the norm for so long