The Signature pan/volume upgrade

[bsee]

Can anyone describe what is involved in the upgrade to smooth out volume response when adjusting the pan on a Signature bass?  Is this a user-performable upgrade like soldering in a new resistor, or is it more complex than that?
 
As I have a bass with Signature electronics on the way here, it will be of keen interest to me.
 
Thanks-

[David Houck]

Bob; here's the original thread in case you haven't been able to find it:
http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/13630.html
In it, Rog says that it's a small component with four wires sticking out of it - two for power, and two others that attach respectively to the pan control and the volume control; and he says I've fitted it, which suggests to me that he installed it himself.

[rogertvr]

Dave's quite right, Bob.  I fitted it myself, it took about an hour in total.  It's the most steady I've ever held a soldering iron!
 
It's probably best that Alembic provide a set of fitting instructions if you really want to know, the DW has a custom knob layout so my experience may not relate to other Alembics with Signature electronics.  The mod is a must though!
 
Cheers,
 
Rog

[bsee]

I had read the original thread but missed the part about Rog doing the install himself.  How big is this little device?  Was it large enough to need to be secured to something after installation, and where/how did you do it?
 
If you look at the photo from the auction for this bass, there isn't a lot of room in the Spoiler cavity after the upgrade to Signature electronics.  
 
Here's the pic, does it look like there's space?  Finally, could you post a pic of your electronics cavity with the addition if that's not too much trouble?
 
 

[godoze]

Bob, what are you going to do with your Spoiler if you win the Sc ?

[bsee]

I probably won't win the upgraded Essence (It's not really an SC, just a custom model).  I won't chase the price up from where it is anyway.  Either way, the only thing for sale before at least spring is my Zon Legacy Elite 5.  Of course, if I hate the Spoiler when it gets here, I might turn it around.  Don't count on it though.

[godoze]

 Interesting. So it is not an SC signature at all ? That is deceptive !

[bsee]

Bass Central regularly orders them like this, and the original owner said he got it there.  I don't know about anyone else.  If it weren't for the custom dimensions and the LEDs, I'd value it around $1800.  I don't care so much about the LEDs, but finding these neck dimensions on the used market is pretty rare, so I was willing to pay a premium for that.
 
Ultimately, I should end up owning two Alembics, a four and a five.  When I decide which two is totally up in the air, and ordering a custom will help me choose if I get there.

[godoze]

 Doesn't it have Europa electronics ? Now I am confused; wouldn't that = make it a Europa and not an upgraded Essence ? what exactly then make it = an upgraded Essence ?

[bsee]

You can make anything into anything.  The down side of Alembic customization policies, in my opinion.  
 
Depending upon what options you want and what you don't want, combined with the special of the month when you order, you may be able to save money doing something like this.  I believe that the serial number that I was given had a K in it, meaning the bass started out as an Essence before customization.
 
This bass has no back, so it definitely wasn't an SC custom.  The price of this thing assuming the right monthly special would have been around $5K list, maybe $5500.  A stock SC custom is $6300 list, and an SC standard with the same wood and neck upgrades would be in the middle price-wise, but would have signature electronics.  A custom Europa or Rogue would have been about the same price as an SC standard.  
 
It's just a pricing game, and you can't immediately jump to a conclusion based upon either the shape or the model name.

[godoze]

 Which leads me to suspect that getting the serial number when buying a = used Alembic is imperative.

[bsee]

Well, it depends.  To paraphrase a long-dead Brit, what's in a name anyway?
 
If the only difference between an upgraded Essence and an SC standard is the letters in the middle of the serial number, shouldn't they be worth the same?  What's important is to understand the features of the instrument and how they compare to what you want.  You can take nothing for granted.
 
I could order an MK bass and pay for the upgrade to Series 2 electronics.  The casual observer might see the CVQs, call it a Series 2 bass, and value it as such.  In reality, it might not have the deluxe neck laminates, extra body laminates, continuous wood backplates, side LEDs, or gold plated hardware that all factor into the difference in price/value between the two instruments.  
 
There was an MK deluxe recently for sale here that was ordered already prepared for a Series electronics upgrade.  It looks like it already has Series 1 electronics because it has the humcanceller and the canon jack.  An ignorant or unscrupulous seller could have passed this off to most buyers as a Series 1 bass, and you wouldn't know the truth without either the data from the wood card or a physical inspection of the instrument.
 
It just comes down to knowing what is for sale so that you can value it appropriately on your own scale.

[mica]

The upgrade involves mounting an 8-pin IC. The printed circuitboard kit won't be available for a short time (1-2 months in Alembic-land). It's possible to mount it without a pc board, it just takes a more skilled installer.

[bsee]

Sounds like fun!  Do you have any sort of a photo or even a hand-drawn set of instructions that would go with it?  Also, as someone asked in the other thread, what is this upgrade going to cost?
 
Depending upon the size of the board, I might not have room for it in the Spoiler's electronics cavity.  I might need to go IC-only if that will be available as an option.  Roger indicated that there were four wires, are some of the pins tied, or just not used?
 
Thanks!