Author Topic: My New Distillate, LOW volume output...Help Please! (Read 2332 times)

ajish4 · « **on:** April 23, 2006, 08:33:34 PM »

Here is my first posting of my new 81 Distillate. I purchased it from a forum member. HERE'S MY PROBLEM. THE VOLUME IS REALLY LOW. ALMOST LIKE IT IS A PASSIVE BASS. It's clean and crisp and all the switches work, just so darn LOW! New battery installed. I found some instructions in the FAQ section, but can anyone show me a picture or some more detailed instructions on how to turn up the volume on the pickups? I'm not too good at this tech stuff! Thanks in Advance! "Internally, you will find 2 small trimpots on the circuit board that control the gain of each pickup. You can set the height of the pickups without regard to output. This means you can set the pickups' height to either where you like the way they sound or for your comfort, then go inside and correct the gains so that your pickup selector switch has the same volume for the neck and bridge pickups". I had a few things done to it to get her more to my taste. Not that she wasn't sweet before, see first picture... I'm a bit OCD so I'm not done yet...I LOVE Walnut and I LOVE to see that grain. The satin finish was worn in places. It just didn't look just the way I wanted. I just had it buffed out by a fantastic luthier here in Fla. Just check out the end result. A little fret work and she plays like new. I've put a lot of $$$$$ into her but she is worth it.

bob · « **Reply #1 on:** April 23, 2006, 09:14:17 PM »

The best post, including pictures, is here.

Clockwise is louder; it turns through a little more than 3/4 of a circle from min to max, and you should be able to easily feel when it stops. If that doesn't help, tell us more about what you are doing.

Looks beautiful, the buff job was definitely worth it.
-Bob

ajish4 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 24, 2006, 10:16:08 AM »

Thanks Bob!

Exactly what I was looking for!

I just tweaked the adjustments and turned them FULL to the right. It doesn't seem like they went too far, about a 1/4 turn, would that normally make a big difference?

My amp isn't at home, so I'll have to wait to test it out tomorrow evening at practice.

Thanks again, I really appreciate it! I'll keep you posted!

2400wattman · « **Reply #3 on:** April 24, 2006, 02:17:47 PM »

The way the back of the bass came out in the pic looks like a gleaming waterfall of blood! Slightly morbid, but it is strikingly beautiful.

ajish4 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 26, 2006, 01:52:24 AM »

Thanks Adam!

Cool description! I only thought of melting wax! I like your idea better!

I love this bass. I'll get some more pictures taken and get them posted in the showcase soon. I have to get it back to the lutiher. SOMETHING is rattling when I hit the open E. I looked and looked and couldn't find it.

Amazing what a little buffing can do to a finish!

Bob, I was unalbe to make practice the other night so I'll keep you posted. There was some previous soldering work that was done to the electronics so I don't know if that could be a possiblilty. I'll take a pic of the electronics cavity.

Thanks again!

adriaan · « **Reply #5 on:** April 26, 2006, 02:28:16 AM »

If there's a grey RF bead inside the cavity, and it doesn't have some padding, the bead may be rattling against the backplate, or some electronics part.

ajish4 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 26, 2006, 05:35:58 AM »

Adriaan:

Thanks for the suggestion, nothing I can spot in the cavity. Here are some pictures.

Bob, the volume problem still exists... The pots didn't make MUCH of a difference. Anything in these pictures look like an obvious problem?
Thanks again for all the help!

Tony

(Message edited by davehouck on April 28, 2006)

bob · « **Reply #7 on:** April 26, 2006, 08:53:49 AM »

Sorry, not much I can add here. You have a new battery (did you actually test it?), and it sounds like you properly turned up the trims all the way (and that they were pretty well up there already).

Just to make sure they're doing what they should, try turning them both all the way down. There should be a very noticeable difference in volume.

It looks like your pickups are at a reasonable height. Is the output from each pickup similar, using one at a time? And is the volume grossly less than your Epic? If so, then perhaps something was changed in this previous soldering, but I'm not the one to help you figure that out.
-Bob

olieoliver · « **Reply #8 on:** April 26, 2006, 09:01:30 AM »

There may be nothing wrong with it at all. Both of my MK's have a much lower output level than any of my other active basses. In fact they are both about as hot as my passive basses. They sound great, just not as hot. In fact when I play them I plug them in the passive input on my SWR 750. All of my Warwick's I must plug into the active input (-12 db), the 9 or 18 volt.

David Houck · « **Reply #9 on:** April 26, 2006, 12:05:54 PM »

Is there a difference between the two pictures?

My eyesight isn't very good; is that electrical tape around the neck pickup lead where it connects to the pc board?

Again, it's hard for me tell what I'm looking at. Are the pickup leads soldered to the pc board?

ajish4 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 26, 2006, 12:58:26 PM »

Bob:

Thanks agian for the help. Yes, the battery was changed and tested for voltage. The volume is EQUAL on both pickups and YES, the volume is GROSSLY less than my Epic. I appreciate the advice.

Olie: I think you hit the nail on the head. I'm amazed the MK's have a low output level. I never would have thought that!

I called Alembic today and spoke to Mica. What a sweetheart! She told me that the Distillate (being made in 1981) was a bit lower than my later model Alembics. She is sending some information and mentioned something about changing TWO RESISTORS. She said that it should be an easy fix and this resistor swap should make a big difference.

I'm telling you, with customer service like that, how could you not want to but another Alembic? I mean, we're talking a 25 year old second, or thind hand bass, and she treated me like I purchased it yesterday! Stunning, just stunning.

olieoliver · « **Reply #11 on:** April 26, 2006, 01:52:11 PM »

Tony: I know what you mean about Mica. She is great. I spoke to her a few times about upgrading the electronics on my 98 MK to rid it of RF interference. She treated me like I just bought a truck load of basses.

I see you play on your praise team, do ya'll ever do any Kirk Franklin. He has always got the best musicians man. Great stuff to play.

ajish4 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 28, 2006, 03:21:38 AM »

Dave,

Sorry about the duplicate pictures. My goof! There were TWO DIFFERENT ones I tried to post!

YES, from what I can tell, they pickup is soldered to the pc board.

I'm still waiting for MICA's email. She had mentioned that she will be emailing me something and also sending out the schematic.

Olie,

I had to do some looking over our song list, I don't think we've ever done ANY Kirk Franklin songs. I looked at a list of his songs on the web, and nothing looks familiar. Any suggestions?
It looks like he's done a lot!

David Houck · « **Reply #13 on:** April 28, 2006, 06:51:04 PM »

Tony; the pickup leads are not supposed to be soldered to the board. You might want to consider at some point sending the bass to Santa Rosa and having the wiring restored. Of course, if the resistors Mica recommends solve your problems then it's problem not really necessary to send it back.

ajish4 · « **Reply #14 on:** April 29, 2006, 01:06:08 PM »

Hi Dave,

Here is the other picture I wanted to post.

The bass is at my luthier's at present. I just heard from Mica, she will be sending me some pictures of the wiring cavity should look like from the factory.

She aslo said she would mail me a wiring diagram that my luthier can look over. He is a very experienced luthier and he told me that he wouldn't do anything to the bass that he isn't comfortable doing.

If it needs a complete re-wire, I'll send it into the factory. We're going to take one step at a time.

The RED arrows in the picture show the soldering points of the pick ups. The RED circles are area's of concern. These are the volume pots. It APPEARS that there is one lead (the far right) that looks to be either missing or broken off of each of the pots.