Author Topic: Pickup & pan knob problem (Read 927 times)

lowlife · « **on:** February 26, 2006, 04:01:07 AM »

Hi All,

Looking for some help. I acquired a very used Excel-5 in Zebrawood yesterday and it needs some major TLC starting with the pick-up pan knob. Firstly, the detente position is no longer in-line with the other three knobs; somehow it's shifted clockwise. I cannot see how to loosen the knob and reposition it.

Next, the volume level in the other Excel-5 that I own remains constant when the pan is rotated, only the voice changes. In this one, the volume level in the brigde pickup is always half as loud as the neck pickup. Are there individual pickup volume levels that can be set from within the control cavity?

Ellery (Lowlife)

(Message edited by lowlife on February 26, 2006)

lowlife · « **Reply #1 on:** February 26, 2006, 04:08:02 AM »

Oops, I forgot the pictures. (LOL)

keavin · « **Reply #2 on:** February 26, 2006, 04:52:08 AM »

Ellery, I would open open the control cavity up and try the trim pots for the VOL issue,as for your loose pot it sounds like it might've gotten a little loose? ,,,some very kick-ass basses by the way!!!

lowlife · « **Reply #3 on:** February 26, 2006, 05:20:54 AM »

Okay, but here's where the dumb pill kicks in. I wouldn't know what a trim pot looked like if I fell over it.

If the pots were only a little loose, then I imagine that they would still be moving. It seems as if there were loose at some time and tightened by someone, but without any regard for the standard orientation.

Ellery (Lowlife)

keavin · « **Reply #4 on:** February 26, 2006, 05:26:50 AM »

they are little blue square boxes with a white little screw knob in the center, that requires a little flat head screw driver ,turn it clockwise to increase the volume, it should be one per pick-up.here's a direct link below.

(Message edited by keavin on February 26, 2006)

keavin · « **Reply #5 on:** February 26, 2006, 05:28:20 AM »

http://club.alembic.com/Images/16271/24781.html?1139017200

lowlife · « **Reply #6 on:** February 26, 2006, 05:39:32 AM »

Thanks, I found the trim pot, but even though mine is a 2-pickup Excel, there is only one trim pot. I wonder if the pan control itself is faulty?

Ellery (Lowlife)

lowlife · « **Reply #7 on:** February 26, 2006, 05:44:36 AM »

Thanks, I found the trim pot, but even though mine is a 2-pickup Excel, there is only one trim pot. I wonder if the pan control itself is faulty?

Ellery (Lowlife)

keavin · « **Reply #8 on:** February 26, 2006, 06:15:29 AM »

Ok since Excel basses have only one trim pot it must be your pan pot, but make sure it's centered where both pickups are both even at the same vol,also it could be the pan pot,but i would turn up the trim pot all the way then play with the pan pot.

keith_h · « **Reply #9 on:** February 26, 2006, 07:02:33 AM »

The Excel has a collet style knob. You need to pop the top cap off very carefully. I've used a small jewlers screwdriver in the past. This will then expose the collet and the shaft. You can then loosen the collet with a reguar screwdriver.

Have you tried swapping the pickup connectors then trying the pan control? This should determine if the problem is with the electronics or pickup. Once determining this I would suggest a call to Alembic. They can help you further isolate the failing component pretty quickly.

Keith

David Houck · « **Reply #10 on:** February 26, 2006, 07:13:31 AM »

Ellery; to remove the collet knob you first need to pry off the cap on the top of the knob. I've never done this, so I can't speak from experience; but I believe it can be removed with a finger nail. Once the cap is removed, you loosen the nut with either a nut driver or a flat blade screwdriver. Once the nut is loosened you should be able to reposition the knob. However, keep an eye on the interior of the control cavity to see what you're trying to move and where.

The Excel has only one preamp and therefore only one trim pot; thus adjusting the trim pot isn't going to help your pan problem.

Are the pickup heights the same? Is the neck pickup higher than the bridge pickup?

Open the control cavities of both basses and examine to see if anything on the new bass looks unusual. A discolored component, loose wire, etc.

Check to make sure the pickup leads are plugged in securely.

Unplug the pickup leads and switch them around. Now which pickup is louder?

lowlife · « **Reply #11 on:** February 27, 2006, 05:40:48 AM »

Way too many family comitments to have looked into this deeper yesterday, but I will be at lunch time today. I'll have the control cavity of my original Excel open and use it as the standard and I'm sure that at least one (if not more) wires have been crosed, as I also discovered that the treble control is working in reverse; clockwise diminishes the amount of treble instead of increasing it. Boy-oh-boy, someone really had a grand old time with the wiring. The only good part about all of this is that it's worth the bit of anxiety for the dirt-cheap price that I paid.

I'll report back my findings later on today. Thanks everyone so far for your help.

Ellery (lowlife)

lowlife · « **Reply #12 on:** February 27, 2006, 09:14:41 AM »

All is now well in Excel-land. By comparing the working Excel to the new one (thanks for the suggestion Dave), I was able to find that the Treble was in the pan position, the pan was in the bass position and the bass was in the treble position. Plus, the wires had been inverted on the pan. Someone really took this apart and couldn't put Humpty back together.
The components are not 100% identical between the 2002 model and the 2003 model, but were close enough to see the problem.

Thanks to all for your suggestions and your kind words.

Ellery (Lowlife)

David Houck · « **Reply #13 on:** February 28, 2006, 05:12:41 AM »

Glad you got it figured out! Both basses look great!