meccajay Posted June 2, 2003 Share Posted June 2, 2003 Hey gang! 1st let me say I don't usually post here cause as far as bass is concerned Im a novice at best. I do respect many of the expert opinions and comments here and read these treads often. As is turns out, now I need some help. Anywho, here's what happened... This Sat I was trying to get ready for a Jam session I wanted to sit in on. My bass was sounding kinda dull so I went and bought some strings and a battery for the preamp. The bass is a Fender PJ copy, with an EMG preamp and pickups. Anyway I restrung it, and removed the pick guard/cover and changed the battery... The old battery was a regular Energizer 9v. The new battery was an Energizer Titanium 9v. So I tune & stretch the strings, and set it in the case. I get to the session, retune and plug it in and the sound was HORRIBLE!!! The volume knobs did not work, the tone knobs were useless and the bass was just full throttle LOUD. Anyway, the drummer was clicking down and it was time to get my ass in gear and play. Needless to say I played with my mouth gaped open in shock! I came home numb and frustrated, figured I'd check out the problem but paused as I thought of the fact that I had no clue of what I was looking for and needed to talk to someone in the know. Okay, now I need to know....What the hell did I do?? Did I use the wrong battery and fry the preamp. Did I accidentally clip a wire in the setup? What really happened? Please help a brother bassist in need! Thanx! TROLL . . . ish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llarion Posted June 2, 2003 Share Posted June 2, 2003 Could be a lot of things. Maybe that battery has a higher amperage output and smoked the preamp? did all the wires stay intact? (if you broke one, you might not hear anything, not sure...) Maybe the new strings are just not good matches for your pickups? Cheers! Phil "Llarion: The Jazzinator" Traynor www.llarion.com Smooth Jazz - QUESTION AUTHORITY. Go ahead, ask me anything. http://www.llarion.com/images/dichotomybanner.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addix Metzatricity Posted June 2, 2003 Share Posted June 2, 2003 Perhaps you shorted something... Open it back up and check the connections. I can't imagine that the battery caused it. A 9V battery is a 9V battery. If something was shorted it could have caused major current to run through the preamp and fried it, but it could really be any number of things. "Bass isn't just for breakfast anymore..." http://www.mp3.com/Addix_Metzatricity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcr Posted June 2, 2003 Share Posted June 2, 2003 Here's an important bit of information we need: does it sound the same awful way that it does in the amp you were using before you went to the jam session? Perhaps you were clipping the hell out of the amp you were using, or the PA system--was your bass also going through the PA? A bass can distort like heck through a PA if the PA doesn't have enough power to push the bass signal, or if the trim level (or pad) on your input to the board is too hot. This may sound strange, but are you sure that the battery you put in is fresh? A dead/dying battery will also cause an awful, distorted/clipped sound. Try the bass through the original amp. If it still sounds bad, put the old battery back in or try a fresh one (I'd be a bit surprised if the battery were the problem, unless it were defective, or almost dead). If that works, then think your way through the rest of your chain. If it doesn't work, I'd say get it to a tech. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill C from Nashvegas Posted June 2, 2003 Share Posted June 2, 2003 A battery doesn't "push" current, it's a voltage source. Basically, a 9 volt battery is a 9 volt battery. The difference between titanium, carbon-zinc, and alkaline batteries really boils down to life (although there is a tiny voltage difference, it is minor). And solid-state circuits like preamps are generally very forgiving when it comes to input voltage, whether its 9 volts or 9.10 volts shouldn't matter, as long as the voltage delivered is above the minimum amount required for that preamp. So like the other posts said, if the battery is dead or dying, it would cause distortion, because the preamp would be operating below its minimum voltage level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prague Posted June 2, 2003 Share Posted June 2, 2003 I am thinking you lost a ground on the input side of the active circuitry (including the battery ground). You were probably playing in a quasi-passive mode, where the pickup output was coupled through to the output via passive components (hence no tone or volume control). Am I close? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meccajay Posted June 2, 2003 Author Share Posted June 2, 2003 Yes the bass was clipping the bass amp, but not really a lot of distortion. Mostly very loud...not that dead battery kind of sound which is usually weak and dull distortion, this was like it was a different bass altogether-uncontrollably LOUD! I didn't think it was the battery or strings, as Ive used the titanium 9v in DI's before with no problems. I figured I'd give as much info as possible. I did get to try it in the keyboardists amp after the jam, and the same thing. I could only control the volume with the amps volume knobs, and had the same bad tone. TROLL . . . ish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETE_COMBS Posted June 2, 2003 Share Posted June 2, 2003 One time my bass just stop working , and I could'nt figure it out> I check all the wires and every aspect of it, but when I go to check the back were my battery geos in, I guess the battery was dead ,I got a new one put it in. My bass started right up like a new car, but no sound damage and the battery was nasty and covered in shit.Like others siad could have fried your preamp or your pickups are just shity or you could have shorted out your pickups or there dammaged. Try switching amps. Pete Combs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meccajay Posted June 2, 2003 Author Share Posted June 2, 2003 Originally posted by paostby: I am thinking you lost a ground on the input side of the active circuitry (including the battery ground). You were probably playing in a quasi-passive mode, where the pickup output was coupled through to the output via passive components (hence no tone or volume control). Am I close?VERY close, maybe dead on in fact!! I have NO clues about the circuitry flow other than it WAS a passive sound, but can I ask you this? What do you mean "lost" a ground on the input side? I clipped a wire or something? TROLL . . . ish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prague Posted June 2, 2003 Share Posted June 2, 2003 It may be the battery ground itself. That would be the most likey suspect. The pickup signal then was passed via a resistor, the +lead of the battery, or something. Try the bass with the circuit board out of the bass. Maybe the installation caused a problem. Otherwise, look at the circuit board and make sure no components are loose. If it's small enough, touch up all the solder joints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meccajay Posted June 2, 2003 Author Share Posted June 2, 2003 Ok, I'll open her up tonight and give you guys and update tommorrow...thanks for all the help guys! TROLL . . . ish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fonz Posted June 2, 2003 Share Posted June 2, 2003 i may know. next time you plug in check the input on the amp you're using. i remember once recently plugging in my passive bass into my amp and no matter how hard i pushed that sucker i had a dead, lifeless, inaudible tone. after tweaking and tweaking i realized that DOOOY! i had plugged into the active input on the amp. i can't imagine it's the battery. as has been stated earlier, a 9v battery is a 9v battery is a 9v battery. as for f**cking up your wiring, i doubt anyone is enough of a clod to foul something up that bad just by changing a battery. the strings shoudln't make that much of a difference. one reason for crappy tone is that the grounding might have been somehow negated by not reinstalling the pickguard properly as it is part of your electronics cavity, but the sound you are describing is not a grounding issue. you are definitely overdriving your amp and i can't see how mere active electronics are going to do that. besides, if something was fried you probably wouldn't get any tone at all. my best guess is that for some reason your amp can't handle the active signal it's getting. look around and see if there is some active/passive input selection on your amp somewhere either via separate inputs or a switch of some sort. i'll bet you're just using the wrong one. running an active signal through electronics designed specificaly to handle a passive signal will give you the result you're getting. good luck. Eeeeeehhhhhhhhh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meccajay Posted June 2, 2003 Author Share Posted June 2, 2003 Originally posted by Bastid E: i may know. one reason for crappy tone is that the grounding might have been somehow negated by not reinstalling the pickguard properly as it is part of your electronics cavity, but the sound you are describing is not a grounding issue. good luck.Bad pickgaurd installation negating grounding? Ive installed batteries before and haven't had a problem like this.. As far as the amp inputs, Ive used that amp before- no probs, and I did breifly try a keyboard amp after the jam session with the same results... TROLL . . . ish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted June 3, 2003 Share Posted June 3, 2003 I'm thinking a wire got bumped and is now shorting, probably at a Volume pot. If not that, It sounds like your Vol pot went bad. If you don't see anything, I guess it's time to take that baby in for repair... Good luck finding it!! Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meccajay Posted June 3, 2003 Author Share Posted June 3, 2003 Originally posted by Tom Capasso: I'm thinking a wire got bumped and is now shorting, probably at a Volume pot. If not that, It sounds like your Vol pot went bad. If you don't see anything, I guess it's time to take that baby in for repair... Good luck finding it!! TomYou nailed it! A white wire was loose underneath the volume pot...thank GOD that was all it was! Hey guys, I just want to say thanx for ALL the help and suggestions, I'll remember these for future reference, and I'll also be sure to come down and chat with you guys more often!! Thanx again! TROLL . . . ish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcr Posted June 3, 2003 Share Posted June 3, 2003 I'm very glad that it all worked out for you! --Even if you did manage to stump this chump... Don't be a stranger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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