Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

[ratherdashing]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

bump. if its a dumb question or something enlighten me. i was thinking about an alternative to an EQ pedal...

Well, you could do the G&L Legacy wiring, which is vol, treble, bass. It's actually really easy and doesn't require any fancy components. You'll need a 1 meg pot and a .002 or .003 cap for the bass knob. The treble knob is basically a standard tone control. It's a passive circuit, which means it can only subtract treble and bass from what the pickups spit out.

I have it on my Warmoth LP, and it's really cool. I like being able to roll off the bass - it comes in handy with really heavy amps.

 

[tc]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

and is there a way to deal with mids too?? not like the clapton circuit, but just a treble knob, a bass knob, and a mid knob. much appreciated brotha

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

Just to start things off, the Duncan pickup booster can add some nice dimension to a Strat, and its available as an add-on circuit board. Might be cool for not a lot a moola.

Say I get one of these add-on circuits and wire it under a quarter pounder ... will that give me enough to do typical metal that is usually done with a bucker?

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

Say I get one of these add-on circuits and wire it under a quarter pounder ... will that give me enough to do typical metal that is usually done with a bucker?

I don't have enough experience with those systems, but I don't think so - according to Jeremy those systems work better with lower output single coils, they were designed for them.
Higher output single coils hum a little worst then lower output single coils so you might enter into a world of hiss and hum here... plus the QP has enough output for metal as is (for the type of metal I would listen to).

If you'll wire it to a stacked single coil, Duckbucker or to a lil humbucker you should have enough output for anything, and probably without hum.

Listen to the sound samples on the Fender website for the Clapton and Buddy Guy signature guitars.

 

[mikek]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

Folks, what is the maximum output a passive bass pickup can be expected to output?

This is vital to the design of active circuitry without running out of headroom.

Thanks!

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

JohnnyGuitar,

if I can find time to put back the stock alnico pups in my Greco strat over the weekend, I will soon let you know what the noise level is like ...

OT: that's a nice 3-pup Nighthawk in your avatar. I have a sburst SP2 which I don't use much; but it's too purty to give up

So - did you get to try it? :fingersx:

 

[mikek]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

Folks, what is the maximum output a passive bass pickup can be expected to output?

This is vital to the design of active circuitry without running out of headroom.

Thanks!

Bump!?!

 

[vegetablejoe]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

So - did you get to try it? :fingersx:

JohnnyGuitar,

Yup! I put back the stock alnico pups in my Greco strat, albeit they had been potted by a previous owner (purportedly to help in high gain playing).

The EMG Afterburner is a 20db boost preamp. I could get it up to halfway, before hum started getting audible and annoying. Maybe lining the pickguard with aluminum tape/foil can bring the hum down a bit more.

Sorry but I don't have info on using an active set of pups with this booster.

Good luck!

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

JohnnyGuitar,

Yup! I put back the stock alnico pups in my Greco strat, albeit they had been potted by a previous owner (purportedly to help in high gain playing).

The EMG Afterburner is a 20db boost preamp. I could get it up to halfway, before hum started getting audible and annoying. Maybe lining the pickguard with aluminum tape/foil can bring the hum down a bit more.

Sorry but I don't have info on using an active set of pups with this booster.

Good luck!

a. thanks for the info. :approve:
b. I wonder - if you get hum somewhere over 10db with the Afterburner the SPC 6db boost might have almost no hum...:scratchch
c. did you try it on a clean or a dirty channel?

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

Folks, what is the maximum output a passive bass pickup can be expected to output?

This is vital to the design of active circuitry without running out of headroom.

Thanks!

I think this question might recieve more focus and a better answer if it would be in its own thread - and adress it to bass players in the title.

Welcome to the forum mikek...

 

[theodie]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

I have had great success using EMG preamps such as the SPC and EXG with passives. I think they sound better with passives than with actives.

 

[jmh151]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

I just got the EMG DG-20 David Gilmour set which has the SPC midrange booster. It doesn't boost the output, it just boosts the midrange and fattens up the single coil tone so it sounds between a humbucker and P-90.

The Clapton system is a whole different animal. It boosts the volume and midrange as you crank the control.

 

[theodie]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

I just got the EMG DG-20 David Gilmour set which has the SPC midrange booster. It doesn't boost the output, it just boosts the midrange and fattens up the single coil tone so it sounds between a humbucker and P-90.

The Clapton system is a whole different animal. It boosts the volume and midrange as you crank the control.

It does boost the output a bit also. BTW, the DG-20 also has the EXG in it. They both boost the output in addition to shaping the EQ.

 

[vegetablejoe]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

...
c. did you try it on a clean or a dirty channel?

I only had time to plug it into my Pro Jr. So, you could say - both. Clean below 4 on the amp vol. and dirty above 4. Still the same result - hum gets loud beyond halfway on the Afterburner

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

I have had great success using EMG preamps such as the SPC and EXG with passives. I think they sound better with passives than with actives.

Welcome back Theodie. :friday:

What pickups did you try the systems with...
Were there any issues like not working well with effects or hum whil using them with single coils?

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

I have had great success using EMG preamps such as the SPC and EXG with passives. I think they sound better with passives than with actives.

Hmm ... hadn't considered EMG. I kind of assumed their circuits were meant for their pickups.

The SPC seems to be along the lines of what I want. Thanks Dave.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

Then again, you could always get those mids by skipping the Strat & getting a Les Paul...

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

Then again, you could always get those mids by skipping the Strat & getting a Les Paul...

Wow, that's brilliant ... why didn't I think of that?!? :smack::banghead:

 

[itbepopples]

Re: Let's talk about active boosts/preamps for passive pickups

do you have to use something like the pa-2 in order to use the spc?