Is there something wrong with my preamp?

**Paulmacca** · 04-19-2008, 01:05 AM

I just got a 79 stingray. It sounds and plays awesome but for some reason when i try and use the limter on my amp its like the pup is just too powerful and the signal cuts out on the attack for a split second or so - I have many other basses both active and passive and this doesn't happen. Still it sounds so sweet without the limiter I'm not really complaining but i wondered if anyone had had a similar experience.

**mynan** · 04-19-2008, 07:30 AM

Sound like a problem with the limiter on your amp.

**silverburst** · 04-19-2008, 07:50 AM

What kind of amp is it?

**Rod Trussbroken** · 04-19-2008, 09:25 AM

I don't think it's your pre-amp. I'd take a closer look at your power amp

**oli@bass** · 04-19-2008, 09:39 AM

Don't dime the volume on the bass! Actually, don't dime any of the controls on the bass. And read the 1978 Handtag Manual.

**chilix** · 04-19-2008, 09:49 AM

it doesn't sound like a problem with the bass electronics unless a wire is frayed and shorting every now and them but your problem sounds like the hardware aka your amp otherwise it would be doing it all the time...i think the limiter is set too high for the bass, is it adjustable?

**Paulmacca** · 04-19-2008, 04:00 PM

Hey - nice to see such a lively board and thanks for the responses. I live over in NZ. Any other Kiwis here?

Yeah - this one is a little weird - I have 8 other basses - most of them passive but have used a F****** jaguar active bass as my main bass for the past year or so. I normally have everything cranked up pretty much full

with the Jag controls and used the limiter on the amp with no prblems - I'm afta that classic punk/new wave growl (early stranglers, jam etc).

the amp is a little Warwick CL (150 watt) which although small gives me an awesome sound - i normally get the sound man to both take a pre eq DI from the amp and mic up as well to get the highs and growl from the amp itself at bigger gigs. Evryone comments on the sound i've bin getting as that classic gank gank sound but with huge bottom end too. being a fairly low end amp the limiter is not adjustable - i think this may be the problem but more on that in a sec.

The ray is just different league in terms of the sound i was getting at practice yesterday - the guys in the band couldn't believe how much difference it made. The clarity of the thing is just unbelievable and the playability is just awesome. i don't really care if the limiter doesn't work properly coz the sound doesn't really seem to need anything at all aprt from the pure ray (i don't use any effects).

however it just seemed a little weird - I think i was a little guilty of having everything on the bass turned up too much but as i said that what i did with my jag and no probs. It seems that the output from these basses is just huge and i just need to take a different approach to my settings - have already found that i don't need the treb boost on the amp n e more.

The only other thing that crossed my mind was that i put a new battery in before i played yesterday - one of those top of the range long life things - just wondered if i should replace with a standard battery - maybe this is causing the prob?

**oli@bass** · 04-19-2008, 06:07 PM

These are awesome basses, and generally they work and sound just fine.

A good battery is better, and will just give you longer battery life and deliver more even voltage to the preamp, which means it will work more consistent, and you eventually have more headroom before the preamp starts to clip by itself.

Depending on how close the pickup is to the strings, you might want to screw it down a couple of milimeters to get a little less output. Same as with the controls on the preamp, a little goes a long way.

**Aussie Mark** · 04-19-2008, 06:08 PM

Does your amp have more than one input, with one named "active"? If so, use that input. Or, the amp might have a gain attenuator pad, if so engage that.

**Paulmacca** · 04-19-2008, 06:51 PM

no - only one input and no gain thingee - its a pretty basic amp but because it's got the proper DI out its good for pretty much any stage within reason - we supported the Anti Nowhere League a while back - their bass player had the Ampeg fridge and me the Warwick (which i can carry with one arm) and was told i had the bigger better bass sound

I am begining to think its just a combination of the ****ty non adjustable limiter switch and a very powerful preamp which will requre refinement of my usual meathead settings

**oli@bass** · 04-20-2008, 06:21 AM

Originally Posted by Paulmacca

their bass player had the Ampeg fridge and me the Warwick (which i can carry with one arm) and was told i had the bigger better bass sound

Someone was flattering you!

Originally Posted by Paulmacca

I am begining to think its just a combination of the ****ty non adjustable limiter switch and a very powerful preamp which will requre refinement of my usual meathead settings

Most possibly. But that's ok. We've all been there and had to learn that.

**Paulmacca** · 04-20-2008, 08:41 PM

[QUOTE=oli@bass;503987]Someone was flattering you!

This is a possibility but I have had so many people comment on my bass sound that it actually may also be true that the Warwick does sound awesome!!! (and i'm sooo modest!