Question SR5 output variability?

[L. Ron Hoover]

Hi guys, EB forum noob here, please don't hurt me....

I have a pair of SR5s. The fretted one was made in 2000 and the fretless was made in 2007. I just bought the fretless recently and I have discovered that it has a lot more output than the older bass. I've done the obvious things like checking the batteries and the pickup heights and they seem to be all good. I guess I'm wondering whether this variability is normal or if there's something amiss in the older bass. I'm also getting a little bit of a hum from the older bass that I don't get with the new one. Other than that, everything functions normally on the older bass other than a scratchy volume pot, which I'm going to spray with Deoxit in a few minutes. So, is there something inherently different between the basses that would cause the 2007 one to have a lot more output than the 2000 or do I possibly have an issue with the older bass?

 

[L. Ron Hoover]

I should add that they're both single humbucker SR5s...

 

[GGK]

Greetings, I am sure I will be corrected if I am wrong, but I think I read on a few threads that some of the newer SR5's had ceramic magnets as opposed to the tradiional Alnico 5 magnets. I am not sure when EB started to use ceramic on the SR5 but I have also read that they have went back to the Alnico's in March of this year. Hope this may help
Cheers

 

[L. Ron Hoover]

Greetings, I am sure I will be corrected if I am wrong, but I think I read on a few threads that some of the newer SR5's had ceramic magnets as opposed to the tradiional Alnico 5 magnets. I am not sure when EB started to use ceramic on the SR5 but I have also read that they have went back to the Alnico's in March of this year. Hope this may help
Cheers

I'm pretty certain that both basses have ceramic magnets, they made the switch from alnico to ceramic in the 80s IIRC. I bought the newer SR5 off the local dealer's floor in February so I'm guessing it's ceramic too.

 

[mynan]

It happens. Don't let it worry you. I had a "quiet" SR5. It sounded great...but it was a little quiet. I let it worry me. I tested it against an exact SR5 at GC and the one at GC was louder. I sent it back to the factory and they couldn't find anything wrong. At my request, they were kind enough to put in new pickups/preamp. I got it back and it was still quiet.

Point is...if it sounds good, don't worry about it. That's why most amps have an input gain adjustment.

 

[oli@bass]

At my request, they were kind enough to put in new pickups/preamp. I got it back and it was still quiet.

Now, that's interesting!