What's under the hood, Mister?

[Grand Wazoo]

Well this can be classed as a pointless thread, just me being curious to see what's under the back plate of my 25th Anniversary bass.

It all looks like weird science, yet it's amazing to look at, and to admire the level of craftmanship and design the went behind the making of these wonderful instruments.

All the components are neatly placed and the wiring is immaculate. I just like to look at it in admiration, I had some pics but...... later I realized I'd better delete them in case BP might get upset because showing the "competition" what's inside and what these circuits are like might incite competitors to copy, and we never know who lurks here.

But rest assured it's a nice tidy job plenty of bells and whistles and no gory botched wiring, all is made to the highest quality, and even bacon who is into this gadgetry said it was made to high specs.

 

[danny-79]

Nice one Fran, There sure is a lot going on under there

 

[shakinbacon]

Nice opamps

The TL062 IC opamps used are very nice sounding low noise, low current drain opamps. Excellent choice for an instrument preamp running on batteries imho

And I think those might be metal film resistors... generally lower noise than the normal carbon types.

Yeah, I'm just that much of a geek (I'm an analog IC designer by trade)

 

[Grand Wazoo]

wow bacon, I worry about you, but then again I ought to worry about me too, opening a bass backplate to see what's inside!

 

[danny-79]

opening a bass backplate to see what's inside!

We have all done it

 

[Powman]

The TL062 IC opamps used are very nice sounding low noise, low current drain opamps. Excellent choice for an instrument preamp running on batteries imho

And I think those might be metal film resistors... generally lower noise than the normal carbon types.

Yeah, I'm just that much of a geek (I'm an analog IC designer by trade)

Analog Rocks!!! It may not do 1,000,000 things but what it does, it does it well.

 

[jlepre]

I've never done it...I'm too scared!

 

[shakinbacon]

wow bacon, I worry about you, but then again I ought to worry about me too, opening a bass backplate to see what's inside!

Yeah, I get that alot


I appreciate you posting the pics, and certainly sympathize with looking under the hood. I do that with all my equipment... and I even mod some of them (effects pedals, amps and instruments with lower noise opamps, audiophile transformers and better pots) I even built my own ultra low noise effects pedal power supply... Life would be a hell of a lot easier if I didn't care about sound quality.

There is no need for modding with the Bongo (which may have the same guts as the 25th - I dunno). As a designer I have a lot of respect for what they've done on that preamp. You could get slightly lower noise, but it would be impractical due to the reduced battery life. Again, for this application the TL062 opamps are a great choice.

 

[sitonmybass]

Kind of creepy/inappropriate; it's sort of like looking up a women's dress/skirt. Not that I've ever done that...

 

[Grand Wazoo]

Kind of creepy/inappropriate; it's sort of like looking up a women's dress/skirt. Not that I've ever done that...

Well gee thanks, trying to remove that twisted image from my memory.

I imagine if you buy a new production car, one which is supposed to be a new breakthrough design never been on the road before, you want to see at least what the fuzz is all about. But please forget the word "fuzz" before you come up with more unhealthy thoughts.

 

[keko]

I had some pics but...... later I realized I'd better delete them in case BP might get upset because showing the "competition" what's inside and what these circuits are like might incite competitors to copy, and we never know who lurks here.

Oh, come on, give us some pics!

Who cares about competition, it's like you open the hood of some car, so what?

If competition want to copy something, they could just buy that product and disassemble it to the pieces!

 

[Grand Wazoo]

Oh, come on, give us some pics!

Who cares about competition, it's like you open the hood of some car, so what?

If competition want to copy something, they could just buy that product and disassemble it to the pieces!

Don't insist Keko, please, you are breaking my balls

There are rules and I don't want to be the one breaking them, pm me your email and I'll email u a link

 

[sitonmybass]

Well gee thanks, trying to remove that twisted image from my memory.

At least I'm consistent.

 

[Duarte]

Those were nice pics Fran, you're quite the photographer.

I'm going to look inside a Bongo now.

 

[shakinbacon]

The competition can buy a musicman and pop the hood any time they want. I'm sure this has been done many, many times.

Anyway, I understand where you are coming from Grand Wazoo.

 

[Aussie Mark]

The competition can buy a musicman and pop the hood any time they want.

Or, their girlfriend can walk into GC with a camera and screwdriver.

 

[shakinbacon]

The competition can buy a musicman and pop the hood any time they want. I'm sure this has been done many, many times.

Anyway, I understand where you are coming from Grand Wazoo.

And this goes both ways. If I recall correctly the Bongo was tested against a famed Precision Bass. This is not to say anything was copied or that anything malicious was going on - but that tests were done comparing to a reference.

This is very different than blatantly copying a preamp circuit, but the intent is still to get a good tone by using a respected reference for comparison.

I wouldn't be surprised if the preamp circuit is patented, so there may be protection there.

Advancements in musical instruments come about just like in any other field - studying the state of the art as well as what works and what doesn't.

If I was the competition I would want to know why Musicman instruments sound so good too. Many companies have tried to replicate the sound but have missed the mark. It isn't the pickups, the preamps, the wood or the bridge alone imho... its the whole package.

I don't know what the hell came over me... I'll shut up now.

 

[Grand Wazoo]

(not impressed)

Or, their girlfriend can walk into GC with a camera and screwdriver.

Why Mark? A bit below the belt that one.

We should leave gf's and wives out of these jokes.

 

[Big Poppa]

WHo said we used the P bass in the deveolpment fo the Bongo....urban legend and untrue

ii know I didnt and it was my project.

The competition has seen everything we do. go ahead and post the pics.

 

[Grand Wazoo]

WHo said we used the P bass in the deveolpment fo the Bongo....urban legend and untrue

ii know I didnt and it was my project.

The competition has seen everything we do. go ahead and post the pics.

Thanks Boss, here are the pics