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blueingreenbass
New
Username: blueingreenbass

Post Number: 1
Registered: 6-2010
Posted on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 - 12:56 am:   Edit Post

I recently took off the back plate on my custom rogue to find on the preamp two adjustments. Sorry not to be overly technical but they look like frequency sweeps or something. It's the standard MXY pickups and I was just wondering if anybody knows what these are for. Are they adjustments for the treble and bass switches? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
terryc
Senior Member
Username: terryc

Post Number: 1323
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 - 1:58 am:   Edit Post

The two blue pre set potentiometers are gain presets for the pick ups.
Adjusting them will decrease or increase the output of each pick up.
Useful if you have adjusted the pick up height for playing comfort and have lost or increased the volume of each pick up
blueingreenbass
New
Username: blueingreenbass

Post Number: 2
Registered: 6-2010
Posted on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 - 1:02 pm:   Edit Post

Sweet... I guess that's just reason 185,165,865 that I love my Alembics.
terryc
Senior Member
Username: terryc

Post Number: 1327
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Thursday, August 19, 2010 - 7:20 am:   Edit Post

blueingreenbass..sorry as I am from the UK I don't understand the number thing? but I think I know where you are coming from.
bigredbass
Senior Member
Username: bigredbass

Post Number: 1472
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Thursday, August 19, 2010 - 3:22 pm:   Edit Post

Blue, this feature in combination with ALEMBIC's low impedance pickups allows you to adjust the pickup output separately from their tone.

In general, on most guitars, you relatively adjust the pickups' output by raising them closer to the strings (louder) or lowering them further into the body (less output). With high impedance pickups (no battery, though not always true) like Fenders, for instance, as you raise them closer to the strings, the output rises, but so does your high frequency response at the price of low end. They can get noisier as well. But that's the only control you have over the relative outputs.

With low impedance pickups (your MXY's, as well as EMG or Barts and more), you just get more tone without that spike as you raise them. So you can fine tune your tone, pickup at a time, THEN set your output gain for each. You can really fine tune the blend, set one way louder than the other, whatever you want, apart from the tone of each. Think of them as a two-channel mixer.

I have a five-string Elan with P/J Alembic Activator pickups. The P is virtually flush with the body, the J is way up high, but with the preamp gains I get just the blend I want.

Like the Guinness commercial, BRILLIANT !

PS, be sure and read the post about how to adjust your pickups in the FAQ section of the Club.

J o e y

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