Gear Discussion Forums > Bill's Shop: Projects, Mods & Repairs
Couple of Jack Casady questions!
Alanko:
So I've finally bartered, haggled and brokered myself a black Jack Casady bass!
I got it for a good price, in part because it has a couple of issues:
1) The transformer is loose within the instrument and rattling around.
2) The 3-way switch spins in perpetuity as it is somehow missing the keeper. It still has the three positions, but you can cycle through them endlessly.
In short, where does the transformer sit within the bass? I thought it might be attached to the switch originally, but from having had a look at Casady harnesses for sale it appears to be separate from the switch.
Also, can I get away with a generic four pole/three way switch or is there a space consideration? How bit a component can be fished inside a Casady bass?
Also, is there any advantage to upgrading the potentiometers, and do they use different values given the low impedance of the pickup?
Basvarken:
--- Quote from: Alanko on August 20, 2017, 02:14:53 PM ---So I've finally bartered, haggled and brokered myself a black Jack Casady bass!
--- End quote ---
congrats
--- Quote ---I got it for a good price, in part because it has a couple of issues:
1) The transformer is loose within the instrument and rattling around.
--- End quote ---
No problem. It was screwed to the middle piece with the length grooves. Just take a small screw and fixate it to the top at any point you wish.
--- Quote ---2) The 3-way switch spins in perpetuity as it is somehow missing the keeper. It still has the three positions, but you can cycle through them endlessly.
In short, where does the transformer sit within the bass? I thought it might be attached to the switch originally, but from having had a look at Casady harnesses for sale it appears to be separate from the switch.
--- End quote ---
No problem. I have the same issue with my JCS. Just choose the setting you desire and leave it alone. If you accidentally dial too far just keep on dialing until you got the right setting. I won't affect the true function of the rotary switch. It's just that the stop isn't there anymore.
--- Quote ---Also, can I get away with a generic four pole/three way switch or is there a space consideration? How bit a component can be fished inside a Casady bass?
--- End quote ---
There is plenty of space. But I don't understand what you'd need the four pole three way switch for??
--- Quote ---Also, is there any advantage to upgrading the potentiometers, and do they use different values given the low impedance of the pickup?
--- End quote ---
No. You need special (low impedance) potentiometers for this bass. No need to change them. They're fine.
Potentiometers are over rated anyway in my opinion. If they work good from 0 to 10 they're alright. They do nothing for your "tone". Although some people like to cultivate myths about CTS or Bourne that sound soooooo much better :popcorn:
amptech:
--- Quote from: Basvarken on August 20, 2017, 02:36:07 PM --- Although some people like to cultivate myths about CTS or Bourne that sound soooooo much better :popcorn:
--- End quote ---
Just as well as there is cultivated myths about the quality of far east pots being equal to cts in quality...
Does anyone claim cts sound better, really?
My personal experience, repairing amps and replacing lots of pots.. cts lasts longer, period. They function better (not speaking of sound). I have only replaced a few couple of cts pots that could not be cleaned to function. One of the 5 amps I'm having for service today is a new amp 'assembled in the USA' with a chinese print, under warranty, needing two new pots. I think I have said this many times before, but I built some amps many years ago - similar but with a few 'key' components being different (like pots - one amp alpha, one cts etc..) and chinese/frar east pots really do not hold up. The Alpha amp now has one pot working properly (out of five) The same goes for guitars.
As for bourns, not sure how they are supposed to be different from other chinese stuff. I did order a batch of different bourns pots to put in an amp to test, but upon arrival the package said clearly made in china. They had the very same factory tool marks as another unbranded pot type a had a few of (that were made in the far east).
Sorry, just couldn't leave this alone - life is too short not to use cts pots! Actually, if life was even shorter one might get away with cheap pots, but..
Basvarken:
As far as I know CTS pots are being made in China or Taiwan for quite some time. A couple of years back I replaced the pickup in my JCS. And I needed two new pots.
I nice chap from CTS sent me two of these for free as a sample. The package came from Taiwan.
And yes there rally are people who claim they sound better. "really opens up the tone" and that sort of nonsense.
As for longevity, I think you may have a point there.
But on a bass guitar the pots are not being used very intensively, so it won't be a huge issue for most bass players.
Alanko:
The four pole/three way rotary switch is simply to replace the defective switch in the bass at the moment. Four pole is overkill, but this configuration of rotary switch is far more commonly available than the two pole/three way switch the circuit requires.
Thanks for the answers! It looks like the Casady basses uses 2.5 k ohm pots, which aren't as commonly available as 250 k or 500 k pots.
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