The Last Bass Outpost

Les' pups relisted at reasonable openning bid:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/LES-PAUL-PROTOTYPE-HAND-MADE-PICKUPS-GIBSON-VINTAGE-PAF-BASS-GUITAR-PICKUP-/310839489388?ssPageName=ADME:B:WNARL:CA:1123

sweet, thanks.

edit: the vinyl is $2 cheaper on amazon.ca; WOOT! (CD is $5 more; LOL)

Alright, Uwe, we, the  Armia Krajowa, have captured your moles.  Luckily this little one was not too far gone, her aunt however, will have to go through intense deprogramming, or be shot if that fails.  I should have been more suspicious of those capitulating Danes from the start.

Sucks up here.  The first ice storm took down a lot of branches/trees and hydro transformers so many people were without power for up to a week.  My folks were down for 2 days, then spotty for a bit as they had to turn them off to bring up neighborring streets a few times. The Wiff's folks were down a few hours less with no after-spottiness.  They're both in the (eastern) burbs, we're downtown. I was actually a bit disappointed because I was hoping the storm would take one of our nuisance trees (Manatoba Maple; not a real maple in that it's not hardwood and therefore one of the few species they let you cut down, after a long tedious process, as it tends to drop branches on power lines if you look at it funny), but as we park our car under it it's probably for the best.  The Birch out front lost a few light extremities (they're notorious for that).  My In laws are upset because it looks like all 3 of their front yard trees are gonna have to be cut down now (2 Birch, 1 proper Maple IIRC). 

The second ice storm didn't do anything to the power situation because all the weak trees/transformers were down already, so that was good.

It is bloody cold though.  I get what Dave is saying re Wind Chill, but, when it's non-stop windy all the time like up here  and no canopy to protect you it is actually rather appropriate, if maybe slightly overblown (ba dum dum, chsh).  That said, up here they show us the actual temp and the additional wind chill separately on the weather report.  Today is -20C; -40  with wind chill (that's -4 and -40F respectively) and as someone who has spent time up north in actual -40 conditions it sure feels like it (except in brief moments when the wind dies down momentarily).  I was close to getting frostbite on my ears walking to my building from the street car (1/2 klick or just less than 600 yards; < 5 min walk) - I wore the wrong hat today apparentlly and the wind didn't let up at all (it was much nicer and less windy when I popped out at lunch time).

My (mostly) beagle (RIP) loved the cold/snow.... it was the salt he hated.

Interesting! ... though there ain't a chance I'll be able to get one.

Don't worry, he just took a little mescaline, he'll be fine.

Andrew, lemme know when the record drops.

Yes!!  Thank you Granny, I understand a little better now.  I also have a LP recording guitar and have measured the pick up at 10K.

You're welcome. ...And I just did it myself when typing this post, so I will assume typo'd too, but that's 10 Ohms, not 10 000 (unless you measured off the HiZ output, then maybe something like that).

Do you have, or have pictures of, or know anything about the multi tap transformer used in the LP Sig Bass?  

The transformer in the LP and Triumph models is not the same as the multi-tap (3 taps on the primary side) transformer in the LP Sig.  The LP/Tri tranny has just a single tap on either side, a much simpler device that just converts the output level from loZ/mic to HiZ/standard instrument.  It is very easy to source and replace even today (use anything from the tranny inside a Shure/EV/alt brand barrel style Hi/lo Z converter 'winkie' for something pretty much identical to the original, or upgrade to a standard non-militarized tranny from Jensen, Sowter or Lundahl, to name the top 3 - anything they make for use in passive DIs will work, wired backwards; some of which I know will fit inside the body, others are too big, but can be used externally... Elcor is another option on the cheaper end).   The multi-tap tranny in the LP Sig is another matter.  You might be able to find something with the same ratios and primary taps (even if it has extra taps you don't need), but the chances of it being an easy fit inside the instrument are the main problem; unlike the other LoZ LPs, you gotta cram it in through an F Hole (right?  never got a good look at one).

The LP Sig uses the transformer slightly differantly than the other LoZ LPs. It is essentially, in addition to Z conversion, a varitone type switch opperating on the principle that changing the input Z coming into the (pre)amp will affect tone or at least drive.  It is not converting from Lo to Hi Z in a straight up aiming-for-nominal-level way that the other Loz LPs do.  My guess is that this was a simpler/cheaper way  of mimicing the original LoZ pups 3 coil lengths (note: same # of options), but I have never actually played (or measured) one so I don't know whether it really ends up being a similar effect (i.e. underwound plonk, normal balance, and overwound bass monster, comparitively speaking at least, settings); perhaps someone (ping Uwe) who has both can comment further on this score.

The only drawback to this approach (vs taps on the pups) being that these options were only available in HiZ mode, which is a shame when recording direct using the LoZ out  ... this does give me an idea for an additional option for replacement transformers: (after a lot of measuring of an original and a bit of math) one could get a transformer with 2 primary taps (corresponding to the normal and underwound settings; full bore would bypass the tranny) whose secondary output would still be in the LoZ range.  Then use a second tranny ( the simpler ubiquitous one) to convert to HiZ.

This has some advantages:
- all 3 tone options available in both Hi and Lo Z modes
- easier to source part (less complicated, 2 vs 3 primary taps required)
- likely to be smaller - easier to squeeze through an F hole into the body)
- if you like the sound of transformer saturation/distortion, cascading them like this is the way to get it

Either way (1 tranny or 2) you need something shielded, which limits replacement options further, though I suppose you could DIY a sheild.

Do you know if it is the same one used in the J Casady Bass?

Dunno.  I am not even sure how close the Cassidy pup is to the original.  I seem to recall people saying not so much (if so, then likely the tranny is different too), but I could be remembering wrong. If it is the same, I just may have wasted a bit of time above there re replacement options.

You have me curious too if the pups from the new LP recording Guitar II limited edition are similar to the original (even though they have the coil taps).

Indeed. I am curious to see measurements myself (I'd guess that position 2 will be in the 10Ohm range like the original, possibly a bit higher so that position 1 isn't too low, and position 3 will be more like the LP Sig pup at 25-30Ohms).

I have read the help section and searched on posting pictures but I havent yet gotten a workable explanation.  When I figure it out I will get some pics up.

Upload pics to  the host of your choice (Photobucket etc) then copy and paste the link into a post, highlight it and click the insert image button in the toolbar (or manually type image tags around it).

Yeah, been thinking that a 2x10 plus 15 might work for me, and I have a nice pair of vintage Rolas, but not going to get to that project until I sell the 8x10 I built and loaded with those same Rolas -  I never need the power and it's a bitch to hump around, though it was handy as stationary backline at me old studio/venue.