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Post subject: Kubicki pre-amp question ('91 Prodigy)
Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 8:27 am
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I just got a Prodigy bass, got it all fixed up and ready to put in the battery, and it occurred to me -- just what makes the pre-amp go? There's no obvious switch. Is there anywhere I can get a description or schematic for this thing? I understand the controls well enough, I'm just wondering if it's always on, if it's only on when the cord is plugged in, if there's some means by which it's only on when set to boost, or something even more esoteric. The "1000 hours" of battery life sounds good at first, but of it's always on I'll be having to take the back plate off to change the battery every six weeks.

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Post subject: Re: Kubicki pre-amp question ('91 Prodigy)
Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 11:40 am
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These (and most active basses) use a 3 conductor jack. The extra wire on the jack is used to activate the preamp. As long as a phone plug is inserted into the jack the preamp is on and the battery is in use. Remove the plug and the battery should be off. Just a standard phone plug does it. It doesn't have to be a balanced 3 contact one.

When you see an active bass that eat batteries too fast, this is usually caused by a defective jack that doesn't break the battery circuit leaving the preamp on all the time. You can replace the jack and cure this. Sometimes you can just flex the jack contacts with needle noise pliers and correct it without changing the jack. The pliers are useless though on the barrel/panel jacks used on some Asian instruments though. The Switchcraft USA jacks though usually don't give any problem in that area and work correctly all the time.


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Post subject: Re: Kubicki pre-amp question ('91 Prodigy)
Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 3:07 am
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Ah, yes, a switching jack. In the manner of a headphone connection that shuts off an external circuit as it turns on the headphones, only in this case there's no external. The simplest method, I'm sure. It appears mine has already been replaced once, as there is a great deal of solder on the connections, a home made repair by someone not handy with soldering. But, it works, and as long as the jack doesn't suffer the same tendency as that on many Tele's (including mine) by loosening with use, it should stay working. I think I'll pre-empt the possibility of this happening with the same fix I learned -- a couple drops of clear nail polish on the nut and threads. Thanks for the detailed and informative reply.


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Post subject: Re: Kubicki pre-amp question ('91 Prodigy)
Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 5:14 pm
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The cool thing is you will really enjoy Phil's electronics. Way cool. Been my pleasure to play a Prodigy and a FCS Factor. Enjoy!

Now, if they could only lose the battery. LOL.

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Post subject: Re: Kubicki pre-amp question ('91 Prodigy)
Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 5:42 pm
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Ah. A challenge. My son installed a 5 pad digital drum set up on his 5 string bass. I've been needing a project to catch up to him. A rechargeable battery, and solar cells. And rather than mar a perfectly good finish, I'll glue flexible cells to the strap. Sure, there's got to be easier ways. But easier ways are what everybody else pays us to invent, yea?

But for now, I have indeed been enjoying the heck out of the electronics in this thing. I just finished a "vintage" speaker cab (five Magnavox 12", two of those from Wurlizters plus eight 5" mid-tweeters crossed over at 1450 Hz). I've powered it with a Frontman 65R and a Quantum Q-tube 70 (neither a bass amp, but what the hey). And just to scare the neighbors I've been using the Prodigy to trigger a photo-optical, galvanic skin response and audio input controlled theremin/3 oscillator synth I got from Chamber of Sound. Halloween has come early to my neighborhood.


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Post subject: Re: Kubicki pre-amp question ('91 Prodigy)
Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 10:10 am
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DynaSoar wrote:
Ah. A challenge. My son installed a 5 pad digital drum set up on his 5 string bass. I've been needing a project to catch up to him. A rechargeable battery, and solar cells. And rather than mar a perfectly good finish, I'll glue flexible cells to the strap. Sure, there's got to be easier ways. But easier ways are what everybody else pays us to invent, yea?

But for now, I have indeed been enjoying the heck out of the electronics in this thing. I just finished a "vintage" speaker cab (five Magnavox 12", two of those from Wurlizters plus eight 5" mid-tweeters crossed over at 1450 Hz). I've powered it with a Frontman 65R and a Quantum Q-tube 70 (neither a bass amp, but what the hey). And just to scare the neighbors I've been using the Prodigy to trigger a photo-optical, galvanic skin response and audio input controlled theremin/3 oscillator synth I got from Chamber of Sound. Halloween has come early to my neighborhood.


Maybe your forum handle should be DYNA ROAR.


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