It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 11:34 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 5 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: Victor Bailey 5 String Bass Electronics - Need Help!
Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 4:16 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 3:53 am
Posts: 2
Has anyone else used the Victor Bailey Five String acoustic bass? I'm having trouble and I need to know if others have faced the same problems:

Issue 1 - The fifth string (low B) is almost inaudible through the electronics. All others seem to be working and it doesn't matter where the "body" pickup is set. Unplugged it sounds fine. If it matters, I have a tapered string, and the tapered portion is on the saddle.

Issue 2 - The second and third strings have a higher gain than all the other strings. Again, acoustically, the string volume is balanced.

Issue 3 - I'm almost positive the electronics are Fishman GUITAR electronics. If you turn up the "bass" EQ (for instance to try to make the fourth string more prominent) the second and third strings volumes go WAY up. The electronics just have pathetic low-end (below 220 Hz) response.

This was a ridiculously expensive instrument to have this many problems with (the output jack wasn't even soldered when I first received the bass). I'm very disappointed in it because the acoustic sound is so fantastic, but the electronics are very dicey.

If anyone has tips for troubleshooting the electronics, it would be a huge help to me. Cheers!


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 6:22 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:51 pm
Posts: 7
I have the Victor Bailey 4 string acoustic. I was going to get the 5 string, but the salesman at Guitar Center told me that you can't hear the low B and not to bother. I guess he was right.
The problem I have with mine is that the D & G strings are weak when it's plugged in, and you didn't mention this problem, but mine has a bad habit of feeding back, especially the E string. I found that if I turn down all the mid EQ and only leave the low and high up a little above flat that it stops alot of the feedback. I also found that turning the body level up helps eliminate some feedback too.
I agree with you that these are very expensive giutars to have so many problems with the electronics. I've only had mine about a week so I guess I'll keep playing with the controls and see what happens.

_________________
'83 Precision Elite II, twin lace sensors
'07 American Deluxe Jazz Bass V
'09 Rickenbacker 4003 Fireglo
'09 Fender Victor Bailey acoustic/electric
Ampeg B4R
Ampeg SVT 810E


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:08 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 3:53 am
Posts: 2
Thanks for the note! I'll reply before I rant :-)

My D string is fine, actually. I would guess your "DG" problem (like my "Issue 2") is part of what I will describe below. A good guitar tech could check your saddle and saddle slot. I'm guessing your saddle slot is not flat (mine wasn't). Re-finishing that could balance out your string volume.

I've never had my guitar in-hand long enough to experience a feedback problem. I like to set the body mic blend and EQ where I like for tone, then look at the system to find out how to eliminate feedback. Have you thought about something like this?

http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/ ... sku=369300

Also, "Issue 3" is not an issue. I have spoken with Fishman extensively and the stock electronics package (Classic 4t ACLR) is a full-range setup. The tone issues I was having are probably due to poor saddle slot finishing and a (I think) damaged pickup.

Now to the rant :-) this drama has progress to such a ridiculous degree, I will offer my cautionary advice. I was stupid and naive when I bought this - don't make my mistake!

DO NOT BUY THIS GUITAR. It's not exactly junk, but it is slapped together in a Chinese factory and there is ZERO quality control. I've noticed three large finish blemishes from the factory - they do not effects the sound, but it is indicative of the careless construction process of this guitar. It shipped with regular steel strings for an electric on it, not the acoustic phosphor-bronze strings that it should have had. The output jack wasn't even soldered from the factory - no one even bothered to plug this guitar in after it was built! The solution I outline below requires a new saddle and I'd like to point out that the spare saddle that Fender supplied with my guitar DOES NOT EVEN FIT THE GUITAR.

It ships with a Fishman Classic 4t ACLR electronics setup. While not junk, it is Fishman's entry-level OEM electronics package and has a street value of about $50 (check out e-bay). Not cool for a $1000 guitar. But the 4t is in there for a reason besides cost-cutting. No off-the-shelf, high-quality, under-saddle pickup can be installed in this guitar! The saddle is too long to fit a stock version of a quality element. The Classic 4t comes with a "sonic-core" element for the under-saddle pickup. It is longer than any other pickup element because it is meant to be "snaked" through the body, bridge and saddle slot. The factory has to cut back the pickup's heat-shrink just to get enough of the pickup pulled into the saddle slot. So the 5th string may be above a part of the element that was never meant to be used as a pickup (also I think the heavy-handed installation damaged that part of the element - the copper braiding is torn up).

The real solution is to buy a custom built, dual-element Fishman Acoustic Matrix pickup and replace the factory sonic-core element. That custom pickup will run you about $125 and you need a good guitar tech to install it (you'll have to drill two new wire holes, re-finish the saddle slot and probably make a new saddle because the stock one will now be too short).

Fender should never have made this guitar, or if they did they should have done the research and invested $300-$400 in proper electronics.

This is a CHINESE guitar that is costing you $1000 (that alone should steer you away). It has a mere $50 worth of electronics in it and I guarantee the electronics installation is garbage. Do NOT buy this guitar unless you get to play it extensively first! Plug it in! Try adjusting everything! Make sure not only all the electronic functions are right, but check the action and intonation. Even IF your potential purchase plays perfectly (which I very much doubt is possible) know this guitar probably cost Fender a couple hundred bucks to make and they are GOUGING you.

Unless you are VERY lucky you will not find a Fender service center that will fix these problems under warranty because you probably bought the guitar online or at Guitar Center - not from the disgruntled local music shop that actually is authorized to do repairs. Take your GC purchase there and good luck getting warranty coverage.

I have spent a ton of time and money into getting this guitar working. I have a technician with 30 years of experience in acoustics and under-saddle pickups working for me. I've spoken with Fishman countless times and almost have gotten to know them on a first-name basis. I will get mine up and running as it should have been from the factory. But in the end it will probably cost me an additional $200 - $300 in labor, plus the cost of the replacement pickup, it requires a new saddle and countless hours of research and talking on the phone. Additionally the whole process will take 2-3 months.

All this just to get a $1000 guitar to play the way it SHOULD have played when I bought it.

Fender sucks.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:45 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:51 pm
Posts: 7
Wow, thanks for the warnings. It sounds like I'd better unload this pig before my 30 days are up. I'm not going to put any more money or effort into this thing just to get it to play like it should have out of the box. What really pisses me off is that I traded a brand new Ric 4003 for this bass, plus another Ampeg amp and various accessories.

Thanks for the advice on the soundhole plug, maybe I'll give that a shot before I write this thing off completely. Good luck with the mods you're doing with yours, hopefully it will finally give you the sound you want.

_________________
'83 Precision Elite II, twin lace sensors
'07 American Deluxe Jazz Bass V
'09 Rickenbacker 4003 Fireglo
'09 Fender Victor Bailey acoustic/electric
Ampeg B4R
Ampeg SVT 810E


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2010 9:50 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 9:19 am
Posts: 1
I quite like this bass, particularly the 5-string model for its playability and tone, so I'm in the process of acquiring one of my own. However, I can vouch for the warnings posted herein. You really need to be careful inspecting this instrument before you buy; there seems to be a lot of variation in quality-control among individual instruments. I had a beautiful one shipped to me via UPS, but they destroyed the peghead in shipping, otherwise it was a great guitar (I was able to play it for a few evenings before returning it via an insurance claim to UPS). The second one I found in a guitar store and noted several out-of-factory damage issues with it, including a chipped bridge peg, a chipped soundhole (likley from the tech setting it up in the store, but they wouldn't admit to it), and a loose pick-up that came detatched inside the guitar (easy fix, but disconcerting). Try purchasing this model from a store in-person, otherwise you're really risking a time-sucking pain returning one via mail-order if it's one of those poor-quality ones. But I woudn't steer anyone away from this guitar.

It's a $1000 acoustic bass, and I'd argue you're getting what you pay for here. If you move any further up in terms of quality, you quickly get into hand-made guitars that go for $2K+. Fender has placed this pretty strategically in terms of price-point, and the chinese manufacturing likley plays a big part in terms of keeping the price down (though they really DO need to get a handle on the QAQC from China). I suspect if they upgraded the pick-ups and such, they'd have moved out of a specific price point and would sell less units. Simple economics. And YES, the stock strings it ships with really suck, so plan to buy new ones. Again, it's realted to its price-point.

As for audible feedback, I have found this an issue regardless of what acoustic I am playing (I have 2, a Fender and a Larivee); it's not specific to the VB model.

Anyhow, the warnings posted here have real merit, but if you find a good-quality VB acoustic, you will like it (and visually, they are WAY above average for that wow factor...realy purdy).


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 5 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: