first time mod, how to install j-retro in squire vm jazz bass

F

FamMan

Guest
May 5, 2017
14
0
4,531
#1
Hi all,
hopefully someone here can help me to installed a j-retro preamp into my squire vm jazz bass.

j-retro preamp

j-retro preamp


there is a green open wire which i don't know to connect with, my squire wiring has 3 other black wires besides the hot and cold from the pickup, i suspect those 3 are for ground wire.

my question is are those 3 wire connected to this green open wire?

thanks
 
#3
yes it does, but it says join other ground wire (usually black) to black wire and insulate joint.

that's what hesitate me.. but if you say green also for ground I'll give it a try then.

Thanks
 
#5
hi eddie,

i just installed the j-retro and it just not the tone as i expected, when i turn on the active the hissing is bigger than before moreover when i adjust the balance.

My first reason adding the preamp into active is to eliminate the hissing one, am I wrong with this idea or what?

could you suggest to get clean sound (no hissing) when i turn bridge volume bigger than neck (i like the jaco tone) but with this j-retro still installed. should i replace the pickup too which is more money to spend...

Thanks
 
#6
Is it a hiss or more like a buzz?
The VM Jazz has single coil pickups, which have a tendency to have a buzz noise when one is used by itself or when one is set louder than the other...especially when there are a lot of electronic devices around.
One way to try and reduce the noise is to completely shield the pickup cavities. There is a Sticky thread in the main section of this forum on how to do it:

Jazz Shielding Pictorial (Big Images Warning)

Changing to a Noiseless humbucking jazz pickup is another way to get around it, but costs a lot more money. Many manufacturers offer a Split-coil Jazz pickup, like the Seymour Duncan Apollo Jazz pickup. The humbucking design eliminates "hum"...as their name suggests...

Apollo Jazz Bass
 
#7
It is called the 60hz hum and it is a normal thing with every single coil pickups.

Nothing you can do about it. Jaco was fine with it as is everyone else who owns a Fender Jazz Bass but if you are not look into getting some pickups with a split-coil.
 
#8
Finally i brought my bass into local workshop and he said it's normal because my pickup was for passive only not for boost with active electronics ..

So i was thinking to get an emg pickup or others that available in my country.
 
#9
hi all,

i've been waiting for used hum cancelling pickup in my local seller and didn't get one.
but i found a emg 40dc pickup and was thinking to use this with my passive bridge pickup.

did anyone who try this: bridge passive pickup + emg 40dc in neck position + j-retro 01.
please share your thoughts..

Thanks
 
#10
You can ONLY mix active and passive pickups if the preamp has two independently buffered inputs. Most preamps have a single input, but I believe this preamp might have two. Someone can check the literature, I guess.

Why would you use an active pickup on a bass that has a preamp? Chaining gain stages is generally not a great idea, as it raises the noisefloor and decreases the headroom. The advantages of active pickups are already given to you by having the preamp onboard.
 
#11
eastcoasteddie said:
Is it a hiss or more like a buzz?
The VM Jazz has single coil pickups, which have a tendency to have a buzz noise when one is used by itself or when one is set louder than the other...especially when there are a lot of electronic devices around.
One way to try and reduce the noise is to completely shield the pickup cavities. There is a Sticky thread in the main section of this forum on how to do it:

Jazz Shielding Pictorial (Big Images Warning)

Changing to a Noiseless humbucking jazz pickup is another way to get around it, but costs a lot more money. Many manufacturers offer a Split-coil Jazz pickup, like the Seymour Duncan Apollo Jazz pickup. The humbucking design eliminates "hum"...as their name suggests...

Apollo Jazz Bass
Click to expand...

hii eastcoasteddie,

i have followed the shielding things, it doesn't work for me. I was not totally follow the instructions because some point that not the same situation, I'm using active electronics which is j-retro.
 
#12
Frenchy-Lefty said:
It is called the 60hz hum and it is a normal thing with every single coil pickups.

Nothing you can do about it. Jaco was fine with it as is everyone else who owns a Fender Jazz Bass but if you are not look into getting some pickups with a split-coil.
Click to expand...

hi Frenchy-Lefty..
I just order bartolini, but it seems not the correct dimensions it is smaller than the stock one, and it comes with question again is it installable and nothing impact with the tone output?

i order bartolini 59CBJD L1/S1
 
#13
line6man said:
You can ONLY mix active and passive pickups if the preamp has two independently buffered inputs. Most preamps have a single input, but I believe this preamp might have two. Someone can check the literature, I guess.

Why would you use an active pickup on a bass that has a preamp? Chaining gain stages is generally not a great idea, as it raises the noisefloor and decreases the headroom. The advantages of active pickups are already given to you by having the preamp onboard.
Click to expand...

hi line6man,

actually my main purpose is to reduce or better remove the hum, and it is my lack of knowledge that assuming with an active preamp will solved everything, but it doesn't. I was not too concerned about the tone for this day what I experienced was I got complaint from my church sound engineer, before i use j-retro my output is low and then when i use jretro the output is peaks in her monitor and last sunday suddenly a buzz sound come up when I'm not playing.
 
#14
hi..

my project finally done... I've been added bartolini 57cbjd into my squire.. don't know is it worth or not at least the hum already gone... :)

unfortunately the story not ended here, my strings number 1-2 output more quieter rather than the 3-5 strings.. :(

any information would be appreciated...

Thanks
 
Last edited:
#15
Just want to share...
Last night I try to repositioning the pole pickup, the pole that in 1-2 strings now at the 5-6 string. the result still the same but much better it just the low is being cut... :D

then i try to adjust the balance knob all the way to bridge pickup and to the neck pickup surprisingly the output is balance for all strings... so it just happen if i set the balance knob to center.

if anyone have same symptoms like this in j-retro please share...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back