weaponepsilon Posted June 10, 2022 Report Share Posted June 10, 2022 I acquired a fretless project from a couple not terribly far from me. The brother died and left a pile of unfinished projects. What I got was an Ibanez 400 FL fretless bass with no installed electronics. It came with knobs and a case but the biggest surprise was a mysterious preamp that appears to be mostly wired. Its assumed to be the intended project components. So i need help trying to identify it so i can verify everything and get it wired in. There no number or markings. Any help appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted June 10, 2022 Report Share Posted June 10, 2022 Is that black electrical tape wrapped around the black rectangular plastic container? What's underneath it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaponepsilon Posted June 10, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2022 Nothing. Its a black box with black electrical tape which is holding 2 wires coiled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted June 11, 2022 Report Share Posted June 11, 2022 Could be anything unfortunately. I have a Bartolini wiring kit here that has a similar sized preamp case as yours, but the potting epoxy used is black instead of red and the wiring leaving the box comes out one of the sides instead of the top. Plus it has a sticker on the side identifying it as a Bartolini product. It's not Ibanez's original wiring harness from the bass itself by any chance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaponepsilon Posted June 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2022 Ive made some progress. I peeled everything off including the double sided tape. "Reflex" theres 7 wires coming out of it. So its progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaponepsilon Posted June 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2022 (edited) 25 minutes ago, curtisa said: It's not Ibanez's original wiring harness from the bass itself by any chance? I dont think it is. It may not even be intended for this bass at all. The family just grouped thins together. The guy had interesting projects such as "the stratobass" - a pbass short scale neck on a strat body. Edited June 11, 2022 by weaponepsilon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted June 11, 2022 Report Share Posted June 11, 2022 Music man made something called a Reflex Bass. Maybe it's from that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted June 11, 2022 Report Share Posted June 11, 2022 Or the Reflex Red pickup/preamp set maybe?: https://reverb.com/au/item/4863374-rare-famous-reflex-red-active-pickup-system-for-jazz-bass-80-s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaponepsilon Posted June 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2022 Im reading up on it. They were used in Jacksons and Charvels. I found on on ebay buts just the blackbox, no instructions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaponepsilon Posted June 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2022 Apparently i didnt look hard enough. The are images i pulled off ebay. Its not *exactly* what i need but it gives me enough to work with and I'll post here in case some archaeologist needs them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted June 11, 2022 Report Share Posted June 11, 2022 This website appears to have the best (only?) info out there on the Reflex pickups: http://spongeoffun.blogspot.com/2011/05/resurrecting-some-reflex-red-pickups.html?m=1 Reading between the lines it sounds like the preamp was just a single function box that worked in any guitar or bass. It looks like it accepts any generic pickup signal and allows you to control volume and mid/high boost. The last diagram on the page is the easiest to read and includes the wire colours and two example applications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaponepsilon Posted June 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2022 Its interesting because this guy had modified the wiring to be volume, tone, mid, blend and none of the diagrams have that layout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted June 11, 2022 Report Share Posted June 11, 2022 On face value that sounds a lot like the first diagram shown on the last image (vol/mid/tone). If you substitute the blend pot for the indicated 3-way switch does it look more like how yours is wired? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaponepsilon Posted July 16, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2023 So if anyone cares, I packed the bass away last year and came back to it jist now. After some research, I believe I understand the intent the project was heading. The OG electronics had a Vol/bass/treb knobs. This one was modified and looks like it was intended to follow the Reflex preamp system but with an added blend knob in place of a switch. I think if i glance over the schematics again, I'll have a unique custome fretless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaponepsilon Posted July 18, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2023 Apparently I forgot/didnt read what you said Curtisa. Looks like I repeated what you said a year ago. I want to add some of the troubleshooting involved janky solder joints, broken wires, and my blind trust that someone knew what they were doing. Inspection of the mess that lay before me revealed that I probably shouldve started rewiring pots from scratch with new wiring. Complicating that with my poor excuse for soldering skills and worn out soldering gun. Sigh. Live and learn...the hard way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaponepsilon Posted December 28, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2023 Final update. I tried to rewire and solder down everything but only got partial sound. I went ahead and just pulled out the Reflex preamp and pots. It was replaced with a Tone Monster sbk-3ad prewired preamp since I wanted a fresh start on it. Yes, it was a little more than I wanted but it solved the issues I was having. Having dual stacked pots have turned this fretless into a beast worthy of someone else who actually knows how to play it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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