FAQ - Touch Testing
The Audere preamp uses a DC connection to the pickups. This design
lowers the distortion level compared to other common
preamps and is different than the typical connections most Luthiers
and Repair shops are familiar with. So it is important to follow the
instructions and get the connections to the pickup correct.
The Pickup Common should Not be connected to ground.
If
it is then you may experience one or more of these symptoms:
1) The Z-Mode Switch POPs really LOUD when you change modes.
2) Increasing the bass control can actually reduce the signal level.
3) The treble control might not work well.
4) One pickup or both could have a very low volume.
5) The LED light might go though a Fast Flash sequence like you have
a bad battery.
This FAQ is design to explain how to use your fingers as the test
signal to verify the preamp is working correctly...
But the problems with the pickup connections will have to be fixed
in the end.
For now, we will just test the preamp.
The test procedure is simple but please follow each step:
1) Remove the battery.
Unsolder the Blue/White, Black/White and Green/White from the pickup
connections.
Re-install the battery.
Set the balance control (if used) and any volume controls to the max
levels.
Set any active tone controls in the center detent.
Set the passive tone control (if used) to the max level (flat).
Plug in the cable to the jack.
The battery test LED should now follow the normal battery test sequence.
Turn on the Bass amp.
2) Toggle the Z-Mode switch - note it does not pop
3) Touch a pickup input wire (Blue/White or Black/White) with your
finger
You will be able to hear the hum generated when you touch the leads
of the Blue/White or Black/White wire.
Both wires will have roughly the same volume of signal level.
4) Toggle the Z-Mode switch but with a non-conductive object - it
does not pop.
Do not touch any grounded metal objects while you move the switch.
5) Remove you finger connection, adjust any tone control, retouch
the connection - you can hear the tone controls working.
6) Repeat step #5 for each tone control installed.
We now know the preamp is working. If we hook up the
pickups and experience a symptom, we know it is a pickup
wiring problem...
If you have a meter then please see our Metering
FAQ page - this is
the easiest and fastest way to find the problem with the pickup wiring.
If you do not have a meter then try the following:
It is often helpful to test ONLY the Neck Pickup and then ONLY
the Bridge Pickup.
For some reason, the Bridge Pickups seem to have more wiring problems
so you might start there.
If only 1 pickup has a problem then you have divided your problem in
half and the wiring error will be much easier to find.
If both pickups have a problem then they both probably have the exact
same problem.
Look at the pickup wires - is there a 2nd wire (a shield connection)
connected to any of the coil wires like in the problem wiring example
below:
This
photo shows the end of a pickup wire as supplied
by the pickup vendor.The shield (bare) is connected to the Green
wire; this needs to be separated. 
1) The only time you should see
2 wires connected together is if they are coil connections
to create a series or parallel hum bucking coil connection.
Any others should be disconnected.
2) Leave the shield wire (bare wire)
unconnected to anything.
3) Retest.
4) If the pickup goes dead then the current wire is not connected
to the coil and is probably the shield wire so try the other wire
as the
coil connection.
5) Next hook the shield
wire to ground.
6) Retest.
This will fix the problem about 90% of the time.
Of the remaining problems, it is usually something related to the
wiring on the bottom of the pickups
- you can pull up the pickups and look for connections from the coil
windings to shielding or other paths to ground.
If you still can not located the wiring problem then you need
to find some one with a meter or you can purchase an inexpensive one...
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