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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1132
Location: NW Washington State | Miles-
If I remember correctly, one of the little pots is like a balance control for the volume of the two pickups. The other is a null control for the weird out-of-phase position on the pickup selector. The notch is a little too radical for me, and there's some distortion in the bass if you hit the low E or A really hard.
My Deacon and Breadwinner have been through a few different pickup/preamp permutations over the years, some better than others, most of them too complicated for a real guitar player who would perform in public. I think that a simple setup like a Viper, with maybe a boost switch in place of the notch, will make most people happy.
Maybe I should take the pickups from my Viper and put them in the Deacon? I suspect they would overdrive the preamp...
-Steve W. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | " The notch is a little too radical for me, and there's some distortion in the bass if you hit the low E or A really hard. "
Wonder if there is an issue with the preamp. I have not heard that. Also, are you using the tone as it's meant with "0" being in the middle. Just curious.. On the later ones they used 0 - 10 tone knobs, and that wasn't really right as they were really set up as "normal" being in the middle.
I too have noticed differences in the pre-amps tones over the years. |
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Posts: 1132
Location: NW Washington State | The notch filter is supposed to be compensated so that the volume doesn't change when it's switched in. My idea is that the notch is a bit too deep, so the extra gain that's needed is enough to send the preamp into distortion. Both of mine distort a little bit on peaks in the bass. Most people probably wouldn't notice this (I'm incredibly discerning :) ). I used to play through a clean headphone amp with no effects.
Hmm, "normal" isn't normal? I've never fully understood the action of the tone control. Looking at the schematic with those weird switches gives me a headache.
I think that most of these old preamps probably need a refresh- new switches, pots, and electrolytic caps replaced. But it's easier to use something else or no preamp at all.
-Steve W. |
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December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | "Hmm, "normal" isn't normal? I've never fully understood the action of the tone control."
Actually I've always thought is was one of the more simple. That active electronics although "technically" a pre-amp, is really more of an Active EQ. Volume is Volume and Tone is well... tone. From the CENTER or on the older knobs "Normal" (straight) you give more Bass or More Treble (more highs or more lows), rather than a normal "tone control" that really only goes from normal (10) and just takes away highs (down to 0).
It's personal taste, but the Ovation FET is about as simple to me as the Viper. Two simple controls, Volume and Tone... the only thing a bit odd, is that flat, normal or whatever you want to call it, is in the center of the tone knob and you boost Highs or Lows. Of course the added design factor is that while going high or low, the volume doesn't change.
I guess the Neck, Bridge, Both arrangement is a little odd, and really not sure why they did that.
But in general, Pretty slick.. and way ahead of it's time.
Does anyone know the reasoning of the Neck-Bridge-Both switch pattern vs the more normal Bridge-Both-Neck pattern ? |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1132
Location: NW Washington State | I guess I understand what the tone control is supposed to do. I'm not sure that mine works that way. It seems like my Deacon has some bass boost. As the control is turned towards bass the low end gets louder. It doesn't seem to have treble boost. As the control is turned from normal to treble, I hear little or no increase in the high end. There is a conventional treble cut as the control is turned down. Maybe it's not working as it should. Or maybe I should have a hearing test and find out if I can still hear high frequencies!
-Steve W. |
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October 2005
Posts: 4081
Location: Utah | Originally posted by Mr. Ovation:
Does anyone know the reasoning of the Neck-Bridge-Both switch pattern vs the more normal Bridge-Both-Neck pattern ? Purely a guess, but... my experience is that I don't use "both" very often. It's either the bridge or the neck pickup. So the switch only requires one click rather than two. Reduces wear, too. |
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Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 498
| if the preamp on these is the same as on the PD, I believe there are two small pots that can be adjusted, one of which is to balance the signal when switching the notch on or off..
you can access them with the battery plate off. use a nylon or plastic screwdriver so you don't short anything while balancing or adjusting.
Glenn |
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June 2007
Posts: 3084
Location: Brisbane Australia | 
Glen I assume you mean these, the white and blue
AJ |
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Newbie seeks help with a Deacon restoration
