Bass guitar onboard preamp- discontinued and need help gerber?

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Stingray5funk

Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2022
Messages
24
Location
Manitoba
Hello! I have a bass guitar which has an onboard preamp. They came from the factory with this one but someone removed it and added a different one

I would like to put it back to stock
But they no longer manufacture it

would someone be able to turn this into a gerber file for me to be able to remake this PCB?
 

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Hello! I have a bass guitar which has an onboard preamp. They came from the factory with this one but someone removed it and added a different one

I would like to put it back to stock
But they no longer manufacture it

would someone be able to turn this into a gerber file for me to be able to remake this PCB?
It may be possible to mod the one you have and make it similar to the Millenium...? What model/brand is it?
 
Looking at that preamp schematic...I don't think it's anything particularly special. A TLE2062 with a fairly standard three band EQ. Interesting to note that the pickups are active. I kind of expected the pickups to be passive with a high-impedance buffer in the preamp. Since that's not the case, I would think any preamp system designed for active pickups would be just as capable if not better than the Peavey one. The EMG system, for example, would probably drop right in and be just as capable if not superior to the Peavey one.

I know that's not the answer you're looking for. To make a drop in replacement board exactly like the Peavey would require buying the Peavey pots (since they're not off-the-shelf standard parts), and making sure you nail the physical dimensions and locations of the pots in the PCB design. Alternatively, you could source similar "standard" pots and wire everything to a separate board that would get stuffed to the side. Aside from the pots, there's no reason that preamp board couldn't be made on a 1" x 2" PCB or so. It's only a single 8-pin DIP (or SOIC) and a handful of passives.
 
Hello! I have a bass guitar which has an onboard preamp. They came from the factory with this one but someone removed it and added a different one

I would like to put it back to stock
But they no longer manufacture it

would someone be able to turn this into a gerber file for me to be able to remake this PCB?
There is a specialized, yet little-known, GERBER file converter/translator program that has a "PDF-2-GERBER" translator within it. There is a chance that the "Trial" version of this program just might be able to do what you are looking to have done. Here's a link for the webpage detailing this software program:

https://www.numericalinnovations.com/blogs/news/ace-translator-3000-includes-over-150-translators
I have used this vendors' GERBER file editor (FAB 3000) before and it is top-notch!!! This company's product line has all types of highly-specialized PCB post-processing and GERBER file manipulation programs, so they just might have something that will accomplish what you are looking to have done.

Other than the Peavey pot issue as -- TheJames -- has pointed out, to resolve your immediate problem would require going "back to the drawing board" and creating a new PCB layout from scratch. That's not difficult at all to do, but it would require someone's time and some very specific mechanical location information and other details in order to do that accurately. While I have "Reverse-Engineered" several PCB's for audio equipment (API mixing console), medical electronics (German-designed schematics and PCB's being manufactured here in the U.S.) and aerospace gear (1979-designed PCB's used in U.S. fighter jets being upgraded to new Surface-Mount PCB's), all of these projects required that I physically had all of these PCB's -- in my hands -- so I could extract all of the data that I needed in order for me to "Reverse-Engineer" them and that would require for you to ship your PCB halfway around the world to me!!! So.....check out the above link and see if that is the direction which will resolve your immediate problem. GOOD LUCK!!!

(PLEASE DON'T SHOOT ME!!! I'M ONLY THE MESSENGER!!!)

/
 
Looking at that preamp schematic...I don't think it's anything particularly special. A TLE2062 with a fairly standard three band EQ. Interesting to note that the pickups are active. I kind of expected the pickups to be passive with a high-impedance buffer in the preamp. Since that's not the case, I would think any preamp system designed for active pickups would be just as capable if not better than the Peavey one. The EMG system, for example, would probably drop right in and be just as capable if not superior to the Peavey one.

I know that's not the answer you're looking for. To make a drop in replacement board exactly like the Peavey would require buying the Peavey pots (since they're not off-the-shelf standard parts), and making sure you nail the physical dimensions and locations of the pots in the PCB design. Alternatively, you could source similar "standard" pots and wire everything to a separate board that would get stuffed to the side. Aside from the pots, there's no reason that preamp board couldn't be made on a 1" x 2" PCB or so. It's only a single 8-pin DIP (or SOIC) and a handful of passives.
Actually it currently has an EMG BQS
As it looks like a three band preamp
There are differences

it is quite noticeable
As I’ve had a Peavey with an Aguilar
And bart
And millenium and cirrus pre and Emg
 
Actually it currently has an EMG BQS
As it looks like a three band preamp
There are differences

it is quite noticeable
As I’ve had a Peavey with an Aguilar
And bart
And millenium and cirrus pre and Emg
That’s actually the route I was planning to go small PCB board with wire leads to 5 pots

I just need someone to help design it to match the Eq points
 
There is a specialized, yet little-known, GERBER file converter/translator program that has a "PDF-2-GERBER" translator within it. There is a chance that the "Trial" version of this program just might be able to do what you are looking to have done. Here's a link for the webpage detailing this software program:

https://www.numericalinnovations.com/blogs/news/ace-translator-3000-includes-over-150-translators
I have used this vendors' GERBER file editor (FAB 3000) before and it is top-notch!!! This company's product line has all types of highly-specialized PCB post-processing and GERBER file manipulation programs, so they just might have something that will accomplish what you are looking to have done.

Other than the Peavey pot issue as -- TheJames -- has pointed out, to resolve your immediate problem would require going "back to the drawing board" and creating a new PCB layout from scratch. That's not difficult at all to do, but it would require someone's time and some very specific mechanical location information and other details in order to do that accurately. While I have "Reverse-Engineered" several PCB's for audio equipment (API mixing console), medical electronics (German-designed schematics and PCB's being manufactured here in the U.S.) and aerospace gear (1979-designed PCB's used in U.S. fighter jets being upgraded to new Surface-Mount PCB's), all of these projects required that I physically had all of these PCB's -- in my hands -- so I could extract all of the data that I needed in order for me to "Reverse-Engineer" them and that would require for you to ship your PCB halfway around the world to me!!! So.....check out the above link and see if that is the direction which will resolve your immediate problem. GOOD LUCK!!!

(PLEASE DON'T SHOOT ME!!! I'M ONLY THE MESSENGER!!!)

/
Well if I have to send it I will

but it’s not working
I ruined a few solder pads
 
That’s actually the route I was planning to go small PCB board with wire leads to 5 pots

I just need someone to help design it to match the Eq points
So out of Aguilar, Bartolini, EMG, etc, of all those preamps, you think this Peavey circuit sounds the best of all of them?

Not that Peavey is by any means bad...Their basses are top notch...I'm just a little shocked.

There's only like $10-15 worth of parts in the preamp (minus pots). One could knock out that PCB design in an afternoon in KiCAD. How much space do you have to work with (depth of control cavity to bottom of cover plate)? What are the hole sizes for the pots in your bass? I might knock this out just to see.
 
Hello! I have a bass guitar which has an onboard preamp. They came from the factory with this one but someone removed it and added a different one

I would like to put it back to stock
But they no longer manufacture it

would someone be able to turn this into a gerber file for me to be able to remake this PCB?
Stingray: I came across these photos just a short while ago. Are these the same "Millenium Bass Preamp" as yours?

1642997215808.png
1642997270622.png
1642997333128.png
1642997390938.png

And.....is it possible for you to provide a -- much clearer -- version of the schematic? Even with my printer set to "Slow Print" with "Enhanced Text" and "Enhanced Thin Lines", the quality of the print-out is still rather too fuzzy to decipher all of the component values and Reference Designators. In addition, is it also possible for you to provide a more higher contrast version of your PCB layout? The best I am able to determine by measuring a few of the component "center-to-center" pad dimensions is that your original PCB printout seems to be an accurate -- 1:1 -- image reproduction. So.....THAT'S GOOD!!!

But, the contrast seems to be a bit too low to easily differentiate and see the silkscreen and PCB layout information. What format or types of files is your original data in? BMP? JPG? PNG? PDF? WORD? What??? Inquiring minds want to know!!!

Here is the information on the webpage that has these photos:

Fantastic condition, removed with care from a Peavey Cirrus bass, circa 2005. Includes the Input Jack and 18v battery harness (all original from the factory). This is the 2 pickup version, with Mid-Range control expansion. Thanks for looking!

Hopefully, these photos and text information may be useful to you.

/
 
Stingray: I came across these photos just a short while ago. Are these the same "Millenium Bass Preamp" as yours?

View attachment 89106
View attachment 89107
View attachment 89108
View attachment 89109

And.....is it possible for you to provide a -- much clearer -- version of the schematic? Even with my printer set to "Slow Print" with "Enhanced Text" and "Enhanced Thin Lines", the quality of the print-out is still rather too fuzzy to decipher all of the component values and Reference Designators. In addition, is it also possible for you to provide a more higher contrast version of your PCB layout? The best I am able to determine by measuring a few of the component "center-to-center" pad dimensions is that your original PCB printout seems to be an accurate -- 1:1 -- image reproduction. So.....THAT'S GOOD!!!

But, the contrast seems to be a bit too low to easily differentiate and see the silkscreen and PCB layout information. What format or types of files is your original data in? BMP? JPG? PNG? PDF? WORD? What??? Inquiring minds want to know!!!

Here is the information on the webpage that has these photos:

Fantastic condition, removed with care from a Peavey Cirrus bass, circa 2005. Includes the Input Jack and 18v battery harness (all original from the factory). This is the 2 pickup version, with Mid-Range control expansion. Thanks for looking!

Hopefully, these photos and text information may be useful to you.

/
Wow ! You got it!
That’s the preamp

not mine
I fried two with too much heat

the schematic PDF I posted is what I got from peavey so that’s all I got. As a Pdf
of

I have the two preamps still if you could use em but
 
is it possible for you to provide a -- much clearer -- version of the schematic? Even with my printer set to "Slow Print" with "Enhanced Text" and "Enhanced Thin Lines", the quality of the print-out is still rather too fuzzy to decipher all of the component values and Reference Designators.
The schemo on page 1 of the pdf has all the values, which can be cross-compiled with the parts list on page 3. I don't see any ambiguity there.

It looks like you got these pictures from a "For sale" ad; maybe if it's still available, the OP would be intereested. At the end of the day, if the seller is reasonable, this would end up being the less costly solution.
 
I fried two with too much heat
So you have two of the Peavey preamps that you want, but they are just damaged somehow? I can't see how making a completely new copy would be easier than just making one working circuit from the two broken ones you have. It's just a single layer PCB with a handful of components, unless you actually melted them into a pile of plastic goop I don't see how you could have damaged anything beyond what could be fixed with some good kynar wire and a steady hand. The only hard part is getting the right pots and getting them physically in the right place, and if you have two PCB's then that is done already.
 
What's actually "fried" with the two preamps that you have? I'm assuming you still have the "bad" ones?

If you actually have a couple of these and they're just not working, Your best bet is to find somebody to repair them. Even broken/lifted traces can be repaired.

Looking at the physical layout, and the schematic, that mid-pot is a total custom job. There are two wafers inside for the frequency control, but it's laid out as only three pins on the pot itself with the two wipers, and two "first" pins of the wafers tied together to a single pin. The boost/cut is a center detent concentric pot, inside the frequency pot, laid out with a normal three pins. When you're a big company like Peavey, you can get custom stuff like that made without issue. There probably isn't an off-the-shelf available replacement for this part.
 

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