Z-Mode Preamp for Jazz Style Basses

Our Pro JZ3 preamps feature our unique Z-Mode control which delivers 3 organic bass voices with clarity and definition.

 

The number one question players ask us is what does a Z-Mode switch do?
You have probably played a passive guitar where the pots where changed to a higher resistance to brighten up the sound and make the guitar feel more lively.
For example, if you remove 220K ohm Fender pots and change them to 500K ohm pots the sound will clearly change.
When you change the pots to a higher resistance the response will start to peak somewhere in the 1 to 5 KHz range (depending on the pickup).
After peaking, the high end will drop off faster but listeners are more sensitive to the peaked frequency than to the fall off in the very high frequencies so the guitar sounds brighter and more open.

So you may be wondering why doesn't Fender change their stock pots to 500K ohms - the brighter sound is like a food spice sometimes you want it but at other times you do not.
If you have 2 guitars on stage then all is good you can choose what you need when you need it.

The Z-Mode system is like changing all your pots out on the fly in the same guitar, giving you the flexibility you get by having 3 guitars with you on stage.
The switch connects to an advanced electronics system which reconfigures the preamp to change the loading applied to the pickups.

• Mid Z-Mode (center position) - is the sound of your passive bass. You will not lose your passive sound but you will gain more touch responsiveness and better pickup mixing. Typically players spend the majority of their time in this mode.
• High Z-Mode (toward the bridge) - is a bright aggressive sound like changing all your pots to a higher resistance. This mode is often used for slap playing.
• Low Z-Mode (toward the neck) - is a deeper, fuller sound response. The unique aspect of this mode is it features very good note timing location and is never muddy. Lots of bass players have been looking for this sound and attempt to get it with tone controls on other preamps without success.

Z-Mode responses in an early 70s Vintage Fender Pickup

Note: the Low Z-Mode is adjusted for a Bridge pickup where you have less bass signal generated by the pickup placement - for a Neck pickup the Low Z-Mode gain pot would be set 2 to 4 dB lower.

 

In summary, the Z-Mode switch gives you 3 organic starting points from which you can adjust pickup balance and add tone control to make getting the sound you want easier..

The Z-Mode switch makes the Audere preamps not only the best sounding preamps but also provides the most versatile tone range in the preamp market.

We have constructed custom equipment to perform a magnetic scan of a wide range of pickups to determine their response in the different Z-Modes.

See the table below for many of Fenders stock pickups in different basses.
Clicking the graph link will pop the pickup scan up in a new window.

 

Fender Pickups vs Vintage Early 70s

	High Z	Mid Z	Low Z
American standard	graph	graph	graph
Geddy Lee (MIJ)	graph	graph	graph
MIM 2012 - ceramic	graph	graph	graph
Custom Shop 60s (MIM)	graph	graph	graph
Custom Shop 62 (USA)	graph	graph	graph
Custom Shop 75 (USA)	graph	graph	graph
Squier Duncan Designed	graph	graph	graph

The blue line is the current pickup - other color is a Fender Vintage Early 70s pickup for reference.

If you have upgraded your stock pickups to other single coil boutique pickups then they will sound great.
Seymour Duncan, Nordstrand, Fralin, Lollar, and other traditional vintage type Fender pickups sound especially good.

Seymour Duncan 1/4 pounder pickups are not traditional sounding but a popular player choice with a little more bass and less treble.

Bartolini single coils come in SU and Classic Series.
The SU types are listed as "Deepest Tone Pickups" - and as you might guess have more bass and less top end, for example, High Z-Mode will produce a flat response instead of a peaked response.
The Classic Series - are still a pickup with more bass and less top end but the response is much close to standard with a clear peak in High Z-Mode.

Delano pickups with an exposed pole pieces require a 3rd wire connection to separate the pickup common from the pole pieces - they will custom make them this way (no charge when this is written).
Delano pickups tend to have more bass and less top end.

Common Noise Cancelling pickups that we work well with include Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, Nordstrand, Fralin and many boutique types.

There are 3 common coil configurations used to make a noise cancelling pickup - side by side coils, stacked coils, or traditional humbuckers,
Side by Side coils tend to work well - if you have a wiring option try a series winding between the 2 coils. Almost all jazz bass upgrade and boutique pickups are configured as side by side coils.
Stacked coils are the most challenged type of pickups - the only common pickups in this configuration are the Fender Noiseless versions - more info below
Traditional humbuckers work well and sound like you would expect but are often wider than a traditional jazz pickup.

Fender Update: the Super 55 Jazz Bass pickups are a new side by side coils which sounds very good and is by far our favorite of the Fender Hum cancelling version.

The table below shows the frequency responses for the Fender Noiseless pickups which are stock in different basses.
The Vintage Noiseless (also labeled Original Noiseless) were the 1st version and are labeled Noiseless on the top of the pickup.
The SCN were the 2nd version (now obsolete) and labeled "SCN" on the pickup cover.
The N3 are the 3rd version and labeled "N3" on the pickup cover.

Clicking the graph link will pop the pickup scan up in a new window.

Fender Noiseless Pickups vs Vintage Early 70s

Noiseless Pickup	High Z	Mid Z	Low Z
Vintage Noiseless	graph	graph	graph
SCN Original or Mod 2	graph	graph	graph
SCN Mod 1	graph	graph	graph
N3 Original or Mod 2	graph	graph	graph
N3 Mod 1	graph	graph	graph

The blue line is the current pickup - other color is a Fender Vintage Early 70s pickup for reference.

The Fender Noiseless pickups with their vertical stacked coils are not my favorite pickups for sonic reasons as displayed in the graphs.
It should be noted on the Samarium Cobalt magnets of the SCN pickups will make the perceived output higher than shown in the graph because the magnets are extra strong.
The N3 pickup uses Alnico 3 and 5 magnets to get a bit more magnetic strength than the original noiseless pickups.
The stronger magnet effects on string vibrations are similar to moving a standard jazz pickup up closer to the strings.

WARNING:
The SCN or N3 pickups without our recommended mods should not be used with an Audere preamp.
The SCN and N3 both short the pickup common to the pole pieces and if the pole pieces contact the strings an extremely loud pop will occur.

The recommended configurations are Mod 2 type for the SCN pickups and Mod 1 for the N3 pickups.
How to modify the Fender Noiseless pickups

 

We are often asked what we would use to replace the Fender dual coil pickup - Most side by side versions work well and the Nordstrands are a favorite among many players.

The Pro JZ3 preamp sounds great as programmed at the factory. But for those who like to experiment, you can reprogram the Pro JZ3 and change the Z-Mode loading on the Neck and Bridge pickups. This offers a very unique range of sounds.

The Factory settings for the Z-Mode switch are shown below.

Pro JZ3D Z-Mode Factory Settings

Position	Setting	Neck Z-Mode	Bridge Z-Mode
Toward Neck	1	Low	Low
Vertical	5	Mid	Mid
Toward Bridge	8	High	High

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can reprogram each of the 3 way switch positions to any of the settings in the table below.

Steps to reprogram the Z-Mode switch:
1) Connect the provided push button to the preamp and feed it out under your control plate.
2) Put the Z-Mode switch in any position and depress the push button once. The current mode is indicated by flashing the LED the number of the setting.
3) If you want this switch position can be reprogrammed - depress the switch N (the number in the setting column) times. The system will store this setting for future use.
4) Play the bass and decide if you like this setting or repeat the process to select a different Z-Mode setting.

Pro JZ3 Z-Mode Table

Setting	Neck Z-Mode	Bridge Z-Mode
1	Low	Low
2	Low'	Mid
3	Low'	High
4	Low'	High'
5	Mid	Mid
6	Mid	High
7	Mid	High'
8	High	High
9	High	High'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Low' Z-Mode has less high frequency content then Low Z-Mode.
High' Z-Mode removes the capacitance load in the socket from the High Z-Mode and is often brighter.

After you have programmed up your Z-Mode switch to your preference simply remove and store the Z-Mode programming switch for later use.

 

The re-programmable Z-Mode feature can be especially useful if you have changed out one of your pickups types.
For example - in a P J setup, the J will respond to all of the Z-Modes but most P pickups sound close to the same in High Z-Mode as they do in Mid Z-Mode.
In this scenario you can reprogram the Z-Mode switch to keep the P in Low or Mid Z-Modes while the J is usable in all the modes.

One possible selection of Z-Mode settings for P-J Pickups

Setting	Neck Z-Mode	Bridge Z-Mode
1	Low	Low
2	Low'	Mid
8	Mid	High

 

 

 

 

 

 

In summary, the re-programmable Z-Mode feature offers more versatility if you need it.

Preamps are shipped pre-optimized for a Fender Jazz bass.

 

This optimization works well for most pickups but you can customize it using the potentiometers and caps, as explained below.

The bottom of the preamp has 4 adjustments to optimize the preamp for your personal sound.

1) High Z-Mode Capacitance for the Neck Pickup
2) Low Z-Mode Gain for the Neck Pickup
3) Low Z-Mode Gain for the Bridge Pickup
4) High Z-Mode Capacitance for the Bridge Pickup

 

Low Z Mode adjustment: Different types of pickups have very different output levels in the Low Z-Mode so we provide a Low Z Gain adjustment.
There are two pots, one for each pickup. A simple turn is all you need to do to change the Low Z gain level.
The goal of this adjustment is to balance the Low Z-Mode output level with the Mid Z-Mode level.
We adjust the Low Z-Mode to be slightly louder than the Mid Z-Mode level so you hear the low and high frequencies clarity in this mode.

High Z Mode adjustment: Different types of pickups have a unique High Z-Mode resonant peak frequency.
A hand wound pickup will have normally have a lower resonant frequency to it's peak than machine wound pickups.
By adding capacitance to these sockets you can lower the peak frequency location to make a machine wound pickup closer to the hand wound custom pickup.
The two capacitors, one for each pickup, are socketed so that you have the option of optimizing the resonate peak frequency in High Z Mode.
FYI -most players never change their High Z-Mode caps since they like our default selections which are 680 pf on the Neck and 330 pf on the Bridge.
We offer a kit of different cap values; In the graph below you can see the effect each cap has on a Fender Squier Vintage Modified Duncan Designed pickup.

To change the caps you simply pull them up out of the sockets and push the new ones back into the sockets.
When you order a Jazz you can add a cap kit to your order for $12 (normally $15 without a preamp order).

Over 95% of these jazz preamps are installed by players instead of techs.

 

Our jazz preamps are complete units, including knobs and control plate; this makes installation very simple.

If you have access to and can use a screwdriver and a wire cutter & stripper then you can install your own preamp.   Audere JZ3 Install PDF"

The preamp drops into most Fender jazz type basses including: Fender Squier Vintage Modified, American, Mexican, Japanese, and most special issues like a Geddy Lee etc.

 

The current American Fender Jazz Bass has a cavity that measures approximately: 1.19" wide at the top (some cavity narrow slightly at the jack end), 1.27" deep, and 5.17" long. When you check the size of your cavity, our preamp needs cavity dimensions of: 1.1" wide, 1.2" deep and 4.8" long.

 

Normally the limiting factor on the cavities size is the width required to fit the battery in laying on its side as shown below.

Some Vintage Fender basses have a reduced cavity width toward the jack location but it normally will not create any problems.

Chrome knobs are standard. Gold or Black sets are an additional $5.

 

Plates are only available in Chrome.
FYI - you can remove the preamp system from the plate and install it on a different plate if 2 holes are drilled - 1/4" for the Z-Mode Switch and 1/8" for the LED.
We do not drill customer's plates as we are only jigged up to work with our standard units.

Sorry - Knobs sets are sold in a single color not mixed; the photo is to illustrate the colors.

The true sound of your passive bass is available using Mid Z-Mode with Tone controls in the center detentes.

 

We get asked if we offer an Active/Passive switch by players who haven't used our preamps - let's talk about it.

Players want an A/P switch for different reasons but the top 3 are:
1) Most preamps do not sound like a passive bass due to distortion - we have a more advanced design which eliminates this distortion.
2) Many preamps do not sound like a passive bass due to tone control curves - Our tone controls are flat in the center detentes.
3) Players worry about the battery dying - We have a very intuitive LED battery meter.

So we do not offer an A/P switch on the Jazz Preamps and do not recommend them for the module style preamp.

Our active mixing design provides a broader range of usable sounds as you adjust the pickup mix, especially if they are different pickup types.

 

Our front end is a stereo design so the pickup signals are electrically separated from each other.
After buffering, the signals are mixed together by the balance control or the dual volume controls depending on the preamp's control configuration.
This design is especially useful if you have 2 different types of pickups, for example in a PJ configuration, the P retains its classic P sound and the J retains its classic J sound.

Our balance (i.e. blend) pot gets slightly louder as you move toward soloing either the Neck or Bridge pickup.
This type of response curve makes using a single pickup easier on stage as you do not need the sound guy's help to keep your volume level reasonable.

In the Pro JZ3 preamps you can select either a 2, 3 or 4 band tone controls.

 

All active tone control pots contain a center detent where the response is flat, giving you the uncolored bass voice.

Our tone controls are different than most preamps in the following ways:
1) The boost/cut amount changes slowly at first off the center detent and then the action speeds up as the knob is rotated farther from the detent.
2) Mid-range controls use wide bandwidths - the issue with narrow bandwidths is the phase shift changes too fast vs. frequency and they sound artificial while our wide frequency mid-range controls makes them sound more musical.
3) The Bass and Treble controls are shelving which extend to lower and higher frequencies than other preamps. The shelving control makes our specs look very different than most preamps. Our spec is at the 1/2 boost or cut frequencies. You can think of our specs as all the frequencies below 180 Hz or above 3.2KHz (for a 4 band example) have a significant level of boost or cut range.

The frequency response points:

	4 Band	3 Band	2 Band
Bass shelving Hz - dB	180 +/- 16 dB	200 +/- 16 dB	200 +/- 18 dB
1st Mid Peak Hz - dB	250 +/- 10 dB	500 +/- 10 dB
2nd Mid Peak Hz - dB	750 +/- 10 dB
Treble shelving Hz - dB	3.2K +/- 18 dB	2.5K +/- 16 dB	2.0K +/- 17.5 dB

 

In summary, we design very musical tone controls that are easy to use and give you lots of control of your sound.

The LED battery meter is very intuitive and will give you plenty of warning that you need to replace your battery.

 

When you first insert your cable the preamp will power up and show you the battery strength by modulating the intensity of the Blue LED for 2 seconds.

When your battery needs to be replaced the LED will flash a notably faster sequence for 5 seconds. At this point you still have 10+ hours of playing life so it will not die on you at a gig. But you must change it before your next gig.

 

Important Note when your battery is brand new you may have a high enough voltage that the center flash will not dim and will stay bright the 2 seconds then it will dim as it ages.

 

In summary, the LED Battery Meter allows you quit worrying about the battery's status.

The Pro JZ3 preamps will run about 250 hours on a premium 9 volt battery.

 

Normally the battery is placed below the preamp in the jazz cavity but you can connect the preamp to a 9 or 18 volt battery box if you have one installed in your bass.

 

Since we sometimes get asked:
1) Rechargeable batteries. Not recommended - their voltages tend to be different and they self-discharge faster than normal batteries and when they die you get no warning.
2) Lithium batteries. Not recommend - they cost a lot more and do not work any better plus they have safety issues.

The output level when the tone controls are flat (in center detent) is the same as your passive bass.
Always connect a bass with an Audere preamp into the passive input on your amplifier.

 

We do not include excess gain, there are several reasons why:
1) This allows the preamp to run on a single 9 volt battery without distortion. Lots of other preamps have added so much gain to the output that they are still clipping with 18 volts of power which is why they never sound like a passive bass.
2) All bass heads work well with a passive jazz bass input level - there are still a lot more Fender Jazz basses that are passive in the world than those which contain a preamp. When you plug into an active input on most bass amps they simply divide down the input level (tossing away the extra gain) and then proceed through the amplifier like you plugged into the passive input.
3) We want your bass to sound better rather than attempting to trick you. If you turn up your bass sound intensity it sounds better due to how the human ear works as demonstrated by the Fletcher Munson curves.

You hear the bass (especially) and the treble better when the sound level is louder as shown in the graph.
A lot of preamp companies use this to trick players into thinking the quality of their active sound is better by simply increasing the sound level but if you back it down to an equal volume level you might not be very impressed.
Our design is different - it captures all the fine detail of your playing style and brings it out so it really sounds better instead of just louder.
4) Most effects are designed to work with the passive bass pickup levels and our preamp gives them the unamplified signal level they expect.

To use our Z-Mode technology, you must have PASSIVE PICKUPS, meaning that the pickup does NOT have a semiconductor component in the pickup.
The concept of changing the loading on an active pickup does not make any sense - in theory the pickup would ignore the loading applied.

There is a lot of confusion among players and technicians about active pickups - most pickups are passive but they are sometimes called active when they are connected to a preamp. The connection to a preamp does not make the pickup active - it only makes the system active and these pickups will work with our preamps.

 

The vast majority of basses have passive pickups. EMGs are the most common active pickups
If you are uncertain about your pickups, Google them (fastest), check with the manufacturer, or send Sales at Audere an email.
About 99% of the time you can also look at the red wire off the battery and see if it goes to the pickup to supply power.

How long do I have to wait to get it?
How much is shipping?
The most common installation problems.
Why a 3 Position Toggle Z-Mode Switch?
What do I do with the red push button switch?
What is the difference between Pro JZ3 and JNC Preamps?
What is the difference between Pro JZ3 and Pro JZ3D?
What is the difference between Pro JZ3 and Pro JZ6D?
What is the difference between Pro JZ3D and Pro JZ6D?
PJ and other pickup configurations
Pickup wires 1 to 5
What if my pickups do not hum-cancel when both pickups are used?
What if my pickups do not hum-cancel when both pickups are used in different Z-Modes?
Why remove the cable when not in use?
Why does it pop when I plug in the cable into the bass with the amp power on?
Why is there no sound for the first few seconds after power up?
What kind of finish can I get?
Can I change the direction of the Z-Mode switch?
Do I hear more static noise in the High-Z setting?
What are the 2 adjustment pots on the module?
What is the short yellow wire for?
How can I adjust my peak frequency response in High Z-Mode?
What if High Z-Mode sounds exactly like Mid Z-Mode?
What is heat shrink and why would you include any with my preamp?
My LED Battery Meter Flashes 10 times?
I have a vintage ...?

How long do I have to wait to get it?

Our goal is to ship from stock but sometimes we run out of different models which will require an additional 2-3 days.
Shipping is normally by USPS priority mail which is 2-4 days.

How much is shipping?

Add a preamp to your cart - the system will calculate the shipping cost to you by different speed options.
Note in the US we recommend Priority shipping as Express shipping is expensive will normally only saves you a maximum of 1 day - sometimes it takes longer.
When shipping overseas Express is only a little more in many cases and can make a big difference in speed.

The most common installation problems

1) Trapping a wire or not getting the battery in the right place (do not force fit during installation).
2) Connecting the pickup common to the ground (scratchy controls, causes distortion, may shut down the preamp - especially if you turn up the bass, and drains battery).
3) Not connecting the pickup common to the connector (causes low volume and distortion).
4) Not connecting the ground wire to the bridge (causes increased hum while playing).

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Why a 3 Position Toggle Z-Mode Switch?

Three different Z-Modes offers a good trade off between distinctive sounds and complexity of controls.
We also offer a 6 way rotary-type switch on the Pro JZ6D but a side body mounted jack is required.

What do I do with the red push button switch?

The red switch is only used when and if you decide to reprogramming the Z-Mode switch.
Install the switch on the 2 pins on the board labeled PGM. Feed it out under the plate so you can access it on the top of the bass.
After you finish the reprogramming steps remove the switch and store it in a drawer for later in case you ever want to reprogram the switch's operations.
For more info read the Installation Instructions.

Differences between Pro JZ3 and JNC Preamps?

The Pro JZ3 preamps expands your sonic range with the Z-Mode feature.
The JNC preamps cancel the noise of single coil pickups using a miniature Noise Sensor placed in the wiring route in-between the electronics cavity and the neck pickup for a modern Fender jazz body.
The JNC preamps always load the pickup in the equivalent to the Mid Z-Mode loading on a Z-Mode preamp.
These 2 preamp families are based on very different but unique advanced Audere technologies.
If you have hum cancelling pickups then the Pro JZ families would be your best option.
If you have single coil pickups and are bothered by the hum/noise then the JNC family would be your best option.
Either way you will be getting a superior Jazz Preamp for you bass.

Differences between Pro JZ3 and Pro JZ3D?

The Pro JZ3 fits into a standard Jazz bass with the jack on the cavity.
The Pro JZ3D fits into a Jazz bass with the jack on the side. It features an additional passive type tone control.

Differences between Pro JZ3 and Pro JZ6D?

The Pro JZ3 fits into a standard Jazz bass with the jack on the cavity. It features 3 Z-Modes on a toggle switch.
The Pro JZ6D fits into a Jazz bass with the jack on the side. It features 6 Z-Modes on a rotary switch.

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Differences between Pro JZ3D and Pro JZ6D?

The Pro JZ3D features 3 Z-Modes on a toggle switch and an additional passive type tone control.
The Pro JZ6D features 6 Z-Modes on a rotary switch.

PJ and other Pickup Configurations

If you have a non traditional pickup configuration like a PJ or a J MM etc. then
the active pickup mixing so the pickups do not cross load each other allows both pickups to sound like you expect them to based on their traditional sound and
the re-programmable Z-Mode feature with make optimizing your total sound much easier.

Pickup wires 1 to 5

Pickups can have 2, 3, 4 or even 5 wires but most jazz pickups have 2.
• Every pickup has at least 2 wires, Hot and Common must be connected to our board at the screw connector as shown in the installation instructions.
• If you have think you have only 1 wire, it's probably a coax (center is insulated from the outer braid) - the center is hot and the braid is common.
• If you really have only 1 wire (very rare), this wire is the hot and you must pull up the pickup and find the wire connection to ground - disconnect it and run a longer wire back to the pickup common.
• If you have a 3rd wire and it is a braided shield that wraps around the pair of wires, this is a Ground wire and can be connected to the Cavity Ground.
• If you have a 3rd wire and it is red and goes to the battery - Stop - you have active pickups and this type of pickup is not compatible with the preamp..
• If you have a 4 wires you have a dual coil pickup - see the manufacturer's site for how to wire for series mode.
• If you have a 5th wire and it is a braided shield that wraps around the 2 pair of wires, this is a Ground wire and can be connected to the Cavity Ground and see the 4 wire note above.

What if my pickups do not hum-cancel when both pickups are used?

The 2 pickups should be reversed wound with reverse polarity (RWRP). You need to invert (swap) the hot and common wires for just one of the pickups then they should hum-cancel.

What if my pickups do not hum-cancel when both pickups are used in different Z-Modes?

The 2 pickups probably will not hum cancel as well when they are different Z-Modes because they have different frequency responses.
Mid Z and High Z-Modes should have fairly good cancellation for most (but not all) pickups.
Low Z and Mid Z-Modes cancellation can be improved by adjustment of the Neck Low Z-Mode gain but you might not like the ideal noise cancelling settings.
Shielding the pickup cavities is always a good idea and will reduce the hum in all modes and settings.

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Why remove the cable when not in use?

Most preamps use a stereo jack where one side of the battery is connected to the ring terminal.
When a MONO cable is inserted into the jack the ring is shorted to the body and the preamp powers up.
So you should remove the cable when not playing which removes the power from the preamp or you will soon have a dead battery.
But do not bother with removing your cable while you are not using the bass during a set etc.

Why does it pop when I plug in the cable into the bass with the amp power on?

Due to the standard power switching used for the battery connection the battery is connected to the input of the guitar cable during the time the cable is sliding into the jack.
Most players develop a habit of partially pulling out the other end of the cable before inserting the connector into the bass jack.
Some players use a guitar cable with an integrated disconnect switch. Planet Waves and others have cables with this feature.
Neutrik has a "Silent Plug" (NP2C) out that we haven't tried but it looks interesting.

Why is there no sound for the few seconds when the unit first powers up?

We mute the sound during the battery test time.
The hardware is initializing the power supply level and checking the switch positions to set the Z- mode etc.

What kind of finish can I get?

These preamps comes in chrome only.
You can remove the knobs and replace them with your own.
You can remove the preamp from the plate and install it on your own plate also but you will need to drill 1 hole for the LED and a 2nd hole for the switch if you have a JZ3 preamp.

Can I change the direction of the Z-Mode switch?

On the Pro JZ3 and Pro JZ3D preamps, you can always flip the switch 180 degrees and probably +/-90 depending on your cavity routing.
With the Pro JZ6D preamps, you will not change the rotation of the switch.

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Do I hear more static noise in the High-Z setting?

Yes and this is true for any comparable preamp.
The pickups with this loading will pick up more noise from various sources in the environment.
Increased shielding of the pickup cavities can help reduce the noise in this and all Z-Modes.

What are the 2 adjustment pots on the module?

Those are the Low Z-Mode gain adjustment. They adjust the loudness of the pickups when in Low Z-Mode (more information is on the Low Z page).

What is the short yellow wire for?

To start with the wire is not broken - it does not connect to anything.
This is an electrical connection we use for testing when we build the preamp. We may also use it for upgrades in the future.
It should be electrically insulated and left attached to the circuit board.

How can I change my peak frequency response in High Z-Mode?

Many players prefer the resonant frequency in the 2k to 5k range which is the mid to upper range of a female vocal.
The factors that determine the location of the peak frequency are explained in more detail in the High Z feature section, but capacitance is one of them and that can be changed by changing the capacitor value.
The circuit board has two sockets one for each pickup; the capacitors are inserted manually and can be pulled out and replaced.
We sell an accessory kit of 10 values which will plug into the sockets
For our caps, the writing on them indicates the capacitance in pF.
The code is 3 digits where the last digit is the power of 10 to multiple times the first 2 digits. So 331 becomes 33 x 10^1 which is 330 pF (standard bridge pickup cap).

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What if High Z-Mode sounds exactly like Mid Z-Mode?

If your pickup is a non-traditional design with a low amount of coil inductance and a low amount of capacitance.
The construction causes the High Z-Mode resonant peak will be small and at too high a frequency for your speaker system to respond to.
You can change the capacitor value on the circuit board; this will bring the resonant frequency into a range where you can hear it but it may still be too small to be interesting.
For more info read the Installation Instructions.
You might consider reprogramming the Z-Mode switch to use more of the Low and Mid Z-Modes.

What is heat shrink and why would you include any with my preamp?

Heat shrink tubing is a plastic tube which is used to insulate wiring. The tubing shrinks or reduces its diameter when you heat it.
You can shrink it with a hot air source (a match can be used with care). Just be careful you do not apply too much heat to the tube or other parts on your bass.
We supply you with a few pieces so you can insulate the crimp connection for the ground wires.

My LED Battery Meter Flashes 10 times in 5 seconds?

You have either a discharged battery (voltage too low time) or
Your pickup common is connected to ground. In a new instillation (especially common on Fender Geddy Lee Basses) the pickup vendor or bass manufacture will often solder together the pickup common wire to the pickup wiring shield. When installing the Audere preamp: Unsolder - or cut off the end of the wire to separate the 2 connections. The pickup common (usually the wire with small writing on it) is inserted in to the green connector on the front of the preamp. The shield drain wire is connected to the black cavity ground wires which are connected to the Gray/White wire coming off the Audere preamp jack.

I have a vintage ...?

If you have a vintage bass then we recommend pulling the old control plate as a single unit.
You will want to reinstall the old plate just before you sell the bass.
Since the old control plate will be intact this is much easier to do...
For the curious there is at least one previously original 62 Fender Jazz body which now has an Audere JZ3 preamp installed in it.

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Our price is about 1/2 our competition's price.

Trade-offs we make to keep it this way:

• Limited advertising. We rely on our customers to tell their friends.
• Key parts are purchased in commercial quantities.
• Web based order processing significantly lowers costs.
• Automated Shipping.
• Significant levels of automation are used to manufacture the product.