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Zmode switch

Fretboard on Helms bass

Electric Basses used in the Sound Clips

The Helms 6 String Bass
Josh built this bass for me specifically to perform the bass preamp and bridge design work. I had a CNC shop cut the templates to locate the parts. The rather imposing looking neck always gets a reaction but it plays surprisingly well.
Helms 6 string bass with an Audere Audio 3ZB on-board bass preamp configured as volume, volume, with a 4 Band Tone Control EQ, front

Pickups: Bartolini G66CBJD deep and bright pair
Neck: looks like a neck through but really is closer to a set neck
• Scale Length - 35"
• Shape - D shaped neck
• Fret board - Coco bolo
• Frets 24 Thin Wires
• Woods - Wenge, Purple Heart, Wenge, Purple Heart, Wenge
• Zero Fret
• Carbon Fiber Neck Rod
• 2 x Dual Truss Rods - in this case increasing bow
Body: Black Limba
Notes: Custom Machined Bridge with a 19mm string spacing
Preamp is setup as Volume/Volume (tall knobs) and 4 way tone control running on 9 Volts

Back of Helms 6 string bass showing the LED battery meter which is connected to the Audere Audio 3ZB on-board bass preamp.
 
LED low battery indicator shown above and below:
When the battery is at a usable level the sequence is 3 flashes: bright flash, intensity modulated flash, bright flash. Each flash lasts for about 1 second; the second flash represents your battery strength. When the battery is dangerously low, the LED will flash bright at a rate of about ½ second for 5 seconds, indicating it needs to be replaced.
Mounting the LED is very easy. I drilled a 3mm hole, darkened the hole with a black Sharpie, and simply pressed in the LED.
 
Closeup of Battery Meter Blue LED installed in back control cover of the Helms bass.
Pedulla MPV4
This was an Ebay find and was a great deal. It is a 1989. The finish was worn on the back and the Truss Rod needed adjusting, came with original case complete with key. I think the rail was added later but not sure. It was a good find.
• Pickups: Bartolini - Custom made for Pedulla

Z-Mode Bass Preamp is configured with Master Volume, Volume, Volume and no EQ, running on 9 Volts

The Pedulla MPV is a traditional PJ Bass with Bartolini bass pickups and was used to test the active balance control on the Audere Audio 3ZB on-board bass preamp, front

Pedulla head stock

Other Electric Bass Guitars

David King Type E
This is my personal baby. I purchased this directly from David. The original preamp was a Bartolini NTMB-918F. The pickups were LeFay Rough Crystals. The pickups bass was originally loaded with Mörth pickups. I changed out the pickups back to the Mörth pickups after owning the bass for about 1.5 years mainly to reduce the hum picked up by the LeFay's. Mr. King has a very nice (and I think unique) policy of trading pickups with the owner to get the sound they want.
I held out and changed out the preamp in this bass last so I could use it as a reference bass. But there are limits to how long I could wait, so I installed a new Audere 3 band.

Controls are Volume, Blend, Mid, Bass/Treble.
The old 3 way mid switch became the Z-Mode switch. The second switch turns on the on-board tuner was wired to the output of the preamp. When the turner is functioning it mutes the sound.

The LED battery indicator is mounted in the side wall next to the jack. Note the mounting location makes it easy to see the battery status after you plug in the jack. See the pictures below.

You may or may not like a headless bass but this one features amazing craftsmanship. He really pours his soul into his basses. The bass sounds as beautiful as it looks...

David King created this 35 inch scale headless bass. The original bass preamp was a Bartolini NTB 918 with a switchable mid frequency. The present preamp is an Audere Audio 3ZB 3 band preamp with seperate volume and balance controls.

David King Bass close up.

 
The series of pictures on the left show the LED installation: power level can be seen on jack insertion without looking at the LED directly; series on the right shows the internal electronics.
David King bass guitar showing the Audere Audio 3ZB preamp mounted inside a very small cavity. The picture of the LED is exiting half way though the side cavity wall over a stacked treble/bass tone control pot.
 
G&L L2000E
I purchased this new. It's a 1982, with Maple/Maple neck and Swamp Ash body. The original preamp electronics were constructed around a National Semiconductor variable power op-amp. I modified the circuit back then to increase the op-amp standing current and changed out some of the capacitors and resistors to higher quality units to increase performance. The original op-amp developed an awful case of "pop corn" noise which was decreased somewhat by increasing the standing current. No lost tears over changing out the original preamp.

Controls are Master Volume, Volume/Volume.
The switches are Z-Mode and a single coil or series connection hum cancelling switch for each pickup. This offers a wide selection of tones. The single coils used were the coils closest to the bridge and neck; when used together at equal volumes (i.e. maxed) they are still hum-cancelling.
The LED battery indicator mount is next to the jack.
The sound of this bass is very - very punchy.

G&L L2000E bass with an Audere Audio 3ZB Bass Preamp. The controls are Master Volume, Neck pickup volume, Bridge pickup volume. The switches are Z-Mode, Neck pickup series/parallel coil selection, Bridge pickup series/parallel coil selection, and Battery Meter LED installed

Closeup of Audere Audio 3ZB Bass Preamp Battery Meter LED in G&L

Close-up of Battery Warning LED mounted in plate above

G&L headstock