Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Off-Topic
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,063
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,063
I have a Takamine electric acoustic guitar - EF349. (Built on Sunday 10/10/82. 23rd guitar made that day. LOL!) It's mahagony and is still beautiful after all these years. I bought it new. It's been a great feeling and sounding guitar. It has the plastic brown three sliders - treble, bass, gain on the top. I used to play and record with it a lot but I have rarely played it in years. Today I decided to plug it in the Emu interface with the signal going to Realband and no sound.

The problem is that the preamp which is battery powered has stopped working. You loosen the strings to get your hand through the hole and there's a little brown box that snaps out which holds the battery. Changed batteries, tried different cords, cleaned contacts with contact cleaner - dead as a door nail.

I'll keep it regardless, sentimental value...

Any ideas what's wrong? Is this an expensive repair? Should I even bother trying to get it repaired? Are there other options besides the built in preamp?

Sorry for all the questions and thank you for your advice and help.

Off-Topic
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,245
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,245
Josie,

Have you plugged the guitar into an amp to verify that it isn't working?

Off-Topic
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,063
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,063
Bob,

I don't have a guitar amp to test it on, I plugged it into my Emu interface which I know works.

Thanks.

Off-Topic
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,311
ROG Offline
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,311
Hi Josie.

Bob's right. Even if the Emu works with the mic input, there could still be a problem with the guitar input. Two ways to check it -

1) Try another guitar into the Emu.

2) Plug one end of a guitar lead into the Emu, give it a bit of gain and stick your thumb over the tip of the jack plug on the other end. If it buzzes you've got a connection. (I'm not sure that Mac is going to like this method!)

Let us know how you get on.

ROG.

Off-Topic
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
1. does it have a tuner?Does it work?
2. did you put the battery in the right way
3. did it work when you put it away last?


John
ESI Gigaport HD+
Lenovo Turion II /4 Gig Ram/ Win7x64 be
15.6" Monitor
"The only Band is a Real Band"
www.wintertexaninfo.com/BANDS/JohnnyD.php
Off-Topic
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
A replacement, if it it the pre, should not cost to much and you can probably DIY. Most likely a Fishman


John
ESI Gigaport HD+
Lenovo Turion II /4 Gig Ram/ Win7x64 be
15.6" Monitor
"The only Band is a Real Band"
www.wintertexaninfo.com/BANDS/JohnnyD.php
Off-Topic
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913
R
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
R
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913
When my Fishman died on my Larrivée, I took out the barn door electronics and now I have one of those fancy sound holes on the side of the guitar. Replaced it with a K+K and it sounds much better. Also check out the easy tI install LR baggs stuff.

Off-Topic
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
M
Mac Offline
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
M
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Originally Posted By: Sundance
Today I decided to plug it in the Emu interface with the signal going to Realband and no sound.


Did you have another known good guitar cable to try? Cables are the thing that stops the show more than anything else, always suspect a bad cable first when there is no sound.

Quote:
The problem is that the preamp which is battery powered has stopped working.


I haven't heard enough evidence yet to support that conclusion.

Unless and until you've tried another cable -- and another input source, such as an amp, this problem could be due to either the cable being broken, or the EMU, which may be broken, not set correctly for the input, or, since it is a software driven soundcard, there could be corrupted software, drivers, whatever.

Quote:
Any ideas what's wrong? Is this an expensive repair? Should I even bother trying to get it repaired? Are there other options besides the built in preamp?


Your best option might be to take the guitar AND the cable to a local guitar shop. There, you can try your preamp with other cables, other amps and find out what's going on first.

Preamp can be repaired, can even be replaced. But first find out if that is what is broken.


--Mac

Off-Topic
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
M
Mac Offline
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
M
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Originally Posted By: ROG
Hi Josie.

2) Plug one end of a guitar lead into the Emu, give it a bit of gain and stick your thumb over the tip of the jack plug on the other end. If it buzzes you've got a connection. (I'm not sure that Mac is going to like this method!)


And why not? Buzzin' the cable is the fastest way to find out what's happenin' - or not.

I might add that after getting a buzz from the center contact at the TIP, I then cover both tip and sleeve with the one hand, effectively shorting the input out with the resistance of my hand, and see if the buzz quiets a bit then. That checks the shield connection as well.

Buzzin' the input of an audio amp is a time-honored method of signal injection.

Just don't be a noob and turn the Volume up all the way because you don't hear anything when the Volume is in its normal position. That's asking for damage somewhere and is a useless thing to do when the sound stops altogether. Like flooring the gas in the broken automobile, it won't fix anything and can likely hurt things worse.

--Mac

Off-Topic
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,063
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,063
The cable passed the buzz check.

I'll take it to the music store sometime this week and see what they say.
I would like to know what's wrong. If it's expensive to fix. Maybe, I'll play it as is and mic it if need be.

I had to stop playing guitar because of joint pain and carpel tunnel problems. From time to time the spirit gets willing but in past attempts the body has tended to revolt so I don't want to spend much money on it without knowing I can hang with it.

It's a shame it quit working right. It's one of the real lawsuit guitars made in Japan that's somewhat of a collector's item now. I always loved it's sound.

Thank each of you very much for your help. Much appreciated.

Off-Topic
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,245
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,245
Quote:
I'll take it to the music store sometime this week and see what they say.
I would like to know what's wrong. If it's expensive to fix. Maybe, I'll play it as is and mic it if need be.


Taking it to the music store is a good idea, but before I’d “see what they say”, I’d just take the guitar in and ask to try out an amp and they’ll supply the guitar cord automatically. If it doesn’t work, they’ll start trying to figure out why! wink

Then take it from there. I’d suspect the EMU before the preamp.

Off-Topic
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
M
Mac Offline
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
M
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
And, treat whatever they tell you exactly like we should treat a medical opinion.

Get a second opinion before making any decisions regarding repair.

Often is the case that the ones I get in are something very simple, like the battery connects get broken or corroded from sitting, an easy repair for the competent tech and should not cost very much either.

If they start talking about more expensive possibilities, be polite, tell them you have to wait to afford that, and take the guitar to that second opinion place. If both tell you the exact same thing after troubleshooting, at least you will have confirmed the situation and can make a better decision about what to do from there.


--Mac

Off-Topic
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,063
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,063
Good idea Bob, I will try but I am the worst poker face in the world - I hope they won't see me coming a mile off. LOL!

Off-Topic
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,063
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,063
Mac, I'll for sure get a second opinion there's another music store that carries Takamine in a town not too far from here.

Off-Topic
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 20,648
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 20,648
FWIW, an acoustic player I jam with had his Ovation preamp die. A guitar tech indicated the cost to be around $300 as it was a proprietary device. I showed him my $12 Signal Flex SF-20

This is the same pickup I mentioned to Eddie in this thread, http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=211338#Post211338

A few other members showed interest in this. I have had great success with mine. I hope the other members also have good success.

Good luck.


Me, it's not about how many times you fail, it's about how many times you get back up.
Cop, that's not how field sobriety tests work.

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Off-Topic
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 9,302
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 9,302
If you're even close to being handy with some hand tools, a replacement can possibly be found on Amazon or Ebay for a few bucks.

As someone said above... it might even sound better.

I shop Amazon all the time.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 Review: 4.75 out of 5 Stars!

If you're looking for a in-depth review of the newest Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows version, you'll definitely find it with Sound-Guy's latest review, Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows Review: Incredible new capabilities to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs.

A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."

"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."

"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."

Happy Easter! Holiday Hours...

2024 is well underway - it's already Easter Weekend!

Our Customer Service hours this weekend are:

Friday, March 29: 8-4
Saturday, March 30: 8-4
Sunday, March 31: closed

Regular hours resume Monday, April 1st - no joke!

Convenient Ways to Listen to Band-in-a-Box® Songs Created by Program Users!

The User Showcase Forum is an excellent place to share your Band-in-a-Box® songs and listen to songs other program users are creating!

There are other places you can listen to these songs too! Visit our User Showcase page to sort by genre, artist (forum name), song title, and date - each listing will direct you to the forum post for that song.

If you'd rather listen to these songs in one place, head to our Band-in-a-Box® Radio, where you'll have the option to select the genre playlist for your listening pleasure. This page has SoundCloud built in, so it won't redirect you. We've also added the link to the Artists SoundCloud page here, and a link to their forum post.

We hope you find some inspiration from this amazing collection of User Showcase Songs!

Congratulations to the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!

We've just announced the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!

There are 45 winners, each receiving a Band-in-a-Box 2024 UltraPAK! Read the official announcement to see if you've won.

Our User Showcase Forum receives more than 50 posts per day, with people sharing their Band-in-a-Box songs and providing feedback for other songs posted.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed!

Video: Volume Automation in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows®

We've created a video to help you learn more about the Volume Automation options in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows.

Band-in-a-Box® 2024: Volume Automation

www.pgmusic.com/manuals/bbw2024full/chapter11.htm#volume-automation

Video: Audio Input Monitoring with Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows®

We've created this short video to explain Audio Input Monitoring within Band-in-a-Box® 2024, and included some tips & troubleshooting details too!

Band-in-a-Box® 2024: Audio Input Monitoring

3:17: Tips
5:10: Troubleshooting

www.pgmusic.com/manuals/bbw2024full/chapter11.htm#audio-input-monitoring

Video: Enhanced Melodists in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows®!

We've enhanced the Melodists feature included in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows!

Access the Melodist feature by pressing F7 in the program to open the new MultiPicker Library and locate the [Melodist] tab.

You can now generate a melody on any track in the program - very handy! Plus, you select how much of the melody you want generated - specify a range, or apply it to the whole track.

See the Melodist in action with our video, Band-in-a-Box® 2024: The Melodist Window.

Learn even more about the enhancements to the Melodist feature in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows at www.pgmusic.com/manuals/bbw2024upgrade/chapter3.htm#enhanced-melodist

Forum Statistics
Forums66
Topics81,402
Posts732,580
Members38,444
Most Online2,537
Jan 19th, 2020
Newest Members
Descoward, danielsk, Mark Morgan, zagrajbarke, Ernest J
38,443 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 200
Al-David 132
DC Ron 115
rsdean 84
dcuny 83
Today's Birthdays
(charlie), WobblyGstring
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5