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Old 09-08-2007, 12:11 AM
Bob Branstetter Bob Branstetter is offline
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Join Date: 01-22-2007
Location: Stanley, KS (Kansas City)
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The mount I'm using now is the second design I've done. I made the first one from spruce. It was OK, but I really wanted one that I could adjust the angle of the mic coming out of the tailpiece. My current design was made from a short length of 2" Aluminum angle stock. The mic tube is attached with the same small plastic pipe clamps that are used to attach the jack on Gage Realist pickups. They are available in most any hardware store.

Before you start, keep in mind that this modification will void your AMT warranty. It's a good idea to use the mic a while with the factory clamp so that you can be absolutely sure that you have found the best location for the mic head. In my case that spot was located directly under the end of the fingerboard and on the center seam. I keep the mic less than 1/8" from the surface. While this may seem to be an unlikely place for the mic, it enables me to get a great sound and much more usable volume before getting into feedback. I've found that the area around the ff holes is one of the worst places for the mic as it gets a boomy sound and is more prone to feedback. This may not be the best spot for you, so experiment on jobs since it will always sound great in your living room.

Removing the AMT body clamp from the tube and goose-neck can be a challenge. Thanks to Marty Paglione (the designer of the mic) at AMT, I know that you must heat all of the tiny set screws with an alcohol lamp before removing them. If they are not well heated, the threads may strip when you try to remove them because they are installed with Loctite so they won't vibrate loose. As I remember, there are 3 different size set screws. I had to go to a machine supply shop to find the smallest Allen wrench since it is smaller than any of the "standard" sizes. I can look up the sizes for you if you need to know. Once the set screws are removed, you can slide off the clamp portion. If you aren't real good a soldering small components, having a friend who is good at it will make the job a lot easier. You must cut the cable coming out of the tube housing and install a Switchcraft EN3 plug on the mount if you wish to keep the wiring to the preamp the same as it is stock. Of course you will need a EN3 jack for the cord that you cut off. They are available from several mail order electronic supply houses. You could substitute a Mini XLR plug and jack for the EN3. That will do the same job and are probably be a little more sturdy than the plastic EN3 fittings.

I attached the adaptor to the back side of my tailpiece with cap screws (Allen head). By using an Allen Wrench, I can loosen or tighten the screws (after initial installation) without removing the tailpiece again. I tapped the threads into the tailpiece so that I could partially loosen them to remove the mic mount and then reattach it as many times as I might need in the future. As it turned out, it has been permanently attached to the tailpiece for the last two years.

I'm sure there are other things that I left out, but this should give you a pretty good idea of what my mount is all about. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions. FWIW, I also wrote about the mount over on the TalkBass forum.
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Last edited by Bob Branstetter; 09-08-2007 at 07:26 PM.
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