J945 pickups output issue

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by Amit Shtriker

And Tim, here's a shot of the elctronics cavity:



Is the pickup gain the little blue thing on the upper right? What level should I opt for and is there a possibility of adjusting the gain too high and distort before the amp input (I mean the internal bass' preamp)?
Was the gain intentionally adjusted so that the active and passive won't have that much difference in level or should the active mode be adjusted hotter than the passive?

Yes, ("the little blue thing") that is the gain adjustment. As far as level and to increase gain, you will need to make a clock-wise adjustment forward until you are happy with what you need from the bass without overdriving the amp you are playing through. Depending on the amp you play through and/or how you have the amps levels set, you may be able to max out the bass' gain adjustment without overdriving the amp. I've never had to adjust the bass' gain that high though, so, just be careful: Take your time and be gentle making the adjustment. It's an easy adjustment, however, if you are not comfortable doing this, find someone qualified who is.

Also, in active-mode (with a good fresh battery) there will always be a noticeable "hotter" overall output level than the passive.

The passive mode was designed to get you through a gig when the battery has failed. If you play in passive mode, you will need to make the appropriate adjustment to the amplifier you play through in order to get the output and tone you desire. When you are in passive mode, the bass' active electronics/pre-amp are by-passed.