Electronics

OUR STANDARD ELECTRONICS

This is your guide to the electronics options available for all ACG Custom and Über basses.

I use ACG Dual Filter and East Tone UK pre-amps exclusively in all of my basses.

I first approached John East while building my first basses. I started out using his J-Retro and BTB01 pre-amps. However, what I really wanted was a filter-based pre-amp, so I asked John repeatedly if he was going to make one.

After some pestering, John admitted he couldn’t see himself designing a filter pre-amp within the foreseeable future at that time, and one way to get what I was looking, for was to commission the design myself. This news lead to the design and production of the ACG EQ01 Dual Filter pre-amp. (This would be the only pre-amp in ACG basses until the release of the EQ03.)

The EQ02 – a retail version of the EQ01 – quickly followed then the EQ03 which launched in 2012.

After 7 years of customer feedback and experience, I decided a new pre-amp was needed to take the pre-amp in a more focused direction. Once again, the only man for the job was John and with his expert input, the DFM pre-amp launched in 2014.

ACG DFM pre-amp

The Dual Filter Modular pre-amp represents a change in direction for the ACG filter pre-amps. The goal with the previous versions has been to make a pre-amp that was as versatile as possible. Having gone down the path of trying to be all things to all players for a number of pre-amp versions I decided it was time to produce a more focused pre-amp to produce the sound I want to hear from ACG Basses. The Dual Filter Modular pre-amp is the result of a lot of hard work with John East.

Only available in the Uber Series.

Click here for a full run down of the ACG DFM

The Dual Filter Modular pre-amp is available in 3 different configurations.

DFM 4K

Stack one: Volume/Blend.
Stack two: Low-pass filter for the neck pickup plus push/pull switch to activate the low mid boost. The lower ring is the filter frequency, with 41 detents. The upper ring is the overshoot peak level.
Stack three: Low-pass filter for the bridge pickup plus push/pull switch to activate the upper mid boost or Attack Boost. The lower ring is the filter frequency, with 41 detents. The upper ring is the overshoot peak level.
Stack four: Sweepable mid/treble.

DFM 4K/AP

Same features as the DFM 4K but with a passive tone control in lieu of stack four, the sweepable mid/treble.
The single pot passive tone features a push/pull active passive switch. The tone control works in both active and passive modes. Passive is a full bypass even when the battery dies the passive section will still work.

DFM 5K

Same features as the DFM 3K with the addition of:
Stack four: Sweepable mid/treble.
Single five: Passive tone with active/passive on the push/pull

When the active/passive/tone pot is added, the volume/blend continues to work in both active and passive modes. When the bass is put into passive mode, the filter stacks have no effect on the sound. The passive tone pot can be used to shape the sound in both passive and active modes. The passive section completely bypasses all active sections in the pre-amp, so even without power the bass will continue to work in passive mode.

Note: When the DFM 4K/AP or the 5K/AP are used with the MC range of pickups the passive mode operates as normal. However should you lose power, the bass will no longer produce any sound. This is because the ACG IB1 board that connects the pickups to the pre-amp requires power to mix the pickup signal. So, if the battery dies there will be no output from the pickups.

The push/pull switches on stacks 2 and 3 activate a low-mid and hi-mid boost/attack boost that is independent of the filter positions and work globally so both can be active at the same time. Internal dip switches allow you to chose between two frequency settings on each stack. There are also trimpots to adjust the level of the boost from very subtle to a very pronounced boost.

Details on the frequencies and levels, and how to set them can be found in the instruction bundle at the bottom of the page.
The DFM pre-amp is now standard on all Custom and Über range basses in whatever configuration best suits you requirements. The EQ03 has now been discontinued.
Instructions for the DFM can be found at the link below.

ACG EQ01 Filter Pre-Amp

The first non Wal/Alembic on board pre-amp now 20 years old. In that 20 years it has been updated and improved.

Available in the Custom Series.

Click here for a full run down of the ACG EQ01

The Dual Filter Modular pre-amp is available in 3 different configurations.

EQ01 4K

Stack one: Volume/Blend.
Stack two: Low-pass filter for the neck pickup. The lower ring is the filter frequency, the upper ring is the overshoot peak level.
Stack three: Low-pass filter for the bridge pickup. The lower ring is the filter frequency, the upper ring is the overshoot peak level.
Stack four: Global high-pass filter for both pickups. The lower ring is the treble frequency, the upper ring is the treble level.

EQ01 4K/AP

Same features as the EQ01 4K but with a passive tone control in lieu of stack four.
The single pot passive tone features a push/pull active passive switch. The tone control works in both active and passive modes. Passive is a full bypass even when the battery dies the passive section will still work.

EQ01 5K

Same features as the EQ01 4K with the addition of:
Single five: Passive tone with active/passive on the push/pull

When the active/passive/tone pot is added, the volume/blend continues to work in both active and passive modes. When the bass is put into passive mode, the filter stacks have no effect on the sound. The passive tone pot can be used to shape the sound in both passive and active modes. The passive section completely bypasses all active sections in the pre-amp, so even without power the bass will continue to work in passive mode.

Instructions for the EQ01 can be found at the link below.

ACG/East Uni – Pre 4K Active/passive 3 band EQ

A non-filter pre-amp available as an option on all Custom Series basses.
Offering a full 3 Band Eq and active/passive switching. Also provides exytensive customisation via internal controls.

Available in the Custom Series.

Click here for a full run down of the ACG/East Uni-Pre 4K

Uni-Pre – Passive Mode

  • Active/Passive mode is selected via the push-pull toggle switch on the tone control.
  • In Passive, the active circuit is bypassed and the signal is passed directly to the jack.
  • When active is selected this brings preamp circuit into operation.

Uni-Pre – Active Mode

  • Volume Knob sets the output level for both active and passive paths.
  • The Blend Knob sets both the active and passive blend mix for the pickups: ACW for bridge pickup alone and CW for the neck pickup alone. A click midway gives and equal mix of both pickups if they are balanced. Internal Gain Trims, 0-12dBs, allow the pickup levels to be adjusted and/or matched.
  • Bass Boost/Cut or Boost only – set according to Jumper Link on circuit board. Controls the level of low end content according to the ‘Bass Window’ settings on the on the circuit board, described later. A centre click is included.
  • Treble (Pull for Bright)/Cut knob, controls the higher frequency spectrum according to the setting of the internal Treble Shelf Frequency adjustment. Pull for Bright, adds ‘high end sizzle’ sheen. A neutral setting is provided with a centre click.
  • Mid controls the level of Mid Boost/Cut at frequencies according to the setting of the Mid Frequency knob. A neutral setting is provided with a centre click on the upper Boost/Cut knob.
  • Tone Roll-off, set CW for no effect. Adjust ACW in order to mellow the treble and fully backed off for the ‘darkest’ sound. Push-pull google switch, pull for the Passive Signal path which consists of the Volume, Blend and Passive Tone. Push in the full Active Signal path.

Below are downloadable PDFs, including installation instructions for the current two ACG filter pre-amps and the Uni-pre,

DFM  |  EQ01  |  Uni-Pre

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