[bolmsted]

I am looking for a place to buy or know of anyone with extra ripper electronics that is willing to sell the mid tone pot with the tone choke. I find the mid tone cut really warms up my Ripper bass and I want to try to wire one on my other bass but I'm having a really hard time finding the choke. For those that don't know, the choke is the about 2-inch long coil usualy sodered on back of the pot. It looks like two small spools with a bolt joining them. Looking at schematics, Gibson also used them on the mid-seventies EB-3 and EB-3L, Howard Roberts guitar and I believe it is very similar to that used in the old varitone dials. Anyone have an old Gibson choke or have a disfunctional Ripper that would like to sell the electronics?

[Granny Gremlin]

There is no such thing as a mid tone pot on a Gibson bass - are you talking about the rotary switch with the chickenhead knob (the varitone)?

What you call the choke is actually an inductor coil - the Ripper's choke consists of this inductor AND a capacitor and is not a mid boost so much as a bass and treble cut (a 1st order low pass filter in series with a 1st order high pass filter).

The (Series 1) EB3 choke is a completely differant animal - it is a 2nd order High pass filter - and more importantly the inductor coil has a differant value (as well as a differant part #) than the Ripper. The Series 2 EB3 has a very similar choke circuit to the Ripper; the inductor is the same but the cap is differant.

It is Highly unlikely that you will find the Ripper choke coil (Gibson part # 70-442) for sale on it's own - you will have to cannabalize it from another bass (remember that only a Series 2 EB3 has the correct inductor for your purposes, that's any EB3 after the slothead period, 1971 and later). The biggest annoyance, I find, is that an inductor of the same value (actually it's 2 inductors, reverse wound, in series, so as to be hum cancelling - not pictured as such in the Ripper diagram, but it is on the Series 2 EB3 diagram, and looking at the actual part it becomes obvious) could easily be found - IF WE KNEW WHAT THE VALUE OF THE INDUCTOR WAS that is. We have the value of the Series 1 EB3 inductor (Gibson Part # GA-90) because it is the same part used in the EB2 choke and the EB2 diagram has the value labeled.

If you, or a friend, have the equipment to test the value of the inductor coil in your Ripper than you could just go down to any electronic part supply store and buy the equivalent value inductor (it wouldn't be humbucking like the original part; you could buy 2 inductors of half the required value each and tinker but I doubt it's worth it).

Most likely you do not have such means - I would recomend you experiment with a few values for the inductor (they're cheap, a couple cents each) and see what you like best.

Easier still try the Big D varitone switch (google it or wait for Redbird to drop by and provide the link) - it is a prewired multi-preset tone control. At least one of the settings is much like the Ripper choke, IIRC. You just wire the thing in series with the hot lead just before the output jack - easy as pie.

[doom]

There is no such thing as a mid tone pot on a Gibson bass - are you talking about the rotary switch with the chickenhead knob (the varitone)?

What you call the choke is actually an inductor coil - the Ripper's choke consists of this inductor AND a capacitor and is not a mid boost so much as a bass and treble cut (a 1st order low pass filter in series with a 1st order high pass filter).

Jake, there is a mid tone control on the Ripper along with a treble tone control. You're right, technically there is no boosting involved but you control the mid notch filter with the potentiometer. Gibson refers to it as a midrange roll-off control.

[Granny Gremlin]

Really - lemme look at a circuit diagram - I don't actually own a Ripper and always assumed it was a V T T or V V T setup. ... Right you are; I tip my hat and appologise. I guess I better learn to not shoot my mouth off like that

[K.L.LANIER]

Originally Posted by Granny Gremlin

There is no such thing as a mid tone pot on a Gibson bass - are you talking about the rotary switch with the chickenhead knob (the varitone)?

What you call the choke is actually an inductor coil - the Ripper's choke consists of this inductor AND a capacitor and is not a mid boost so much as a bass and treble cut (a 1st order low pass filter in series with a 1st order high pass filter).

The (Series 1) EB3 choke is a completely differant animal - it is a 2nd order High pass filter - and more importantly the inductor coil has a differant value (as well as a differant part #) than the Ripper. The Series 2 EB3 has a very similar choke circuit to the Ripper; the inductor is the same but the cap is differant.

It is Highly unlikely that you will find the Ripper choke coil (Gibson part # 70-442) for sale on it's own - you will have to cannabalize it from another bass (remember that only a Series 2 EB3 has the correct inductor for your purposes, that's any EB3 after the slothead period, 1971 and later). The biggest annoyance, I find, is that an inductor of the same value (actually it's 2 inductors, reverse wound, in series, so as to be hum cancelling - not pictured as such in the Ripper diagram, but it is on the Series 2 EB3 diagram, and looking at the actual part it becomes obvious) could easily be found - IF WE KNEW WHAT THE VALUE OF THE INDUCTOR WAS that is. We have the value of the Series 1 EB3 inductor (Gibson Part # GA-90) because it is the same part used in the EB2 choke and the EB2 diagram has the value labeled.

If you, or a friend, have the equipment to test the value of the inductor coil in your Ripper than you could just go down to any electronic part supply store and buy the equivalent value inductor (it wouldn't be humbucking like the original part; you could buy 2 inductors of half the required value each and tinker but I doubt it's worth it).

Most likely you do not have such means - I would recomend you experiment with a few values for the inductor (they're cheap, a couple cents each) and see what you like best.

Easier still try the Big D varitone switch (google it or wait for Redbird to drop by and provide the link) - it is a prewired multi-preset tone control. At least one of the settings is much like the Ripper choke, IIRC. You just wire the thing in series with the hot lead just before the output jack - easy as pie.

"Preach" that "Gibson-Gospel" brother..."Preach"! :P

[FC Bass]

Originally Posted by bolmsted

the choke is the about 2-inch long coil usualy sodered on back of the pot. It looks like two small spools with a bolt joining them.

In this link there's a picture of the electronics of my Ripper. You can see the "choke" clearly.

http://www.decoda.net/FCBASS/index_best ... etails.htm

Good luck and Cheers!

F.C.

[doom]

Did someone mention Big D:http://www.bigdguitars.com/

[my10inch_record]

check out HAS Sound.com, they have a lot of interesting tone/mid/bass/vari tone controls.

[Granny Gremlin]

whaddayamean - project schematics or actual parts for sale?

Also, please repost a link or active address - I can't find the site with the info provided.

[my10inch_record]

Has-sound.com Guitar wiring, electronics and control upgrades, tone kits, parts and accessories. ... Home / Passive Electronics. Custom Wiring Harnesses. Pickups.