How do I choose? What is the difference between LHZ-01 and LHZ-01?
The LHZ-01 requires you to solder your connections to the board via designated pads where the LHZ-02 uses quick-disconnect pins and soldering (if any) are done on the pots or barrel jack. This page has a thorough breakdown to help you make a decision: LHZ-01 or LHZ-02?
What is the difference between the Green V1.6 and blue V1.7g preamps?
The preamps are identical in every way except for a minor printing error. The Green V1.6 boards had the R and S markings on the CN2 connector reversed: the R was where the S should be, and S where R should be.
For most users, this made no difference. However, for certain installation it would cause a battery drain issue: Short Battery Life Fix: Green Rev 1.6 preamp
This printing error was corrected in the Blue V1.7g board.
Will this preamp work with my pickups?
Yes! The LHZ preamp will work with active, passive, single coil, humbucker, split-coil, and coil-tap pickups from any manufacturer. It will work with both single pickup and dual pickup configurations. The Installation Manual shows multiple diagrams covering a wide variety of installation scenarios.
Do I need to provide my own volume/blend pots?
Yes. The LHZ preamp works with any type of pickup, and each manufacturer has specific specifications for the potentiometers recommended for their pickup models. There are too many variations for us to be able to stock components for them all.
The LHZ arrives with Bass and Treble controls already wired to the preamp. You must provide the volume / blend / coil-tap pots that are recommended by your pickup manufacturer. Most users will wire the pickups directly to the control pots (volume, blend, coil-tap) as recommended by the pickup manufacturer, then wire the output from the control pots to the LHZ.
I don’t have a eBay or Reverb account. Do you sell direct?
No, we do not offer direct sales at this time. We use eBay (international and domestic sales) and Reverb (domestics sales only) stores as they provide significant fraud protection to both the buyer and seller. They also vastly simplify the shipping process so we can focus on what we do best: building and supporting vintage bass preamps.
Will the preamp fit in my bass?
We have not found a bass the LHZ does not fit into yet! We’ve been installed in every model of Spector® basses, multiple other venders, and are even in several Steinberger basses.
Can the LHZ be used on non-Spector® basses?
Absolutely! The LHZ has a compact formfactor that will fit in the most compact control cavities, and is capable of being integrated with any type of pickup configuration. The question to ask is: “Why do I want to install the LHZ in a non-Spector® bass?”
The LHZ will not make a different model bass sound like a classic Spector® NS2 bass: do not expect the preamp to change the signature sound of the instrument. What it will do is provide a greater level of articulation and “bite” than traditional transparent preamps. We have a national touring bassist using the LHZ in their touring Fender Jazz (modified with P and J pickups) as they prefer the Fender look and feel but love the Spector® tone and growl. Their feedback was that the LHZ “brought the Jazz out of the cage and made it a beast Fender® & Spector® love-child with the best of both worlds.”
So far, we’ve been installed in Alembic, Fender, Ibanez, Ken Smith, Sadowsky, Schecter, Spector, Steinberger, Warwick, and Yamaha basses. We’re even in a Punisher! Why not add yours to the list?
My battery seems to be dying after a couple weeks. What can I do to fix this?
This is usually an indicator that the power switch in the barrel jack is being bypassed to leave the pickups and preamp powered up even when unplugged. Make sure the battery ground (negative) is only being wired to the LHZ and does not first connect to a ground block or distribution point.
Take a close look at the wiring of the R and S connections of the CN2 connector to the barrel jack. The earlier Green V1.6 boards had a printing error, so they have a separate Installation Manual showing the correct connection of R and S connectors to the RING and SLEEVE connectors of the output jack.
More information about this can be found here: Short Battery Life Fix: Green Rev 1.6 preamp
Is the LHZ-02 a completely solder-free installation?
Most times, but not always. Feedback from clients indicate that a significant percentage of basses using the EMG modular controls still requiring some soldering to connect the barrel jack. If your barrel jack terminates in DuPont connectors, then you will not need to solder anything. Otherwise, you will need to do some minor soldering. Each LHZ -02 kit comes with extra 3-pin DuPont connectors so you can use one for the barrel jack.
Is the LHZ a true clone of the HazLabs preamp?
Yes it is! We’ve just release a video showing how we’ve traced the circuit board of an original HazLabs to compare to the LHZ circuitry. Not only is the circuit board a perfect clone, but we also use original NOS (New Old Stock) LH442CN op-amps that were used in the original HazLabs preamps!