I N S T A L L A T I O N M A N U A L & U S E R ' S G U I D E
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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
1. Package contents
2. Overview and cautions
3. Strapjack/preamp installation
4. iBeam installation: pin bridge guitars
5. iBeam installation: non-pin bridge guitars
6. iBeam installation: classical/nylon string guitars
7. iBeam removal and repositioning
8. Battery Bag installation
9. Volume control installation
10. Other applications
1 . P A C K A G E C O N T E N T S
One (1) iBeam pickup and volume control wheel pre-attached to the iBeam Active Preamp
One (1) Battery Bag
Three (3) self-stick wire holders
Two (2) extra adhesive strips
One (1) pin bridge mounting kit (not included with the iBeam Active Classical)
2 . O V E R V I E W A N D C A U T I O N S
The iBeam Active System pairs the award-winning iBeam bridge plate
transducer with an all-discrete, class A FET preamp built into the endpin jack.
A soundhole-mounted volume control provides onboard volume adjustment
with no cutting or drilling required. The system is powered by a 9 volt battery,
and should provide approximately 1000 hours of use per battery. The battery
is not included in this package.
We recommend that this system be installed by a professional dealer/installer.
We do not provide installation advice or support for home or hobbyist
installations. Installers: please read the instructions carefully before
proceeding. We will not be responsible for any damage to the guitar or
personal injury resulting from installation, improper installation, use or
misuse of the product.
Simply plugging in the cord will turn the iBeam Active on -- be sure to have
your amp or PA muted, as there will be a plug-in "pop." The output impedance
is very low, and, at 600 ohms, the iBeam Active can drive any length of cable
and be plugged into almost any outboard gear with full frequency response. The endpin preamp is pre-contoured to get the most from the
iBeam, so very little outboard equalization should be necessary. However, because the iBeam is top-sensitive, an outboard preamp with phase
reversal and/or notch filter(s), such as our Para D.I. or Feedback Master, may be helpful for controlling feedback (especially in loud playing
situations).
The iBeam fits x-braced guitars with at least three inches of flat open space directly under the saddle (see figure 1). Verify that this requirement is
met before altering the guitar in any way.
The peel-and-stick adhesive is the best way to adhere the iBeam. It will hold the iBeam quite firmly, but will allow the pickup to be safely removed
at a later time. The use of any adhesive other than the provided self-stick pads is not recommended and will void the warranty.
3 . S T R A P J A C K / P R E A M P I N S T A L L A T I O N
Drilling the strapjack hole: For proper installation, this jack requires a clean 1/2" hole in the tail block of the instrument. If the guitar lacks this
hole, start by placing a piece of masking tape on the outside of the instrument over the drilling area (to avoid chipping the finish), drill a small
pilot hole in the tail block and then follow with a step drill. Now proceed with the installation.
Remove the strap ring, retaining nut and one washer from the end of the jack. There should still be one star locking washer, one flat washer and a
nut remaining on the jack. Bring the jack down through the soundhole into the body and insert it into the pre-drilled hole in the tail block. Using
the internal nut (be sure to include the flat and star washers), set the proper depth that will allow the entire smaller threaded section to protrude
from the instrument (see figure 2).
