Installation Guide
User Manual Effective: February 12th, 2012
Table of contents
FlagShip Preconfiguration
Scope of Supply
Installation
Switching Modes
Potentiometer Functions
Addendum
1. FlagShip Preconfiguration
- Stereo jack
- Piezo volume control
- 5-way switch
- Battery cable
2. Scope of Supply
- FlagShip preconfigured (see above)
- Two screws and one adhesive pad for fixing the FlagShip unit into place
- Screwdriver for green crimp connectors
3. Installation
(if required please seek assistance from a guitar builder or technician)
- Attach the FlagShip unit with the two screws supplied or alternatively with the adhesive pad provided. If necessary, drill suitable holes for the screws in advance.
- Install the Stereo jack
- Position and install the 5-way switch (switch position 1 in the direction of the bridge, i.e. position the circuit board ‘away from the strings’
- Position and install the tone potentiometer
- Connect the plus and minus cables of the piezo bridge to the crimp connector (see below)
- Connect the plus and minus cables of the magnetic pickup to the crimp connector (see below)
- Attach the Phase jumper plug
- Connect the battery
- When FlagShip is used in combination with a Hannes Piezo bridge:
Plug the Hannes Piezo crimp connector into the multi-connector/adapter.
Next insert both plus and minus cables into the FlagShip preamp, i.e. into the terminal block.
Note: For your convenience a small screwdriver is included in the accessories.
For the Hannes Piezo:
The plus and minus cable of each of the string saddles/piezo elements are bundled in the crimp connector. Simply plug the crimp connector into the multi-connector/adapter. Next plug both the plus and the minus cables of the adapter into their corresponding crimp connector on the FlagShip preamp. Screw tight with the small screwdriver provided. Plug the crimp connector into the adapter. Make sure plus (red) and minus (black) are both on the correct side of the adapter (one side only), i.e. red to red and black to black. See image below.
Hannes Piezo bridge with crimp connector Adapter socket for the Hannes Piezo
On item 5):
Piezo positive (red multi-connector of the Hannes bridge) to the crimp connector marked with a red dot.
Piezo negative (black multi-connector of the Hannes bridge) to the crimp connector marked with a black dot.
Please note: the piezo negative is not the general shield of the guitar.
On item 6):
Magnetic positive on the crimp connector is marked with a yellow dot.
Magnetic shield on the crimp connector is not marked with a dot.
On item 7):
The jumper can be positioned by either plugging onto pins 1 and 2 or onto pins 2 and 3 and determines whether the piezo-signal is 'in phase' with the magnetic signal or 'out of phase' - the latter providing inferior sound quality.
The required positioning of the jumper is dependent on the individual switching characteristics of the guitar. For correct 'in-phase' positioning of the jumper we recommend testing 'by ear' once all connetions are made and the preamp is hooked up to an amp.
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4. Switching modes
5-Way switching modes in mono and stereo
Mono and stereo switching positions 2 through 5 feature identical controls and switching functions allowing for user-friendly layout. Both positions 1 mono and 1 stereo feature additional options.
MONO
Pos 1 acoustic raw*
Pos 2 acoustic active
Pos 3 magnetic + acoustic active
Pos 4 magnetic active
Pos 5 magnetic bypass
* for reference purposes use this option to hear the raw piezo signal
STEREO
Pos 1 mute - inactive **
Pos 2 acoustic active
Pos 3 magnetic + acoustic active
Pos 4 magnetic active
Pos 5 magnetic bypass
** when playing live use this option for silently changing instruments
Summary
Pos 1 mono: piezo raw-mode (1) / stereo: mute, silent-mode (2)
Pos 2 piezo into FlagShip preamp
Pos 3 magnetic pickups and piezo signal into FlagShip preamp
Pos 4 magnetic pickups into FlagShip preamp (buffered)
Pos 5 magnetic pickups pure and unaltered (hardwire-bypass)
(1) for reference purposes use this option to hear the raw piezo signal
(2) when playing live use this option for silently changing instruments
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5. Potentiometer Functions
Legend:
V = existing volume control for the magnetic signal
P = new piezo volume control
T = existing tone control for the magnetic pickups
Position 1:
Mono: Piezo raw;
Stereo: mute, silent
V = inactive
P = inactive (volume adjustment via amplifier)
T = inactive (tone adjustment via amplifier)
Position 2 (Mono and Stereo): Piezo active
V = inactive
P = Piezo signal volume control
T = inactive (tone adjustment via amplifier)
Position 3 (Mono and Stereo): Piezo active and magnetic active combined
V = Magnetic pickup volume control
P = Piezo signal volume control
T = Magnetic pickup tone control
Position 4 (Mono and Stereo): magnetic active
V = Magnetic pickup volume control
P = inactive
T = Magnetic pickup tone control
Position 5 (Mono and Stereo): magnetic hardwire bypass
V = Magnetic pickup volume control
P = inactive
T = Magnetic pickup tone control
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6. Addendum
- In case one of the pickup systems is not connected to the guitar's circuitry (whether magnetic or piezo), a wire tap must be connected on the respective input for effective noise reduction.
- To keep electromagnetic interference to a minimum all conductive parts of the guitar must be thoroughly grounded, particularily the Hannes retainer block and the FlagShip enclosure.
- For Stereo operation of the FlagShip preamp use a Y-cable with the following connectors:
One 6.3 mm stereo jack (guitar signal output) into two 6.3 mm mono jacks (to amplifier or mixing desk inputs).
Required wiring:
- Stereo jack inner ring to ring of mono jacks A and B simultaneously
- Stereo jack middle ring to tip of mono jack A
- Stereo jack tip to tip of mono jack B
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Quick 10 Step Guide to FlagShip
01. signal to noise ratio
ratio describing the level of signal to the level of background noise in dB (higher is better)
02. dynamic range
measured gap from the loudest possible undistorted signal amplitude to the most quiet one in dB (higher is better)
03. bandwidth
span between the lowest (here 1 Hz) and the highest frequency (here 20 kHz) the preamp can linearly (meaning without distortion) amplify or reproduce
04. noise floor
signal created from the sum of all noise sources (lower is better)
05. hardwire-bypass or true bypass
pure and unaltered guitar signal by way of bypassing any form of active signal-processing
06. reverse polarity protection
circuitry protecting the electronic components from interchanging plus and minus polarity (here: protection from interchanging the +poles and -poles of the battery)
07. static discharge protection
circuitry protecting the electronic components from an electrical voltage spark or 'spike'
08. piezo pickup
piezo-electrical signal created by transforming pressure/vibration into output voltage
09. magnetic pickup
magnetic pickup signal is created by transforming string motion and magnetic resistance into output voltage
10. buffered signal
high impedance signal transformed into a low impedance signal, therefore unaffected by high capacitance of excessive signal-cable and/or patch-cable lengths.
