1981 L2000 dead preamp?

[Rusty the Scoob]

Hello! I'm the proud new owner of what I believe is a 1981 L2000E based on the registry/serial number and the words Series E on the headstock.

The electronics appear intact and unmolested but do not function, it works in passive mode but switching to active just makes a really loud "Splat" (kind of a Pop but more distorted) and no other sound comes out. The battery is fine and reads 9.6V.

By googling, I found this link https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/ ... age_Basses that says the following: "Be careful the preamp is still original and functioning to spec. If it sounds shrieky or shrill, there’s a good chance the 28-year-old IC chip is cooked. You’ll be able to find a functional replacement chip, but not an original." Could that be the problem I'm having? Would the replacement preamp or control assembly from G&L's site solve the problem?

Edit: added a better description in the title. At only $119 I ordered the assembly, I plan to take this bass on the road a lot if all goes well so that's cheap insurance. I'd still like to know if anyone has run into this before though!