Let us hear about your mods.

oh yes please do that :D
the input jack on my '92 is a bit loose and i'd like to repair it myself 8)
 
The Insane said:
I replaced the input jack and the JAN on my SSII. I'm about to make a tutorial for exchanging the input jack and hope it will be helpful for everyone who's got problems with his input jack.
Click to expand...

Ah yes, I did that as well on my fretless. Changed the output jack to a Switchcraft. Had to remove my tone pot to make room for a socket wrench to fit the nut on the jack. I didn't have an open-end wrench that fit and I couldn't get enough room and torque with a crescent wrench, so I had to go the socket route...

I also have a black Switchcraft output jack that I'm going to change on my $$ so that the jack will match with the rest of the black hardware and will be reliable. Would be very interested in your tutorial before I proceed...
 
boston asphalt2 said:
I havent modded any of my basses, I love them how they are.


I do want to comment on this thread though: It is HILARIOUS how open people are to m odding basses here, even on the warwick company website. EBMM literally runs you out of the forums if you suggest switching anything except the pickguard. They are OBSESSED with switching pickguards where I see most people here do electronics modding. Some may say this speaks to the idea that EBMM has better electronics, but I say that it shows us just what we care about: getting the best sound we can from our instruments, not about being able to switch out pickguards to go with the latest trend.

I love this place and these types of threads! Keep'em coming! 8)
Click to expand...

Well it's good too that Warwick offers most of these same mods in their Custom Shop, so it's not offensive to Warwick to do such mods. It is actually a compliment to the woods and craftsmanship of the instrument to give it that final tweak to fit with one's own personality or need.

Lord knows, I wouldn't change anything, but I had to overcome the buzz coming off the MECs in my fretless, and the Barts were the only passive J bass solution thanks to their dual in-line coil design. And since my output jack was cutting-out from the day i got the bass, I had to solve that problem as well. Switchcraft are more reliable and a local dealer has their jacks in both chrome and black, so i got one for my black hardware $$ as well. At the end of the day, I'm happier with the tone and the quiet of the Barts, the reliability of the Switchcrafts, and it is STILL fully a Warwick and "The Sound of Wood" - at its best!

But I also had to replace the strap pins on my fretless since it came with standard pins and not security lock types. I could have got some Dunlops or Schallers the same day, but I preferred the Warwick ones, so I ordered a set from Bass Centre in England. Had to wait several days for them to arrive, but am happier with the unique "Warwick look" they give my bass. I'm so loyal to the W that even my strap is a Warwick RockStrap, lol.

It's sad when another company or forum clamps down on what they consider loyalty. Just another reason all the more that Warwick and its users are above the cut! Glad you recognize this and keep enjoying! :D
 
fretless-passive jazz pickup swap

maddrakkett,
did the barts give you any more gain/power than the stock mec passives? are the pickups you put in the deep tone classic model-9CBJD1? can you tell us more about the sound changes-lows-highs-presence of mids-growl changes-& gain??
had you tried any other fretless warwick jazz pickup combinations that made these barts your choice for the swap?
all info fellow forum members is appreciated.
i am not going to change the passive electronics.
 
Re: fretless-passive jazz pickup swap

kingmacaw said:
maddrakkett,
did the barts give you any more gain/power than the stock mec passives? are the pickups you put in the deep tone classic model-9CBJD1? can you tell us more about the sound changes-lows-highs-presence of mids-growl changes-& gain??
had you tried any other fretless warwick jazz pickup combinations that made these barts your choice for the swap?
all info fellow forum members is appreciated.
i am not going to change the passive electronics.
Click to expand...

It is the 9CBJD1 set, which the guys at The Bass Place in Tempe, AZ suggested for a more natural and balanced tone (ie. closer to original Jazz pups, less "enhanced").

What I notice is not so much a change in output level, but the Barts are less aggressive in the top end, which makes the Warwick growl stay more in the midrange and may seem like a slight drop in volume, though it still keeps up pretty good with my $$.

The 9CBJD1s make my fretless really sweet in that natural mwah spot! It took me a few moments to get used to the change, but when I understood what was taking place, I really fell in love with the setup! You can also try the 9CBJD3 for more emphasis and gain in the high frequencies (perhaps more like the MECs?) if you like that brighter, more aggressive fretless rock tone, but I like the emphasis to be more on the midrange growl and low frequencies that the 9CBJD1s give.

I have not tried any other pickups, but from experiences as a guitarist helping previous bass players choose their gear before switching over to the "deep dark side" myself, I always found Bartolinis to be the fav for that dark, barky, growly, woody tone. EMGs have been too hifi for my taste - as they were the original choice for Steinberger composite basses and continue to have that hifi presence tone due partially to their active circuitry. I have no experience with Basslines or any others.

With the Bartolinis, I get extreme silence concerning hum and buzz, yet maintain passive analog tone (I keep this bass' electronics passive as well). Having dual coils does cut the presence out a little, but I find it to be better suited for the fretless.
 
Scubadiver said:
Replaced JAN2 with JAN3.
Click to expand...

If we're considering that to be a mod (I guess an upgrade is a mod...), then I have also done the JAN2 to JAN3 on both my Warwicks.

I also changed the strings on my fretless to the EMPs, which sound and feel really special against the ebony board! :D
 
I just sent in my LX 5 string to get some Quad coil Bart's and a Agiular OBP-3 installed...
I have 4 days to wait and I am going through serious withdrawl!
I will post a review and pics when I have a chance to put it though his paces..

\m/
 
Ya know... I'm considering putting a ramp on my thumb, I dont know why... But I see alot of them and am wondering if it will help out any with the double thumping... So I'll make one over the next few days out of some oak I have laying around :P
 
classic barts 9CBJS1 or 9CBJD1 v. nordstrand NJ4 single coil

hello H8er & other forum members,
interested in users assessment of the difference in sound for your thumb bass between the classic bartolini pickups and the nordstrand? which model of each did you use-were they both hum canceling or the single coil pickups? i assume the nordy has far more gain, am i correct? did the nordy emphasize or de-emphasize the famous warwick growl? which pups were least colored in sound? which frequencies were better or different in each? interested in any info you have to share on these 2 pickups.

i am interested in swapping out pickups from the stock mec's on my fretless passive corvette(but keeping passive electronics) & possibly on my fretted thumb b.o.(keeping the stock active electronics). both basses bubinga body/ovankol-wenge neck.

finally, if the nordy is really better than a bart, is it worth 60% more to upgrade stock mec's to a nordy NJ4 single coil than what it would cost for a bartolini classic or should any extraordinary warwick user (meaning you all not me) be perfectly happy w/a bartolini upgrade?
your input is appreciated-w/or w/o any 60 cycle hum.
 
Nordies & Barts

decisions made! :idea:

just ordered Nordstrand NJ4 single coil set in my passive corvette fretless

& classic series Bart 9CBJD1 deeptone hum cancelers in active thumb b.o.

8)
 
thumbin said:
Ya know... I'm considering putting a ramp on my thumb
Click to expand...

Let us know how that turns out. I've been looking at those things recently. seems it would help with stopping the down stroke of the double thump, making the up more consistent.
 
- Originally changed the MEC pickups and preamp in my corvette to EMG Js and a U-Retro preamp,
- Loved this setup until i bought a CCL combo and realised all i had to do was play loud with all the EQ flat so i sold the U-Retro and just had V/V/T pots installed,
- Loved this for awhile then started to tire of the EMG 'hi-fi' sound. so I purchased a set of Dimarzio Model Js,
- installed the Model Js with passive V/V/T pots and the series/parallel switching and completly loving the many many tones available!

In series mode the tone is brutal, total growl, heavy on the bass and low mids no so much on the highs however i found that boosting the highs and bass alittle on my CCL combo resulting in one fat aggressive tone!

In parallel the tone is lovely and clear and closely resembles something like the Marcus Miller jazz bass, perfect for slap, jazz etc.

I have just recorded some demos at the studio and hopefully will be getting hold of some sound samples soon!

Cheers.
 
EM, glad to hear a positive report on the Dimarzios. Been considering doing what you have but adding a switchable active eq with dual tone circuits (stacked vv, stacked active 2-band and passive low pass ) to get as much versatility as possible out of one bass.
 
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