Please help with pickup and electronics suggestions!

[Billygoat]

Hello,

I know this is going to be a long read but if anybody could stick it out and make me some recommendations, I would be extremely grateful.

I've owned my Corvette FNA Jazzman 4 string for about six or seven years now so I have one of the older ones with the Seymour Duncan pre-amp in it. I have always loved the feel and playability of the bass but I've never really loved the sound of it. I wasn't digging the stock MEC pickups so I swapped them out a few years after buying it for Basslines.

I currently have the Hot Jazz neck pickup and one of the Basslines MM replacements in the bridge. I was very disappointed when I got my bass back after having the Basslines put in. Surprisingly enough, it didn't sound much (if any) better than the stock pups and my previously favorite setting (blend pot right in the middle) has been completely un-usable since having the basslines put in. Now when the blend pot is in the middle where the bass used to sound the thickest, it sounds extremely thin and the output drops. I know what you're thinking, but I've since had two different Warwick approved techs check it out and nothing is wired out of phase.

I'm really not digging the current sound of the bass and I don't want to go back to the MEC's. The problem I have with the sound is kind of hard to explain but it is extremely midrangey and kind of brittle without having those clear low mids that I have always identified with Warwicks. When I try to dial up the bass on the eq (slightly), it tends to just get boomy.

I've played probably about 20 other Warwicks and mine just doesn't seem to sound much like them even when the MEC's were in. I think I'd like to move to active pickups and based on any suggestions here, perhaps a different pre-amp. I was looking at the EMG site and it seems that they only sell their jazz pups in sets of two from what I can tell which is pretty stupid to me. I like the looks of their active MM pup with the red lettering but if I can't get a single jazz neck pup to go with it, I can't really go that route...

Any suggestions for active pickups and a pre-amp for this bass? I'd even consider active MEC pickups if they would sell them in the right combo. I'm guessing that twin jazz pup isn't the same size as the MM humbucker though is it? I'm looking for something with clear, open lows where the highs aren't too brittle or sharp.

Sorry again for the long post and thanks in advance for any suggestions!

 

[Michael J]

Try EMG's or Barts?

 

[saxonbass]

Just curious... and it may help... were there any of the other Warwicks you tried that you particularly liked?

 

[Billygoat]

Fair question. Yes there are a number of Warwicks that I have really liked the sound of. Thinking back though, I think I tend to prefer the ones with active pickups. I'm convinced that with the right tweak of the electronics in mine, it could sound amazing.

Is there any way to buy an EMG jazz neck pickup not in a set of two (other than used)? Their website gives me the impression that you can only buy their jazz pickups in sets of two which obviously wouldn't work for me being that I need an MM sized humbucker in the bridge. Any suggestions for which Bartolini models? I'm not at all familiar with their lineup and from what I remember, they have a number of choices for each pickup.

What would be a good pre-amp to put in there in place of the stock SD pre? If I replaced the pre, would any other pre-amps make use of the push/pull stacked pot? I'd really be interested in having that switch from active to passive if possible. Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Billygoat]

Saxon, I guess I didn't reply to your question very specifically so in answering your question, I'd have to say that the Streamer Stage II and the Infinity are probably the ones I like the best. I understand of course that my bass will never sound exactly like one of those but I think I can get much closer with active pickups.

Thanks

 

[azzyrazzy]

Sell it, and buy a Streamer or a Dolphin then? Really!

 

[Billygoat]

I don't really have an extra $3000+ to make up the difference and buy one of those unfortunately... I'd rather just change the hardware to black, put new electronics in it and stick with what I've got.

Are the twin jazz pickups the same size as the MM humbuckers?

Anyone have any experience with the Aguilar OBP-3 in their Warwick?

 

[saxonbass]

Sell it, and buy a Streamer or a Dolphin then? Really!

...that's sort of along the lines I was thinking, but azzyrazzy's come right out and said it.

I would say that there's more to the sound of a bass than just the pick-ups, probably more so for Warwicks because of the variety of woods used, both in the body and the necks, and also such things as active/passive (both or either pickups and eq), pick up types - J, TJ, MM, and pickup placement, and neck-through or bolt-on construction

the SSII has two J styles and an afzelia body (both different to the FNA Jazzman, the infinity has J/TJ and different woods, including zebrano (and semi-hollow or tone chambers) - both of those basses are neck-through or set neck - yet you're still trying to work with an Ash and Maple body, with a bolt-on neck and J/MM pickups.

Might be easier to cut and run... find the bass you really like (whether or not it's a Warwick) and buy that.

 

[saxonbass]

... and just seen your latest post.

Why not put the MECs back in - as you seemed to be happier (if not fully happy) before you started changing stuff... then start saving up! It's not really a cheap option to keep buying pickups and then not using them.

I'm only saying all this because I've wasted a lot of money messing about myself... easier if you can really try to focus on what you want rather than just changing stuff all the time!

Good luck!

 

[Billygoat]

I already have a new Music Man Sterling that I do most of my playing on and for what I'd get selling my Warwick, it's really not worth selling. Plus, despite not liking the sound of it so much, I love the bass (especially the neck) and I don't want to get rid of it. If this was my only bass and I didn't like the sound, I'd cut my losses and get one that I love but that's not the case here.

As previously stated, I completely understand that changing the electronics is not going to make my FNA sound like a Streamer Stage II, Infinity, Dolphin, etc and I don't expect that. I do however think that changing the electronics can get me much closer to the sound I'm looking for. In another six months or whatever, I'll probably be buying a nice third bass to add to the fleet but for now, I'd like to get the FNA sounding better with a change of electronics.

Please no more suggestions to sell it and get another bass. Answering my questions on the electronics would be greatly appreciated though.

Thanks

 

[flipper_gv]

... and just seen your latest post.

Why not put the MECs back in - as you seemed to be happier (if not fully happy) before you started changing stuff... then start saving up
Good luck!

for a mec electronics. I think it can make a huge difference because the mec pickups are made to work with mec electronics

 

[Billygoat]

For one thing, I wasn't happy with the MEC pickups as Saxon concluded which is why I changed them in the first place. Secondly, being that it is an older FNA Jazzman, it has the Seymour Duncan Basslines pre-amp and not a MEC preamp.

 

[warwickhunt]

I had similar issues with my bass (below), no way would I get rid of the bass but I wasn't sure if pup or pre upgrade would make the biggest difference. In the end I swapped the pups over for a pair of custom over-wound 'Wizard' (UK manufacturer) jobbies. Andy at Wizard had to customize a pair of J pups to manufacture the rear pup of my bass (what you see is a pair of Jazz pups with the inner mounts shaved off and joined with a buffer strip) and this was no issue once he had my existing MEC pups in his hands. It cost me £120 for the set and Andy even talked me through re-installing the electrics (his pups are true passive). He went to the trouble of checking out the electric schematics available on the Warwick site to guide me.

The pups have made a difference... I'm able to do a direct A/B as I have a stock instrument to compare it to and it isn't like night and day but I have a bit more low mid punch and slightly better clarity. I'm holding fire on upgrading the preamp as I'm (slowly) coming to the conclusion that the construction and materials of the bass may well impart a bigger influence on the tone than a new set of pups or preamp 'may' ever be able to do.

I am doing an experiment on a Streamer by swapping out the MEC circuit for a Demeter unit after I've recorded the bass pre swap. If I'm not able to hear a significant difference... well the bass below stays as is!

 

[flipper_gv]

For one thing, I wasn't happy with the MEC pickups as Saxon concluded which is why I changed them in the first place. Secondly, being that it is an older FNA Jazzman, it has the Seymour Duncan Basslines pre-amp and not a MEC preamp.

this is what I mean, change the damn preamp for a mec and reinstall the mec pickups. I'm sure it'll make a good difference.

 

[saxonbass]

For one thing, I wasn't happy with the MEC pickups as Saxon concluded which is why I changed them in the first place. Secondly, being that it is an older FNA Jazzman, it has the Seymour Duncan Basslines pre-amp and not a MEC preamp.

this is what I mean, change the damn preamp for a mec and reinstall the mec pickups. I'm sure it'll make a good difference.

... you could always go into a shop and try out a new FNA Jazzman... then you'll have an idea how MEC pups and pre-amp sound, before you buy a new pre-amp

 

[warwickhunt]

For one thing, I wasn't happy with the MEC pickups as Saxon concluded which is why I changed them in the first place. Secondly, being that it is an older FNA Jazzman, it has the Seymour Duncan Basslines pre-amp and not a MEC preamp.

this is what I mean, change the damn preamp for a mec and reinstall the mec pickups. I'm sure it'll make a good difference.

... you could always go into a shop and try out a new FNA Jazzman... then you'll have an idea how MEC pups and pre-amp sound, before you buy a new pre-amp

Not a bad suggestion at all but please remember the type/brand of strings and the length of time they've been pawed at by sweaty bassists may well have as big an impact on the tone that you hear (probably through unfamiliar shop equipment in a far from ideal scenario) as the pups or preamp fitted to it.

 

[Billygoat]

That's actually a really good idea. I think my local store has an FNA Jazzman right now actually. I'll do that for sure. Thanks!

 

[maddrakkett]

Trying out another Jazzman with the full MEC setup is a great idea that the guys at The Bass Place here in Arizona actually suggest in their latest newsletter concerning any bass/upgrade considerations.

You also mentioned wanting the pull switch volume to go from active to passive. This can only be done if you buy passive pups and an active EQ. Active pups cannot be switched to passive and will require the battery at all times.

Of course MEC offers passive J and M pups, and the $$ has the passive/active abilities.

I prefer Bartolini because they are passive and you can get them in a dual inline coil J and a quad MM that totally eliminates any hum or buzz, and they dial them in to sound as close to the vintage pups they are based on.

My Bubinga Corvette Std. fretless sounds really good and noise-free with the warmer Bartolini 9CBJD1 J pups and no preamp, so I already trust their pups, and I'm about to drop a pair of Bartolini dual inline Js with the higher and brighter output (9CBJD3) into my Thumb NT and also a matching Bartolini preamp (3.4) with an MEC Vol/Blend/Passive-Active switch pot that Tyler is sending me from Dana B. Goods. Once I get the pot and put it all together, I'll find out how good the Bartolini preamp/EQ is... I trust it will rule!

 

[olistorck]

The bassline pups are a good choice, but obviously not with the preamp. Put a glockenklang preamp in it and the original mec´s back in and basta... But in the end, you can´t change the sound of the wood, only influence it to a degree.