I am making a new body for my bass that I have nw because I want to put in a Music Man bartolini pickup with active electronics. I have never wired a pickup before so I was wondering if I just have to buy the pickup or do I have to buy a preamp too. If I buy the pickup will I only need to buy the knobs and wire it to a 9 volt, or will I need to buy a preamp too? I found the Bartolini MMC here http://www.bestbassgear.com/other_pickups.htm. Is that all I need?


Thanks

The battery is to run a preamp, either built into a pickup or a seperate module in the control bay. Bartolini.net will have whatever info you need.

If you want active electronics you'll have to buy a preamp too.

I answered your question about what else you'd have to buy in the other thread you started - http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=115847

But, if you keep it passive you'll only need volume/blend/tone knobs (whatever your config is). No need for a battery.

If you buy a preamp, they usually come with any 'special' pots they need i.e. potentiometers of odd impedance. Bartolini sell their preamps wired up as 'harnesses' with many different options for use on basses with different number of holes etc - look on this page and see the options - http://www.bartolini.net/information/harnesses/harnesses.htm

There are also people like Brian at bestbassgear.com who'll wire up a preamp like the Aguilar OBP-3 for you in whatever config you want. If you've never done anything like this before, I'd recommend going this route first time - it's not difficult to apply too much heat with the soldering iron and fry a pot or preamp.