Have a Lakland 5501 with an Aguilar OBP3 preamp waiting to go in. Want to change the pups and install everything at once. Have always like the Warwick Stage 1 5 string (MEC Soapbar) tone but the Fat Stacks seem to be more popular. Which do I go for? Want a fat, punchy, growly, round, warm sound that will cut through.

Have a Lakland 5501 with an Aguilar OBP3 preamp waiting to go in. Want to change the pups and install everything at once. Have always like the Warwick Stage 1 5 string (MEC Soapbar) tone but the Fat Stacks seem to be more popular. Which do I go for? Want a fat, punchy, growly, round, warm sound that will cut through.

I have an OBP-3 with Fat stacks in my Valenti. I love them. I also have a 55-01 deluxe. I think the Nordy FS/Aguilar OBP-3 combination is where I would go if I were to upgrade the 55-01.

Warm, full, lots of tones, clear, never harsh. Plenty of mid control for cut-through. YMMV.

PS. I have zero experience with the MEC soapbars. If they are what give some Warwick's that super growl, and that is what you want, then the MECs may be a better choice. The Fat Stacks growl fine on my bass, though, just not as aggressively as the really growly Warwicks.

Well, people here love Nordstrand stuff, and usually dislike MEC pickups.

As for the Warwick growl, what i will say can be a bit polemic, but i believe its mainly for those very hard woods used on them.