E string a bit quiet and empty - Squier VM

[Disco_Gee]

I hope someone can help me.

I have a Squier Vintage Modified Jazz. It's a good bass and it sounds great... on the A, D and G strings. The E string seems quieter than the other strings and lacks the punch that the others have. I put some new DR strings on and the problem was still there. I though perhaps it was just the pickups so I swapped them out with a set of Fender SCN pickups to see if that made a difference. It didn't. I've altered the pickup height to try and fix the problem, but still nothing. The problem is most noticeable with fingerstyle playing. Slap seems to be a bit better.

This is my first jazz bass, and my first passive bass (my other bass is a Stingray) so I'm not sure if I'm expecting more than a passive bass will deliver, or if there is actually something wrong. I'm considering putting in an Audere preamp (or something similar) in the hopes that it might solve the problem.

Any suggestions? Is this normal?

[PilbaraBass]

common problem...it has much to do with the girth of the E string...it will never sound quite as good, IMO...

however, a tip that I share often on stringing...

once you've strung your bass and tuned it up...press the strings down FIRMLY in front of the saddles to get a good break over the saddle vs. a "bend"...that way you get a cleaner witness point and the string will sound much better...

[Disco_Gee]

That's a bit disappointing...

I'll have a go at giving the string a proper break point. Do you think a preamp will help? I figured I might be able to EQ the problem away - assuming that it's not caused by something else!