warwick thumb = very low output?

mactac · #1 05-02-2006, 10:02 AM

My thumb bass seems to have quite low output compared to say, my warwick corvette with passive electronics (& emg's).

should active electronics not have more output? they are significantly quieter...

I know that the battery is ok... the pickups are not too far away from the strings..

any thoughts? anyone else notice that the thumb has a really low output, or is it just mine?

fleabee · #2 05-02-2006, 10:04 AM

check in the back where the battery goes for a small output dial..might want to turn it up... a few basses of mine had the output dial for the preamp..maybe that will help

WarThumb · #3 05-02-2006, 10:06 AM

My Thumb has quite low output. I always use the passive input on my amp.

KuMBye YamALaWd · #4 05-02-2006, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fleabee

check in the back where the battery goes for a small output dial..might want to turn it up... a few basses of mine had the output dial for the preamp..maybe that will help

+1

I'm pretty sure all Warwicks have TrimPots for each p/up in the electronics cavity

..

szvonek · #5 05-02-2006, 10:08 AM

mine doesn't seem too quiet, although my active Ibanez is louder than the Warwick, I guess I just thought of it as the Ibanez being louder, not the Thumb being quieter. So maybe there is a difference in the output of the electronics...hm.

mactac · #6 05-02-2006, 10:19 AM

hmmm i checked & there is no trimpot that i can see.

Redhotbassist · #7 05-02-2006, 10:36 AM

My Thumb B/O doesent have a low output? and its louder on the active switch..

Try another new 9V.

WarThumb · #8 05-02-2006, 10:57 AM

Louder on the active switch on the amp? Hmm. This I don't understand..

pickles · #9 05-02-2006, 11:16 AM

Wierd ... my '01 streamer stage II has extremely high output. I'd figure the preamp was the same, but maybe not.

mactac · #10 05-02-2006, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redhotbassist

My Thumb B/O doesent have a low output? and its louder on the active switch..

Try another new 9V.

i didn't say it's not louder on the passive switch.. it's about the same.. I said that my passive BASS (another warwick with emg's & passive electronics) is much louder than the thumb

I also said that it's NOT the battery. I've had the bass for 2 yrs & it's always been the same... been through about 5 batteries since

Gomez · #11 05-02-2006, 11:45 AM

My active Thumb (standard MEC's) has a very low output as well. I bought a cheapo pre-amp (€ 100-ish)to kick the signal a bit. Playing it passive I'm loud as hell.

mactac · #12 05-02-2006, 11:47 AM

hmmm sounds like thery are all pretty much like that.

Been thinking about putting in an aguilar pre... maybe that will help

the idea is more to improve the sound (which i'm not all that crazy about), but could help the output level too i guess

Gomez · #13 05-02-2006, 11:56 AM

I've looked into that too, but found it to be a fairly expensive remedy with which I wasn't really sure if it would solve the problem. That OBP 3 caused trouble with the stacked knob and the sadowsky....I won't even get into that one.

Daywalker · #14 05-02-2006, 02:22 PM

I usually keep mine turned up about half-way, and it sounds great most times.

mactac · #15 05-02-2006, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daywalker

I usually keep mine turned up about half-way, and it sounds great most times.

yes, but how hot is the output compared to other basses..? i wasn't complaining about the tone, i was complaining about the volume...

ale_vanlager · #16 05-02-2006, 02:32 PM

All my active/active Warwick basses (Corvette Standard 6, Corvette Proline 6, Streamer LX 6) have lower output than most basses I've played. I use the pasive input on most amp and still have to crank the gain a lot. Doesn't bother me at all, though. This doesn't happen with my Corvette $$ (pasive/active), it could be the nature of the pickups and preamp.

gre107 · #17 05-02-2006, 02:40 PM

My Thumb 6 bo is considerably louder than most basses. I find that I always have to turn down when I'm playing vs. my other basses which are active too.

scuba steve · #18 05-02-2006, 06:01 PM

my output on mine is fine. very loud and powerful compared to some other basses i've recently played.

alanbass1 · #19 05-02-2006, 07:26 PM

My Warwick thumb, with MEC and standard Warwick 3 band pre amp, is as loud as my Alembic and louder than my Zoot bass, which has Aero soap bars and an OBP3 pre-amp. My Sadowsky P is louder than all my basses, although the Warwick isn't too far off.

Daywalker · #20 05-02-2006, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mactac

yes, but how hot is the output compared to other basses..? i wasn't complaining about the tone, i was complaining about the volume...

Oh sorry, mine is VERY loud actually. And yet, it doesn't clip any of my amps easily. I keep the -15db pad depressed on all my amps with no problem...