Any Warwick Thumb Users Switch to a Passive System?

[GYang]

With Delano, Barts, Wilde, Villex, DiMarzio (few PUs only) in my several Warwicks I mostly don't use active circuits (even if I have them they are switched off).
Some of MEC pickups are passable quality, with some I couldn't reach peace (same as with Basslines, most of Duncans, Fenders, some Nordstrand)

[levis76]

I put a set of Bart's in my 'vette, and I've kept them passive and I love them. I recently wired them up exactly as the OP described, Vol/rotary switch/Tone. Works great and sounds loads better than the stock passive MECs it came with.

[bassbombs84]

I was about to do the swap to a full passive set up on my thumb and sweated over it for a long time. Ended up throwing on an old set of TI jazz flats and giving it a full setup, including raising the pickups to a higher level. Its like a completely new instrument. Very versitile. thump to sweet singing tones.

[RedMoses]

I recently got an 03 Thumb Blonde 4, as with my 87 Thumb 5, im not happy with the MEC stuff, swapped out for Barts and that was much better. With this 4 String Thumb i wanted to do something a little different and thinking of going passive as ive been playing passive for a long time now and i feel it just sounds better. Also tossing about the idea of getting some sort of Series/Parallel switching going on so i can get a Fat PBass tone out of it. I used to have a 97 Corvette, swaped in EMG's and itg sounded good and clear with the MEC preamp.

Seems like most Thumb owner keep it active.

[bassteban]

I was considering it, started a thread seeking advice and got lightly flamed. Have since sold the bass

[dbd1963]

Hmm.. I just got a Thumb and wondered about a pickup swap. I didn't mind the MECs in my Corvette 5 but the Thumb really could use something.

[RedMoses]

ON my 87', the previous owner installed Bart Soap Bars, sounds HUGE but very different vibe from what a Thumb should sound like, it had a Bart 2 Band Pre, i swapped in an MEC 3 band but the Bart sounded much better.

For this Thumb, i want to go a different route, i liek the sound of it but it has that mid range honk associated with humbuckers, even though the pick ups should be single coil. Although most love the active EQ, i find it more usefull having a vintage tone control, if there was more space for pots id add one but i dont want to hack it up to add more pots.

Also curious about the ACG filter pre, that may be another option but ive never head one. My passive Marco Bass has a filter instead of a tone knob and i find it very usefull.

[bongostealth]

I have a 2004 Thumb 6 NT that I just recently installed Delano dual-coil soapbars with an Aguilar OBP-3. I am absolutely STOKED with the results! I was looking for a slightly warmer and growlier tone. This combination knocked it out of the park. I installed an active/passive switch, so that when I want a naturally brighter tone, I switch to passive and just run off of the pickups. When I want a slightly warmer/darker tone with some serious balls, I flick the switch over to active. The growl on this bass is beautiful! Sometimes similar to a fretless growl. Fortunately, the Aguilar is transparent enough to the point where running the preamp entirely flat doesn't detract much from the natural tone and sounds very similar to passive mode, with the exception that, at least to me, the Aguilar preamp is a bit on the darker side. But, that's what I was looking for in this bass.

I have a Digitech BP355 bass modeler pedal that I use with this bass. The pedal has a de-fretter fretless preset that I have tweaked and combined with this Thumb NT, the sound is PHENOMENAL!

Highly recommended combination.