Jazz Bass Preamp Suggestions....

santucci218 · #1 03-25-2010, 05:02 AM

Okay, so this is a tough one, but here we go. I have a jazz bass. All passive. Dimarzio DP123 Pickups, which are humbuckers. It has a standard preamp of Vol/Vol/Tone. The input jack is on the control plate also. I want to get an active preamp to fatten up my sound. For example. In the past I owned many basses with EMG's or Bartolini's. They both had 18 volt preamps, and had a really fat sound. For the type of music I am playing, I think that would work out better for me than the jazz tone. Anyways, I figured since my pickups are humbuckers, thats about as fat a sound as I can get pickup-wise.

I want a new preamp. I want it to have a nice fat sound, but I have some issues. I know a ton of these Jazz preamps are drop in. Like, they come on the plate and you just take yours out and put it in. Thats great, but I need to keep my plate. It matches my bass and I cant go putting a shiny new one on there. So, for example, those ones that have the little mini switches or LED's for the batteries are no good. Also, the fact that I can only have 3 pots seems like a bit of an issue. If I can, I would rather not have stacked pots. I don't mind push pull pots. Especially for active passive switch.

Anyways, if you have any questions to make what I want more specific so you can help, just ask.

Thank you much!

Vincent P · #2 03-25-2010, 05:14 AM

How hard would it be to modify the plate that comes with the new system to look like your old plate?

santucci218 · #3 03-25-2010, 05:18 AM

Eah, well its old looking. Pitting and green stuff, lol. let me get a picture here...

santucci218 · #4 03-25-2010, 05:22 AM

Anyways, i dont think its in my skill to get the new one to look like that without messing it up, haha.

NEWYEARKID · #5 03-25-2010, 05:24 AM

You might want to try any of the various "stomp box" preamps available: Aguilar tone hammer, Seymour Duncan paranomal or John East stmp-01. This approach would have a few benefits:
you wouldn't have to worry about hacking up your bass, dealing with battery issues-dead/weak batteries, battery compartment falling apart/unscrewing battery plate..etc. I love the V/V/T setup on a J bass and find most onboard pres have the vol/pan pot/stacked knob thing happening or you have to give up your passive tone control for the onboard eq.

santucci218 · #6 03-25-2010, 05:29 AM

ooh, good idea. I never really thought of that. Well, maybe i should start a thread in the effects forum.

While im here asking though, you think these pickups are good for what I want? I didnt dig the vintage sound of the Nordy Singles i had in there before, so i got these, but honestly, they didnt like, blow my mind or anything when i put them in.

**zenrad** · #7 03-25-2010, 06:14 AM

Probably not too hard to convert this to push-pull pots
http://www.audereaudio.com/Classic4B.htm

santucci218 · #8 03-25-2010, 06:24 AM

Well, i havent a clue how to convert something to push pull. and im rather concerned that if i put in 3 push pull pots, the actual preamp itself, and 2 9 volt batteries, my control plate will not fit back in the bass, haha.

Though, i have heard great things about audere, and it kind of interests me...

Vincent P · #9 03-25-2010, 06:27 AM

the other thing to consider is, you will need to route out at the back a batter/s compartment.

santucci218 · #10 03-25-2010, 06:28 AM

Actually, ive seen people do it before...You think i can just buy their normal preamp, like with the High Z, Mid Z, and Low Z switch, and make it into a pedal? I'm not exactly sure how the volume stuff would work...but i bet there is a way to make it work, no?

Vincent P · #11 03-25-2010, 06:29 AM

Oh, and sweet looking bass. I'd go with NEWYEARKID's suggestion, and leave the bass alone opting for some effects pedals.

santucci218 · #12 03-25-2010, 06:58 AM

Yeah, that seems to be what will happen.

**line6man** · #13 03-25-2010, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by santucci218

It has a standard preamp of Vol/Vol/Tone.

That's not a preamp, that's a passive configuration.

Quote:

Originally Posted by santucci218

The input jack is on the control plate also.

OUTPUT jack!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by zenrad

Probably not too hard to convert this to push-pull pots
http://www.audereaudio.com/Classic4B.htm

Nope, that's a 4 band preamp, and you only have four holes on the control plate to begin with.
Unless you resorted to stacked pots, which the OP stated that he doesn't like.

santucci218 · #14 03-25-2010, 07:34 AM

mega fail. yeah, i always mess up and call it an input jack because im sticking the cord in it, haha. i know i know. Anyways, line 6 man, first off, whats your real name so i can actually talk to you instead of your username. second off, beings you seem to know whats going on electronics wise, is there a way to put an audere into a pedal and use it as such?

muziktyme · #15 03-25-2010, 07:39 AM

I could add, if possible, the:

Genz Benz STL6012T Shuttle Bass Combo Amplifier (600 Watts,1×12 in.)

No need for pre-amps, bells, whistles, etc., etc. (IMO)

Thing sounds sweet, to me!

It's used by many (new) professional bassists.

**line6man** · #16 03-25-2010, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by santucci218

mega fail. yeah, i always mess up and call it an input jack because im sticking the cord in it, haha. i know i know. Anyways, line 6 man, first off, whats your real name so i can actually talk to you instead of your username. second off, beings you seem to know whats going on electronics wise, is there a way to put an audere into a pedal and use it as such?

Well, I guess you could build an onboard preamp into a pedal if you wanted to. The only real difference would be that there would be a guitar cable running between the bass and the preamp, which would reduce the high end and suck the tone a bit more than if the pickups were going straight into the preamp's input. This should be minimal though.

Emibass · #17 03-25-2010, 07:44 AM

take a look at the sadowsky pre or the aguilar pre,

santucci218 · #18 03-25-2010, 07:47 AM

i really dig the sounds of my markbass LMII head, its just, when im out recording, im going DI, and my tone BLOWS.

**zenrad** · #19 03-25-2010, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by line6man

Nope, that's a 4 band preamp, and you only have four holes on the control plate to begin with.
Unless you resorted to stacked pots, which the OP stated that he doesn't like.

That one uses 3 stacked pots and the output jack, so it fits in a 4 hole plate. The two stacked tone pots could be swapped for push-pull pots, but the stacked Vol-Balance would be way inconvenient as a push-pull, so it would be the only stacked pot. But yeah, if there can be no stacked pots then it could be mounted in an external enclosure...or buy another brand external pre.

**line6man** · #20 03-25-2010, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zenrad

That one uses 3 stacked pots and the output jack, so it fits in a 4 hole plate. The two stacked tone pots could be swapped for push-pull pots, but the stacked Vol-Balance would be way inconvenient as a push-pull, so it would be the only stacked pot. But yeah, if there can be no stacked pots then it could be mounted in an external enclosure...or buy another brand external pre.

I'm not sure you understand what a push/pull is?

A push/pull pot is a regular single potentiometer with a DPDT switch on the shaft.

You need a total of seven potentiometers for the preamp, (or six with a Volume/Volume setup) with three push pulls, that's three potentiometers only.