pickups/preamp - conflicting advice..help!

[project_c]

it seems everyone i speak to gives me conflicting advice regarding pickups and electronics, so it would be great to get a definitive answer to this before i go ahead and buy stuff i don't necessarily need.

here's what i'm trying to do:
i have a warwick corvette std with passive MEC dynamic correction pickups. i love the basic tone and the warwick characteristics, but i'm trying to get a fuller, brighter and more sustained tone out of the bass.

here's the wildly differing advice i've been given:
- opinion 1: buy a different bass, it's not worth the effort
- opinion 2: active pickups will just make the bass louder and possibly even kill some of the characteristics, so buy a decent onboard preamp instead (i like the MEC 3band)
- opinion 3: the preamp will not make too much difference, whereas MEC active pickups will make a world of difference to the sound and will transform the overall character of the bass

so who's right, who's wrong? any advice would be appreciated. thanks in advance.

[BigOldHarry]

If you love the "basic" tone, I don't get the problem. Why do you need "more"? The corvette is pretty basic instrument, and as I recall it's passive... If you want more gain or bass tone, I'd try a very simple preamp. The MEC 3 band would be good but will require more holes, yes? And you are right- different pickups CAN really change the way it sounds, so if you like it now, I'd be cautious.

I'd also be thinking of your amp rig - maybe it isn't matching up well to your axe...

[project_c]

thanks Harry - while i do love the basic tone, i find that it lacks brightness and sustain, and compensating with treble just brings out very high and unwanted frequencies.
apparently the MEC 3 band will not require more holes, because one of the knobs pulls out to switch between bass/treble. (this is according to the guy who works in a store, i hope he knows what he's talking about).

also, amp-wise i just use a markbass mini, nothing fancy. i'm open to suggestions on that front too.

[Rick Auricchio]

The brightness and sustain may be a function of the strings and setup.

[project_c]

i had the bass set up to perfection and the strings (dr hi-beams) get changed every other month.

[greenboy]

Just to add to the conflicting opinions, I find that string experimentation - gauges, types, and brands - and EQ experimentation (and making sure EQ habits aren't standing in your own way!) or getting a different head without a default voicing that conflicts are often what it takes to get a good bass to really shine your way. And speaker cabs, they are usually the biggest coloration in the signal chain. Don't even get me started on THEM ; }

[project_c]

...but still nobody can answer my question..

[NicJimBass]

Originally Posted by project_c

apparently the MEC 3 band will not require more holes, because one of the knobs pulls out to switch between bass/treble. (this is according to the guy who works in a store, i hope he knows what he's talking about).

The treble and bass are probably stacked, not on a push/pull pot, otherwise you'd only be able to use one at a time.

My personal reccomendation would be to get a preamp, possibly one that is tranparent as possible, so that the natural sound of your bass comes through, you can just tweak/ boost whatever you like. I hear that Audere pre's are pretty transparent, and I thought the Aguilar OBP-1 that I had a while back was fairly transparent as well (had it wired for active/ passive, so I got to A/B with and without the pre a bunch).

[saxofunk]

Originally Posted by Rick Auricchio

The brightness and sustain may be a function of the strings and setup.

Originally Posted by project_ c

i had the bass set up to perfection and the strings (dr hi-beams) get changed every other month.

I think what Rick is getting at is not how fresh your strings are, but what brand and material they are. Have you tried DR Sunbeams? Fender 7150s (my personal fav)? LaBella? Rotosound?

I have limited experience to speak from, but I changed pickups in one of my bases, tried them through the preamp (active), hot-wired to the output (passive), and eventually ended up going back to stock electronics. Changing make & model of strings made the difference I wanted, changing pickups really made no significant difference except to my pocketbook.

Originally Posted by project_c

...but still nobody can answer my question..

Because there is no cut and dried answer. Every component is a variable: pickups, preamp, pots, capacitors, strings, maybe even the wires it's all done up with.

[greenboy]

Yep. Wut Iz Teh B3st3st threads get a bunch of conflicting answers... but if I were to try and solve my conundrum with a preamp it'd definitely be the Audere.

[Rooster009]

I had alot of the same issue you are having with my Warwick FNA Jazzman at first. I had always used rotosounds on all of my other basses. They always seemed to bright on the warwick and I had lots of string noise. I first changed to DR hi beams which made a huge difference (no string noise). Then instead of buying new pickups and electronics I bought a Bahringer Bass V-amp Pro. Of course any outboard preamp should work just fine, some better than others. This would be my advice. That way your not messing with the bass itself which you already like the way it is mostly. I think you'll find that with a outboard preamp that has preset storage you can get just about any tone you like out of your bass and instantly recall the same setting every time you want it. check out the sansamp stuff as well. Anything that has a presence adjustment is a plus. that and the number of presets is why I chose the Behringer over the Sansamp. You probably wont even use your onboard preamp anymore.

[project_c]

Originally Posted by Rooster009

Of course any outboard preamp should work just fine, some better than others. This would be my advice..

thanks for the replies - i already have an outboard preamp (tone hammer) which is great in certain situations, and certainly improves the sound of the bass when playing live or recording, however i find that it adds its' own characteristics to the overall sound, and unless it's used sparingly, it feels more like an effect than an extension of the bass itself. it's difficult to know if i'm just being too pedantic, or if this really is the case.

and in terms of strings -i''ve tried a few different strings (rotos / ernies etc) in the past and i've found the hi-beams the most playable and best sounding, so i feel like i've narrowed that area down as much as i can already, but it's possible there are others out there that compliment the sound of the corvette more.