Pickups or Preamp first?

[Kwesi]

I really dig my Fender AmDlx FMT V. It looks great, feels great, and the tone is great but it needs a little push to get it where I want it. I'm looking for this tone, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r4El5PMNWo, and I can get close but just not quite without maxing the mids which kind of overpowers the overall tone of the bass. So between the preamp and the pickups which would be the best option to get me the tone I'm looking for?

I know the guy in the vid is using the Nordstrand NJ4SV pups but those cost around $240 for a 5 string set and I'd like to stay around the $150 area. I would normally would only consider pickup options but I've heard from quite few people that the stock Fender preamps can really color the tone so I wonder if changing that would make as big an impact? Any help would be appreciated.

[sheepdog]

take a look at the Audere preamps. I put one in my MTD Kingston Heir with stock pickups and it sounds amazing. You can get a 4 band Audere preamp for $130 or a 3 band with 3Z modes starting at $170.

www.audereaudio.com

just my 2.5 cents (inflation)

[4StringTheorist]

Those are the pickups I've got in my bass. Love em to death.

They're a split-coil version of the Nordstrand Js.

The 5 string analogue would be the NJ5S, a split-coil version of the Nordstrand 5-er Js.

That is a bit out of your price range, yeah. They'd be worth saving up for, I can say. I'm glad I did.

[walterw]

definitely pickups.

the ol' fender "noiseless" are quite weak and dull. the newer SCNs are a bit better, but high-end pickups will wake that bass right up.

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by walterw

definitely pickups.

the ol' fender "noiseless" are quite weak and dull. the newer SCNs are a bit better, but high-end pickups will wake that bass right up.

According to musiciansfriend.com, the Fender AmDlx FMT basses come stock with the Samarium Cobalt pickups so I should probably looks into something else right?

[PilbaraBass]

A preamp’s job is to amplify the sound coming from the pickups.

Yes, it can do some neat things tone-shaping-wise.

But at the end of the day, the pickups will determine much MORE the sound than the preamp will.

Pickups first, IMO

[4StringTheorist]

Originally Posted by PilbaraBass

A preamp’s job is to amplify the sound coming from the pickups.

Yes, it can do some neat things tone-shaping-wise.

But at the end of the day, the pickups will determine much MORE the sound than the preamp will.

Pickups first, IMO

+1

Set the preamp flat. Do you like the sound? If the answer is no, then you'll be using all of a preamp's tone shaping versatility just to get a sound you can tolerate, not to take a sound you like and mold it to the task at hand.

I'll go one further: Be sure that the instrument is a keeper before modding it. Does it inspire you to play it from a feel point of view? Do you like the unplugged tone? Play it with your ear against the upper horn of the bass. Like the unplugged tone? If no, then maybe this isn't the bass to sink your $ into.

After 8 years with my bass, I was sure I'd never want another fretted 4. That's when I finally addressed those last few little things that I'd done wrong when I assembled her out of parts.

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by 4StringTheorist

+1

Set the preamp flat. Do you like the sound? If the answer is no, then you'll be using all of a preamp's tone shaping versatility just to get a sound you can tolerate, not to take a sound you like and mold it to the task at hand.

I'll go one further: Be sure that the instrument is a keeper before modding it. Does it inspire you to play it from a feel point of view? Do you like the unplugged tone? Play it with your ear against the upper horn of the bass. Like the unplugged tone? If no, then maybe this isn't the bass to sink your $ into.

After 8 years with my bass, I was sure I'd never want another fretted 4. That's when I finally addressed those last few little things that I'd done wrong when I assembled her out of parts.

I really dig the tone set flat actually. The only tone that I really have to work to get is the bridge growl that I want. And that's a big yes to the other questions too. Every time I look at it I want to play it. I did just buy a new set of pups after talking to Brian at bestbassgear.com and I'm hoping they'll do the trick for me. The last thing I want to do is get rid of this bass.

[7StringBassist]

Im glad someone asked thinking of modding my 6 string kz6 Im debating if I should replace the pre first because its cheaper I'm thinking OBP 3 or the Ardere Z switch 3 band im thinking the 3 band Z has more tonal possibilities then the OBP..

and second question if i go nordstrand has any one used a DC and a fatstack as a pup configuration

[not_jason]

I used to have an MIM Jazz with weak pickups that I put a J-Retro into. The J-Retro did amazing things for my tone, and solved a lot of my problems. However, a few years later I got another Jazz Bass with hotter pickups, and I never looked back. You can do a lot of awesome tone-shaping with a preamp, but in my experience, it's better to have a strong high-quality signal to start with. You can still put a pre-amp on top of that, if you want, but you won't have to rely on quite so much knob-twisting, which I think is usually a good thing.

[7StringBassist]

yea I think if I keep it I'll add nordy pups

[sheepdog]

Originally Posted by 7StringBassist

yea I think if I keep it I'll add nordy pups

the problem in my MTD was the preamp, not the pickups. If you like the pickups, the Audere will sound great. If not...then yes, swap pickups.