Switch MEC electronics & pickups to SD bassline on my Warwick p-nut II?

[BinkBass]

Hi I own a Warwick p-nut II and rock it with DR lo riders Eden wt-800 amp w/ Eden 4x10xlt & 1x15xlt speakers and i like the tone a lot but still can't get that p-nut/dirk lance growl & awesome tone. So I was thinking of switching the MEC pups & electronics to the SD bassline sj5-3n & smb-5d pups and stc-3a electronics. Would switching from mec to SD on my bass give it that better p-nut/dirk lance sound with my setup or should I just stick to mec?

[BinkBass]

Can anyone help? Would switching the mec pups and electronics with seymour duncan pups and electronics on my Warwick P-nut II give an all around better tone and more like p-nut/dirk lance tone? I know that the new Warwick P-nut III has seymour duncan pups and electronics so guessing they would sound better.

[BinkBass]

No one can help me out here?

[SurrenderMonkey]

I thought the P-Nut came with SD basslines as standard. iirc, P-Nut uses those pickups.

The pickups on the Stage II are MEC actives. Still, even with the MECs, you should come close.

[BinkBass]

The p-nut III comes with SD pups and electronics but I have the p-nut II that has mec. So I was just wondering if i swithched to the same SD pups & electronics as the p-nut III if it would give me a significant better all around tone & sound more like the p-nut/Dirk lance tone?

[walterw]

Originally Posted by BinkBass

The p-nut III comes with SD pups and electronics but I have the p-nut II that has mec. So I was just wondering if i swithched to the same SD pups & electronics as the p-nut III if it would give me a significant better all around tone & sound more like the p-nut/Dirk lance tone?

"better"? couldn't say.

"more like p-nut"? by definition, yes.

[4StringTheorist]

Have you done everything you can with the tone shaping you already have available to you? That is.. have you worked out your technique and EQ to aim for the sound you want?

The tone you're talking about is a lot about the midrange. You're not cutting out a whole lot of mids, or excessively boosting the lows and highs, are you?

[BinkBass]

I can get a really good tone & growl from my bass & set up but still doesn't have that awesome growl or tone that p-nut or dirk lance has but I'm leaning for more of the tone of dirk lance. I noticed frome the Warwick website that the p-nut III sig series
has the basslines sj5-3n & smb-5d pup & active stc-3a electronics so I was thinking of switching my mec with those SD bassline pups &
electronics but noticed on the Seymour Duncan website they say he uses the passive stc-3p & I even called them & they said he difinetly uses the passive electronics so I'm confused. Would passive sound as good as active?

[4StringTheorist]

Originally Posted by BinkBass

I can get a really good tone & growl from my bass & set up but still doesn't have that awesome growl or tone that p-nut or dirk lance has but I'm leaning for more of the tone of dirk lance.

You'll never get 100% there. Not to mention that even Dirk and P-Nut themselves aren't going to sound identical live compared to on record.

Reminds me of the Bass Day '98 interview with Michael Manring. He said that after spending a long, long time trying to sound and play exactly like Jaco, there were a few inconsistencies that he "just couldn't get rid of." Then, he recalls realizing that "that's me... Those two little things that I'm trying to get rid of are me."

Your situation reminds me a bit of mine 10 years ago. I really liked the tones I was hearing from Dirk, P-Nut and a few other Warwick-playing bassists back in 1998-1999. As a result, I decided to go for an all Wenge neck on the Warmoth bass I was slowly buying parts for. I didn't try to match all the components to any certain player/bass. I was very much going for a certain sound I only had in my head. Plus, I noticed that more than 90% of basses had maple necks, and I was in a youthful contrarian streak. *grins*

Regardless of the 2 different sets of electronics I've had in my bass, I can say that it growls like a mofo. Doesn't sound like Dirk or P-Nut or anyone else, because it's not the same bass. Even moreso, I'm not the same player.

Realizing all that, if you're searching for a way to get closer to the tone that Dirk and P-Nut get, then a pickup swap could get you there. Make sure you've sussed out the EQ issue first, so you're not spending money you don't need to.

Originally Posted by BinkBass

I noticed frome the Warwick website that the p-nut III sig series has the basslines sj5-3n & smb-5d pup & active stc-3a electronics so I was thinking of switching my mec with those SD bassline pups & electronics but noticed on the Seymour Duncan website they say he uses the passive stc-3p & I even called them & they said he difinetly uses the passive electronics so I'm confused. Would passive sound as good as active?

I'd wager it's probably passive pickups with an active tone circuit (EQ) on P-Nut's bass.

There are awesome sounding passive pickups and awesome sounding active pickups. Don't get terribly hung up on it. Your bass already has some active circuitry (the EQ at least) so there's already a battery in there. No worries about fitting a battery inside the bass.

Don't worry about this pickup or that pickup and whether it's active or passive. Concentrate on what tone you're after.

[BinkBass]

I do have my own technique & style even tho i really like their tone but am just looking for an all around better tone. I've called Seymour Duncan twice tho & they said definetly p-nut uses the SD sj5-3n smb-5d pups & passive SD stc-3p electronics but the Warwick website says the new p-nut III sig series uses active electronics. So I'm confused to put active or passive with thos SD pups.

[4StringTheorist]

The STC-3P is an active preamp.

The two pickups you mention are passive.

In simplest terms "Active" just means "this component needs a battery to run."

The following combinations are possible:

passive pickups / passive tone controls - most Classic basses .. P.. J

passive pickups / active tone controls - 90+% of what people call "active" basses

active pickups / passive tone controls - a bass with EMG pickups and a plain tone knob, etc.

active pickups / active tone controsl - American MTDs, et al.

This issue causes SO much confusion, because people tend to talk about the instrument itself as being active or passive, which confuses people when it comes down to talking about individual components.

Most bass pickups are passive. The majority of "active basses" out there use passive pickups and an active preamp/EQ

[BinkBass]

Oh I've got it. Thanx so much for the help. I'm going to try the the SD instead of MEC & see how that sounds but if I end up liking the MEC better will taking in & out the pups & electronics mess up the tone or will it still have the original same tone? Also where's the best place to have the electronics & pups installed? There's a guitar center where I live would they do a good job?

[4StringTheorist]

Originally Posted by BinkBass

Oh I've got it. Thanx so much for the help. I'm going to try the the SD instead of MEC & see how that sounds but if I end up liking the MEC better will taking in & out the pups & electronics mess up the tone or will it still have the original same tone?

Taking the electronics out and putting them back in later shouldn't make a bit of difference to your tone as long as things get wired back up the same as before they came out.

Originally Posted by BinkBass

Also where's the best place to have the electronics & pups installed? There's a guitar center where I live would they do a good job?

Guitar Center should have a repair department. Shop around your area for guitar stores that offer repairs. Go in and talk to them. Go for the people you feel you can trust, and who offer a good deal.

If you're handy enough (and patient enough) with electronics (light soldering required) you can always do it yourself. I swapped out the pickups and preamp on my bass last summer myself. Did a full on shielding job while I was at it. Educational.

[frootbooty]

I had an old fortress bass I did this with in the past and the duncans were an improvement over the stock MEC config. I was able to get pretty damn close to a p-nut/dirk lance tone.

On the other hand, I also own a 1995 streamer stage II that has the original (since discontinued) 18 volt MEC preamp in it and it sounds like fried gold. They must have found out people liked the preamp, so they quit making it.

Personally I like MEC stuff. However, if it is your intention to recreate P-Nut's tone, then using the same pickups would get you closer than anything.

[Kael]

Let me preface this with I've no ehf'ing clue which pickup will nail somebody else's tone, nor do I care. The only standard I apply is what sounds best when I pick something up and play it.

MEC's get bashed on this board a lot from what I've seen. I can't figure out why. MEC's have always sounded clearer than the SD on every warwick I've touched. Hell, I also like the voicing on the MEC preamp in my streamer LX. Chalk me up in the pro-MEC camp.

[humpy thumb]

Originally Posted by frootbooty

I had an old fortress bass I did this with in the past and the duncans were an improvement over the stock MEC config. I was able to get pretty damn close to a p-nut/dirk lance tone.

On the other hand, I also own a 1995 streamer stage II that has the original (since discontinued) 18 volt MEC preamp in it and it sounds like fried gold. They must have found out people liked the preamp, so they quit making it.

Personally I like MEC stuff. However, if it is your intention to recreate P-Nut's tone, then using the same pickups would get you closer than anything.

The 18 volt MEC 3 band is virtually identical to the newer 9 volt,it only requires less voltage & has no impact on tone.

[humpy thumb]

Originally Posted by BinkBass

Hi I own a Warwick p-nut II and rock it with DR lo riders Eden wt-800 amp w/ Eden 4x10xlt & 1x15xlt speakers and i like the tone a lot but still can't get that p-nut/dirk lance growl & awesome tone. So I was thinking of switching the MEC pups & electronics to the SD bassline sj5-3n & smb-5d pups and stc-3a electronics. Would switching from mec to SD on my bass give it that better p-nut/dirk lance sound with my setup or should I just stick to mec?

I say go for it.You can always go back to the MEC's & sell the SD's & only lose a little cash in the process.Then again,you might love the results & sell the MEC's.
Only one way to find out.
Ya should joing the Warwick forum & post some before & after sound clips.We have a few P-nut owners on board.