A third pick-up: problem with a preamp?

[Bellbass]

Hi fellows! Here's the deal: I stripped my Warwick Thumb of its preamp and installed a third MEC PU at the neck position - the Thumb comes standard with 2 MEC PUs near the bridge. The config. is V/V/V/T. Sounds great but I want to reinstall another pre (my choice is not made yet) and I was wondering if that would cause any problem as far as a preamp is concerned (MEC PUs are active).

Ultimately my project is as follows (I've got no idea if it is feasible technically but it's what I'd like to have) :
Install a 3 positions switch for the 2 "bridge" PUs: to select one, the other or both;
A blend knod: to blend the neck PU with the bridge 3 positions switch;
A volume;
And EQ (which will depend on the pre I choose).

Is that possible?

Thanks in advance
Charles

[mikezimmerman]

I don't see why it wouldn't be possible. The preamp/EQ is really happening after all the blend/pickup switching, so it shouldn't really make any difference how many pickups you have.

Even if the preamp you choose includes a wiring harness with a volume and blend control, you're using a switch to select between the two back pickups, so you can just use the output from the switch as if it were the output from one pickup.

Good luck!
Mike

[LongHairFreak]

Score another one for the search function! I have a Nordstrand 3B-5A to put into a three PU routed body and I was just going to ask this very question.

[Bellbass]

Thanks Mike for the info, that's what I initially thought, but before getting into it, I need to know for sure.

Hey LongHair, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one....So any other comments?

[dmusic148]

All pre's I'm aware of are meant for two, or sometimes one, pickup. But like Mike said, since your switching will happen between the pickups and preamp, the wiring to the pre is no different than with only two pickups. In Bell's case, you'll wire the two bridge pups to a 3 way switch, but only two wires from that switch will go to the pre, to the Bridge pup terminals.
The only possible downside will be that when selecting both bridge pups, if they are series wired to the switch there will be a boost in output. No biggie IMO.

[Bellbass]

Thanks dmusic148. No biggie indeed if there's a boost when selecting both bridgs pups. I've got to find myself a pre and that over with. I'll keep you posted.

[walterw]

since series wiring two active pickups would be quite a trick, don't worry about it, they'll be in parallel.

the preamp doesn't really care how many pickups are in front of it.