Artec EXP

[Warpeg]

In my search for a simple 1-knob preamp solution for my Jazz Bass, I came across the Artec EXP. It's essentially an EMG EXG/EXB-type of preamp, but at half the price.

So...I installed it and gave it a day in court. The bottom line: Wow! It has seriously expanded the tonal range of my Jazz. I can get a clean boost, a vintage vibe, or modern/aggressive attack out of this thing. It also has a bypass (pull up on knob). Also, it isn't noisy. All around, this $20 preamp is mighty impressive!

Has anyone else had experience with this preamp?

 

[Warpeg]

For reference, I'm using mine on an AVRI '62 Jazz with V/V/T controls. The tone pot was replaced with the EXP running at 9v.

 

[Steve Dallman]

I've used several of these on guitars, and a couple of the BCU's as well. At the middle setting you get a louder, buffered original tone. Turning up you get crystaline clarity and almost acoustic-like high end. From the middle down, you get a mild mid boost.

It is an excellent replacement for a tone control. Turning down is close enough to turning a tone control down, but it doesn't get as dark and muddy as a passive tone might.

I built a Strat using some Chinese EMG Select knockoff pickups. They were dark and lacked clarity or anything approaching single coil tone (dual blade types) and were fairly low output. Add the EXP, and wow! It's my favorite Strat now with bell like clarity and much like humbuckers turned down.

I have not used one on a bass yet, but have 4 of them on guitars. The BCU is a more extreme mid boost at the low setting, moving the peak up as you turn the control up. At the high end, the high and low is boosted, producing a V, but at the high end, the high boost is above the range of a guitar or bass pickup. Not as nice as the EXP but it has it's place. It sounds great with P-90's and would be fun on a bridge J pickup.

 

[Warpeg]

My only wish is that it had a center detent to indicate when the EQ was flat.

 

[rickenfender1]

On the j bass, the wiring diagram shows the positive of the pickups and where they connect. Where do the negatives of the pickups go? Ive wired these to 2 of my strats. They sound great! However I cant seen to get this to work on the j bass. This wiring diagram could be better and i can't find another diagram on the web.

 

[RamT]

The negatives go to ground.

 

[Warpeg]

The negatives go to ground.

View attachment 3173231

Thanks for bringing my thread back from the dead.

 

[RamT]

I just installed the Artec EXP a few days ago.
(Oh, I use a knob pointer to relieve the lack of center detent.)

 

[Flooflox]

Thanks for bringing my thread back from the dead.

So, Warpeg. Do you still like it in your Jazz?

 

[Warpeg]

I was offered a great trade deal for that Jazz Bass some years ago; it is long gone. The EXP sounded wonderful, though. I still highly recommend it as a low-cost, high-quality preamp.

 

[Palta_Bass]

So, when the EXP is bypassed, it sounds like a regular tone pot? I bought one on Aliexpress, and I'm waiting for delivery. I'm gonna install it on my Samick Artist "Precision" bass (ripped off the jazz bass pup) replacing its original 9v booster. The stock pickups doesn't sound bad at all on full passive mode, but they're a little weak.

 

[Warpeg]

So, when the EXP is bypassed, it sounds like a regular tone pot?...

It's been several years since I've had an EXP; I cannot remember if it acts as a passive tone in bypass mode or not. A quick Google search didn't net much info about its passive function, other than it bypasses the active circuit.

 

[RamT]

In bypass mode, the pot does nothing.