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Bartolini MK1

IconBasser

IconBasser

Scuba Viking
Feb 28, 2007
7,227
1,648
34
Fontana, California
#1
I played an Ibanez SR500 in Guitar center the other day, and I loved these pickups. I'm looking to buy them for my Carvin. When I google searched them, I always got "Mk1 pickups and preamp"

so my question is: do you have to get the preamp to make the pickups work? (I hope not)
 
#4
MK1 stands for "Made in Korea". That was a cheap way for Cort and other manufacturers to get the Bartolini name without paying the price.

They are made by Cort with the Bart name on them. Nothing more, nothing less. Aside from that, they get the job done.;)

Pavel de la Fuente
www.Pavelmi.com
 
#8
I have them on my 44-01.They are not bad like cheapo pups.They are Precision coils in hum. placement. I like the neck pup as p.,its not giving a real P bass sound of course. :)
They have an agressive character BTW.

But the mk-1 preamp simply sucks.I'm going to change it ASAP.
 
#11
If you want the more 'plush' side of an MK-1, put in a set of Bart P2's.
Click to expand...

I already pretty much figured on P-2's, jus wanted to make sure there wasn't a cheaper alternative. Which P2's do you suggest?


As for the preamp: I really wasn't planning on switching the current on (Carvin 18-volt) with the MK-1. The Carvin IMO works just fine.
 
#12
I haven't tried it personally, but I've read a number of threads (here and elsewhere) and have talked to a couple of Lakland owners who kept their MK1 pickups, but swapped the MK1 preamp for the Bart NTMB. I don't recall anyone saying it didn't make a worthwhile improvement--especially in making the tone controls more balanced and usable.

Good luck. Let us know what you decide to do and how it works out.

Bluesy Soul :cool:
 
#16
Bluesy Soul said:
I haven't tried it personally, but I've read a number of threads (here and elsewhere) and have talked to a couple of Lakland owners who kept their MK1 pickups, but swapped the MK1 preamp for the Bart NTMB. I don't recall anyone saying it didn't make a worthwhile improvement--especially in making the tone controls more balanced and usable.

Good luck. Let us know what you decide to do and how it works out.

Bluesy Soul :cool:
Click to expand...

I did it and it didnt make a worth while improvement.
I got the pre in my 55-01 swapped for a NTMB and although it might be better i cant hear it.
Then again i use the bass more or less flat.
 
#17
POS pickups, plain and simple, IMO. They are not even remotely Barts. Made in Korea, bunk as*ed bulls**t.

Recently picked up an Ibanez sr900. Nice guitar, but the electronics have ruined it for me. Strings will not volume balance. Huge discrepancy in string to string output. Caveat Emptor.

Sid
 
#19
What pickups are on the market that are the same size\shape as the mk1's? I'm wanting to swap them out on my Ibanez SR500 in a few months, but am uncertain what will fit.

and sorry for bringing up an old thread, it seemed to me the better choice than make a new one.
 

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