Help with Ibanez BTB electronics

[roccobladr]

I have a 2001 Ibanez BTB 4 string that has been abused throughout the years.

I bought it used and the battery would always die so fast (of course always during a gig) and I kind of just disregarded. So much so that much when I was in college, I would keep it laying on the floor near my bed and I drunkenly stepped on it one night and jammed the midrange stacked tone knob into the body. This wasn’t the start of the electronic problems, but it sure didn’t help.

Nowadays, it is very finicky. Makes a lot of scratchy sounds and the mid knobs obviously don’t work correctly.


You can see the damage here:

Here’s what the inside looks like (I have no idea what I’m looking at lol)


I’d love to salvage this bass as it always played so well.

What options do I have? Would it be easy to swap in a new pre-amp? I think it has factory bartolini pickups and preamp. Can I bypass the preamp altogether? I’d prefer to not suck too much money into it.

Thanks for any help!

 

[A9X]

Would it be easy to swap in a new pre-amp?

Yes.

Can I bypass the preamp altogether?

Yes, but you'll likely need 3 new pots and a tone cap and wire it in a VVT like a Jazz. You'll need to physically remove the existing pre to do so, and you'll have a spare hole.

 

[hypercarrots]

Buy a new preamp and a stand

 

[roccobladr]

Can I install any preamp I want? If so, what would I do about the battery situation? Right now it requires 2 9 volts. I guess I would only wire up one of them if the new preamp didn’t require both? Again, total noob with this stuff.

 

[A9X]

Can I install any preamp I want?

Probably, but I won't give an absolute yes.

If so, what would I do about the battery situation? Right now it requires 2 9 volts. I guess I would only wire up one of them if the new preamp didn’t require both?

Sure, but most modern pre's will take 18V so just leave it along unless you have an actual reason to change it.