Multiple onboard preamps and three pickups

[ZekeO]

Has anyone tried this?

A little background: I have a couple of Yamaha TRB6s but more and more I've been reaching for one of them more than the others. More importantly, it's usually not worth carrying two basses to most of my gigs just for the sound option.

I like the stock electronics on this bass but for certain situations, I imagine another pre would get me closer, tonally, to the sound I hear in my head. It also has a pretty useless mid knob too me, except as a cut.

I figure having my cake and eating it, so to speak, would be just souping up this one bass. Hence, 3 pickups (does anyone make a 6-string humbucker pickup?) and 2 onboard pre.

Does anyone have say an Audere 4-band along with another preamp installed in a bass, with a switch of some sort for using either OR both in series?

PS. I do have external sound modules (5-band para eq, compressor, 15-band graph eq, fender TBp-1). With the exception of the Fender pre, I usually just roll with a bass, tuner and a cord.

Any advice is appreciated. I do have basic knowledge of electronics/wiring.

 

[FunkMetalBass]

What kind of Humbucker are you looking for? Most companies make them.

Are you looking for a 4-band preamp to couple with another preamp? Because you'll just take up more room and hate two mid knobs instead of one.

I'll wait for someone else to comment on the series application of a preamp, but I forsee that there could be issues there. As far as selecting between two preamps, it shouldn't pose a problem.

 

[ZekeO]

What kind of Humbucker are you looking for? Most companies make them.

Are you looking for a 4-band preamp to couple with another preamp? Because you'll just take up more room and hate two mid knobs instead of one.

I'll wait for someone else to comment on the series application of a preamp, but I forsee that there could be issues there. As far as selecting between two preamps, it shouldn't pose a problem.

I believe Nordstrand makes a 4 and 5-string equivalent but I haven't found one for 6-strings.

I'm looking for something along the lines of the big single pole Stingray type. That unhibited big growl or even the grind of a Warwick corvette sound would be a phenomenal tonal addition!



Yes, I want to have a 4-band pre in addition to the onboard I currently have. That way I can retain the "stock" sounds but also gain the tweaking flexibility of a 4-band pre if the situation demands.

I don't necessary need to run both in series. I'd settle for just being able to flip a switch and go from one to the other. I think the Audere sound is very different from what I currently have in this bass. Having both onboard should make for a very wide selection of "tones."

 

[BarkerBass]

Where would you fit the 2nd preamp and its extra knobs?

I wouldn't bother with the 3rd pickup, I have a yamaha BB 5 string with a MM between two jazz pickups and an east pro 3 band and find that I never use the middle pickup because I can get a better tone form eq-ing either of the other pickups or both in parallel.

I@d recommend finding out if you can run the pickups in passive and/or series/parallel then I would try an audere instead of your stock pre just to see if it really is better or more versatile etc

then if you really want to go ahead with the 2 preamp idea I'd order an audere with stacked pots (bass/treble and high/low mids) and I'd work on a switching arrangement that allowed you to run the pickups (in whatever pickup combination you desire) into which preamp you choose.

This way you can have the stock pups through the stock pre in series/parallel/solod if you have switches for those tones added and you can choose to send the pickups through the audere with it's z mode switching and 4 band eq for a different tone set up.

it could be a very useable set up assuming the knobs/cavities aren't too cramped. you could set the stock prep for a fat tone and the audere for a bright aggressive one etc and switch between the 2 should you care.

just my 2p


p.s as for pickups try delano or seymour duncan should you want to go in that direction

 

[Clark Dark]

I believe Traben's Bootsy model uses more than 1 pre but it does sport 5 pup's

 

[FunkMetalBass]

I believe Nordstrand makes a 4 and 5-string equivalent but I haven't found one for 6-strings.

I'm looking for something along the lines of the big single pole Stingray type. That unhibited big growl or even the grind of a Warwick corvette sound would be a phenomenal tonal addition!



Yes, I want to have a 4-band pre in addition to the onboard I currently have. That way I can retain the "stock" sounds but also gain the tweaking flexibility of a 4-band pre if the situation demands.

I don't necessary need to run both in series. I'd settle for just being able to flip a switch and go from one to the other. I think the Audere sound is very different from what I currently have in this bass. Having both onboard should make for a very wide selection of "tones."

Nordstrand will make a 6-string like that, they just don't have them posted on the website. Carvin makes a big-poled humbucker, and Delano will as well if you request it. You just have to contact the various pickup makers about them.

 

[Dave W]

If you really want two preamps, why not run one onboard pre and one outboard pre. It's just an addition of one pedal, so I wouldn't think it would be that big of a deal.

Personally I would just add the Audere (or whatever) and be done with it. If it's got a bypass, you would have two very different sounds right there.

With that said, if you want it bad enough I'm sure there is a way to make it happen.

 

[walterw]

Yes, I want to have a 4-band pre in addition to the onboard I currently have. That way I can retain the "stock" sounds but also gain the tweaking flexibility of a 4-band pre if the situation demands.

it won't

what the "situation demands" from a bass is usually one good tone that you can get now.

a forest of redundant and even conflicting controls would be pretty much the opposite of what most "situations" "demand".

 

[walterw]

If you really want two preamps, why not run one onboard pre and one outboard pre. It's just an addition of one pedal, so I wouldn't think it would be that big of a deal.

now this actually makes sense!

 

[ZekeO]

Where would you fit the 2nd preamp and its extra knobs?

I wouldn't bother with the 3rd pickup, I have a yamaha BB 5 string with a MM between two jazz pickups and an east pro 3 band and find that I never use the middle pickup because I can get a better tone form eq-ing either of the other pickups or both in parallel.

I@d recommend finding out if you can run the pickups in passive and/or series/parallel then I would try an audere instead of your stock pre just to see if it really is better or more versatile etc

then if you really want to go ahead with the 2 preamp idea I'd order an audere with stacked pots (bass/treble and high/low mids) and I'd work on a switching arrangement that allowed you to run the pickups (in whatever pickup combination you desire) into which preamp you choose.

This way you can have the stock pups through the stock pre in series/parallel/solod if you have switches for those tones added and you can choose to send the pickups through the audere with it's z mode switching and 4 band eq for a different tone set up.

it could be a very useable set up assuming the knobs/cavities aren't too cramped. you could set the stock prep for a fat tone and the audere for a bright aggressive one etc and switch between the 2 should you care.

just my 2p


p.s as for pickups try delano or seymour duncan should you want to go in that direction

Seems like you've been down this parth before.
The 2 knob Audere is kinda what I have in mind. There's enough room for that. The bass body is relatively wide. The 3rd pickup is probably hit or miss as far as sound and how it works with the existing pickups. I'm more interested in what it adds i.e. bigger bottom, bolder, growl not so much as a alternate tone. The existing tone is focused on the high end, kicks like a mule in the mid-range and smoothy/thunderous on the low end. I'm missing that beastly growl on the low end; playing the neck.

Nordstrand will make a 6-string like that, they just don't have them posted on the website. Carvin makes a big-poled humbucker, and Delano will as well if you request it. You just have to contact the various pickup makers about them.

Thanks. I saw the Carvin HB6. I'll measure the spacing I have to work with but will likely go with that if it'll fit between the existing. I may do a double-sided tape wire-up to hear what it could sound like before I bust out the router. How does the Carvin compare with the other aftermarket offerings, tonally? Which is more Warwick like vs. Stingray?

If you really want two preamps, why not run one onboard pre and one outboard pre. It's just an addition of one pedal, so I wouldn't think it would be that big of a deal.

Yes, that's the obvious solution. I went that route already and it works pretty well. Although instead of pedals, I have rack forms. I've just gotten tired of lugging stuff around for the most part. It's unconventional for sure.

 

[FunkMetalBass]

Thanks. I saw the Carvin HB6. I'll measure the spacing I have to work with but will likely go with that if it'll fit between the existing. I may do a double-sided tape wire-up to hear what it could sound like before I bust out the router. How does the Carvin compare with the other aftermarket offerings, tonally? Which is more Warwick like vs. Stingray?

I have absolutely no idea. I played a Carvin once at GC about 6 years ago and then I owned a 90's LB76 about 2 years ago. I was quite underwhelmed with the pickups, but everyone says that they've been revamped and sound much better. You might have to do a search on it. I know a guy on the forums replaced the EMG HZ's in his Schecter Studio 6 for a set, and IIRC, he was happy.