Ok, I never thought that I would say this, but

[jg42]

I like how Barts MK-1 sound! They remind me of EMG 40DC - almost nothing to do with typical Bartolini sound. Then again, I haven't tried them on another bass, maybe it's the bass sound I like and not the pickup sound.

 

[DaveyM69]

They're not as bad as people say. They came in my Cort A6 Artisan and were quite usable IMO.
I bought a set of Bart CBC not knowing what difference it was going to make but a lot of people recommended them as an upgrade so I figured why not. The CBC sound quite similar really except the highs are clearer and crisper - less harsh, and the lows are more defined.
I feel it was worth the upgrade for me, but if you like the sound (and I did otherwise I wouldn't have bought the bass) then that's cool, there is certainly nothing wrong with the MK-1 pick ups.

 

[LeonD]

Good to hear.

I've got a bass with MK-1's and a budget preamp and it sounds horrible. I was thinking it was more the preamp than the pickups. I was looking to replace just the preamp first.

 

[Thumpinshelton]

Good to hear.

I've got a bass with MK-1's and a budget preamp and it sounds horrible. I was thinking it was more the preamp than the pickups. I was looking to replace just the preamp first.

The pickups really sound good with a different preamp. I changed the stock pre in one of my Lakland 55-01's to an Aguilar OP3 and changed my other 55-01 pre with a Nordy pre and am really satisfied. I think the pups themselves are really good.

 

[RyanJD]

You know, I honestly wasn't the biggest fan of the sounds I got from my Ibanez SR700.
It just wasn't for me in particular.
Everything else about that bass was fantastic though.

Maybe it was the pre. Maybe the MK-1s. Or maybe the sound was just too "modern" for me.
I'm not sure.