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Older EBMM SR5 volume issue. (Pickup? Preamp?)

Inverness

Inverness

Dec 21, 2007
223
1
Marina, CA
#1
Hey all.

So let me set the stage. I have two EBMM Stingray 5 basses - a fretted one from 2001 and fretless one from 2003. The fretless one has a piezo pickup on it. There are serious volume differences between the two. According to my rackmount compressor, at a given setting, the fretted is 5-6 dB lower in output than the fretless. I have also gone into my local Guitar Center to A/B my fretted SR5 with a more recent fretted SR5 they have hanging on the wall. While I didn't have anything to measure the dB difference, it is quite noticeable. I had the preamp in the fretted SR5 preamp replaced with an OEM preamp. No change in volume (although it certainly sounds nicer). I had the pickups between the two SR5s that I have swapped - no change. All the electronics in the fretted SR5 have been cleaned and resoldered - no change.

So I ask to the EB/MM community: what's the deal? Has anyone else noticed this problem? Is there supposed to be a volume difference between the alnicos and the ceramics (referring to the modern SR5)?
 
#3
They are. We gathered as much. I suppose what I'm asking is that, if by some odd chance, someone owns an alnico-pup SR5 and a ceramic-pup SR5, is this person getting the volume issue. Basically, I'm trying to track down whether or not there's something wrong with my seemingly cursed bass or if the alnico-pup SR5s are just inherently quieter.
 
#4
Inverness said:
They are. We gathered as much. I suppose what I'm asking is that, if by some odd chance, someone owns an alnico-pup SR5 and a ceramic-pup SR5, is this person getting the volume issue. Basically, I'm trying to track down whether or not there's something wrong with my seemingly cursed bass or if the alnico-pup SR5s are just inherently quieter.
Click to expand...

Didn't you swap pickups between the two basses? Or where they both alnico pickups.

The ceramic pickups are brighter sounding. They might be a little louder, but not by much.

I think it's the preamps. One is louder than the other.
 
#5
We tried swapping the pickups, but both are from the alnico era. I believe EBMM went back to the ceramics in '07. I can't seem to get a straight answer out of them about the preamps. Swapping the pickups between the two indicates that yeah, the piezo preamp has more gain. But why are the newer basses up in that same volume/gain range? Is there a new preamp?
 

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