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Replacement for Bartolini MK-1 Pickups

#61
mmbongo said:
Bartolini MK5's would be fantastic.
Click to expand...
Agree! here's what they sound like with Bart 5.2 preamp on a fretless ibanez sr370F.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed][Invalid or Expired Link Removed][Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

P.S. in Europe, I would also look at Delano. I have them in my fretless carvin and they kick ass too!
 
#62
Thanks for that! As for the pre-amp, unfortunately it can't be replaced on the Portamento, because the piezo under the bridge is integrated in the stock pre-amp. So I have to live with it (until someone comes up with an alternative), but with better PU's no problem, i guess.
In another forum (Ibanez) a poster claimed, the Nordstrands have to be custom made for the Portamento because of the string spacing (16,5mm), i recon Bartolini's don't have?
Other replacements in P2 size have the same problem? Size would fit, I've read...
 
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#63
Nofret.dk said:
Thanks for that! As for the pre-amp, unfortunately it can't be replaced on the Portamento, because the piezo under the bridge is integrated in the stock pre-amp. So I have to live with it (until someone comes up with an alternative), but with better PU's no problem, i guess.
In another forum (Ibanez) a poster claimed, the Nordstrands have to be custom made for the Portamento because of the string spacing (16,5mm), i recon Bartolini's don't have?
Other replacements in P2 size have the same problem? Size would fit, I've read...
Click to expand...

String spacing is not a concern with Bartolini's because they use blades. They work with all spacings.
 
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#65
Nofret.dk said:
I'm just confused about the wiring with the Bart MK5's, as they are dual coil and a set has 4 conductors... I still want to keep Vol/Blend config, when changing them.
Click to expand...

The dual coil allows you to wire them series, parallel, or single coil..or have a mini toggle for all three. Standard wiring is series though if you don't want to bother with the switch. It comes with the diagrams you need..in series you connect two of those wires together leaving you with the hot and ground.
 
#67
Old thread, but I know folks like myself look up older threads, so here is my experience.

I picked up an older SR-905, through neck, through body strings. I actually love the MK1s in the SR500s, but this has a maple body and it was way too bright. I spent about 6 months researching and decided to do the Pup upgrade first. I actually had a Nordstrand DC5 lying around I tried in the neck position and it was incredible sounding, but it was 19 mm spacing so the allignment was off. I decided to go with P2 sizing simply because it opened up more possibilities. I had decided it was a tossup between Reed James Neos and Nordstrand Dual Blade Neos, when lo and behold Bestbasssgear has a huge sale, and had a pair of Bartolini Quad Coil P2s at less than half price, so I took the chance (normally $166 each).

Bestbassgear screwed up the delivery (which they did with 2 of the last 3 orders) and delivered 1 quad and 1 dual. Got them to overnight the other quad, but in the meanwhile I installed 1 quad at the neck position. I won't dwell on this, but the only reason I will buy from them now is when the price is right.

I installed in series, and the pickup totally overpowered the Mk1 at the bridge, so my guess is the MK1s are in parallel internally. Rewired in parallel, so I had one Quad and one MK1 and could roll fully to either. I also did the reverse to see if the impact on the sound was the same. Folks have previously talked about the sound difference being an evolution rather than a revolution, and I can tell you that was not my experience with putting in the quad. When I rolled to the quad the the sound was immensely better, and the remaining Mk1 (in both configurations) now sounded hollow and tinny. I put both MK1s back in temporarily to make sure it was not my imagination.

In short the Bart quads sound incredible (expensive normally but worth it) and the bass is transformed with no new pre-amp, this is now my main fretted bass. Wiring in parallel for each pickup gives it a highly defined sound. The next step with be a switch to let me change the Barts so I can isolate each coil (which I can do noiselessly since it is quad coil).

Pete Greaves
 
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#72
ex-tension said:
MK1s are split coil design.
Click to expand...
This is important to know because there is a gap between the coils. If a string falls over the gap it will sound dead. Ibanez put split coil 6 string pickups on some 5 string BTB675s so a bunch of us ended up with dead A strings. I think this happened because the pickups on those guitars are all the same size and they got the bodies mixed up.

I replaced them with real Barts and a real NTMB pre so that fixed the dead A string issue. The tone difference was noticeable in my basement but lost in a live setting where tone shapers, PA settings and room response are bigger factors.
 
#73
Rob22315 said:
This is important to know because there is a gap between the coils. If a string falls over the gap it will sound dead. Ibanez put split coil 6 string pickups on some 5 string BTB675s so a bunch of us ended up with dead A strings. I think this happened because the pickups on those guitars are all the same size and they got the bodies mixed up.

I replaced them with real Barts and a real NTMB pre so that fixed the dead A string issue. The tone difference was noticeable in my basement but lost in a live setting where tone shapers, PA settings and room response are bigger factors.
Click to expand...

So the MK1 is an inline split, not P-style split?
 
#74
Pete Greaves said:
Old thread, but I know folks like myself look up older threads, so here is my experience.

I picked up an older SR-905, through neck, through body strings. I actually love the MK1s in the SR500s, but this has a maple body and it was way too bright. I spent about 6 months researching and decided to do the Pup upgrade first. I actually had a Nordstrand DC5 lying around I tried in the neck position and it was incredible sounding, but it was 19 mm spacing so the allignment was off. I decided to go with P2 sizing simply because it opened up more possibilities. I had decided it was a tossup between Reed James Neos and Nordstrand Dual Blade Neos, when lo and behold Bestbasssgear has a huge sale, and had a pair of Bartolini Quad Coil P2s at less than half price, so I took the chance (normally $166 each).

Bestbassgear screwed up the delivery (which they did with 2 of the last 3 orders) and delivered 1 quad and 1 dual. Got them to overnight the other quad, but in the meanwhile I installed 1 quad at the neck position. I won't dwell on this, but the only reason I will buy from them now is when the price is right.

I installed in series, and the pickup totally overpowered the Mk1 at the bridge, so my guess is the MK1s are in parallel internally. Rewired in parallel, so I had one Quad and one MK1 and could roll fully to either. I also did the reverse to see if the impact on the sound was the same. Folks have previously talked about the sound difference being an evolution rather than a revolution, and I can tell you that was not my experience with putting in the quad. When I rolled to the quad the the sound was immensely better, and the remaining Mk1 (in both configurations) now sounded hollow and tinny. I put both MK1s back in temporarily to make sure it was not my imagination.

In short the Bart quads sound incredible (expensive normally but worth it) and the bass is transformed with no new pre-amp, this is now my main fretted bass. Wiring in parallel for each pickup gives it a highly defined sound. The next step with be a switch to let me change the Barts so I can isolate each coil (which I can do noiselessly since it is quad coil).

Pete Greaves
Click to expand...

Thanks for the post. I have been considering whether to replace the pickups or preamp or both on a bass with MK1s. I thought the preamp would have more to do with the tone but now I may have to reconsider what to do. Like other people have said, I turn the treble all the way down to get a half decent sound out of it. The output level is actually lower than some passive basses I've played as well. It's OK like this but in general I think this is the worst sounding electronics I've ever had in a bass, and I've had way cheaper basses than the one I have now with MK1s.
 
#75
Pete Greaves said:
Old thread, but I know folks like myself look up older threads, so here is my experience.

I picked up an older SR-905, through neck, through body strings. I actually love the MK1s in the SR500s, but this has a maple body and it was way too bright. I spent about 6 months researching and decided to do the Pup upgrade first. I actually had a Nordstrand DC5 lying around I tried in the neck position and it was incredible sounding, but it was 19 mm spacing so the allignment was off. I decided to go with P2 sizing simply because it opened up more possibilities. I had decided it was a tossup between Reed James Neos and Nordstrand Dual Blade Neos, when lo and behold Bestbasssgear has a huge sale, and had a pair of Bartolini Quad Coil P2s at less than half price, so I took the chance (normally $166 each).

Bestbassgear screwed up the delivery (which they did with 2 of the last 3 orders) and delivered 1 quad and 1 dual. Got them to overnight the other quad, but in the meanwhile I installed 1 quad at the neck position. I won't dwell on this, but the only reason I will buy from them now is when the price is right.

I installed in series, and the pickup totally overpowered the Mk1 at the bridge, so my guess is the MK1s are in parallel internally. Rewired in parallel, so I had one Quad and one MK1 and could roll fully to either. I also did the reverse to see if the impact on the sound was the same. Folks have previously talked about the sound difference being an evolution rather than a revolution, and I can tell you that was not my experience with putting in the quad. When I rolled to the quad the the sound was immensely better, and the remaining Mk1 (in both configurations) now sounded hollow and tinny. I put both MK1s back in temporarily to make sure it was not my imagination.

In short the Bart quads sound incredible (expensive normally but worth it) and the bass is transformed with no new pre-amp, this is now my main fretted bass. Wiring in parallel for each pickup gives it a highly defined sound. The next step with be a switch to let me change the Barts so I can isolate each coil (which I can do noiselessly since it is quad coil).

Pete Greaves
Click to expand...


So currently you have a SR905, with no preamp and 2 USA Barts?
Do you have any sound clips by any chance?
I have the same bass, with the stock MK1s and I'm not sure which way to go. I also thought the preamp would be a cheaper option.
I want to try the pickups straight to the the output jack, or with a passive tone control, but haven't got the occasion to sit with the soldering iron and the Ibby.
 
#76
FatFunk said:
So currently you have a SR905, with no preamp and 2 USA Barts?
Do you have any sound clips by any chance?
I have the same bass, with the stock MK1s and I'm not sure which way to go. I also thought the preamp would be a cheaper option.
I want to try the pickups straight to the the output jack, or with a passive tone control, but haven't got the occasion to sit with the soldering iron and the Ibby.
Click to expand...

I read:

"In short the Bart quads sound incredible (expensive normally but worth it) and the bass is transformed with no new pre-amp, this is now my main fretted bass"
 
#80
Schooley_m said:
I too have an Ibanez sr500, seriously considering ditching all the electronics and going full passive. Really want to throw in some dual coils for some coil tapping/splitting wizardry.
Click to expand...
you'll get coil tapping ability by replacing current MK1-4 pups to MK4CBC pups.

Are you sure you wanna go full passive? If you swap the current pre-amp with Bartolini HR-5.2AP/918, you can still have the option of EQing your sound as well as real passive mode (without battery installed) by operating its push-pull volume pot. This pre-amp also has mid frequency selector using its push/pull middle pot. Then the hole which used to be used for mid freq toggle selector can be use for the coil-tapping mini switch.
 

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