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Replacing tone stack in a Kiesel AW5 with EMG?

HeavyDuty

HeavyDuty

Supporting Curmudgeon
Gold Supporting Member
Jun 26, 2000
14,607
5,645
Central Texas
www.pbase.com
#1
I have a Kiesel AW5 that I like very much, the playability is excellent. This bass has a single eared MM5 style humbucker and is drilled for three controls. However, I really dislike the factory tone stack - I’m having a hard time dialing in my sound using the active side, and the passive tone pot affects the active tone, too. I’m just not digging the Kiesel electronics which is unusual for me - I very, very rarely change pups or tone circuits in my basses.

I have a long history with EMGs and like their tone circuits. I also prefer simplicity. My preference would be for an active EMG pickup with a BTS, but they don’t offer their MM5 in a eared case. I’m not open to drilling additional holes.

I’m considering two options:

1. Leave the factory pickup in place and replace the tone with all passive - I’m thinking something like a G&L PTB circuit with separate bass and treble cuts. The twin battery boxes could be converted to Pez dispensers.

2. Leave the pickup in place and replace the tone with an EMG BTS-HZ system (I wouldn’t be using the blend pot, but it’s cheaper to buy the system instead of buying all the parts separately.) I’d consider the BQC but I think the rout is too small - I can live with just bass and treble, I generally don’t mess much with mids in any of my basses.

I am leaning towards option 2. I can always replace the pickup later as a fallback if I don’t care for the results.

Comments and suggestions?

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#5
If it's a brightness issue, you can try changing the pots from 500K to 250K. This is an issue I'm having on my PB5 and while I haven't changed them out yet, I've heard many times that their choice of 500K on all instruments can lead to a clanky sound. Otherwise, I'm not sure a preamp will solve your problems. Preamps are usually just for tone shaping, and unless you can get what you want using EQ on the amp, a different preamp will just tweak a tone you don't care for into a different tone you don't care for.

If you really don't like the idea of leaving those ear holes empty with the EMG pickup, you could ask them if they'd make a custom housing for you. You could also try one of the other MM pickups that are available with the ear holes, or if you're looking for a specific sound, maybe ask someone like Carey Nordstrand to make you something based on what you like.

In regards to the G&L tri tone circuit, just keep in mind that that was designed for MFD pickups that are very hot, so it might not work or sound the same with the Carvin pickup.
 
#7
I’m a few weeks into this change. I ended up replacing everything downstream from the pickup with EMG - a 250k volume pot and a BTS. So far I’m very happy with the change; I’m getting great, usable tones with the controls centered. The BTS is quiet, too.
 

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