Rockbass Corvette 5 2010 Preamp question

[beadgc23]

I’ve just become the owner of a Rockbass Corvette 5, dated 2010 from the serial number. it’s very well built and has much in common with the German Warwicks I used to own, apart from the preamp. This is labelled “Crystal Sound”, and generates so much hiss that I need to turn the treble control half way down and the tweeter on my cab off to get a decent sound. It's not the pickups, as the problem exists with the volume turned all the way down.
I have some experience with electronic repair and on taking a look the circuitry inside the cavity does not match the schematic posted on the Warwick.de site, the pot values and interconnections are different, especially for the blend control. The preamp is potted, and all the connections seem good as far as I can test.
Before I spend money on a 3rd-party preamp, does anyone know whether this was a common problem for Rockbass of this vintage, or does anyone have a schematic that might apply to the bass? It has 2 active jazz MEC pickups, volume, blend, treble and bass controls - no coil taps or active/passive switching.
Thanks!

 

[beadgc23]

I’ve answered my own question - out of curiosity I bypassed the ‘Crystal Sound’ preamp and wired in an OBB-3 instead. Even without EQ pots connected, it’s like taking a blanket off the cab and the hiss, of course, is gone.
I understand that Warwick have to differentiate the product lines so a low-cost preamp is to be expected (especially as the pickups are stock MEC active J’s) but this level of hiss and noise is unacceptable.

 

[GTHintz]

Do you think that preamp was stock? What's interesting is that I happened to come across a few rockbass models on the AliExpress cheap Chinese knockoff site. The pics showed some German hardware and what looked like builds from the actual rockbass parts they assemble in China. Could we get some pics of your bass? But anyway on another note I can attest for having crappy preamps that just suck the tone right out of otherwise nice instruments. I wish budget line basses were all passive if they aren't going to put in something decent. If you want a pre I'd say try to find a decent glockenklang or mec out of the proline basses. But nothing wrong with going passive as well. I think Warwick's sound awesome passive!

 

[beadgc23]

Here’s the cavity pre-install - it’s a long way down from even the MEC preamps which weren’t really all that bad. The hardware -
pickups, bridge, nut and tailpiece look like genuine Warwick, and I’ve owned a few in the past. I’m pretty impressed with the build quality for a budget bass, and it sounds more than decent acoustically. If it is a knockoff of a Rockbass then it’s a bloody good copy, down to the MEC logos on the pickups and the cavity cover. The only thing that made me wince was the active preamp, and I’m not sure that Warwick are still using the 2010 specs as the current schematic is different.

 

[GTHintz]

Interesting. It looks pretty clean in there. What does the front and back of the headstock look like?

 

[GTHintz]

if it's legit it should have the standard Warwick W on the headstock, a bump on the back of the neck for stability and a serial number on the back of the headstock. RB or RBJ followed by the number. Mine is built in 09.

 

[beadgc23]

Do you think that preamp was stock? What's interesting is that I happened to come across a few rockbass models on the AliExpress cheap Chinese knockoff site. The pics showed some German hardware and what looked like builds from the actual rockbass parts they assemble in China. Could we get some pics of your bass? But anyway on another note I can attest for having crappy preamps that just suck the tone right out of otherwise nice instruments. I wish budget line basses were all passive if they aren't going to put in something decent. If you want a pre I'd say try to find a decent glockenklang or mec out of the proline basses. But nothing wrong with going passive as well. I think Warwick's sound awesome passive!

I went for an Aguilar OBP-3 as one came up locally for the right price. The price of concentric and switched audio pots in Australia is ridiculous so it took me longer to research the parts than it did to install the preamp.
My first Warwick was passive - a Corvette fretless and it did sound good. The preamp that really worked well was a John East U-retro (as it was then) which I put in a 6 string Thumb NT with Bartolini soapbars, it could make the Thumb sound like something else rather than a Warwick with EQ.

 

[GTHintz]

Well the obp3 gets plenty of praise on here so hopefully it sounds good. You have the key ingredient which is a Warwick. They just sound so damn good! Let us know how you like the sound once it's hooked up all the way.

 

[beadgc23]

View attachment 4518673if it's legit it should have the standard Warwick W on the headstock, a bump on the back of the neck for stability and a serial number on the back of the headstock. RB or RBJ followed by the number. Mine is built in 09.

Check, check for volute and check for serial number which comes up as kosher when I researched it. I think this one’s genuine.

Well the obp3 gets plenty of praise on here so hopefully it sounds good. You have the key ingredient which is a Warwick. They just sound so damn good! Let us know how you like the sound once it's hooked up all the way.

I’ve added the bass & treble pots (from the original preamp which are coincidentally the correct values for the OBP-3, and the rollover points are at the extremes of the audio spectrum - sub and air rather than bass & treble. As they’re designed to work with a mid, I’ll reserve judgement. I do think the installed preamp pushed the mids a little, or the OBP is a little ‘smiley face’ . Let’s see how it goes.

 

[GTHintz]

Check, check for volute and check for serial number which comes up as kosher when I researched it. I think this one’s genuine.

I’ve added the bass & treble pots (from the original preamp which are coincidentally the correct values for the OBP-3, and the rollover points are at the extremes of the audio spectrum - sub and air rather than bass & treble. As they’re designed to work with a mid, I’ll reserve judgement. I do think the installed preamp pushed the mids a little, or the OBP is a little ‘smiley face’ . Let’s see how it goes.

Good luck with it. I feel like these wicks love to have the right amount of mids. They have so much depth and if you find the sweet spot in the mids it's like poetry in motion. All the huge lows but definition and clarity too. Mine is the humbucker version and I know it's little different with yours which has the jazz style pickups but I think both sound great. Yours just sounds more defined naturally so it's less sensitive to bass than the humbuckers especially in parallel. I can go from parallel to series and I know if I'm going to play that way low frequency becomes just a little more important while in parallel which I like most I need more low and high mid.

 

[beadgc23]

Of course, I’ve just been offered a 95 Fortress Masterman -Wenge neck, twin j pickups, French violet stain. How can I refuse?

 

[beadgc23]

Good luck with it. I feel like these wicks love to have the right amount of mids. They have so much depth and if you find the sweet spot in the mids it's like poetry in motion. All the huge lows but definition and clarity too. Mine is the humbucker version and I know it's little different with yours which has the jazz style pickups but I think both sound great. Yours just sounds more defined naturally so it's less sensitive to bass than the humbuckers especially in parallel. I can go from parallel to series and I know if I'm going to play that way low frequency becomes just a little more important while in parallel which I like most I need more low and high mid.

I’ve been playing a Rick Turner Renaissance 5FL for the last few years, which is all about using hand positions and plucking dynamics to change the tone - it’s an unreal bass but certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. But it’s taught me to use my fingers to change tone, not the bass or the amp, so as long as the pickups I’m using are dynamic and clean, I can do the rest (mostly…on a good day)

 

[GTHintz]

Right you are. I'm getting into fretless and it's definitely opening up some tones and technique because of how expressive you can be on the fretless. I'm starting to take that and translate it to my fretted basses. One thing that got my attention immediately though is how expressive the Warwick is. Everything has its own tone because it's how they are and why I like it so much but it really favors someone who plays with Dynamics. Then again anything sounds better with Dynamics.

 

[beadgc23]

Well the obp3 gets plenty of praise on here so hopefully it sounds good. You have the key ingredient which is a Warwick. They just sound so damn good! Let us know how you like the sound once it's hooked up all the way.

I have a concentric pot for bass & treble, a switched pot for the mids and another switched pot for active bypass (though the pickups will still need power…) but those are making their way from the PRC at the moment. Warwicks own pots are beautifully made but I’ll wait to find the right combination of parts before I spend much money on those.
I really miss NYC at times like this - everything available 24/7 with free pizza. Will Lee admiring my shoes on the subway. 10 minutes ride to see the Blue Note big band for Sunday brunch. Melbourne has crazy bird life but it’s not the Big A…

 

[GTHintz]

I can't wait for everyone to get over the fear and social reengineering going on so people can be free to express themselves again. NYC was such a beautiful city at one point. There's a reason why you have the Stuart Spector, Vinny Fodera, Carl Thompson, so many classy artistic things and people coming out of there. I hope the real new yorkers pull together and get the city opened up and people back to playing music and painting in the parks and get everything going again. Same goes for you guys down under! Europe too.

 

[beadgc23]

You really should try one of Rick Turners’ basses - Electroline or Renaissance - if you’re enjoying fretless playing, and you’re in the right part of the world to do so. What he doesn’t know about piezo pickups that sound real probably isn’t worth knowing. I sold my 5 string Electroline (piezo and mag pickups) before I could play well enough to appreciate what it could do and I’ve been kicking myself ever since. The Ren 5 is very acoustic, but the Electroline does everything (at a fairly substantial price…) Treat yourself, but leave your credit card at home

 

[GTHintz]

I would love to check it out. I wish I had deeper pockets so I could get some of my bucket list basses and get to try some others I never thought I'd be playing.

 

[beadgc23]

Good talking to you - I need to get off and get some work done! See you around…

 

[GTHintz]

Likewise! Cheers and I'm off to bed. It's midnight here in California. Keep me posted on how your preamp turns out!

 

[Aloe]

I had a 2006 RB Corvette 5 and it had a MEC 2-band preamp (and a pair or MEC Gold active pickups). wasn't fond of the preamp anyway, but it surely wasn't notably hissy (I compared it to OBP-3 in other bass).

IOW my vote also goes that somebody "upgraded" the electronics on yours and borked it up.