I believe @smperry has a Noll in one of his Keiths, perhaps he can chime in (if he hasn't already).
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Show us your Martin Keith Basses
- Thread starter 77stingray
- Start date
I believe @smperry has a Noll in one of his Keiths, perhaps he can chime in (if he hasn't already).
OBP1 is all-FET design (which is also why it has no mids control), while the OBP2 and 3 only state having a FET input stage.
My Elfin 5 has a Pope 4-band preamp as Martin was going for a Fodera vibe including the pups and woods he used. It's a great preamp, but so are the two you're considering...sorry to be of no help
Thanks!OBP1 is all-FET design (which is also why it has no mids control), while the OBP2 and 3 only state having a FET input stage.
My Elfin 5 has a Pope 4-band preamp as Martin was going for a Fodera vibe including the pups and woods he used. It's a great preamp, but so are the two you're considering...sorry to be of no help
The only thing I know for sure is the pickups, and Martin agrees with me, Aguilar DCB's are the right ones, but I gotta figure out which preamp soon!
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smperry do you have a Noll Preamp?
If so, what can you tell me about it compared to other preamps?
Thanks!
Sure. Preamps are very personal, though. I'm not a fan of Aguilar preamps, due to the bass frequency (which I find to be centered lower than I'd prefer) and amount of gain/volume on the bass control. Together, the two make for the controls to be more sensitive than I'd prefer and too quickly to get boomy.
My Dakota Red bass (the one in my profile picture) has a Noll preamp. I started liking Noll preamps after owning a Ritter Bass in the early 2000s. Mine has a ridiculous tonal range:
Volume, Blend, Passive Tone, Treble, Midrange/Frequency, Treble, Bass Frequency Switch, Treble Frequency Switch.
It's way more than I need, but I figured what the heck. It is quiet (no hiss, silent controls) and the frequencies are well-chosen. I don't have them in front of me, but the higher bass and lower treble frequencies work well for an old school Stingray tone, the other frequencies for more of a modern hifi tone, the passive tone control when I'm going for an old school Precision, etc. The midrange control is useful too. Combined with the two pickups I have (Nordstrand P (nonreverse) and MM), it feels like the ultimate rock and R&bB bass to me. Two minor complaints: Passive volume is a little quieter than active, and the center detents are a little "soft," meaning you'll go past them if you aren't paying attention.
My other fretted Martin Keith five sting bass has an Audere preamp. I like it, but I don't use it much at all, other than turning down the treble, or occasionally turning down some midrange. The z-modes aren't too useful to me, due to the sound and volume changes being a bit much. I think I can adjust the volume of z-modes internally, but I don't use it much so I just leave it alone.
One of my fretless fives has the Audere four band (no Z-mode) and I think it's perfect for a jazz bass. No complaints on that one...okay, it'd be nice to have a passive mode and tone control, but that's really minor. Some might disagree, but that one really works well for me and is simple to use.
My other fretless five has piezos and a DTAR buffer preamp with just volume, blend (pickup blend and mag/piezo blend) and tone controls...not relevant to this discussion.
My six string Martin Keith has no tone controls, only volume and blend.
I have played a Martin Keith bass with Aguilar pickups (which I thought were fantastic) and maybe the preamp on that one was Aguilar and I liked it too (going against what I said earlier). But, that was only a brief play through in a noisy environment years ago.
All that said, I think the best preamp depends on your preferences, the pickups and woods. My basses don't have your pickups, so that's very relevant. Depending on your preferences of frequency points here are a ton of good, natural sounding, options. My next bass (if/when I'm able to swing bass another) will probably be passive. I use eq controls a lot less than I used to.
My Dakota Red bass (the one in my profile picture) has a Noll preamp. I started liking Noll preamps after owning a Ritter Bass in the early 2000s. Mine has a ridiculous tonal range:
Volume, Blend, Passive Tone, Treble, Midrange/Frequency, Treble, Bass Frequency Switch, Treble Frequency Switch.
It's way more than I need, but I figured what the heck. It is quiet (no hiss, silent controls) and the frequencies are well-chosen. I don't have them in front of me, but the higher bass and lower treble frequencies work well for an old school Stingray tone, the other frequencies for more of a modern hifi tone, the passive tone control when I'm going for an old school Precision, etc. The midrange control is useful too. Combined with the two pickups I have (Nordstrand P (nonreverse) and MM), it feels like the ultimate rock and R&bB bass to me. Two minor complaints: Passive volume is a little quieter than active, and the center detents are a little "soft," meaning you'll go past them if you aren't paying attention.
My other fretted Martin Keith five sting bass has an Audere preamp. I like it, but I don't use it much at all, other than turning down the treble, or occasionally turning down some midrange. The z-modes aren't too useful to me, due to the sound and volume changes being a bit much. I think I can adjust the volume of z-modes internally, but I don't use it much so I just leave it alone.
One of my fretless fives has the Audere four band (no Z-mode) and I think it's perfect for a jazz bass. No complaints on that one...okay, it'd be nice to have a passive mode and tone control, but that's really minor. Some might disagree, but that one really works well for me and is simple to use.
My other fretless five has piezos and a DTAR buffer preamp with just volume, blend (pickup blend and mag/piezo blend) and tone controls...not relevant to this discussion.
My six string Martin Keith has no tone controls, only volume and blend.
I have played a Martin Keith bass with Aguilar pickups (which I thought were fantastic) and maybe the preamp on that one was Aguilar and I liked it too (going against what I said earlier). But, that was only a brief play through in a noisy environment years ago.
All that said, I think the best preamp depends on your preferences, the pickups and woods. My basses don't have your pickups, so that's very relevant. Depending on your preferences of frequency points here are a ton of good, natural sounding, options. My next bass (if/when I'm able to swing bass another) will probably be passive. I use eq controls a lot less than I used to.
Wow! Thanks for all the info!
I have a Noll coming now for my Spector, and I'll try it and see how I like it. I've never had one before.
Also the preamp being silent is super important for me!
I agree 100% about the Aguilar preamp. It’s hard to use the bass boost at all. I have a Muckelroy bass with a Nordstrand preamp and it sounds amazing. Clean, clear and quiet. Lots of power yet very useable. I think it is my favorite pre so far. With my Muckelroy with the Aguilar, I can only boost the bass a fraction before it’s unusable.
I have to add that the tone of the bass with the Aguilar is super growly and I love it. Not sure if that is due to the Delano SBC’s or the preamp. So I am keeping it as is!
I like the tone on that chambered beauty. Is feedback at higher volumes a problem or is it well controlled? I was surprised to see fanned frets. What is the difference in length between B and C strings? I like what fanned frets do to even the timbre between hi and low strings but find the 3” spread on my Dingwall a bit too extreme.
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I was wondering what happened to this one...haven't seen an update from @77stingray!
That bass is 33” to 35” it is very comfortable to play - the fan was not very severe - very ergonomic. There is a video of my playing it on you tube. Unfortunately, the 35” scale on the B side made first position a struggle for me. A local Atlanta TB’er has the bass now and he is playing the heck out of it! Meanwhile I have a 32” scale on order to replace it. It sounded absolutely incredible. If longer scale is not an issue for you I highly recommend the fanned fret and the DCB pickups!
I've always bee curious about a 34/33" scale fan. It would be so slight, but would be well worth it I feel.
I just let Martin know that I have decided to go with this model Noll on my newly ordered bass.
It will be 18 volts.
Link Removed
Technical Data
The low impedance output of the TCM 3 P provides other great features. You can run a cable for up to 100 feet (30 m) without losing high frequency response.
Input Impedance >1 MOhm
Output Impedance <10 KOhm
Input Sensitivity max. 450mV @ 9V
Output Voltage max. 4,5V @ 9V
S-N-Ratio 95dB (1KHz/5Vss)
Bass Control +/- 15dB @ 40Hz - 180Hz
Midrange Control +/- 15dB @ 250Hz to 1,5KHz
Treble Control +/- 15dB @ 1,8KHz - 7,8KHz
Operating Voltage +/- 9V (+18V optional)
Power Consumption typ. 1,0mA @ 9V / 480h Batt. Life
Dimensions 45x30x16 mm
ONBOARD PREAMP
TCM 3 P
The NOLL TCM 3 P is a compact equalizer that provides easy and space-saving installation. The secure insulation of the sealed equalizer perfectly protects other electrical components. Bass, midrange and treble controls are center-detented and allow 15dB of boost and cut with a gentle slope of 6dB per octave which results in a natural and true sound. The best feature of this preamp is a parametric control with adjustable frequency range for all controls. With this electronic the player can pretty much dial up any sound imaginable.
The EQ requires power from two single 9 Volt batteries in series (18V).
The NOLL TCM 3 P onboard preamp can be combined with both active and passive pickups.
All units are Link Removed with high flexible cables, delivery contents all pots, jack and battery clip; however, knobs are not included.
Potentiometers have 6 mm solid shafts, while the stacked pot has 4 mm (upper) and 6 mm (lower) solid shafts.
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This builder really knocks my socks off. I can't believe how beautiful his work is. And, he works in my region.
Cmon Lotttttttto!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cmon Lotttttttto!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gigged my Keith last night. It plays great, sounds great, the pearl finish looks great under stage light, and while I had it pretty well effected by the dUg Pinnick pedal, it sounded great, with even response up and down the fretboard.
Thanks!
After looking at all of the Aguilar and Noll preamps, this model is the only 3 band that doesn't have the bass only at 40hz!
Yeah, that’s what I like about it too; not being stuck at 40Hz was important to me. Mine is a custom model, but I like yours more because I only have two frequency choices for bass and treble (via switches). It’s maybe easier to recall old settings on mine, but is less flexible.
Noll has a 2 band with the bass at 80hz, but all other Nolls and Aguilars are 40hz bass only.
I've got a Noll preamp in my SKC Bogart Blackstone. That is a great sounding bass, so I'll vouch for Noll!
