A couple of months ago I saw a video on YouTube where someone rewired the T1 pickups on the BTB 805 multiscale bass. They may have also added a pickup selector switch. I think the pickups were rewired to be able to be switched to parallel. I am also considering adding the Darkglass Tone Capsule and replacing the preamp. The bass sounds good stock but I hear a difference after playing my Dingwall basses. I wonder how much the rewiring mod would cost? Could I get through the preamp switch and pickup rewiring for $300 or less?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Thinking about modding my Ibanez BTB 866 ms
- Thread starter Cory rich40
- Start date
Would these mods make a noticeable world of difference? I heard the video through phone speakers. Not the best representation
If you're handy with a soldering Iron, the mod would only cost what a 6 position rotary switch costs. If you're not, with the Darkglass pre, youre looking at 200 in parts alone. Labor will depend on what your tech charges.
Im assuming this was the video?
The direct before/after at 11:09 is a pretty clear difference to me. Parallel wiring is like taking a wet blanket off of the pickups.
This guy articulates why I dont like dual coils, especially in series, perfectly. For my purposes, a humbucker I can't split is useless to me, so the wiring mod would be necessary for me to be happy with that Ibanez (or a pickup swap).
Im assuming this was the video?
The direct before/after at 11:09 is a pretty clear difference to me. Parallel wiring is like taking a wet blanket off of the pickups.
This guy articulates why I dont like dual coils, especially in series, perfectly. For my purposes, a humbucker I can't split is useless to me, so the wiring mod would be necessary for me to be happy with that Ibanez (or a pickup swap).
I’ve heard it said before that most import basses sound like they have a blanket over them never fully allowing the tone to reach its full potential. Creating a muffled sound essentially. Is this the reason why? If so , why
Not wire it in parallel from the factory I wonder?
I believe humbuckers are traditionally wired in series. The notable exception to that is Stingray basses. Except the cheaper import models like the Ray 4, those are wired in series (which I think is done to artificially differentiate them from their more expensive counterparts).
At the end of the day its all up to taste and preference. Some people might like the darker tone and hotter output they get with series. I'd say series/parallel/single switch are relatively common on dual coils basses.
Think I read about someone doing that with their EHB bass as well.
Does the BTB pack the same magic as the Dingwall basses? Short answer is no. Tonight I played around with the BTB and I switched the amp to passive mode with the bass in active mode and it felt as mighty as the Dingwalls did. The bass has serious potential
So you just gave the system more gain by putting the amp (head) into a higher gain setting (passive) and suddenly it sounds 'better' to you?
This is a well known phenomenon in audio testing where the louder (or loudest) signal is preferred and/or perceived as better.
It has potential. One minute I favor the Dingwalls, but the BTB is a very good bass. I’m sure you are right about the loudness creating the illusion of sounding better. It doesn’t sound bad with the amp in active mode either. I notice the biggest difference when I play my Dingwall for a couple of hours and then pick up the BTB. I can go a week and pick up the BTB first and it’s like it’s a flawless instrument. I pick up the Dingwall first and can tell which bass is superior. Maybe this is a thing of liking both instruments for different reasons
And there are ALOT of people that love the multiscale BTB as is with no mods. Honestly there has been one Dingwall bass that the BTB can beat easily, but that’s solely my opinion. That to me is the SP1. Probably not a fair comparison.
I believe the preamp in those Ibanez is the weak point. I would drop a Pope or Trickfish IPA preamp in there as well as wire the pickups to a series/parallel switch (4PDT). I am not saying the stock pre is bad. It is the one thing I would consider changing as an upgrade.
Off topic here , before i check out with SRMS725, i been compare it to both BTB805MS dan 705LM (34-35 scale.). Clearly T1 pickup sound fuller, rounder and warmer than Fishman on SRMS725, but not BH2 dark on SRMS805 .
Almost pretty much what I did with my BTB806MS. Flexcore with a 3 way dpdt for each pickup. Miles better than the stock(still good) pre.q
Do you happen to have a diagram for what the wiring would look like? I pulled the controlcavity cover off of my BTB805MS and things in there are...dense to put it mildy
