Tone Monster SBK preamps? Anybody here use them?

[Razman]

I had one and used one in a Squier Jazz bass. It is dead quiet, and I'm not a "on board pre-amp expert" or anything, but there was nothing strange about it, and was able to get great sounds from it, so it is most definitely a "recommend" for me, especially at that price. Plus, now they come with a solderless hookup.

Edit: I had the 2 band.

Thanks for the positive remarks. What surprised me was how quickly I found what I needed - the 3-band with a mid-sweep, and dual stacked knobs. I may have to widen two openings on my instruments but that's better than having to drill more holes. Why the five knob plus micro switch configuration of the Bart NTMB pre that came installed in my custom was seemingly the defacto standard I'll never guess.

I'm trying to guard against assuming that this will 'fix everything' and make the bass sound totally different. It probably won't; I just hope I can tame the mids in my Samick as I mentioned.

I'll tell you one bass that had a killer tone, was active, but didn't have much for adjustments - an early Washburn Force ABT five string I rescued from a pawn shop. It squealed in front of my rig so I wound up shielding every cavity; the preamp was a little noisy (never got around to replacing the caps on it - wound up selling it) but man, that thing sounded incredible. It had this deep, clean & clear bass to it that was superb, defined highs without being too scooped. It sounded better than many 'four-digit' basses I've tried. It just didn't work for my needs.

Raz

 

[FingerDub]

Thanks for the positive remarks. What surprised me was how quickly I found what I needed - the 3-band with a mid-sweep, and dual stacked knobs. I may have to widen two openings on my instruments but that's better than having to drill more holes. Why the five knob plus micro switch configuration of the Bart NTMB pre that came installed in my custom was seemingly the defacto standard I'll never guess.

I'm trying to guard against assuming that this will 'fix everything' and make the bass sound totally different. It probably won't; I just hope I can tame the mids in my Samick as I mentioned.

I'll tell you one bass that had a killer tone, was active, but didn't have much for adjustments - an early Washburn Force ABT five string I rescued from a pawn shop. It squealed in front of my rig so I wound up shielding every cavity; the preamp was a little noisy (never got around to replacing the caps on it - wound up selling it) but man, that thing sounded incredible. It had this deep, clean & clear bass to it that was superb, defined highs without being too scooped. It sounded better than many 'four-digit' basses I've tried. It just didn't work for my needs.

Raz

GL bud. I've never really thought about using a preamp just fix aspects of a bass sound I didn't like, I just only thought about preamps to be able to have more onboard control. Good idea, hope it helps. Pls record a simple before and after of your "fix".

 

[Razman]

GL bud. I've never really thought about using a preamp just fix aspects of a bass sound I didn't like, I just only thought about preamps to be able to have more onboard control. Good idea, hope it helps. Pls record a simple before and after of your "fix".

Will do, when I do it.

 

[Razman]

@FingerDub, I've been on the fence about investing more $$ into the Samick. Well, at sixty or so bucks I've currently got into it, who can complain? However, my band is supposed to be gearing up for some outdoor events this summer, and the idea of dragging my custom out into Florida's humidity again isn't a pleasant one. So, what's to lose?

If I can't tame the middy overtones then I'm looking at a pickup swap - I suppose a used set from TB might fit the bill, like a set of Barts. The neck is straight and the frets are good, so why not? As a last resort I could always part it out and sell it as original. Yes, I've spent too much time thinking about this, and even more time talking about it on TB. But that's what TB is for, right?

Raz

Edit: Now I'm off to the accessories classifieds looking for pickups. Oy vey!

 

[FingerDub]

@FingerDub, I've been on the fence about investing more $$ into the Samick. Well, at sixty or so bucks I've currently got into it, who can complain? However, my band is supposed to be gearing up for some outdoor events this summer, and the idea of dragging my custom out into Florida's humidity again isn't a pleasant one. So, what's to lose?

If I can't tame the middy overtones then I'm looking at a pickup swap - I suppose a used set from TB might fit the bill, like a set of Barts. The neck is straight and the frets are good, so why not? As a last resort I could always part it out and sell it as original. Yes, I've spent too much time thinking about this, and even more time talking about it on TB. But that's what TB is for, right?

Raz

Edit: Now I'm off to the accessories classifieds looking for pickups. Oy vey!

Do it. It's all part of the fun. You may well end up with something you truly love. The money is nothing, if not just for the entertainment and learning value.

Adding new pickups could be cool, but also double your investment cost, so I'd probably try it first with the preamp, and see what it sounds like first. Plus, that keeps the bass closer to it's true designed sound. The bass really looks cool BTW, and that is by far the longest nut slots I've ever seen on a bass.

 

[Razman]

Do it. It's all part of the fun. You may well end up with something you truly love. The money is nothing, if not just for the entertainment and learning value.

Adding new pickups could be cool, but also double your investment cost, so I'd probably try it first with the preamp, and see what it sounds like first. Plus, that keeps the bass closer to it's true designed sound. The bass really looks cool BTW, and that is by far the longest nut slots I've ever seen on a bass.

Agree 100%. And I had to lube the slots with pencil graphite to get it to tune easier. Sheesh!

 

[jimmykicker]

I bought an Ibanez Talman 5 string recently (the cheap model) and the preamp on it is defective. I called them and told em that I'd keep it for a discounted price instead of shipping it back to which they agreed. Now, I wouldn't say the pre that in it is atrocious (if it worked right....splats on some notes), but it could be better. I think I'm going to get the version of the pre that has a volume, balance and stacked eq. I know I will end up having to add another knob to make this work. I'm not scared of cutting on a $200 bass either since my plan at retirement in 17 years is to do guitar mods. It'll wind up looking like this I guess.

I'd also like to consider changing out the pickups. Maybe doing something radical. Like two soapbars and have a custom guard cut to cover said butchery....

 

[Razman]

I bought an Ibanez Talman 5 string recently (the cheap model) and the preamp on it is defective. I called them and told em that I'd keep it for a discounted price instead of shipping it back to which they agreed. Now, I wouldn't say the pre that in it is atrocious (if it worked right....splats on some notes), but it could be better. I think I'm going to get the version of the pre that has a volume, balance and stacked eq. I know I will end up having to add another knob to make this work. I'm not scared of cutting on a $200 bass either since my plan at retirement in 17 years is to do guitar mods. It'll wind up looking like this I guess.

I'd also like to consider changing out the pickups. Maybe doing something radical. Like two soapbars and have a custom guard cut to cover said butchery....

You know, these aren't terrible basses - initially I thought the headstock was butt ugly (still don't care for it) but last June (on Fathers Day) I tried one out at GC and was quite impressed by its playability and tone. I wound up getting it on sale for my son, and he likes it.

I've always bought instruments used, so having something that played and sounded decent at that price-point AND was brand-spanking, sparkly new - that was icing on the cake.

The original pre does what it is supposed to do and it's quiet, but mod-away and report back with results.

Raz

 

[jimmykicker]

You know, these aren't terrible basses - initially I thought the headstock was butt ugly (still don't care for it) but last June (on Fathers Day) I tried one out at GC and was quite impressed by its playability and tone. I wound up getting it on sale for my son, and he likes it.

I've always bought instruments used, so having something that played and sounded decent at that price-point AND was brand-spanking, sparkly new - that was icing on the cake.

The original pre does what it is supposed to do and it's quiet, but mod-away and report back with results.

Raz

I even considered replacing it with a factory one, but 2 reasons I won't.

1. It's unavailable through Ibanez. Says "discontinued" which I find ironic due to that it's in production.
2. Where's the fun in that? It's always cool to have eagle eyed people spot the extra knob. I don't like the stacked knobs for volume/blend on that bass anyway.

I like you, do like the bass from a player perspective. 18mm spacing is almost too tight for me, so the plan for this is to also change the bridge to a 19mm spacing (there's enough meat) and all the hardware to black including the pickguard. I also hate the headstock. But my hatred is mostly of the clover tuners which look really goofy and it's too crowded in that area...So I am going to get some ultralite triangular head tuners. I think that will make it look less crowded too.

Because the bass is cheap, mass produced and likely to have little resale or collector value later on, I'm willing to make it a sacrificial lamb in the name of having some income and just something to do when I retire. Gotta start somewhere.

 

[jimmykicker]

Well. I sacrificed the Talman to the bass gods. Put the SEB-3A. Drilled two additional holes and put all the controls in. As it turns out the Talman has an insane body route. Why I dunno. Even so the volume pot still didn't clear. I fixed that problem with a oscillating tool. Only a sliver.

Also had to extend the volume pot wires to the jack. Just about a 1/2" too short. Other than that? Easy. Plug and play. Has these "no solder" connections. I could do without that. It's not like you don't have to solder anything anyway.

Well, this pre adds a mid control which I find really adds a lot more tonal variation to a bass. Especially for rock music. Holy crap this thing is LOUD!! Maybe too loud. It is adjustable. Tone? It sounds pretty gosh darn good. I recently put a Bartolini pre in my Pedulla and the sound rivals that. I also replaced the neck pickup with my favorite eBay cheapies. Bitterroot. These pickups don't get any better for the money. I need a long for the bridge but I haven't gotten to that yet. Really fat on the neck though and nice and clear on the stock bridge. Really impressed. It really fixed the crappy tone and splatting the stock pre had.

Here's what it looks like now sitting next to my 95 Talman guitar.

 

[jimmykicker]

Liked this preamp so much I installed one in my Squire Pro Tone V too. This is my favorite bass of the 9 I own, so I don't take hacking on it lightly. There's not enough room under the pickguard for the preamp though, so this required some "surgery" just above the volume pot. I had to also put a battery box on the back of it. Why? In addition to no room for a battery, I don't want to take the pickguard off to replace a dead battery!

This unit is the SEB model. I was initially pretty displeased with the outcome because I wasn't digging the tone of the stock pickups' and this time I had some noise. Not a ton, but enough to make me unhappy. I wasn't sure if the noise was the pre or the noisy power in my house or I just hadn't noticed the noise from the stock pickups when it was passive. Any noise becomes more apparent because the preamp amplifies everything. Including noise. I took it apart again...shielded with copper tape, but it but it was still a little noisy. Suspected the pickups and I always found the stock Mighty Mites to be meh tone-wise, so I decided to go ahead and upgrade those too. I got a pair on brand new ever installed Seymour passives and put them in front of the preamp. About the time I did the pickup install I realized that I didn't ground my shielding to the bass controls. DUHH... After doing that, it is DEAD quiet. The Seymour Duncans absolutely are an improvement without question. Very clear and defined. Not muffled and mushy like the stock. Not sure if that is due to the pickup swap, grounding it properly to the shielding, or just a combo of both. I'm thinking both.

Now I have a quiet, great sounding, and great playing bass. It just moved up a notch or two, like it needed any help before. The Monster Pres ain't no joke y'all...They are impressive. I just replaced my DeArmond Pilot's pickups too with some Bartolini J pickups. It sounds pretty gosh darn good but it just sounds too much like my Pedulla now. Wonder why?? haha . Maybe because the Pedulla has two Bart Js?? Other problem? It doesn't have anywhere near the output of this or the Talman. Guess what I am about to do to it?

 

[jimmykicker]

As promised. The DeArmond is done. With the Bart pickups and Tone Monster pre I now have a very usable EQ section on this bass. Not 3 SLS (sounds like sh*t) knobs. Here's the difference in output. The left is the Barts with the stock pre. The right is with the Tone Monster. EQ is set flat on BOTH. Nothing changed but the preamp. Not only does it significantly more output, the sound is much cleaner and defined. Quiet too. Recently I put a Bartolini pre in my Pedulla to replace a failing unit. It sounds pretty good. But I gotta tell you guys...it's absolutely no better (maybe not as good) as the TM. These are the real deal. You will not beat it for the money.

 

[FingerDub]

As promised. The DeArmond is done. With the Bart pickups and Tone Monster pre I now have a very usable EQ section on this bass. Not 3 SLS (sounds like sh*t) knobs. Here's the difference in output. The left is the Barts with the stock pre. The right is with the Tone Monster. EQ is set flat on BOTH. Nothing changed but the preamp. Not only does it significantly more output, the sound is much cleaner and defined. Quiet too. Recently I put a Bartolini pre in my Pedulla to replace a failing unit. It sounds pretty good. But I gotta tell you guys...it's absolutely no better (maybe not as good) as the TM. These are the real deal. You will not beat it for the money.

View attachment 2780600

View attachment 2780601

Thank you guys for posting your work and results! I did have a TM but got it passed to me and liked it. Now I have my own bass I need to change out the pre amp on. 2 band. I'll have to check them out again to find the right one for me.

 

[jimmykicker]

The improvement in tone is staggering. Great improvement especially in bass which is nice when moving from neck to bridge. One quick adjustment and you're back in business.

 

[jimmykicker]

The Alvarez "Precision-Man" custom build is next...will post my review once it is in. Two band to be installed. It has the same neck pickups as my Talman, and a Mexican J pickup on the bridge. I wasn't going to add one to it, but after hearing it next to my other basses it became clear that an upgrade was going to have to be done in order for it to keep up with the others when I gig it. I really need to clean up some of the atrocities under that pickguard anyway. It's totally hacked up under there and I could have done a lot better with the details although it looks great. So it's time to do something with it. I'll be hacking in a battery box too.

 

[osierocks]

Installed a SBK 3 Ad into my Spector Euro replacing the Tone Pump that came with it.BAss came with Barts. Install was a breeze less than 30 mins start to finnish.EQ= Over all sound. Dead Quite. Good boost on all freqz. Fairly ok frqz sweep on the mids.Good purchuse and for the money the best out there.

 

[Razman]

Installed a SBK 3 Ad into my Spector Euro replacing the Tone Pump that came with it.BAss came with Barts. Install was a breeze less than 30 mins start to finnish.EQ= Over all sound. Dead Quite. Good boost on all freqz. Fairly ok frqz sweep on the mids.Good purchuse and for the money the best out there.View attachment 3917653

Totally agree, put the same system in my Douglas six string and now I'm set! Mid sweep seems limited but I get usable sounds out of it. Don't need anything else.

Raz

 

[stingray69]

I love the Tone Monster preamps - I started noticing them in Johnny Lee Long's YT videos and decided to give 'em a try. Now they are slowly taking over the majority of my active bass' preamps, lol. I think I have them in 3 (going on 4) basses at the moment. A couple of Ibanez Talman, and this Harley Benton Enhanced. Nice sounding preamp, quiet, good Bass boost & Treble that is smooth, not harsh. Outstanding for the price - does the job & then some!

 

[Razman]

I love the Tone Monster preamps - I started noticing them in Johnny Lee Long's YT videos and decided to give 'em a try. Now they are slowly taking over the majority of my active bass' preamps, lol. I think I have them in 3 (going on 4) basses at the moment. A couple of Ibanez Talman, and this Harley Benton Enhanced. Nice sounding preamp, quiet, good Bass boost & Treble that is smooth, not harsh. Outstanding for the price - does the job & then some!

View attachment 3917782

Funny you mention the Talman; bought one for my son brand new (on sale at GC) because I was so surprised at how well it sounded and played. The preamp wasn't bad, just a little noisy. A Tone Monster would totally clean it right up. Well played!

 

[stingray69]

Funny you mention the Talman; bought one for my son brand new (on sale at GC) because I was so surprised at how well it sounded and played. The preamp wasn't bad, just a little noisy. A Tone Monster would totally clean it right up. Well played!

The Tone Monster has been great in everything I've dropped it in so far. Same reasons here - the Talman preamp was so hot (high output) that it raised the overall noise floor level and I found it was difficult to tame on quieter songs without constant fiddling with either the volume or the bass/treble knobs. The Tone Monster was a nice upgrade, IMHO.