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Warwick: EMG pups and bartolini electronics ?

R

Rainy

Sep 22, 2003
17
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39
Croatia, Zagreb
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#1
Hi to all ! :hyper:

I have Warwick Fortress One 5 which came with MEC preamp and also two MEC J pickups...
The pickups were replaced with two active EMG J pups... but the preamp is still MEC... :hmm:

Controls on Fortress are :
- Volume (with Acitve/Passive push-pull)
- Blend
- Treble
- Bass

I found on the Invalid Link Removed 4.5 A/P bartolini preamp which matchs with the controls on fortress..

If any of You folks know how does the combination of Bartolini preamp and EMG pups works on Warwick and will I be able to hear major difference of sound ? :help:


keep on playin ' :bassist:
 
#2
It works better than the other way round in my experience - I had bart pups in a thumb 5 and didn't like them at all.

One thing to bear in mind: the bart preamps are pre-wired with passive pickups in mind. To that end, blend pots and maybe volume pots too (can't remember where the volume pot is in-line) will be of an impedance suitable for passive pickups (probably 250K). Your active EMG pups need blend / possibly volume pots of 25K impedance.
 
#3
davidmwilson said:
It works better than the other way round in my experience - I had bart pups in a thumb 5 and didn't like them at all.
Click to expand...

I love the sound that wick gives me with EMG pups, but I feel the sound can improve with replacing this not so good MEC preamp---
I'm open to all recomendations about what preamp put with active EMGs ...


One thing to bear in mind: the bart preamps are pre-wired with passive pickups in mind. To that end, blend pots and maybe volume pots too (can't remember where the volume pot is in-line) will be of an impedance suitable for passive pickups (probably 250K). Your active EMG pups need blend / possibly volume pots of 25K impedance.
Click to expand...

tnx for info :)
does bart preamp includes those pots in the package ?
 
#4
Rainy said:
I love the sound that wick gives me with EMG pups, but I feel the sound can improve with replacing this not so good MEC preamp---
I'm open to all recomendations about what preamp put with active EMGs ...

tnx for info :)
does bart preamp includes those pots in the package ?
Click to expand...

I ended up preferring the Aguilar obp-3 preamp for my thumb 5, lots of fat bass boost.

The harnesses you see are all pre-wired with pots suitable for passive pickups. You can replace them after you buy them if you have soldering experience, or you could ask Brian at bestbassgear if he'd do it for you?
 
#5
Rainy said:
Hi to all ! :hyper:

I have Warwick Fortress One 5 which came with MEC preamp and also two MEC J pickups...
The pickups were replaced with two active EMG J pups... but the preamp is still MEC... :hmm:

keep on playin ' :bassist:
Click to expand...

Hi Rainy! :hyper:

Can you tell me which difference did you find by changing PU?
The MEC were the active ones, similar to the EMG?

Regarding the preamp...did you thought to EMG tone controls?
They should work properly with your PuPs...

Ciao!
Gianni
 
#6
Gianni said:
Hi Rainy! :hyper:
Can you tell me which difference did you find by changing PU?
The MEC were the active ones, similar to the EMG?
Click to expand...

I bought this guitar with EMGs already on them ... but I have tried few wicks with the MEC pup on them and it was njah...
they sound good but EMG sounds really better...

Regarding the preamp...did you thought to EMG tone controls?
They should work properly with your PuPs...
Click to expand...

I thought about EMG preamp...but I'heard somewhere that bart is better in some way... I dunno if replacing preamp is worth of money, will the sound improve so I could be able to hear the difference :hmm: ?
 
#8
Rainy, I think you will notice a difference by replacing the preamp. Based on my experience, I had a Warwick Corvette Standard that I upgraded with a complete EMG system (pickups and 3 band EQ w/ variable mids). There was a noticable difference in the tone and the flexibility was increased. The EMG preamp are, of course, designed to work well with the EMG pickups. Another thing that is nice about the EMG preamp is that the EQ bands work with each other. In other words, when you adjust one band of your EQ is also effects the other frequencies as well. At least that's how I understand the preamp.

The tone was great, however, I found the Aguilar preamp to be more pleasing to my ears. I used an outboard with my Wick prior to going the EMG route. I was never able to try out the EMG/Aguilar combo but I think it would compliment each other.

davidmwilson, can you add anything to that since you've used the obp-3 in your Warwick? Also what pickups did you have at that time? I'm curious to hear you're opinion as I'm thinking of swapping out the MEC preamp in my Streamer LX5 for an Aguilar.
 
#9
Z-Bass said:
davidmwilson, can you add anything to that since you've used the obp-3 in your Warwick? Also what pickups did you have at that time? I'm curious to hear you're opinion as I'm thinking of swapping out the MEC preamp in my Streamer LX5 for an Aguilar.
Click to expand...
Well, I don't have the Warwick anymore - after lots of changing things around I realized it just wasn't my sound anymore.

Anyhoo, my favorite combo was EMG's plus the Aguilar.
 

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