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Warwick F.N.A. with MM pickup -> passive?

Makten

Makten

Inactive
Oct 30, 2007
714
1,019
Sweden
#1
I got this phenomenal Warwick that sounds and feels awesome... Until you plug it in. IMO the pickup is much too "modern" and also lacks bottom.
It has a 3 band active preamp, and I suspect it's the same as in MM Stingrays, but not sure.

Any suggestions on what to do? Get a 2 band preamp (sounds nicer in every A/B test I've heard), change the pickup, or just rewire it to passive?
Are the coils generally in series or parallel on MM pickups?

a138d050-8a93-4f49-8932-1ad19f357136_2048.jpg
 
#2
Probably the voicing of the preamp. MusicMan Stingray preamps have a baked in tone that is bottom forward. I doubt you get more low end from going passive. Boost the bass on the existing preamp or somewhere else in your chain. If all else fails, swap the preamp. Several quality MM style preamps available (I like the John East ones).
 
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#3
I wouldn't wire it passive. Those pickups need the bass boost from the pre-amp, or they will sound honky. I would swap the pre-amp first, and if that doesn't do it swap the pickup. If you can change the wiring (serial/parallel) look at that as well.
 
#6
I'd try a different preamp, honestly. You'd be floored at how many Ibanez basses I picked up sounded radically different (better) simply by changing the preamp. With spots for 4 knobs, the world is your oyster IME...for the money I like the Audere stuff, plus you are darn close to passive tone with their knobs at center.
 
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#8
rogerbmiller said:
Stock preamp on these is usually the Seymour Duncan STC-EM4 which is SD’s MM circuit. Is that not what’s in there? My FNA’s have that preamp and they are very SR sounding. Plenty of lows.
Click to expand...
I think we are defining "low" differently. I mean that it seems to cut everything below 80 Hz or something like that. There is "plenty of lows", but higher in the register.

Yeah, it's SD, I just checked... Don't know how that is supposed to sound, but I don't like it. 😂


1deea77a-e5b2-4702-afef-4b851a28654b_1500.jpg 9bae18b2-6719-4eec-a479-65e92d3821b7_1500.jpg
 
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#9
Makten said:
I think we are defining "low" differently. I mean that it seems to cut everything below 80 Hz or something like that. There is "plenty of lows", but higher in the register.

Yeah, it's SD, I just checked... Don't know how that is supposed to sound, but I don't like it. 😂


View attachment 7298746 View attachment 7298747
Click to expand...
Gotcha. Plenty of capable 3B systems out there. Nordstrand is a personal favorite of mine and very powerful. Have you checked out their stuff?
 
#11
rogerbmiller said:
Stock preamp on these is usually the Seymour Duncan STC-EM4 which is SD’s MM circuit. Is that not what’s in there? My FNA’s have that preamp and they are very SR sounding. Plenty of lows.
Click to expand...
I believe these had the STC-3P with the push/pull "slap contour" 3 band EQ instead of the other FNA's with the mini switch to change the pickup from SC, Parallel, or series.

IMO these FNA's with the SD dont sound great.
I had a 5er and it didn't sound like any other Warwick i've owned.
Very unappealing compared to a current/normal FNA.
 
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#12
Not_Shane said:
I believe these had the STC-3P with the push/pull "slap contour" 3 band EQ instead of the other FNA's with the mini switch to change the pickup from SC, Parallel, or series.

IMO these FNA's with the SD dont sound great.
I had a 5er and it didn't sound like any other Warwick i've owned.
Very unappealing compared to a current/normal FNA.
Click to expand...
Yes, it has the P/P pot for "slap" sound and no mini switches.
I usually like the pickup position more forwards than on a standard Stingray, so I think it could be great if I find a pickup and/or preamp that suits it, because it's a very nice instrument.
 
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#16
/\/\3phist0 said:
Check out Delano, both preamp and replacement pickups.
MEC are notoriously bright/modern
Click to expand...
Had a 5 string FNA with the SD preamp. Same experience as you have.

Contrary to what some have said a MM (shaped) pickup in the “sweet spot” can sound plenty beefy especially when coils are run in series.

To make use of the 4 control pot holes,
Wire each coil to an independent volume (250k) and tone for each coil.
Still running in series!
danelectro-vtvt-jpg.3587710

Another method:
1755207395843.png
 
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#17
+1 on a different preamp. MEC pickups are fine, but their preamps are voiced in such a way that the high end sounds harsh and peaky.

I used to have a German made Warwick Corvette Standard with the active MEC J-style pickups and 2-band preamp. It sounded too "active" to me in all the worst ways. I ended up having a luthier put in a pair of Duncan STK-J2s and rewire it VVT passive and the sound just opened up. It's like she got rid of all the plastic surgery and all the natural beauty was a million times better.
 
#18
Dincrest said:
+1 on a different preamp. MEC pickups are fine, but their preamps are voiced in such a way that the high end sounds harsh and peaky.

I used to have a German made Warwick Corvette Standard with the active MEC J-style pickups and 2-band preamp. It sounded too "active" to me in all the worst ways. I ended up having a luthier put in a pair of Duncan STK-J2s and rewire it VVT passive and the sound just opened up. It's like she got rid of all the plastic surgery and all the natural beauty was a million times better.
Click to expand...
It’s a Seymour Duncan Pre.
www.seymourduncan.com

Active Bass™ Preamp 3 Band for Passive Pickup | Seymour Duncan

We offer high-headroom, low-noise, 2-band (STC-2) and 3-band (STC-3) active onboard EQ preamps for use with both active and passive pickups.
www.seymourduncan.com www.seymourduncan.com
That is what Warwick shipped those with.

As you say, the pickups are “ok”
MEC pickups also tend to be a little scooped, with a brittle high end.
 
#19
I should have read more carefully...

In that case, I say keep the Duncan pre and put a Duncan MM style pickup in there. Maybe the 70s MM with alnico magnets for warmer voicing: Music Man | Seymour Duncan

Duncans are my favorite pickups.

(Warwicks, especially the German-made ones, are spectacular basses, but I think their Achilles heel is easily the MEC electronics. MEC pickups and preamps are bleh. If Warwick ergonomics worked for me/my body, I'd still have that Corvette I talked about).
 
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#20
I think I didn't really describe the sound accurately, so let me try again after having played it a bunch since yesterday:

It's definitely lacking the deepest bottom end, but that's not necessarily a problem. However, it's also lacking top end. It's like all of the treble is so high up in the range that it's barely audible (with the rest of my signal chain, amp and cab).
My other, passive basses sound much more "open" and clear. If I crank treble on the preamp of the Warwick, it doesn't do anything in reasonable treble frequencies, but only too high where it mostly sounds worse.
The output is also very hot, which makes me have to turn volume down (so I don't have to change every other setting), which possibly makes the EQ curve even worse.

I wonder if I could lower the peak of the treble response by changing a capacitor or something. 🤔

--------

I also checked the leads from the pickup. There is only "hot" and ground, so I have no idea of if it's wired in series or parallel.
 

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