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Who has WARWICKS with non-MEC pickups?

#124
bottomzone said:
I recently had the tech at my local Guitar Center install EMG's BQC-Controls in my 2000 Thumb 5 Bolt-on. I was going to have him install MEC's 3-band preamp, but he suggested EMG. His reasons were that the EMG preamp was substantially less expensive, quiet and offers more versatile tone shaping. WAS HE EVER SO ON THE MONEY!!!! THE DIFFERENCE IS BEYOND NIGHT AND DAY!! I HAVEN'T EVEN SCRATCHED THE SURFACE IN FINDING THE NUMBER OF TONES AVAILABLE!! The major features of the BQC-Controls are the variable mid control and the adjustable high frequency cross-over controls. I am still using the MEC pickups. Again, the transformation is beyond words!!

Keep God First!:hyper:

A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!:cool:
Click to expand...


Yeah, the EMG BQC looks like a great preamp to me. Extremely versatile. I'm getting one put in my Spector Euro as we speak.

I've often thought about putting one in my Thumb as well. Did it change the overall tone at all? For example, make it clearer, more/less articulate, more/lessresponsive, more/less nasal, more/less growl or did the overall tone of the bass stay the same but with way more eq options?

Did you have to drill a hole for a 4th pot?
 
#126
LifeIsBass said:
Yeah, the EMG BQC looks like a great preamp to me. Extremely versatile. I'm getting one put in my Spector Euro as we speak.

I've often thought about putting one in my Thumb as well. Did it change the overall tone at all? For example, make it clearer, more/less articulate, more/lessresponsive, more/less nasal, more/less growl or did the overall tone of the bass stay the same but with way more eq options?

Did you have to drill a hole for a 4th pot?
Click to expand...

Yes, a 4th hole is required. My Thumb Bolt-on still sounds like a Thumb Bolt-on, but the clarity, articulation and ability to "cut through the mix" is enhanced! Again, I am still experimenting with the tonal possiblites. So far, I've dialed in the follwing "sounds":
-Thumb NT
-Stingray
-MTD
-Precison
-Jazz

I was a little reluctant about the 4th hole-BUT IT IS WORTH IT!!!!! And yes...........the famous Warwick GROWL IS STILL THERE!!!!!!!


Keep God First!:hyper:

A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!:cool:
 
#128
natselection said:
how would barts sound in a warwick thumb NT fretless (bubinga full, ebony FB) with the MEC preamp? would i be better off with EMG?
Click to expand...
I'd personally go with Barts in a fretless, much warmer and darker sound than EMGs. Unless you're after a Les Claypool kinda out-there-sound.... :)

And on the Basslines topic, my '94 Thumb NT 6 originally came with Basslines and it has unbelievable punch and growl! Not sure what model they are, but I guess they must be similar to PSB-6 soapbars, as it has active/passive switch. I think it's also got the MEC 3-band pre-amp, as the treble freq is ultra high.

Cheers,

EG
 
#129
I'm really torn on what to do with my Streamer LX5. I've considered Barts and an Aggie preamp but I've also used EMGs before (both pickups and preamps) and liked them a lot. I'm also considering a Demeter pre. My LX5 is solid maple with a five piece neck and wenge fingerboard. The sound is nice and focused but I'd like to open it up a little bit more. Growl is nice, but mostly I'm looking for clear, clean andf full.

Any thoughts?

J.
 
#133
I have a Corvette fretless passive.

I was thinking of getting 9CBJD1 Barts and then maybe getting a Aguilar DB924 out board pre..

is this a good idea? I heard Barts were very low output, so do I even need the pre?? Does outboard pres sounds good with fretless?


thanks guys...you all rule
 
#135
I've had an Nordstrand MM5.2 in my bubinga Streamer Jazzman for 3 days now, and the more I play it, the more I love it. It's turned the bass into a slap monster!

Sparkling highs, throaty lows, and still plenty of Warwick growl. It actually mates quite well with the MEC 3 band EQ, although I can still see myself installing an Aguilar OBP-3 in the future.

The original MEC MM was all midrange, no highs, no lows and lacking any kind of detail whatsoever. Slapping on the single-coil mode was simply unbearable. I hate to sound so harsh, but it just was pathetic - how Warwick can justify putting tripe like that into a bass of that price is beyond me!

Anyway, I've already got a Nordstand NJ5S on order to replace the neck pickup, and with an Aggie in the near future, it could well be my own personal antidote to GAS.
 
#136

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#137
ok been playing my thumb b.o. bubinga body w/ovankol wenge neck. ok just put in the 9CBJD1 deeptones & kept the mec active 2 band electronics. yes it gave my bass more controlled & lower bass & low mid-range depth & much quieter in the passive mode only. of course, i swapped active mec's w/active equalization for passive barts w/the original mec active equalization. what i lost was gain/volume, good highs-i tend to play very percussively (bang it more than slap), & in my case a very discernible loss reduction in growl! my suggestion is anyone that has mec's & likes them-don't fix it if it ain't broken! if i hadn't lost growl i could accept trading off my better sounding mec highs. by the when i checked it out i put the same slightly used ss strings.
for the barts very dark but astounding deep bass & midrange fullness. also, if, i did it again i'd probably have gone for the high tone classics instead of the deeptone ones. however, the loss of the growl is extremely hard to live with & i'm seriously contemplating going back to the mec's.:crying: the barts may have liked going into my fretless passive instead. important to mention i play rock & blues.

let you know my thoughts asap on the nordy nj4's in my passive fretless corvette.
 
#138
ok just had the chance to try out my nordstrand nj4's in my passive fretless corvette. more controlled lows, tho not necessarily lower. definitely airier sound & far greater highs. i did not notice an appreciable volume/gain between the nordies & the mec's. possibly because they do have a more controlled low bass sound & certainly more highs they seem louder or cut thru a mix far better than the mecs. no hum when both pickups on evenly, so it beats mec's. lots of noise if you try to dial in either the front or the back pickup alone or unequally. interestingly i found the exact opposite to be the case w/the original mec's-which were a little noisier w/both pickups on equally but the bass was quieter overall if i just dialed in the neck or bridge pickup. also, as w/the barts in my active fretted thumb b.o., the mec's had far more growl. so again it comes down to that famous warwick growl w/mec's or the fuller spectrum sounds or ability to cut thru the mix that some other pups do better.:hmm:

all i can say is warwick obviously has done something right w/the mec setups they used in both my basses. sometimes even i get carried away w/reading others great reviews before i've had the chance to hear things myself.:rollno:
important to mention i play rock & blues. really looking forward to playing the fretless in a club tonite. i really do like the clarity, highs & punch of the nordies in my fretless. but didn't want less grrrrr......

something i found is that the pups are much more sensitive when touched or inadvertently tapped by my thumb so i have to be careful while playing.
 
#139
Which do you guys think would be better to go into my Streamer Stage 2...Aguilar OBP-3 or a Seymour Duncanc STC-3A?

A lot of pros use the Duncan preamp, but I've heard a lot of people on here using the Aguilar and being very happy with it...Can anyone compare?
 
#140
kingmacaw said:
ok been playing my thumb b.o. bubinga body w/ovankol wenge neck. ok just put in the 9CBJD1 deeptones & kept the mec active 2 band electronics. yes it gave my bass more controlled & lower bass & low mid-range depth & much quieter in the passive mode only. of course, i swapped active mec's w/active equalization for passive barts w/the original mec active equalization. what i lost was gain/volume, good highs-i tend to play very percussively (bang it more than slap), & in my case a very discernible loss reduction in growl! my suggestion is anyone that has mec's & likes them-don't fix it if it ain't broken! if i hadn't lost growl i could accept trading off my better sounding mec highs. by the when i checked it out i put the same slightly used ss strings.
for the barts very dark but astounding deep bass & midrange fullness. also, if, i did it again i'd probably have gone for the high tone classics instead of the deeptone ones. however, the loss of the growl is extremely hard to live with & i'm seriously contemplating going back to the mec's.:crying: the barts may have liked going into my fretless passive instead. important to mention i play rock & blues.

let you know my thoughts asap on the nordy nj4's in my passive fretless corvette.
Click to expand...


So what we can take away from this experience is that changing your electronics may not make your sound better, but it will almost certainly make your sound different. kingmacaw makes a good point here that if you're happy with your sound then leave it alone.

I'm expecting a delivery today of a set of Bart J's and an Aguilar OBP-3 for my Streamer LX5. My goal was actually to tame a bit of the growl and open up the low end, so it sounds like I'm in the right ballpark. If nothing else I know I'm not a big fan of the frequency centers for the MEC EQ.

We'll see...the project continues.
 

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