Wilkinson ‎WPBE500 pickup questions

[M_att_]

Hello,

First of all my english isn't very good, so I hope that my message will be comprehensible. I try not to use any automatic translator.

Thank you for this helpfull forum, which I often read.
Playing bass for several years as a hobby, I like testing some electronic modifications on my basses. I like pbass pickups and I try to avoid every noise I can ( interferencies, "ploc" on the poles...) and have a neutral and wide sound spectrum.
I installed active emg p, great I like it.
On other basses I installed some passive enclosed and epoxy filled ceramic p pickups. Those pickups (anyway the ones i have) have a low level output, which is logical due to their construction, so I usualy add a boost.

Well, I saw some active pickups on a well know online shopping website, made by Wilkinson (wpbe500) claimed to be active, for 35 €. Well let's try it I said. They arrived today but they have only 2 wires( white and shielded ground). The expected red one is lacking.

Does somebody know if an active pickup can be designed like this ? How to wire it...
Seems impossible so maybe it's just passive and it was a scam...

Thanks,

Matt.

 

[kgbeast]

... I think they are trying to say that it is compatible with Active bass guitar. The pickup is passive, but can be connected to the active electronics (preamp). Any pickup can be connected to preamp, but, perhaps they thought that if they do not mention it, they loose some sales.
I hope it is a humbuckers at least....

 

[M_att_]

Hello,

Thank you, you're totally right. It is definitely a passive pickup, there is no electical way to wire it as an active one unless magic can be involved...
Its construction looks like an EMG phz.
In fact I think that the traduction on the differents online shops is wrong.

I think it's a humbucker, but I don't know if I'll keep it and check this point.

Matt

 

[kodiakblair]

In fact I think that the traduction on the differents online shops is wrong.

That is definitely the case since they all use the same wording, even Wilkinson's main distributor.

 

[M_att_]

Maybe the real thing is that those epoxy filled, no pole exposed ceramic pickups are less noisy than the traditional construction and they have less output level. So they are more suitable for active electronic. They should have written it this way.
Correct me if these statement above are wrong.

Matt

 

[kodiakblair]

Correct me if these statement above are wrong.

Matt.

Wilkinson are the people who should be doing the correction, their description is misleading. While I have no doubt the WPE-500 will perform well paired with an active EQ circuit it does not appear to be an active pickup, low output boosted by battery to pair with a standard wiring set up.

 

[M_att_]

Obviously