Greggo

I found out to bypass preamp in this bass - take the battery out! Actually sounds much nicer without and made me realise how the preamp is not transparent at all.

I've recently installed a 3 band preamp in single humbucker musicman style bass but there is some humming despite it being soldered as per diagram with ground wires. The only thing I'm thinking is that there is a blend pot on it which is set to "point" at pickup. Would the lack of another pickup being wired to it cause it to hum like this? Is it better to try remove blend and try going straight to main preamp? Preamp is an artec se3. Thanks

I ordered a 3 band to replace the stock Wilkinson preamp today. Was £24 so thought worth a punt!

These sound interesting... anyone know if it is better than the Wilkinson Preamp fitted that comes with vintage est96a?

I always call them plecs but for purpose of forum I called pick...

There's an isolated bass track of In bloom on YT.. it can be heard in its full glory. He did some decent lines too

Definitely not Redford* predictive text failure

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1350659272' post='1841945'] Dave Pegg does ok with a pick.. in a medium not reknown for it. Glenn Hughes and Roger Glover also did more than straight 8's... Anthony Jackson..?? but he sounds so good whatever he plays. T-Bone..??? there are a good few...for sure. But picks really excel, for me, when you want that strong driving metronome force right in the with the drums. Foos are a case in point Try it with a 4 fingered technique for fun.. which incidently, I think, started way back in the early 80's when Abe L got going [/quote] Just watched some clips on YT of those players - Redford can't knock their playing for using a pick! I may do a pick bass take of all song's my current band has recorded and see which works better

Yeah Nate from Foo's is really good - I love the fills he does. Krist on Nirvana's nevermind album has a great bass tOne come to think of it

Thanks for replies. Ill be honest I'm probably my own worst enemy. I was in a rock/metal band and I used to do pick only until I started learning fingerstyle, then I did a gig playing same songs nearly all fingerstyle and I could tell that the sound wasnt right but I wanted to look better (8 or 9 years back). I did used to have this notion that finger playing was more professional. This notion quickly got deadened though a few years ago when i saw a band called everything everything live. I was convinced his lines were finger but he played with a pick - that guy lays down some lovely lines and it got me wondering whether it was so wrong after all!

I suppose its better to use all techniques where applicable. There are a few songs we do where bass would probably be better picked because they are more dirty upbeat rock sounding, but some which need a fatter finger sound. Im learning one finger style at the moment a la tim commerford and i find this produces meaty results with a more pulsing tone.

I imagine this topic has been done to death, but in the real world outside of n00b comments on youtube does anyone actually give a monkeys about whether a bassist on stage uses a pick or fingers? Coming from guitar, when I first picked up bass over 10 years ago I used to be exclusively pick because I hadn't learned fingers. I played in a number of bands and whilst I was never commended for my playing (as I imagine most players aren't on bass in typical bands - nature of the beast) but no one ever said anything about not playing with fingers. I did learn fingerstyle and in my new band I am now exclusively fingers with the odd pick dabble here and there. Even though I feel I could probably excel in my playing by using a pick more, I still have this thought in my head that although pick playing can sound awesome, that fingers just looks better on the stage. So I'm wondering, does anybody actually care? After all who notices the bassist anyway?

In regards to original question does anyone know how to bypass pre-amp? Would still like to do this in meantime - whilst the idea of a new preamp is tempting haven't got £150 spare at present

Just seen this on internet, a stingray preamp for £41 sounds like a bargain? Is this the real deal? [url="http://www.ernieball.co.uk/products/productdetail/part_number=M05400/574.1.4.3?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=googleshopping&os=googleshopping"]http://www.ernieball.co.uk/products/productdetail/part_number=M05400/574.1.4.3?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=googleshopping&os=googleshopping[/url]

Cool, I may save the pennies and look into it. Its a tussle between pickup replacement or preamp firstly - which is likely to improve tonality?

No soldering? Bonus! Only thing is the cost at the moment...

Hi, I've recent bought a Vintage est96 stingray copy which comes with a 3 band active equal on board which, if I'm honest, is not that great. It lacks clarity and a few people have complained about it when reading reviews. A recommended mod is to pull preamp and wire each coil to it's own volume control. I'm debating doing this but I'm not that savvy with electronics unless got a good idea how to do it. Anyone done this before and got any pointers? Do I need to get new pots as well? Cheers.

Did you finish this project Deefer?

Ignore me, different to the one you are after

I've seen them on eBay from a uk store.

www.behringer.com/EN/Products/BX4500H.aspx A lad at work has sold me one of these behringer 450w heads for £30... is this a steal? It works fine hes just had it a few years and only issue is the on/off switch doesnt work so is hard wired on with a kettle lead in

Yeah definitely I bet thats amazing. Me and missus have this ongoing joke about whether he'll play piano (she plays it) or guitar/bass. I hope he will embrace any musical venture as its been a passion of both of us playing music and be great for him to take up an instrument when hes older. I love spending time with my boy, hes growing up so fast and developing new skills daily (grabbing his feet is latest!) But there definitely isnt enough hours in the day to do it all as he comes first. Still, I did grumble to myself about postman! The parcel wasnt even for me

So the new bass I bought I've not had much chance to play because band practice seems to get cancelled weekly for one reason or another. With having a 3 month old son who is starting to be very alert and needs a lot of attention finding any time to play of an evening is difficult with our routine with him. After a busy afternoon of keeping him occupied/sorting house we finally get him down for his afternoon snooze in his cot. Great! My partner and I can get a well deserved rest, so as good a time as any I get my bass Plugged in to amp (headphones on) play about three notes and KNOCK KNOCK! The postman with a parcel. The house isnt that big and sound travels so this instantly wakes baby crying and he became wide awake! Oh ffs! I pack up bass and amp and then resign myself that it may be some time before I next get to properly play.

I've not yet changed stock strings since getting mine a month ago bit I'm sure when I do it will improve things a lot more - going to try Ernie ball super slinkies.