Lakland 55-01 preamp upgrade?

[geoham]

I’m toying with the Idea of changing the preamp in my Lakland 55-01, perhaps to something like the Bartolini NTMB (HR 5.2AP/918 harness).

Two questions ..

How does this sound versus the onboard preamp? I find the mid frequency isn’t great, and the treble is pretty hissy.

What’s involved with fitting this? I can easily replace passive electronics, pickups etc. Presumably much the same - but just want to check no pitfalls to look out for!

Thanks, 

George

[itu]

If you do not have a separate battery box, consider having some attachment to that 9 V thing. It may rattle. I do not like foam.

https://www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-9-volt-battery-holder

http://www.3dcontentcentral.com/download-model.aspx?catalogid=171&id=171614

Edited April 18, 2019 by itu

[geoham]

On 18/04/2019 at 07:32, itu said:

If you do not have a separate battery box, consider having some attachment to that 9 V thing. It may rattle. I do not like foam.

https://www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-9-volt-battery-holder

http://www.3dcontentcentral.com/download-model.aspx?catalogid=171&id=171614

There’s a decent battery box on the Lakland, I’ll reuse that. Which I suppose means a bit of soldering!

[ikay]

A 55-01 with NTMB preamp sold on BC recently so may be worth having a chat with the seller

 

[geoham]

8 hours ago, ikay said:

A 55-01 with NTMB preamp sold on BC recently so may be worth having a chat with the seller

 

Thanks, sounds like a plan!

[dave_bass5]

On 17/04/2019 at 22:26, geoham said:

I’m toying with the Idea of changing the preamp in my Lakland 55-01, perhaps to something like the Bartolini NTMB (HR 5.2AP/918 harness).

Two questions ..

How does this sound versus the onboard preamp? I find the mid frequency isn’t great, and the treble is pretty hissy.

What’s involved with fitting this? I can easily replace passive electronics, pickups etc. Presumably much the same - but just want to check no pitfalls to look out for!

Thanks, 

George

I did exactly this upgrade with my 55-01. Actually i got the Bass Gallery to do it but you get the point.

I did ask them not to make any external mods but they drilled a hole on the outside to put the toggle switch in. It actually worked ok though.

To me it made only a small improvement. I think the pup's are the things that needed changing, they sounded quite bland, but i never got around to that.

[chris_b]

IMO these basses are great instruments and the preamp is the usual place where upgrades start, but how about upgrading the pickups and turning it into a passive bass?

[geoham]

On 23/04/2019 at 10:55, dave_bass5 said:

I did exactly this upgrade with my 55-01. Actually i got the Bass Gallery to do it but you get the point.

I did ask them not to make any external mods but they drilled a hole on the outside to put the toggle switch in. It actually worked ok though.

To me it made only a small improvement. I think the pup's are the things that needed changing, they sounded quite bland, but i never got around to that.

I’m looking at the one with the push-pull pot, rather than toggle / so hopefully avoid that.

Interesting to hear about the pickups being a more worthwhile upgrade, I’ve also read the opposite. Perhaps I’ll need to do both!

[geoham]

On 23/04/2019 at 11:13, chris_b said:

IMO these basses are great instruments and the preamp is the usual place where upgrades start, but how about upgrading the pickups and turning it into a passive bass?

I did think of this, and I’d like to hear how it sounds. I’m not sure where to start with getting good matching pickups, so I’d be keen to hear any suggestions.

Also, I’m not sure how I’d feel about having at least one dead-knob - it have five, and I reckon two volume, two tone is the most I could do going passive.

George