Warwick Streamer electronics upgrade

[ern500evo]

Having owned my SS1 for a couple of years now, I can’t quite get it to sit right tonally. I always loved my LX’s but I just can’t quite seem to get the SS1 dialled in. I’m not sure the MEC 3 band pre is even working properly, the mid pot seems to have a very small effect, even when maxed out. Putting it into passive mode does seem to improve it. So my quandary is what to do next. I’ve a few options that I’m playing with. I’ve been thinking of adding a Darkglass B7k ultra to my set up, as a really good dirt pedal, a decent preamp, and would also be a handy back up if I ever suffer amp failure at a gig. Could also just take it to rehearsal and go direct into the PA and save me setting my amp up. If I went down this route, I could just run the Streamer passive and use the B7k for tone shaping. Next option, replace the 3 band MEC with a Darkglass tone capsule. I have one in my Dingwall NG2 and really like it. Another option I’ve looked at is to replace the MEC p/ups with passive Nordstrands, use the B7k for shaping, and then add a tone capsule at a later date. Have any of you good folks done upgrades to a SS1 with favourable results? Sorry about the long winded post. 

[LukeFRC]

yes. I tried a 2 band glockenklang (didn't last more than one gig) and an ACG EQ-01 in it (lasted 6-8 years odd), I also took the MEC out and stuck in some Bartolini Original series as I just prefer passive pickups.

Main question I would ask is what are you trying to do with the preamp? You mention changing pickups too... what don't you like about the current ones and what are you trying to fix tonally? 

[ern500evo]

37 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

yes. I tried a 2 band glockenklang (didn't last more than one gig) and an ACG EQ-01 in it (lasted 6-8 years odd), I also took the MEC out and stuck in some Bartolini Original series as I just prefer passive pickups.

Main question I would ask is what are you trying to do with the preamp? You mention changing pickups too... what don't you like about the current ones and what are you trying to fix tonally? 

I tend to use the preamp to only really make small adjustments, to suit the song mostly. As in, maybe a bass boost or treble roll off to suit what song I’m playing. It’s the mid pot where I seem to be struggling. As an example, the tone capsule in my Dingwall is pretty hot, but wind the mids up even just a touch and it’s growling nicely, on the SS1 I’m sometimes maxing the mid pot to get a nice bark. Something I’ve never had to do on any other Warwick I’ve owned or played. It just seems a bit bland and thin sounding, again something I’ve never experienced with any other Warwick 

[Paulhauser]

8 hours ago, ern500evo said:

I’ve been thinking of adding a Darkglass B7k ultra to my set up, as a really good dirt pedal, a decent preamp, and would also be a handy back up if I ever suffer amp failure at a gig. Could also just take it to rehearsal and go direct into the PA and save me setting my amp up. If I went down this route, I could just run the Streamer passive and use the B7k for tone shaping. 

This!
The B7K Ultra was the first DG produict that completely won me over, for me it is a more than decent preamp / DI plus distortion as opposed to a distortion pedal with some addtional features. You can leave the Streamer unchanged and see how you are getting on with this setup - if you don't like it it's easily to change. 

[LeftyJ]

Same, I love my B7K. 

 

9 hours ago, ern500evo said:

Putting it into passive mode does seem to improve it.

 

Mind you, the push-pull switch on these is NOT an active/passive switch. The gold label MEC pickups that come stock in most SS1's and LX's are active at all times and need to be powered, and the preamp is always on. The push-pull is just an EQ bypass. Changing out the preamp will probably require you to replace the MEC pickups too, since they're powered by the onboard pre (on both my LX's at least).

[Doddy]

I put a Bartolini preamp in my Streamer after the original MEC circuit burnt out, and it made it way more tonally flexible and powerful.  It works really well with the stock MEC pickups.

[ern500evo]

Thanks for your suggestions gents. I think step 1 is going to be to get the DG pedal, I was looking to get one, regardless of what else I do with the streamer. That will at least give me opportunity to try it before replacing stuff on the SS1 

[LukeFRC]

first question would be why is the current preamp not working, check the solder joints, wires etc and see if you can see anything obvious. 

Second would be running it in passive for a while. If you like the tone then you don't need to touch the pickups.

Third is selecting a preamp, how much colour you want etc. 
 

Edited October 5, 2021 by LukeFRC

[ern500evo]

40 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

first question would be why is the current preamp not working, check the solder joints, wires etc and see if you can see anything obvious. 

Second would be running it in passive for a while. If you like the tone then you don't need to touch the pickups.

Third is selecting a preamp, how much colour you want etc. 
 

I had a quick look yesterday and couldn’t see anything obvious. The wires all looked ok and nothing appeared to be loose. I suspect it’s the mid pot, as I said, it seems to have much less impact on the tone than the bass and treb pots. I was looking to get a B7k ultra anyway, so I think first option is to get that and then run the Streamer with the eq off, and use the preamp in the pedal for tone shaping. If, or when, I change the preamp, I’m not sure what to look at. Apart from the MEC, I’ve only ever played 2 types of preamp in a streamer. That was a John East and an Aguilar OBP-3. I preferred the Aggy out of those two. 

[LukeFRC]

16 minutes ago, ern500evo said:

I had a quick look yesterday and couldn’t see anything obvious. The wires all looked ok and nothing appeared to be loose. I suspect it’s the mid pot, as I said, it seems to have much less impact on the tone than the bass and treb pots. I was looking to get a B7k ultra anyway, so I think first option is to get that and then run the Streamer with the eq off, and use the preamp in the pedal for tone shaping. If, or when, I change the preamp, I’m not sure what to look at. Apart from the MEC, I’ve only ever played 2 types of preamp in a streamer. That was a John East and an Aguilar OBP-3. I preferred the Aggy out of those two. 

East was going to be my example of super clean, hifi uncoloured type sound. Glockenklang similar.
Aguilar, Sadowsky and I geuss Darkglass are going to have more colour. 

[ern500evo]

19 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

East was going to be my example of super clean, hifi uncoloured type sound. Glockenklang similar.
Aguilar, Sadowsky and I geuss Darkglass are going to have more colour. 

I found when I tried the East and Aguilar, to my ears the Aguilar seemed to being out the Warwick’s natural growl a bit more 

[Al Krow]

12 hours ago, LukeFRC said:

yes. I tried a 2 band glockenklang (didn't last more than one gig) and an ACG EQ-01 in it (lasted 6-8 years odd), I also took the MEC out and stuck in some Bartolini Original series as I just prefer passive pickups.

Main question I would ask is what are you trying to do with the preamp? You mention changing pickups too... what don't you like about the current ones and what are you trying to fix tonally? 

Apologies for hijack, but I'm about to upgrade my Carvin with a 3 band Glockenklang (the current preamp was long past its sell-by when I got the bass).

 

What was the issue with your 2 band Luke? 

Edited October 5, 2021 by Al Krow

[LukeFRC]

33 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Apologies for hijack, but I'm about to upgrade my Carvin with a 3 band Glockenklang (the current preamp was long past its sell-by when I got the bass).

 

What was the issue with your 2 band Luke? 

So... the Glock 2 band has a very deep clear bottom end and a very high high point. I suspect in a Fender style bass it would be amazing, the bottom end would add bass in a really clear way, and the top end sparkle.
But my SS1 already had a really wide sound palette with probably scooped mid and a lot on top already. The Warwick preamp has a high low point and a low high point, so the low adds the bass adds low mid booty, and the highs adds the high mids too. It's frequency points sounds very very Warwick. 
What I found with the glock was that it didn't add any low mids (where I was lacking) but added loads of low bass (where I wasn't) - cutting bass just made my streamer anemic, adding bass just made everything too boomy. The top end control cutting was fine, but adding was adding a lot to a already treble bass.  

I would think if you are adding it to a fender type sound bass it would be a fantastic preamp... but on my streamer it was a bad fit. If I were advising anyone on a clean/clear preamp though I would find it hard to go beyond John east's uni-pre

 

[ern500evo]

3 hours ago, LukeFRC said:

East was going to be my example of super clean, hifi uncoloured type sound. Glockenklang similar.
Aguilar, Sadowsky and I geuss Darkglass are going to have more colour. 

Blimey, I’ve just been looking at the East Uni 4 knob pre, what a versatile piece of kit that is! 

[CookPassBabtridge]

I asked a similar(ish) question earlier in the year, there might be a few useful replies here: 

In the end I went for a SD pickup/pre combination, but didn’t like that too much either. I sold my Streamer ultimately but still have a Thumb BO, which I put a Bartolini preamp in. The Bart sounds a lot better than the stock MEC to my ears. Different bass, woods etc. but make of that what you will. I would have tried Barts in the Streamer too if not for the fact they’ve been impossible to buy over the last year or so. 

[bagsieblue]

I think the MEC preamps are not all that great.  Completely agree with the OP in that it's never quite sits well.

 

In my opinion the MEC preamps only really pairs well with a Thumb bass or a Doublebuck.

 

Plenty of options of course, I've enjoyed tonepumps, ACG EQ01 and EMG preps in Warwick.

[ern500evo]

10 hours ago, bagsieblue said:

I think the MEC preamps are not all that great.  Completely agree with the OP in that it's never quite sits well.

 

In my opinion the MEC preamps only really pairs well with a Thumb bass or a Doublebuck.

 

Plenty of options of course, I've enjoyed tonepumps, ACG EQ01 and EMG preps in Warwick.

Following up on @LukeFRC suggestion, I’ve been checking out the John East Uni Pre, and it looks like a really versatile piece of kit. I think that’s the way I’m going to go