G&L L5500, the ongoing saga of what to do with it.

[EmmettC]

I'm sorry, for the repetition, I have posted about this a few years ago.

I have a G&L L5500, it's an American made 5 string, but it's unusual for a G&L because it has EMG 40dc pickups and an EMG preamp as standard. It's a lovely bass to play (if a little heavy), but I've never liked the sound of it.

[URL=http://s214.photobucket.com/user/EmmettChristie/media/L5500.jpg.html][IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc198/EmmettChristie/L5500.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
I've finally ordered a set of replacement pickups, Seymour Duncan NYC passive soapbars. http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/bass-pickups/soapbars/5string/passive_phase_i/

They won't be in stock for a few weeks, which gives me time to decide what to do with the electrics. There are 3 pots on it at the moment, and I don't want to drill any more holes, so I'm reasonably limited. My first thoughts are a simple volume, volume, tone with push pull pot(s) for coil tapping. If I go down this route what pots should I be using, 250k or 500k? Or, would I be better with a stacked active preamp? If so what would you suggest?

All advice, opinions and ideas are appreciated.

Edited March 14, 2014 by EmmettC

[3below]

Possible alternative, Vol, Tone and blend pot. I have a two humbucker bass with this arrangement, works well for me.

[EmmettC]

I have 3 spaces, so could potentially have 3 switches, which would be enough for a 2 x series/parallel switches, and 1 switch to coil tap both pickups. Or would it be more sensible to have a seperate coil tap for each pickup and not bother with series/parallel switches? This would also make it easier to switch the tone pot out for a stacked 2 band preamp in the future.

Are there any other options I'm not thinking of? I don't want to drill or route the body, but I could make a new cover for the rear cavity and fit sliding switches.....

All ideas welcome.

[neepheid]

[quote name='EmmettC' timestamp='1395183728' post='2399649']
I have 3 spaces, so could potentially have 3 switches, which would be enough for a 2 x series/parallel switches, and 1 switch to coil tap both pickups. Or would it be more sensible to have a seperate coil tap for each pickup and not bother with series/parallel switches? This would also make it easier to switch the tone pot out for a stacked 2 band preamp in the future.

Are there any other options I'm not thinking of? I don't want to drill or route the body, but I could make a new cover for the rear cavity and fit sliding switches.....

All ideas welcome.
[/quote]

The Gibson EB has this exact arrangement - 2x volumes with push/pull for tuned coil split (when you go single coil, a capacitor is also switched in, dumps off some top end to ground so you [i]perceive[/i] less volume drop or lack of bottom end) and 1 master tone (which could easily be a 2 band stacked EQ like an EMG-BTC)