davegriffiths91 Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Hey guys. I was playing an Ibanez Sr506 out on my last contract but unfortunately the preamp has died. I took it to my local guitar shop and they have confirmed it’s definitely the preamp and that Ibanez no longer have these preamps available to replace it. So basically I need get a preamp to replace it. I got the bass for dirt cheap from Facebook so I don't really want to invest a lot into it, the John East, Aguilar etc route isn't really viable for me. My question is, are there any cheap 3 band pre amps with pickup blend out there? Cheers Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 2 minutes ago, davegriffiths91 said: ...My question is, are there any cheap 3 band pre amps with pickup blend out there?... I tried 'bass preamp 3-band blend' in an Ebay.co.uk search, and found loads. I had to change a preamp on a bass a while back, and bought a fairly inexpensive one from Ebay. It works just fine. Is it as good as an East preamp..? Probably not, but it does exactly what I wanted it to do, no problem. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davegriffiths91 Posted January 5, 2018 Author Share Posted January 5, 2018 Just now, Dad3353 said: I tried 'bass preamp 3-band blend' in an Ebay.co.uk search, and found loads. I had to change a preamp on a bass a while back, and bought a fairly inexpensive one from Ebay. It works just fine. Is it as good as an East preamp..? Probably not, but it does exactly what I wanted it to do, no problem. Hope this helps. I did the same and found the Artec ones coming up alot. Is this the same one you got? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 11 minutes ago, davegriffiths91 said: I did the same and found the Artec ones coming up alot. Is this the same one you got? I'm afraid I can't remember for sure, but the name seems familiar (old age, you see..! ). At such prices, though, it's really not much of a financial risk. It's more the hassle of installation, but I found my one to be easy enough, and wouldn't have baulked if it had turned out to be less good than it did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Budget? Also might be worth putting something in a wanted on here, you never know what people have knocking around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davegriffiths91 Posted January 5, 2018 Author Share Posted January 5, 2018 The cheaper the better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Artec are cheap preamps but with some quality. If you want the price low they're your best bet. Keep an eye on the sales thread for a better preamp, used. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Decent preamp are Artecs. Got a couple in the drawer and 1 in a Peavey T-40. I've also used the Ming/Belcat ones sold on eBay for £8 - £10,they do the job just fine but I've had the shaft pull free from the pot when changing knobs so if you fit one ? Leave well alone afterwards 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 (edited) 4 hours ago, davegriffiths91 said: Hey guys. I was playing an Ibanez Sr506 out on my last contract but unfortunately the preamp has died. I took it to my local guitar shop and they have confirmed it’s definitely the preamp and that Ibanez no longer have these preamps available to replace it. So basically I need get a preamp to replace it. I got the bass for dirt cheap from Facebook so I don't really want to invest a lot into it, the John East, Aguilar etc route isn't really viable for me. My question is, are there any cheap 3 band pre amps with pickup blend out there? Cheers Dave If you want dirt cheap... on AliExpress they have some for $5-$10 (yes, that little)... I tried one and it definitely does the job. edit: I can't vouch for their longevity 'though mine worked when I sold the bass... Edited January 5, 2018 by mcnach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Might get one of those for the iceman. Is it heavy? I am guessing it isn't. Could do with something that weighs a few pounds in the tail of the iceman! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 11 minutes ago, Woodinblack said: Might get one of those for the iceman. Is it heavy? I am guessing it isn't. Could do with something that weighs a few pounds in the tail of the iceman! If you mean the Artec it's a meaty 48g inc 9v battery but the Ming is heavier at 55g with battery, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazzbass Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 lol 48g, the battery would be most of that I wanted a new loaded control plate for my SX Jazz, guitarist mate said to buy the cheap Chinese ones BUT.....THAT'S....WHAT'S...IN....THERE.....NOW lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Aye. but I got those weights wrong think 68g & 75g are closer,battery is 20g. A right heavy preamp is my Noll at 200g inc 2x 9v batteries. Think the 3 concentric pots and ribbon cable account for most of that. Pots are huge 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 13, 2018 Share Posted January 13, 2018 I picked up 2 of the Artec preamps - they look pretty good. I got one for the iceman (not for the weight though!), so I can have vol / balance / bass-treble (but mainly so I can have a preamp). Then it occurred to me, I have a sr5005 which had the original 3v electronics where the treble stops working (as it does everywhere I can see on the net about it). I might as well replace the board which I was looking to fix with something else, and the Artec preamps look about the same build as the original, so I got a 3 band one for that, and I will just use the 4th control for nothing (or maybe a passive tone). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.