Warwick preamp replacement

[Bassman68]

Greetings one & all, I’m looking for recommendations 

The preamp on my 25yr old Warwick Thumb 5NT is starting to hum & buzz.

As the woods have settled over the years, I’m getting less impressed by the 3 band MEC preamp.

The bass is rather woolly & I find the treble frequency too high & unworkable.

Has anyone replaced their preamp & what with?
I quite like the aguilar 3 band with the switchable mids but a luthier friend of mine has also mentioned a Noll preamp.

Your views please are appreciated..

[Hellzero]

What pickups does this one have and how many holes does the preamp have ?

[Bassman68]

MEC pick-ups & stacked treble & bass with separate mid control.

Volume & pick-up pan on a stacked knob with pull switch for active/passive

[Hellzero]

I guess it's not the active Mec pickups...

So it's a 3 holes or knobs configuration.

I would recommend a Glockenklang or even the most transparent preamp to date, the Richter BassXX. The problem is the 3 holes/knobs configuration as, very often, the blend is on a separate pot...

You can check Best Bass Gear to see what's available and see if you can get it in the U.K. : https://www.bestbassgear.com/bass-preamps.htm?dir=asc&limit=all&order=price

 

[warwickhunt]

I have a Noll pre fitted (2 band EQ) in a different Warwick bass (Infinette) and if anything I'd say it has a slightly brighter top end than the MEC.  Any of the good quality makers will make a good pre; EMG is the original to the MEC.

[BassBunny]

Big Glockenklang fan here, I've got 4 of them, but pretty sure 3 "holes" limits you to a 2 band.

[CookPassBabtridge]

The only 3-band preamp with 3 pots that I've managed to find is a Bartolini, which I put in my Thumb bass and am very happy with.

[LeftyJ]

I'm sure Aguilar would work too. I have an Ellio Martina bass that used to be passive (VBT) but had an OBP-3 built in later in its life. It is wired with MEC pots, and configured with:

• stacked volume (reverse log because lefty) / balance with push-pull for active/passive;
• stacked mid / treble with push-pull for mid frequency;
• bass

Very happy with it!

[Bassman68]

I’m hoping I can keep the pick-ups & wiring to the stacked volume pot. My bass also has side l.e.d’s so I don’t want to go ripping everything out?
Hopefully I can keep the preamp 18v, along with the 3 extra 9v’s for the l.e.d’s?