Question Is there any way I can improve my active SUB Sterling (adler body) sound?

[tanasen]

The Seymour Duncan preamp adds the most sizzle if you need it and they make one for single pickup models.

The SR5 has alnico pickup/s right? Do you think that my ceramic pickup would be suitable for the STC-2 preamp?

 

[Musicman Nut]

wrong for the body its poplar... Is the smb-4d pickup a solution?

Yes trade it in or sell it and get a real Music Man Sterling.

 

[Webtroll]

Sorry to intrude on someone else's thread, but what if I like the tone of my SUB but would rather have the ability to cut frequencies? Is the SD the best preamp for this? On my other active basses I tend to play flat or roll the highs back a little, but the SUB pre only allows for boost. I've found myself increasing bass and treble, then attempting to balance the difference a bit. I'd rather have a center detant I'm happy with and to use as a base line to adjust the frequency from.

 

[Golem]

Some basses growl. Some don't, regardless of electronics.
Because, by and large, the growl's in the wood.

Tru nuff.

However, I'd expand that into:

"Regardless of electronics the growl's in the physical
[non electronic] aspects of the bass."

Stated like that, it would include the type of strings
and the location of the pickups [regardless of the
internal design of the PUs] and of course the wood.

I spoze it might include the type of frets [if any]
and the type of bridge, as these pieces of metal
stand between the vibrating string and the wood.

This still agrees with the general idea that replacing
electronic stuff is very unlikely to induce growl into
a non-growly ax.

 

[Golem]

Sorry to intrude on someone else's thread, but what if I like the tone of my SUB but would rather have the ability to cut frequencies? Is the SD the best preamp for this? On my other active basses I tend to play flat or roll the highs back a little, but the SUB pre only allows for boost. I've found myself increasing bass and treble, then attempting to balance the difference a bit. I'd rather have a center detant I'm happy with and to use as a base line to adjust the frequency from.

Just contour your tone at the amp so that the boost-only 2-band
is no longer functioning as boost only.

Since the 2-band has no mid controls, boost [frinstintz] both the
lo-mid and hi-mid on a typical 4-knob EQ at the amp. Proceeding
from there, when your 2-band is set to its nominal "flat" setting
[both B & T all the way down] the result is no longer really a flat
EQ. Since the whole midrange is elevated [via the amp], your so
called "flat" setting on the SUB is now deficient in both bass and
treble. Use enuf mid boost on the amp to yield a flat EQ when
the SUB's EQ knobs are at center ["noon"]. Now you have both
cut and boost for B & T right there on the ax.

Again for a typical 4-knob amp EQ, don't forget that having 2
bands of mids means you effectively have a mid-shift, just by
setting the mid knobs unequally.

 

[Webtroll]

Well, that's good advice, but I hate tweaking the amp between basses. Odd thing considering the variety of basses and amps I use, but there it is. Thanks for the reply tho, I will certainly consider it next time I play the SUB!

 

[RocketRalf]

I always though the two-bands where boost-cut, they just have no center detent.

Why don't you try a Sterling-by-Musicman SB14? It might be even cheaper than your SUB and it's a pretty good instrument by itself.