Make my passive Stingray SUB active

[bmastergeneral]

Hello there all you fine people at ernie ball forum, first post

I want to make my 2band passive Stingray SUB active.
So i got a Music Man Stingray 2004 preamp and humbucker for a fair price and i just have a couple of questions.

I have no idea where to make room for the battery, is it possible to make a battery compartment back of the bass myself or maybe it's a job for my local music store?

And is it hard to put in the preamp myself ? im used to solder, never done anything with my guitars though.

 

[Freddels]

Why not just get an outboard preamp and just plug into it? That 2-bander should sound killer. They don't make those SUB basses anymore and it'll be a collectors item before you know it. If you start cutting into it, you could ruin the bass.

My .02

 

[five7]

Find another one that is active, the passive are more rare. Out of the eight I have owned only one was active. The sound is closer that you think between the two. Myself, I couldn't hack up a fine bass like that.

 

[mcnach]

Passive vs. active:
This is something that surprised me. I have a 2002 2-band Stingray, and I put a John East preamp in it. This preamp pretty much follows the original 2-EQ, but adds control ovr the mids. Since I was at it, I asked JE to put a bypass switch too.
two things... 1) The mid control is great, but I'm talking minute adjustments just to cut through better in the mix. The bass sounds already pretty much spot on without it. 2) The sound I get passive is pretty close to my active tone. I boost a bit of bass, mostly... but there isn't a huge difference in *my* chosen tone, and that of the bass purely passive.

Installing preamp: I would still install it, 'though.
If you're careful, it'll look good and it won't detract from any resale price, the opposite. The important thing is getting a bass *you* want to play. If you want the options a preamp gives you... go for it.
Nice choice of preamp, buying an original. It will be dead simple to install under the control plate.
The question is the battery. You can buy a battery compartment for not much money. I like the Gotoh ones (which, incidentally, are the same ones installed in my 2002 Stingray).
You'll need a wood router, or someone with one. I bought one, a simple Black&Decker one on eBay for very little, because it's a good tool to have. Then figure where to cut. Look at the active version and see where the battery cavity is placed, I'd put it somewhere near. Draw the contour, and drill away that contour. Go about 3-4mm at a time. Slowly, carefully. It's not complicated. The contour doesn't need to be perfect, because the Gotoh battery cover has edges that will overlap and hide imperfections.
Remove preamp etc before drilling, of course!
Once you have drilled enough to fit the battery there, and you drill access for the battery cables... just join the cables to the preamp and assemble it.
It's a 1h job if you don't have experience and do it slowly and carefully.