Music Man Sterling 4 string 1993 Preamp

[Gusmuj]

Hi everyone, I had a hard time finding any info on my 1993 MusicMan Sterling Bass. ( confusing info with the name change ).

I am troubleshooting a problem with one of the pots that keeps dropping out while playing. It's the Bass level pot. I opened it up and saw a few loose wires. But do to its age, years of road travel, and some brittle wires and corrosion, I have to re-solder some connections. It's hard to tell with a bass this age how much of it as actually original since I bought it used. I'm starting this post in hopes to help others with this older model. And also to get some help putting it back together and looking for the correct pot to replace it since I have it opened up. It's an active bass. I sent an email to customer service to see if I can get a schematic. This particular preamp has a few transistors in it that i dont see in any of the new configurations. Not sure what year they changed it. Should I just update it with a new one ? Are they compatible ? I really love the sound of this Bass, so I'd hate to change it unless it substantially better. Here are a few pics of the guts. As you can see , some of the wires just came off their solder joints when I removed the preamp.

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

I'd replace the preamp due to its condition. Even if you fix it yourself, it may present further probs in the future.

If you decide to replace, you should be able to get one direct from Ernie Ball Music Man at a reasonable price. The downside is that you will have to return your old preamp. Quote your serial number and ask for a schematic. The circuit board of a new one may look slightly different, but I'm fairly sure the preamp itself will be the same but check.

 

[Gusmuj]

Thanks Rod, I'm leaning in that direction for sure. I know if one pod just went faulty, the others may not be far behind.
As always, I'm on a little bit of a time crunch for a gig, nobody's fault but mine. Hopefully I hear something from customer service on how to go about the exchange. I have another bass, a knock-off thunderbird, but it doesn't sound nearly as nice, and I really like the short scale on this Sterling. I get to play it like a guitar with my setup in a 3 piece rock band.