Bass preamps: STC-3p vs STC-3m3 for J/MM set

[Marliwo]

Hello,

I have to change the pickups and preamp in my Cort GB-74 bass. I am going to install SMB-4d (bridge) and STK-J2 (neck) pickups. The only problem I have to solve is a preamp selection. There are two obvious possibilities: STC-3p and STC-3m3.

1) I want to blend two pickups together. STC-3p has a blend pot, STC-3m3 does not have it, so I would need to install it additionally.

2) STC-3m3 is crafted for SMB-4d pickup in terms of frequency equalization. Does it mean that SMB-4d + STC-3p would sound just so-so or maybe it is rather a matter of details? Both preamps have a slap contour and the pots on PCB to modify it. Should I understand that changing those presets in STC-3p would change it into STC-3m3? Or maybe the frequency responses are different not only for a slap contour but in general?

3) Another question is how STK-J2 would sound with STC-3m3? Maybe such combination should be avoided and better to use STC-3p?

Please let me know what would be the better solution. Thanks.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Bass preamps: STC-3p vs STC-3m3 for J/MM set

Welcome to the forum.

Your first problem is that the STC-3M3 is intended for bass guitars with a single pickup. Hence, the system has no balance pot.

Also, the -3M3 EQ bands are tailored to work with a dual coil pickup in the "Stingray" position. There is no telling what effect the EQ would have on a J pickup in the middle position.

Years of Fender Jazz Bass abuse has habituated me to expecting separate volume controls for each pickup. Hence, in your position, I would be inclined to acquire an extra pot to wire the instrument as N Vol, B Vol, EQ.

Another thing that I find is that, the more pickups a bass has, the less I adjust the onboard EQ.

Right now, I am inordinately fond of the Seymour Duncan/Basslines Blackouts for Bass two band EQ. A micro-switch on the PCB allows the upper frequency control to home in on the "Fender Dirt" band. This, plus a little bit of low end boost, often seems to be all the EQ my instrument needs.

Everything else is in the fingers.

 

[Marliwo]

Re: Bass preamps: STC-3p vs STC-3m3 for J/MM set

Thanks for the ideas.

I have to make some compromises. I will rather sacrifice a single pickup at the neck and let it work (for better or worse) with STC-3m3. The most important for me is SMB-4d, typical Musicman pickup. I do not want to leave the concept of pickup with an active preamp in this particular bass. I will experiment then.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Bass preamps: STC-3p vs STC-3m3 for J/MM set

There is nothing to prevent you adding either a pan pot Balance control or a second volume pot into your circuit. Interconnect the two volume pots as per a Jazz Bass. Feed the combined signal to the EQ.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Bass preamps: STC-3p vs STC-3m3 for J/MM set

ive used the music man preamp with a mm pup and neck pup with good success. ive used a three way switch for pup selection as well as a blend knob. you send the output of the summed pups to the preamp and it works fine. i havent a/b'd the two preamps but i know the mm one works fine with multiple pups

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Bass preamps: STC-3p vs STC-3m3 for J/MM set

I had not considered using a selector switch. (Like I wrote in post #2, thirty plus years of two volume knobs.) With the right switch, it would be possible to select between Neck PU, Neck + Split MM, MM.

 

[Marliwo]

Re: Bass preamps: STC-3p vs STC-3m3 for J/MM set

Thanks, good to hear the combination of both pickups, preamp and blender is possible. I have just ordered 3m3 preamp, SMB-4d humbucker and STK-J2 for the neck. I will use additional blender + 3-way micro-switch for SMB-4d config and 2-way switch for passive/active mode. If STK-J2 doesn't produce good sound with mm preamp, I can always experiment with another single pickup. I will drop a line when everything is ready.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Bass preamps: STC-3p vs STC-3m3 for J/MM set

i always wired my mm pup to a three way mini switch for series/split/parallel. tons of great tones in there even without the active electronics. i usually wired in an active passive switch as well just in case the battery died