Replacement onboard bass preamp

[pappasmurfsharem]

I have an active dean razor NT-5 with a bass mid a treble control, and a volume for each pickup.

If add/replace the pre-amp section and use the included pots would I be able to work a better sound out of it?

Of course the pickups themselves are a factor but I figure why not use what I have and try it out.

I found http://www.sabrotone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/StingrayBass.gif but that seems to only have the bass and treble knob.

Any good options?

**Edit**

Just found this Bartolini NTMB - 3 Bands
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=33100.0

Anyone used this?

[Mike Burgundy]

The Bartolini has a very good rep, but does use possible-hard-to-find coils. There are other ones around with good reviews, search the forum.
I've always liked the pre in my Toby Pro5 which is floating around the web, and the MM 3-band is really good (but seemingly impossible to find ).
No idea if anything will improve - but you will be able to tailor exactly to what you want and squeeze everything out of that bass possible with those pups and woods. It may be you're already doing that with the stock preamp.
I know my OLP Tony Levin benifited hugely from replacing the electronics it came with (which were installed wrong, too. treble and bass switched around, AND working in reverse... after that was fixed, a new preamp still made it a lot better)

[GGBB]

I came across the Yamaha Nathan East pre-amp a while ago - http://www.rockbassist.nl/BBN5A.pdf (schematic inside).  I had a bass/treble only version of this pre-amp and it sounded quite good.  I have no idea how easy it is to build though.

[pappasmurfsharem]

I came across the Yamaha Nathan East pre-amp a while ago - http://www.rockbassist.nl/BBN5A.pdf (schematic inside).  I had a bass/treble only version of this pre-amp and it sounded quite good.  I have no idea how easy it is to build though.

Cool I'll check it out.
That one seems to be quite... in depth...

This is the one currently in the bass
EMG B30RA it uses a LF444CM chip
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguitarfiles.com%2Femg%2FEMGB30EQ-B64EQ.pdf&ei=_uDuUJGLCuP42QWb9YC4Dg&usg=AFQjCNHbIHgnKr6kP5DbBxR0m0DQIf7meg&sig2=MkGn7BBfH4FEN0S41tMhPw

[GGBB]

Sorry - made a mistake - that isn't the pre-amp that I have a version of .  I had another Yamaha pre-amp which is similar to the Nathan East but not as sophisticated and probably not as good.  But it did sound quite nice - bass and treble controls were very effective without being overstated.  It's this one: http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/Documents/Guitars/BBG5S_E.pdf.  And they made a three-way version of it in some models: http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/Documents/Guitars/BB604_605_E.pdf.

Usually EMG pre-amps are pretty good.  What is it about the sound of the bass that isn't satisfying you?

Edit: Corrected link to three-way pre-amp.

[pappasmurfsharem]

 dry, dead bottom end on the B  string

although I suppose it could bee the Dean branded EMGs, but I figured why not give it a shot.  what is odd is that the eq  pots are 30k-50k-30k  rather than straights 50s

[GGBB]

dry, dead bottom end on the B  string

Impossible for me to know without playing the bass, and maybe you've already ruled this out, but B string problems are common and usually have to do with the setup and the string far more than the electronics.  Have you tried the talkbass forum?