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HR-3.4/918

Bartolini NTMB 3 Band Bass Preamps

control panel bullet iconDIAL IN YOUR IDEAL TONE

configuration bullet iconTRIM POT ALLOWS FOR ADDITIONAL CONTROL OF OVERALL SIGNAL OUTPUT

original bullet iconPROFESSIONALLY WIRED IN BARTOLINI'S CALIFORNIA, USA SHOP

good bullet iconWELL CHOSEN MID CONTROL FREQUENCY BOOST/CUT

high output bullet iconQUIET, CLEAN AND POWERFUL CONTROL

inverter battery bullet icon9 OR 18 VOLT COMPATIBLE

Customer Reviews

Based on 24 reviews
92%
(22)
4%
(1)
4%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
D
D.W.
FBT + Bartolini...the best!

I loved my bass but really did not care for the Aquilar pickups and preamp. Replaced the pickups with Bart soap bars with encouragement from Max. First timer and it was fine. But still wrestled with the Aguilar preamp. Talked to Max and he helped me select the right Bartolini preamp configuration, added the necessary 6th pot and pre-wired the 2nd 9v battery. Shipped it fast and talked me through the install with tips, tricks and mostly the confidence I needed to do it myself. Anyway, turned out great and I love the new setup. But couldn't have done it without Max. Thank you so much! Bass is now a keeper and I'm on to my next project!

A
Anthony Dallago

Bartolini NTMB 3 Band Bass Preamps

W
Wilbert Harris

Bartolini NTMB 3 Band Bass Preamps

N
Nicholas Ivy
Sounds great!

This was a nice improvement over the stock equipment in my ESP LTD B-4E. I struggled with inadvertent contact between the ground wire and the prongs of the cable port, and then it all worked.

I also replaced the pickups with Bartolini’s and had to carefully chisel the corners of the pockets to fit the square corners of the soapbars. I didn’t re-apply the conductive paint to the wood, and it hasn’t been an issue so far.

m
mike loisel
Great Customer Service

I was wanting a new preamp for my Modulus Q5 and FBT helped me choose the correct model. I was well pleased with the preamp, it installed easily, sounds great and is noiseless.

empty box iconFREE SHIPPING IN THE USA
configuration iconEXPERT TECHNICAL SUPPORT
checklist iconIN STOCK MEANS IN STOCK

DESCRIPTION

Bartolini’s 3 band bass preamps have been a mainstay for many.  Instrument builders (big and small), techs, professional and amateur players alike, have used Bart’s NTMB systems for decades. While the preamp has went through small evolutions as components have improved - notably moving from a 2 module unit to a single module These units have been tested through time, sweat and gigs and remain hugely popular for both new instruments as well as being an excellent upgrade to replace a stock preamp.

Hiss, hum and overall noise are extremely low as a result of Bill B’s engineering prowess, in tandem with the use of high quality components. These 3 band bass preamps are wired and tested by Bartolini in their California factory, and are ready to install on arrival to you. All the pots, battery clips, and an output jack are wired to the preamp, and all potentiometers are grounded to a removable ground wire (if unnecessary) in your bass. In the photos and video above, one can see the continuous running ground wire, it is the wire without a colored insulation.

At Fat Bass Tone, we offer all of Bartolini’s most popular harness versions of their NTMB 3 band preamp - plus a couple of the lesser known as well. If there is a particular configuration that you are looking for and do not see it in our selection, drop us a line from the contact page and we will try to sort something out for you.

TECHNICAL NOTES ON BARTOLINI 3 BAND BASS PRAMPS

If you take a look at the photo or videos above, you’ll see a little blue box that is attached to the preamp module. This is a trim pot. This little guy allows you to adjust the overall signal output leaving your bass. You can boost or cut this to match the output of other instruments, which is handy if you play gigs with a couple basses, as you are able to keep a fairly similar signal going to your amp.

These preamps come wired with a 9 Volt battery terminal. A second battery terminal is included if you want to operate in 18Volts. Both can be easily disconnected if your bass has a battery box.

The difference between 9Volt and 18Volt operation is a question that comes up on occasion. 18Volt installation are not louder or more powerful - but there is some slight advantages of 18V operation. More headroom is achieved, which means that the signal to noise ration is improved. A little less distortion can happen with the 18V install. That being said, we have done lots of preamp installations over our decades in the business and the difference is not noticeable to most ears. If you have the room for two 9Volt batteries in your electronics cavity, you can try it. If not, don’t sweat it.

The lengths of the wires on Bartolini 3 band bass preamps are a reasonable length, but not overly long. Rarely, on a bass that has the blend and volume particularly far apart, or an odd ordering in the potentiometer layout, a jumper may need to be added. This is not a significant operation if you have done any wiring before, and is pretty basic for the typical tech.

The output jack that is included is the common stereo jack that is used by most of the manufacturers. If your bass has a barrel style jack, or other jack, the supplied jack can be easily de-soldered and connected to the jack that is already in your bass.

Artists: Alissia Benveniste, Lige Curry, Adam Saylor, Elon “Tone” John, Stefan Marinov, Vincent Medina, Chuck Jacobs, Derrick “Swol” Ray, Eric “EQ” Young, Courtney Leonard, Curt Chambers, Cory Baker, Jan Nissimov, Pato Munoz, Lige Curry, Willie “Koot” O. Lemons III, E. Pruitt “E”, Joey Green, Blair Bryant, Jahmal Nichols, Jackie Hancock, Kevin Hide

CONFIGURATIONS

HR-3.4/918 - 2 Pickup - 3 Knob (V/V-Mpp-T/B)
Volume/Volume Stack -- Mid w/Mid Frequency Selection Push-Pull -- Treble/Bass Stack

HR-4.6/918 - 2 Pickup - 4 Knob (V-Bl-Mpp-T/B) NO Active/Passive
Volume -- Blend -- Mid w/Mid Frequency Selection Push-Pull -- Treble/Bass Stack

HR-4.6AP/918 - 2 Pickup - 4 Knob (Vpp-Bl-Mpp-T/B)
Volume w/Active-Passive Push-Pull -- Blend -- Mid w/Mid Frequency Selection Push-Pull -- Treble/Bass Stack

HR-4.7AP/918 - 2 Pickup - 4 Knob & 1 Switch (Vpp-Bl-M-T/B-MSW)
Volume w/Active-Passive Push-Pull -- Blend -- Mid -- Treble/Bass Stack -- Mid Frequency Selection Switch

HR-5.2/918 - 2 Pickup - 5 Knob (V-Bl-T-Mpp-B) NO Active/Passive
Volume -- Blend -- Treble -- Mid w/Mid Frequency Selection Push-Pull -- Bass

HR-5.2AP/918 - 2 Pickup - 5 Knob (Vpp-Bl-T-Mpp-B)
Volume w/Active-Passive Push-Pull -- Blend -- Treble -- Mid w/Mid Frequency Selection Push-Pull -- Bass

HR-5.3AP/918 - 2 Pickup - 5 Knob & 1 Switch (Vpp-V-T-M-B-MSW)
Volume w/Active-Passive Push-Pull -- Volume -- Treble -- Mid -- Bass -- Mid Frequency Selection Switch

HR-5.4AP/918 - 2 Pickup - 5 Knob 1 Switch (Vpp-Bl-T-M-B-MSW)
Volume w/Active-Passive Push-Pull -- Blend -- Treble -- Mid -- Bass -- Mid Frequency Selection Switch



TECHNICAL

  • Preamp Module Size: 1.02" [25.9mm] Wide, 0.54" [13.7mm] Thick,
    1.76" [44.7mm] Long
  • Operating Voltage: 9V or 18V - Prewired for 9V. An additional battery clip is included for 18V wiring.
  • Gain Control: The in-cavity gain trimmer lets you adjust the output level of your instrument. This lets you match output levels from several instruments for consistent response from level-sensitive effects.
    Gain: 0-12dB
  • Bass Control: Boost or cut your low frequencies up to 5 times the flat signal. The bass frequency is great for E, B, and low F# strings.
    Bass: +/-15dB@30Hz
  • Mid Control: Thicken or thin your tone with mid control. Mid boost lets you cut through the mix, and mid cut provides great slap tone. Flip the toggle to set the mid frequency to 250Hz, 500Hz, or quickly flip to 800Hz for a solo with a 3 position toggle on a HR-4.7AP/918, HR-5.3AP/918 or HR-5.4AP/918 system. On no-toggle switch systems the mids are a push/pull selectable between 250hz when pushed in, and 800hz when pulled out.
    Mid: +/-13dB@250/500/800Hz
  • Treble Control: Boost or cut your high frequencies to brighten or darken your tone. The NTMB gives you a wide control range for an aggressive or mild voice.
    Treble: +/-18dB@10KHz

Bartolini 3 Band Bass Preamp wiring diagram



Customer Reviews

Based on 24 reviews
92%
(22)
4%
(1)
4%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
D
D.W.
FBT + Bartolini...the best!

I loved my bass but really did not care for the Aquilar pickups and preamp. Replaced the pickups with Bart soap bars with encouragement from Max. First timer and it was fine. But still wrestled with the Aguilar preamp. Talked to Max and he helped me select the right Bartolini preamp configuration, added the necessary 6th pot and pre-wired the 2nd 9v battery. Shipped it fast and talked me through the install with tips, tricks and mostly the confidence I needed to do it myself. Anyway, turned out great and I love the new setup. But couldn't have done it without Max. Thank you so much! Bass is now a keeper and I'm on to my next project!

A
Anthony Dallago

Bartolini NTMB 3 Band Bass Preamps

W
Wilbert Harris

Bartolini NTMB 3 Band Bass Preamps

N
Nicholas Ivy
Sounds great!

This was a nice improvement over the stock equipment in my ESP LTD B-4E. I struggled with inadvertent contact between the ground wire and the prongs of the cable port, and then it all worked.

I also replaced the pickups with Bartolini’s and had to carefully chisel the corners of the pockets to fit the square corners of the soapbars. I didn’t re-apply the conductive paint to the wood, and it hasn’t been an issue so far.

m
mike loisel
Great Customer Service

I was wanting a new preamp for my Modulus Q5 and FBT helped me choose the correct model. I was well pleased with the preamp, it installed easily, sounds great and is noiseless.

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