FlexCore79

Mike Pope Flex Core Bass Preamp

Control Panel Bullet IconCHECK THE DESCRIPTION BELOW FOR EASY VIEWING OF THE CONFIGURATIONS AVAILABLE

good bullet iconDESIGNED BY THE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED MIKE POPE

puzzle bullet iconEXTREMELY MODULAR AND FLEXIBLE

configuration bullet icon4 BAND = MORE MID CONTROL!

wrench bullet iconTYPICALLY A SOLDERLESS INSTALL

inverter battery bullet icon9V OR 18V COMPATIBLE

 

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

 

DESCRIPTION

The Trickfish Mike Pope Flexcore On-Board Preamp is one of Mike Pope's designs that has a way of making just about any bass you install it in sound its best. The reason why it sounds its best is because Mr. Pope has a great ear for bass, as he is a monster of a bass player himself.

This dual perspective as both player and designer gives him unique insight into what bass players actually need from their electronics, not just what looks good on paper.

First of all, it's a four-band EQ with multiple frequency options that gives you a lot of control over the mid section, which is critical for bass players. The coolest thing about this preamp is that each of the EQ bands and how many surrounding frequencies are affected by each frequency point is perfectly tailored to what bass players need, so this is one of those preamps where you can't make it sound bad.

The frequency selections aren't arbitrary, they're based on decades of experience in both live and studio situations. Each frequency band covers the essential ranges that bass players need to control that help you cut through a mix.

It's not intended to overpower or give you a particular personality, but rather it's intended to complement and highlight the features that you love the most about your bass, so it fits perfectly in the mix.

Additionally, it's pretty much plug-and-play, with almost no soldering needed, making installation straightforward even for players who aren't comfortable with extensive modifications. So if you're looking for a fast upgrade that delivers great-sounding results, give the Mike Pope Flexcore serious consideration.

Description from Trickfish:

Whether you want to breathe new life into your favorite bass or you’re building the instrument of your dreams, the FLEX CORE system offers the ultimate in tone control. FLEX CORE is an extremely flexible, fully modular, internally mounting preamp system for the bass guitar. It’s configurable for one or two pickups with passive or active operation, customizable multi-band equalization, and has easy plug-and-play installation. FLEX CORE puts the ultimate in tone-shaping control right at your fingertips!

For additional components to make virtually any configuration - check out our Mike Pope Flexcore Expansion Module page.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Which configuration of the Mike Pope Flexcore preamp will fit the Yamaha TRB 1005L?

FC89PP. This is a 5 knob configuration.

Are any modifications required to install a Flexcore preamp in a lakland 5502?

Just need to ream out the holes for the slightly larger potentiometers.

Is the Trickfish J Core 4 preamp compatible with active EMG pickups?

Yes, but two batteries wired for 18v is recommended

What are the trouble shooting steps if there is a grounding issue with a flexcore bass preamp?

1) You will want to make sure the area where the controls are has some type of shielding material applied. Foil or paint is fine. Good idea to test the shielding material with a multimeter to make sure it sufficiently metallic and conductive. Confirm that the bodies of all pots and switches are connected together
2) a wire that connects that shielding material to the ’shields’ connector on the blender board. You typically wind up with at least 2 wires into the shields connector, one from the cavity and one from the bridge. If the pickup cavities of this particular bass are factory shielded, which is something factories usually do with paint (if they do it), you would need to have two additional ground wires connecting pickup cavity shields into main cavity shields as well. At that point it makes more sense to have a common grounding point in the bass. Often manufacturers install a metal clip with a screw into the sidewall of the cavity, and those make an excellent centralized ground. In that case bring all of the many ground and shield wires together on the clip, even the pickup grounds, and then attach the clip by a single ground/shield wire to the shields connector on the flexcore blender board.



 

FEATURES

  • High performance, wide range onboard bass preamp with low noise and wide bandwidth
  • Musical EQ with LOTS of flexibility… works with 2, 3, or 4 bands
  • All wire harnesses are PREWIRED and plug-and-play
  • Works with almost any kind of pickup
  • Solderless screw terminals for pickup connection
  • 18V or 9V operation
  • Most installations require NO SOLDERING

SPECIFICATIONS

  • Treble: +/- 15dB at 6kHz or 10kHz
  • Hi Mid: +/- 15dB at 1kHz or 1.8kHz
  • Lo Mid: +/-12dB at 330Hz or 473Hz
  • Bass: +/- 12dB at 46Hz or 90Hz

Download the Flex Core Instructional Overview

CONFIGURATIONS

FC87PP - 2 Pickups - 4 knob
VolumePushPull Active Passive - Blend - MidHigh/MidLow Stack - Bass/Treble Stack

FC79 - 2 Pickups - 4 knob & 1 switch
Volume/Tone Stack - Blend - MidHigh/MidLow Stack - Bass/Treble Stack - Active/Passive Switch

FC89PP - 2 Pickups - 5 knob
VolumePushPull Active Passive - Blend - MidHigh/MidLow Stack - Bass - Treble

FC76 - 2 Pickups - 5 knob & 1 switch
Volume - Volume - Bass/Treble Stack - MidHigh - MidLow - Active/Passive Switch

FC81 - 2 Pickups - 5 knob & 1 switch
Volume/Tone Stack - Blend - MidHigh/MidLow Stack - Bass - Treble - Active/Passive Switch

FC88 - 2 Pickups - 5 knob & 1 switch
Volume - Blend - Bass/Treble Stack - MidHigh - MidLow - Active/Passive Switch

*Looking for a different configuration? Most likely we can put it together from our stock.
We have extra components for lots more configurations than listed above - Drop us a line!

Customer Reviews

Based on 45 reviews
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R
Reginald J.
Mike Pope flex preamp

Great product, quick delivery

J
Jon R.
Mike Pope is a Bass Jedi

I will be putting the Flexcore System in every bass going forward. This thing slaps!

J
John D.
Mike Pope Flexcore Pre

I installed this on a Fender Elite PJ that came originally as an active bass. I removed the fender electronics about year after I purchased the bass new and ran it passive for the next couple years. I decided to try this particular preamp and am glad I did. I never gelled with the Fender electronics (never do really). It is a great preamp, super easy to install, and very flexible in terms of tone tweaking. I'm running Lindy Frailin PJ pickup set in it. The combination is stellar.
I'm always tweaking my guitars with different pickups and shifting back and forth between passive and active preamps, but this bass is no longer a threat to be taken out of the rotation and back to the bench. Totally happy with it.
Thanks to Max for helping me on the front end of the purchase. Great recommendation; zero regrets. FBT customer for life.

N
Nathaniel E.
Great product...great purchase experience!

It is always great working with Max! Pope Flexcore purchase is worth every penny spent!

R
Robert F.
Mike Pope Felxecore Preamp

I recently purchased a Fodera bass with a Trickfish preamp installed in it. I wasn’t getting what I needed out of the bass. So I purchased the Mike Pope Flexcore and installed it in my Fodera. The difference is like night and day! Thank you guys!

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