Bartolini Preamps

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Bartolini first appeared at the dawn of replacement pickups for electric instruments in the Early 1970’s. Started by Bill Bartolini in 1973, Bartolini Pickups and Electronics was one of the very first companies to offer a pickup that was not from one of the big 5 guitar companies Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Guild or Rickenbacker. Although he may not have known it at the time Bill and his pickup contemporaries like Larry Dimarzio and Overland (EMG) were in the right place at the right time. Fender and Gibson had been bought out by CBS and Norlin. And the revolution in musical styles of the late 60’s and early 70’s created the demand for new instruments and tone qualities that went beyond those of the previous years. Bartolini and others experimented with new concepts in tonal quality, which led to an offering of replacements that quite effectively re-voiced these instruments and allowed their customers get the sound they wanted out of the instruments they already had; it was a perfect solution.

The 70’s and 80’s was to be the era of guitar modification At the same time many young, soon to be famous, luthiers were learning their trade and they needed to figure out where the pickups where to come from. Some of these new luthiers had the desire for a more modern pickup design and sound. Bill worked closely with these builders creating many unique pickup designs to bring out the full range and accuracy of their instruments response- “you can hear the wood” was a common response. He also defined the many different shapes and sizes of pickups that we see today. The sounds and shapes of these Bartolini pickups is now the standard that we compare all other pickups to. To this day Bartolini offers more shapes of pickups and pre-wired on-board electronic harness configurations than any other company. A list of luthiers that have used Bartolini reads like a who’s who of modern bass building. Tobias, Pedulla, Ibanez, Spector, Zon, Roscoe, Elrick, Warrior have all used Bartolini’s, and a few use them almost exclusively.

We are proud to be full-line stocking dealers for Bartolini. We recommend them equally to any bass modders and experienced luthiers alike. They are very satisfying to install for first timers. You will notice a night and day difference in the tone of your instrument. If you are starting a bass building business and are wondering what pickups and pre-wired harnesses to be using look no further. Bartolini is the perfect choice. It’s always a challenge to find buyers for your spec-built bass that agree with every choice you made in the specifications. Bartolini pickups will help you avoid having to sell someone on the pickups you chose for it. Used on countless thousands of custom basses, Bartolini is the original custom bass pickup & bass preamp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Where Can I Buy Bartolini Preamps?

Answer: You can buy these from Best Bass Gear by Calling 877-839-3531 or Emailing us at sales@bestbassgear.com or chatting with our Bass Techs

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  1. Bartolini HR-4.7J/918 Pre-Wired Harness

    $232.00
    Bartolini 4.7J Compact Preamp - 3 Band EQ, 4 Pots, 1 toggle Jazz Layout: (Volume) (Blend) (Mid) [250,500,800Hz Mid Toggle] (Treble/Bass Stack)
    Bartolini HR-4.7J/918 Pre-Wired Harness 3 Band EQ, 4 Pots, 1 toggle Jazz Layout: (Volume) (Blend) (Mid) [250,500,800Hz Mid Toggle] (Treble/Bass Stack) Specifications Preamp Module Size: 1.76" [44.7mm]...
  2. Bartolini HR-4.4/918 Pre-Wired Harness

    $204.00
    Bartolini 4.4 Compact Preamp - 3 Band EQ, 4 Pots: (Neck Volume) (Bridge Volume) (Mid with 250/800Hz push-pull) (Treble/Bass Stack)
    Bartolini HR-4.4/918 Pre-Wired Harness 3 Band EQ, 4 Pots: (Neck Volume) (Bridge Volume) (Mid with 250/800Hz push-pull) (Treble/Bass Stack) Specifications Preamp Module Size: 1.76" [44.7mm] Long, 1.02"...
  3. Bartolini HR-4.4/AP918 Pre-Wired Harness

    $216.00
    Bartolini 4.4AP Compact Preamp - 3 Band EQ, 4 Pots: (Neck Volume with Pull-Bypass Switch) (Bridge Volume) (Mid with 250/800Hz push-pull) (Treble/Bass Stack)
    Bartolini HR-4.4/AP918 Pre-Wired Harness 3 Band EQ, 4 Pots: (Neck Volume with Pull-Bypass Switch) (Bridge Volume) (Mid with 250/800Hz push-pull) (Treble/Bass Stack) Specifications Preamp Module Size: 1.76"...
  4. Bartolini HR-5.3AP/918FL Pre-Wired Harness
    Out of stock

    Bartolini HR-5.3AP/918FL Pre-Wired Harness

    Out of stock

    $236.00
    Bartolini 5.3AP Compact Preamp - 3 Band EQ, FL, 5 Pots, 1 Toggle: (Neck Volume with Pull-Bypass Switch) (Bridge Volume) (Treble) (Mid) [250,500,800Hz Mid Toggle] (Bass)
    Bartolini HR-5.3AP/918FL Pre-Wired Harness 3 Band EQ, FL, 5 Pots, 1 Toggle: (Neck Volume with Pull-Bypass Switch) (Bridge Volume) (Treble) (Mid) [250,500,800Hz Mid Toggle] (Bass) Specifications Preamp Module Size:...
  5. Bartolini HR-5.2AP/918FL Pre-Wired Harness

    $219.00
    Bartolini 5.2AP Compact Preamp - 3 Band EQ, FL, 5 Pots: (Volume with Pull-Bypass Switch) (Blend) (Treble) (Mid with 250/800Hz push-pull) (Bass)
    Bartolini HR-5.2AP/918FL Pre-Wired Harness 3 Band EQ, FL, 5 Pots: (Volume with Pull-Bypass Switch) (Blend) (Treble) (Mid with 250/800Hz push-pull) (Bass) Specifications Preamp Module Size: 1.76" [44.7mm]...
  6. Bartolini HR-5.2/918FL Pre-Wired Harness

    $208.00
    Bartolini 5.2 Compact Preamp - 3 Band EQ, FL, 5 Pots: (Volume) (Blend) (Treble) (Mid with 250/800Hz push-pull) (Bass)
    Bartolini HR-5.2/918FL Pre-Wired Harness 3 Band EQ, FL, 5 Pots: (Volume) (Blend) (Treble) (Mid with 250/800Hz push-pull) (Bass) Specifications Preamp Module Size: 1.76" [44.7mm] Long, 1.02" [25.9mm]...
  7. 500k audio taper w/ center detent CD500Ka for TCT & XTCT preamps

    $6.50
    500k audio taper w/ center detent CD500Ka for TCT & XTCT preamps
    500k audio taper w/ center detent CD500Ka for TCT & XTCT preamps
  8. Bartolini DC500KAcd-szp 500K Premium Pot

    $18.00
    15% Audio Taper, Dual Concentric, Center Detent, 19mm Body, 6mm Spline/8mm Slot Shaft (TCT & XTCT Treble/Bass Stack)
    15% Audio Taper, Dual Concentric, Center Detent, 19mm Body, 6mm Spline/8mm Slot Shaft (TCT & XTCT Treble/Bass Stack)
  9. Bartolini MCT-3MC Mid Boost Module for TCT

    $24.00
    Mid Boost Module for TCT family - 250,500,750Hz
    Bartolini MCT-3MC Mid Boost Module for TCT Mid Boost Module for TCT family - 250,500,750Hz Specifications Module Size: 1.05" [26.7mm] Long, 0.79" [20.1mm] Wide, 0.43" [10.9mm] Thick Operating...
  10. Bartolini TCT-4.2APJ Pre-Wired Harness

    $182.00
    Bartolini 4.2AP Compact Preamp - TCT 2 Band EQ, 4 Pots Jazz Layout: (Neck Volume with Pull-Bypass Switch) (Bridge Volume) (Treble) (Bass)
    Bartolini TCT-4.2APJ Pre-Wired Harness TCT 2 Band EQ, 4 Pots Jazz Layout: (Neck Volume with Pull-Bypass Switch) (Bridge Volume) (Treble) (Bass) Specifications Preamp Module Size: 1.76" [44.7mm] Long,...
  11. Bartolini TCT-5.4AP Pre-Wired Harness

    $248.00
    Bartolini 5.4AP Compact Preamp - TCT 3 Band EQ, 5 Pots, 1 Toggle: (Volume with Pull-Bypass Switch) (Blend) (Treble) (Mid) [250,500,750Hz Mid Toggle] (Bass)
    Bartolini TCT-5.4AP Pre-Wired Harness TCT 3 Band EQ, 5 Pots, 1 Toggle: (Volume with Pull-Bypass Switch) (Blend) (Treble) (Mid) [250,500,750Hz Mid Toggle] (Bass) Specifications Preamp Module Size: 1.76"...
  12. Bartolini TCT-5.4 Pre-Wired Harness

    $236.00
    Bartolini 5.4 Compact Preamp - TCT 3 Band EQ, 5 Pots, 1 Toggle: (Volume) (Blend) (Treble) (Mid) [250,500,750Hz Mid Toggle] (Bass)
    Bartolini TCT-5.4 Pre-Wired Harness TCT 3 Band EQ, 5 Pots, 1 Toggle: (Volume) (Blend) (Treble) (Mid) [250,500,750Hz Mid Toggle] (Bass) Specifications Preamp Module Size: 1.76" [44.7mm] Long, 1.02"...
  13. Bartolini XTCT-3.3AP Pre-Wired Harness
    Out of stock

    Bartolini XTCT-3.3AP Pre-Wired Harness

    Out of stock

    $188.00
    Bartolini 3.3AP Compact Preamp - XTCT 2 Band EQ, 3 Pots: (Volume with Pull-Bypass Switch) (Blend) (Treble/Bass Stack)
    Bartolini XTCT-3.3AP Pre-Wired Harness XTCT 2 Band EQ, 3 Pots: (Volume with Pull-Bypass Switch) (Blend) (Treble/Bass Stack) Specifications Preamp Module Size: 1.76" [44.7mm] Long, 1.02" [25.9mm]...

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Where Can I Buy Bartolini Preamps?

Answer: You can buy these from Best Bass Gear by Calling 877-839-3531 or Emailing us at sales@bestbassgear.com or chatting with our Bass Techs

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