Artec SE-2

just buy it! it stands toe to toe with big names popular preamps, you won't be dissapointed. boost and cut, easy instalation, all you need. it behaves musicaly so either cut or boost won't make a crazy mutant unmusical sound, everthing fits. i've tried bunch of high end gear (including fodera) and this one is the only preamp that reminds me of high class mike pope preamps found in fodera. it's just as musical, but ofc lacks some finesses of MPP.
i intended this preamps to be a first hand drop in for two ibanez basses i had without preamps. then latter i'd buy some big name preamp. boy was i suprised. all in all, both ibanez SRs (705 and 668 form '91) still have these preamps and they sound better than ever!

buy it, this thing blows competition out of the water.

Does what it says on the tin, used it to replace a faulty pre-amp on an old Vintage bass, worked as expected - quite easy to fit if you are handy with a soldering iron, all th eparst you need are here. Only small annoyance was the centre of the balance pot was not as easy to find, maybe could have been designed with a "click" when it is at dead centre. Output level is nice and strong and the frequencys of the one controls are well chosen, the treble adds a nice edge without dissolving into noise, bass pot too adds a nice boost to the bottom end. Suited my Vintage V1004 very well, but obviously could be too much for some guitars

I bought this to replace a failed active circuit in a low cost bass. It is pre-wired, but you do need to solder the pickup, jack, and earth connections. So you need to be able to solder confidently to ensure a good installation.

The preamplifier and balance control circuit boards are quite deep, so would not suit a thin bass, indeed they only just fitted inside my HBZ-2500.

The sound is colourless and completely noise free, however the tonal range is not terribly wide, at least not with my pickups.

I am completely satisfied with this product at this price point. And I now have my bass working again. What's not to like?

I wanted to know if I could get along with an active pre-amp. At this price, I could try it and see.
I like how it sounds and I like the extra tone control, I don't find it confusing at all. However, I do not like the cheap pots and hardware. The pots and nuts feel like they are not the same size thread. Very difficult to get to pull down straight. If not, that wonky knob would drive me crazy. The centre detents (where applicable) are very weak and vague. The wipers also seem weak and vague.
I am glad that I could use this as proof of concept, though I will be upgrading it, when I get the opportunity.

I used my Artec SE-2 in a project bass I was putting together. Although the packaging was a little lacking, it did contain everything needed. For the most part it was relatively easy to install, but one concern I had was with the blend control. There are only three solder points for neck hot, bridge hot and ground - meaning you have to force two ground wires into one hole. I found this very difficult and in the end I had to come up with my own solution of making a "pin" by soldering a short length of solid core wire through the solder point, then soldering the two ground wires to the pin.

That aside, the rest of the install was easy with the snap on connectors. Soundwise, it has a decent range on the bass/treble controls and the blend worked smoothly.

I would recommend this to anyone who was thinking of upgrading an inexpensive bass, but I think there are better preamps/EQ out there if you want a little more quality.