Thank you for all the info and encouragement.
I’ve found a nordstrand 3 band eq that has a passive switch on the volume, stacked treble with bass and another stack for mids.
I reckon that is the direction on leaning towards with the two mm4.2 pickups.
I’m trying to make sense of it all ,but electronics is not my forte by any stretch of the imagination
I’ll leave that up to others to comment on. Stuff inside the bass is not my forte.
Truth to be told I should probably just focus on playing rather than looking at all the bling I could have!
I put on a set of DR Black Beauties on my JB. Okay, a minor upgrade but considering how I’ve been playing pretty happy that I did it myself.
Old strings were perfectly fine but wanted to do something to make the bass mine if that makes any sense.
Did you trade your acoustic?? I really liked the acoustic, but that does look fun to play.
No my fretless. Did not like the action on it . been jamming and doing mod 4 again with the new one!Has been a blast! Had to take a smoke break. Almost nailed. With. Or without you on fast all the way through. Will never get rid of my acoustic!
As far as I’m concerned the hobby is fun in all the ways that it is. I’m all for minimizing “should”!
Good point!
Unless, modding and upgrading/exchanging hardware is an underlying symptom of pushing off what really needs to done… like a fledgling writer/auteur claiming to wait for just one more update for his laptop or the word processing software, as it will really let him put down all his thoughts on a page so much better 
(PS: not really innocent here myself!!)
I know I am a little late to the conversation, but have you ever watched the YT channel LowEndLobster?
He did a whole thing where he modded like 5 Sub Ray4 with Pre-amp and pick ups. he had a video for each mod, then did a shoot out where he played them all in the sam video.
Really helpful if you are looking to upgrade.
In all honesty, I think the pick up makes up most of the sound difference.
I upgraded my pick up in my Ray 4 to the Aguilar pick up for $119. The sound was night and day difference and so much better. My friend did the pick up and pre-amp, (Agiular Pre-amp) and noticed that most of the upgrade difference (noticeable by ear) comes from the pick up.
I bet you could get away with adding two Agiular or Seymour or EMG pick ups, which would be around your $300 budget, and you will love the sound so much better.
I think you might in fact get better results this way, because you would be going for high quality pick ups instead of budgeting between the pro-amp and a more mid line pick up.
Just something to think about and if you get a chance, look up LowEndLobster on Youtube and look for any of his upgrade Ray4 videos and his Mint-o-Ray video and his MOLD SMOOTHIE is fun and educational as well. If you do decide to do the package with pre-amp and pickups, he showed some budget ones that he used for the Mold Smoothie, or the Mint-O-Ray (he was working with a budget on those projects) and he got pretty good results staying within the $300 range (but you have 2 pick ups, so consider that, you may really have to cheap out on the pick up if you replace the pre-amp and it might not be as good as the stock pre-amp with some top line pick ups would sound.)
And once you start watching the LowEndLobster videos, you might need to talk yourself into turning him off, like talking to yourself like a little kid.
Ok, time for bed now, turn off the lobster guy, he will still be there tomorrow, maybe even with a new video. LOL
HTH
I did stumble onto the lobster too,what a cracking channel and a brilliant mini series on the Subs!
It obviously deepend my confusion and sent me right down a rabbit hole of choices.
I was set on stretching my budget a bit and going for a nordstrand setup with their 3 band 3 knob preamp that comes with passive/active switcheroo,but at the moment they are in production and not available.
I went around and lurked on all the forums,picking up tid-bits of info and confusing myself even more.
I found a guy here in Blighty that makes custom pickups @ herrickpickups and he makes some right intriguing bits. With 8coils and mutant humbuckers-alnico one side and neodymium on the other.crazy stuff!
I found these on his site and they do look good MM Neo-Humbucker - herrickpickups.com
The only slight issue is that the neodymium pole pieces are much smaller,so the aesthetics would be different ,but more importantly the swap wouldn’t fly under the radar in the house
But the man has a good reputation from what I could find and he is ever ready with responses through the intrawebs. Oh and the pickup is £90 which isn’t too bad.
The fella also has a custom pickguard that looks ok and he would be willing to cut another hole into in for my second H.
I hear ya with regards to the preamp,but I’m developing a love/hate relationship with my stock one. It either sounds just right or totally awful, especially anytime I touch the treble knob.
So I’m thinking that the budget will have to grow and I’m in two minds between the John east mmsr or the nordy preamp.
I really really really like the neck of this bass and I hope I’m not just imagining this need to mess with it,but on the other hand I want to make it properly mine!
Thanks for the heads up ,the aquilar setup did sound good and it’s great to know that it is working out for you. That combo is still in the running for me too.
I like that sight. and I like that he has WHITE pick ups, as I have wanted to pimp out some Ray4’s at some point like Lobster Mint-O-Ray where you do the cosmetics too, and I like the white pick ups.
I am certainly going to look more into this website.
I will probably tell Lobster to do a Ray with one so we can hear how they sound before I order one.
Everything was good, but he said he wanted to molest my instrument, or he said no further molestation of the instrument, I forget, but WTF… 
just make sure you hit “like” or he’ll do some serious damage with that claw! 
There are a few videos with all the various pickups herrick make on the site. The 8 coil certainly looks versatile,although I’d never be able to cope with that much choice!
I’m also looking to change a few bits around. I already got a black hipshot bassextender and I like how the head looks with one black tuner. I’ll need new knobs when I change the preamp,so I’m going black there too ,along with a black control panel too.
The pickguard isn’t going to stay white either ,although I haven’t settled on what I want doing with it as the second humbucker robs me of “canvas” space…
Have a look at this man’s work and hold your wallet tight:
I am a huge fan of the black hardware.
I may go black hardware on my Ray4. I know its a ray 4, but I love the damn thing.
I may go black hardware on my Stingray SLO Special also, but I will be pickier about the bridge and control plate.
I have not looked extensively, but I haeve not found much in top quality covers and knobs. Alot of the bridges are not that great of quality, or they are not the right style, but I did find a few that are perfectly acceptable for my Ray4, and the cheap control panel and knobs are not that huge a deal for the Ray4. I will put Hipshot tuners on it, and change the pick guard from the black it is, to the FAUX Diamond Plate pickguard that I found on Ebay.
I think it will look tight.
I fourn a few FUN pick guards for the Slo special and I want to liven it up since it is just WHITE. The WD custom pickguards have 3 that I really like, but I have having a hard time forking over $65 for a pickguard. I am trying to work some deals to get them down to around $40.
I accidentally selected the Old Smoothie pick-guard when I snapped the Screen Shots, so that is why the pick up hole looks so big. on the last one, it looks right, it was the right pick guard selected.
There is a “V for Vendetta” one that is called “anonymous” for the style.
This was my first choice, but I think I like the Comic one better cuz it is more colorful.
This is the Comic one I like it for the colors mostly.
I do really like this STAR TARGET. Its like Captain America kind of, but thats not what I like about it, I just like the colors and design.
I like this one for my Dark Blue Ray 4 also.
Or the Zombie Head (although IDK if I will end up liking the color combo for a long time with this one. it is cool, but I think I would grow tired of it)
I also like this EYEBALL one. Gross, IK, but I like the red that pops out from the white.
Or I may opt for the cheaper route and get the Solid Red, or Mirror Red
I think I would like solid red on my Ray4 too.
But I am really going after this one for my Ray4.
I like it good enough, I wish it has more color, or color choices, but it is a really good price and I don’t have a lot to spend today right now.
So I am getting this one for sure off Ebay, it is only $26 shipped.
Hell, I may end up with one on my SLO Special too if it looks good in person.
Or I might even get one of the onter ones from the e-bay seller like carbon fiber or the Jolly roger flag, etc…
But for now, I plan for this one first, for my Ray4.
I will move the black one on the Ray 4 to the Slo Special so it is white with black instead of that uglier then ugly Tortoise.
Also, with some of those designs, I bet they would look good with white pick ups.
And
I bet some of them don’t look the same when they are on the bass, so I bet you could end up either really happy, or disappointed.
A solid color, or something like Carbon Fiber or that Faux Diamont plate, it is hard to not get what you think.
Some of those like the Star Target (which I really really like, almost my top choice) could look lame when it goes on the bass, so it is hard to want to fork over $60 for it.
Personalizing a bass is half the fun, right? at least looking at the possibilities is fun IMO.
OHHHH
I just saw the pick up covers in ORANGE. I for sure want some of those.
That 3d pick guard is interesting. I like how it is a design, but also useful for multiple anchoring points for your thumb instead of having to stay at the pick up all the time.
Yeah, I agree with you there.
I like that I could add some color to it this way as well.
Good tip, thanks.
Too bad its an old listing. It says itwas a WD custom. so if it is WD, they are not that cheap. that one for $20 was a steal, but ti go to WD and get one made I think will cost alot more then that, orthe FAUX one, so I may live with the FAUX for now, until there is another good deal on an aluminum one.
Woooooohoooo,those pickguards look cracking!!!
Man oh man the second humbucker really robs one of the real estate when it comes to making it look good!
You have just send me down another rabbit hole!
I used to have a little graphics workshop- vinyl and all that, so I’m thinking I need to convert the pickguard shape into a digital measurement and then I can have whatever design takes my fancy and have it printed onto removable vinyl…that way the designs can be changed quite easily and most importantly cheaply!
The pickguards are not much bigger than an A3 size and to have those printed is comically cheap,while the quality nowadays is as good as whatever the original graphics are. Hmmm,I wonder how difficult it would be to get digital measurements of all the popular pickguards…
new hobby maybe?!
You got me thinking about the different coloured pickups too, I think the Sub is actually an ideal bass for tinkering. The body is beautiful ,the neck great and I think you could get it to sound and look amazing for the price of maybe the ray34
I’m also onto the black hardware, chrome has never been my friend. Just a pity it is quite tricky to get to to change the finish o it. I looked into making it black ,but from what I could find the results aren’t that great
Especially when you find them on Offer Up for $150 or less.
I have been looking out for them, and one popped up today, but it was one of the colors I would not want. Mint.
Now the Lobster Mint-o-Ray turned out pretty sick with the black hardware and the new black pearl pick-guard, and he put in a nice pre-amp and pick up.
I bet I could take that, get the black hardware (the cheaper stuff) and cover plate and knobs for under $75. (I have looked) then add that black pearl pick guard for $9.99 (e-bay) and make the thing pop and look bad ass.
Without touching the electronics, I wonder if I could turn it for a price making it worthwhile.
Lets see
$150 for the bass, (maybe $125 if they take my offer), lets call it $135
$18.99 for black clover tuners (not quality, but not the absolute worst, there are cheaper ones)
I could get a cheap bridge, but painting the stock one black might actually be a better option
$18.99 for bridge or $9.99 for spray paint
Cover plate is $8.99
the knobs are $8.99 for 4, only need 3.
will need to paing some of the little parts black too
Pick Guard $9.99
If I want to get really crazy, some strap hooks / mounts, whatever they are called. allow for $10
so
$135
plus
$18.99
$18.99 and $9.99
$8.99
$8.99
$9.99
$10
after tax
$97.83. give or take $10 depends if go only paint
So for $232.83, or lets really just call it $235 it could be tricked out, but I don’t know if I would be able to sell it for $350, or $325 even, or $300 would still land a $65 profit. it would be fun doing it, learn alot, and could be something to help build up the Bass Fund Pot.
But I would have to sell it for $235 to break even.
Now, I would be happy to do this, and just keep the bass if I couldn’t sell it for any profit, or even to break even, but I don’t want a Mint one, even decked out like Lobster did (which I will admit looked pretty tits), I just don’t want a mint one, at least not on the cheap like that. Imight come up with some other funky mix and match colors and get really wild, Prine or Bootsy like, but I wouldn’t want to cheap out on the hardware, and would probably replace the electronics.
I could do it with a Black or White, or Blue or Red or even the toluca lake blue on the Ray24ca, and end up with something I would keep if I couldn’t sell it. but I think it would be a whole lot of fun to do.
That is why I keep my eyes open for a Ray4 that is $150 or less.
Even if it has issues, fixing it and working thru the issues would be some of the learning part, and be fun.
I will do my Ray4 with black hardware all the way around eventually, but I am going to put the good stuff, and the tuners run $100 a set of hipshot, or $35 each thru MM, the bridge will have to be after market and the cover plate I found for only $10, but the Real knobs from MM black are $10 each, so it will take a little time for me to get the money and items lined up.
That is where some extra cheese from pimping out the Ray4’s would help, if I could find people wanting the pimped out versions.
I would probably end up with another 4-5 Ray4’s laying around, but hey, at least they would be pimp.
I have seen some specs for some pick guards in rough layouts. They are rough sketch that is used to help you determine if the pick guard will fit your bass.
The drawing and outline, with hole locations is not accurate enough for what you are looking for, but if I can get some dimensions, I should be able to draw it up for you in a CAD system. I could export it in useable geometry most likely something that your program could read.
I love this idea, being able to change them.
Get solid orange
Get a comic design.
Get some DimeBag shadow camouflage sort of, in orange desert camo colors
heck, orange desert camo would make a cool pickguard itself.
Oh man, there are a million things I could come up with that would be so cool.
Speaking of which, do you havee access to do this now?
There is a company that is in France (I beleive) and they make some realy cool vinyl decal and stick on designs for guitars and bass guitars, but they are in France, and it takes a while for shipping and the cost is a little pricey if I recall correctly.
They do simple headstock sillouettes of Slash, Dime, Angus Young, etc…mostly guitar players. It could be cool to have some of those of bass players.
They also make smaller ones that are used as Fret Markers, so you could have SLASH fret markers for 3-5-7-9 and on 12 it is double Slash sillouettes.
or DIme which are the ones I like. (and actually want the Dime ones to pimp out my DEAN MetalMan bass (the same shape that Dime played guitar on).
I was also looking at some of the graphics incase I couldn’t find a pickguard that I liked to put on my White Stingray SLO Special.
They have one that looks like drops and drips and pools of blood running down the bass body, or some wicked skull / deamon / monster type things.
They also have pin stripes, racing stripes, and other SHAPE vinyls that are pretty cool.
I thought just some orange racing stripes coming from each side of the neck, down the body, but not showing where the pickguard would be.
Lots of cool things, but they are not super cheap, and with shipping, it is not so easy to just dive in and give them a try.
I forgot to mention, they have classic block inlay stickers or dots, for fretboards that don’t have anything and somebody wants them, and also get elaborated with sort of PRS type inlays, big birds or dragons.
Again, possibilities, they are limitless. Would be great just to use them, but if you can make and market them, might be some $$ in it for you as well.
