Description
The XTCT-LZ is Bartolini’s 3-band tone control module for guitars, basses, and other electric instruments that want real EQ shaping rather than a simple passive roll-off. It delivers generous boost and cut across Bass, Midrange, and Treble, letting you dial in tonal territory reminiscent of vintage Fender amps with their Bass, Treble, and Presence (low-mid) controls — all from onboard your instrument.
This Low Z version is voiced specifically for the input levels typical of medium-output passive magnetic pickups (under 70mV per Bartolini’s output charts). Feed it something hotter — active pickups, or some of Bartolini’s higher-output 4-string bass humbuckers — and depending on how aggressively you push the boost stages, you can run into distortion at the input or output side of the circuit.
A few notes on matching this preamp to your pickups:
- Active pickups can be attenuated cleanly into the XTCT-LZ without altering their tonal character.
- High-output passive pickups are better served by the XTCT-B, a lower-gain variant built for that range.
- Low-output passive pickups (under 30mV) should instead use the XTCT-H, which offers higher built-in gain with lower noise.
If you’re committed to the LZ version but running lower-output pickups, Bartolini’s wiring diagram 4 shows a workaround for boosting overall gain — though the XTCT-H remains the cleaner, quieter solution for that scenario.
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