BigRedX Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 [quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1484604317' post='3216829'] Thats great if you can actually get to your amp... or don't want to manipulate the EQ mid song without going over to your amp. [/quote] I can always get to me amp no matter what the stage size. Plus mid-song I'm going to be to busy actually playing to be spending any time fiddling with the controls whether they are on my bass or at the amp. [quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1484604252' post='3216827'] You do realise that if you run them passive, the pickups are going straight to the jack or running with horribly wrong pot values? [/quote] Most basses that have an active/passive switch actually have passive volume and pickup blend controls, only the EQ is active and that becomes disabled in passive mode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markstuk Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 And to go back to the OP's point, I don't sense dislike, just different preferences. I don't want to play a pbass with 10 yr old flats through a trace Elliot rig, yet it works for some people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painy Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 I only played active basses for many years - not because I felt they had to be active but because all the basses I wanted to own during that time happened to be active. A couple of years ago I decided I fancied a change and got a passive Jazz and then a precision. Unfortunately I was so used to active that for some reason I just couldn't get the sound I wanted from those passive basses so now I use a pre-amp pedal with the jazz, added an active circuit to the precision and bought an active Sterling SUB Ray to go with then and I'm happy again. I love the sound of passive precision and jazz basses - but only it seems when it's someone else playing them for some reason! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 (edited) Personally I love active basses. All my basses have been active or very soon became active. Why? Well, I personally like to have the ability to drive my tone from the bass and a smooth pickup pan facility. I love Jazz basses but can't get on with the two volume set up. Pan pot every time. And I change batteries regularly enough that sudden battery death isn't an overriding worry. [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1484603254' post='3216807'] Unless the controls on your bass do something very different such as the filter EQ of the Wal or ACG, or they allow you to EQ each pickup separately, I really can't see the point as all they do is duplicate what you should already have available on your amp. [/quote] And my approach is the opposite of this. My amp is adjusted at sound check (simply any necessary room based tweaks to a largely flat EQ setting) and then tonal changes all come from the bass - from changes in pickup pan, EQ or plucking style and position. Horses, courses etc. Neither approach is right or wrong. Edited January 17, 2017 by TrevorR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzjames Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 [u]Anthony Jackson, James Jamerson, Jaco Pastorius, Pino Palladino[/u]. They all played passive instruments, and their tone is amazing so any argument for better tone goes out the window. Different tone, sure. Think Marcus Miller for that, but that's not what I'm going for. I just don't like fiddling while I'm playing. If I need to change the tone, I change what I'm doing with my hands. And you only need it to happen once when a battery fails on stage to know that relying on a £3 battery as a crucial chain in your signal path is not cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolo Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 (edited) [quote name='Jazzjames' timestamp='1484635684' post='3216954'] [u]Anthony Jackson, James Jamerson, Jaco Pastorius, Pino Palladino[/u]. They all played passive instruments, and their tone is amazing so any argument for better tone goes out the window. Different tone, sure. Think Marcus Miller for that, but that's not what I'm going for. I just don't like fiddling while I'm playing. If I need to change the tone, I change what I'm doing with my hands. And you only need it to happen once when a battery fails on stage to know that relying on a £3 battery as a crucial chain in your signal path is not cool. [/quote] Personal preference again. What about different styles of music? What about the £3 patch cable on your pedalboard or kettle lead? The wire from the pickup to the Jack? There are so many cheap parts in a signal chain it's amazing anything works :-D Some will want to make adjustments without walking back to their amp. Some will find passive tone controls do the job. There is no argument that can't be turned over the other way. Personal preference. 👍 Edited January 17, 2017 by Bolo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Learned on a passive bass, if it was good enough for Jaco... then... Oooh look at this new thing, some people on this forum say this thing is amazing I must sell off all my basses to have just active basses... then... Don't like active basses - not for me, going back to simple passive 4 strings, leo got it right... then... Ooh look a 5th string, some people on a forum say I should try it. I'm going to sell all my 4 strings and replace them with 5 - they mostly are active then... ooh look new bells and whistles preamps from East/ACG/Aguilar/Glockenklang/Ebay, people rave about these, I'm going to fit them on all my basses then... Don't like active basses - not for me, going back to simple passive 4 strings, leo got it right... repeat ad infinitum .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 (edited) I think I have all flavours, active, passive and active/passive switchable. Don't use effects though. I have no strong preference but in terms of live work as I use a wireless system I generally prefer active basses as I can stand out in the room and tweak a couple of things to seek the best sound and it saves walking back and forth to the head to change settings. My amp is run with everything flat with the honourable exception of a tiny bit of mid boost. That having been said I've played the last few gigs with the bass into a DI box into the desk and then fed back through the on-stage monitors. When a band is in full tilt I think it's pretty hard to tell what the bass is so for me it's just the convenience of having a preamp a few inches from my hand rather than several yards away . I very rarely change settings post sound-check. Edited January 17, 2017 by ead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1484603254' post='3216807'] Unless the controls on your bass do something very different such as the filter EQ of the Wal or ACG, or they allow you to EQ each pickup separately, I really can't see the point as all they do is duplicate what you should already have available on your amp. [/quote]That depends on the preamp. As you know,some preamps have a sound that might be preferable to the player,that they can't get from there amplifier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 [quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1484640287' post='3216985'] Learned on a passive bass, if it was good enough for Jaco... then... Oooh look at this new thing, some people on this forum say this thing is amazing I must sell off all my basses to have just active basses... then... Don't like active basses - not for me, going back to simple passive 4 strings, leo got it right... then... Ooh look a 5th string, some people on a forum say I should try it. I'm going to sell all my 4 strings and replace them with 5 - they mostly are active then... ooh look new bells and whistles preamps from East/ACG/Aguilar/Glockenklang/Ebay, people rave about these, I'm going to fit them on all my basses then... Don't like active basses - not for me, going back to simple passive 4 strings, leo got it right... repeat ad infinitum .... [/quote] Phew! Thank God, I'm doing it right then. All I would correct above is the "Leo got it right". I must go round my basses and fit hi-mass bridges and light weight tuners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I`ve had a few active basses and all were good, but for me I prefer to just have one pickup, one tone control, and get one sound and hammer away. That said, when I was depping for a rock covers band I used an active Precision that had P/J pickups and it was incredibly useful at achieving the tones approximate to the original versions of the songs I was playing so I`d say tools for the job really. More efficient to do it all with one bass than carry a load around to gigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I prefer active. Less noise, more flexible - funny when people say there's too many knobs and it's confusing... if you can work a toaster you can learn the controls on a bass guitar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6feet7 Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 [quote name='grandad' timestamp='1484599867' post='3216751'] I don't want to have the hassle of battery changing. I like to keep things very simple and straightforward, less to go wrong, and less likely to forget something. I don't want any more knobs to play with, I have quite sufficient. [/quote] This Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I never knew this was an issue. I haven't owned an active bass but I do like the sound of a Stingray for example. As said it's just personal taste. I could get by quite happily with no batteries or control knobs and just have a kill switch. But if you like more than one sound or the sound of a particular active bass I can see how an active eq on the bass would be useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 (edited) I seem to remember this coming up before Factually, the only passive bass is an acoustic bass. All basses that generate a voltage are amplified, some at the amp, some at the instrument as well (and some at the instrument, pedal board x X, and the amp etc....). So that lovely passive signal that some folk rave about gets amplified just the same. I don't think anyone has mentioned this but the main reason that basses themselves had a pre amp fitted was to boost the signal because of degradation through the cable. EQ came along a little bit later because it was an obvious development. The other big difference is that active EQ allows you to add as well as take away. I've got one passive bass in my herd of 9 and as it's a 4 it doesn't get used anyway (which is a bit sad as it's a lovely double cut LP with T'bird pups). I know what the EQ does on all my basses including full fat ACG filter equipped so I don't fiddle with it, I use it. In the range of onboard pre-amplification there is a vast choice of options, settings and prices. Things like sweepable mid control and a high pass filter to remove the cab threatening lower rumbling are invaluable to me. The John East pre-amps in passive mode retain proper passive blend and tone control btw. Those that struggle with any more than a single tone control had better keep away from my full spec Uber ACG Finn 10 coils per pickup, 2 Low Pass filters each with a resonant peak control and a mid boost pull switch, a sweepable mid control and a passive knob too (hooray) that is actually very useful as it works in active as well as passive and is great for rolling off some tone easily. So the best of both worlds. I'll happily go through it with anyone and once set I use blend and passive tone to change my sound - just like a passive 2 pickup bass. Each to their own, I'm a very average ability player and there's a lot of you guys that have a passive Fender P bass and would knock me into a cocked hat Peter Edited January 17, 2017 by GreeneKing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 [quote name='grandad' timestamp='1484599867' post='3216751'] I don't want to have the hassle of battery changing. I like to keep things very simple and straightforward, less to go wrong, and less likely to forget something. I don't want any more knobs to play with, I have quite sufficient. [/quote] I think this sums up the position of many, from what I've heard, more than actives having an inherent sound (which I don't think they do, they are all different). For some the battery is a 'hassle'. Some think that replacing a battery once a year is hardly a 'hassle' (myself included), but the thing is I don't choose a bass because it's active, I choose it because I like how it sounds, and active/passive is just not a factor... if it has a battery I'll deal with it, if it doesn't, then it doesn't. If, however, the bass you like is passive... then you can see how adding an active circuit may seem unnecessary, if what it adds is not interesting enough for you, so yeah, then it's a 'hassle'. I don't worry about electronics going wrong or batteries. The risk is minimal, negligible, to me. But that's just me. There's nothing 'superior' about active or passive... or one vs multiple pickups. "Oh, but two pickups are more versatile, you get a wider range of tones, so it's better". No, it isn't better *for me* if the sound I like is the one coming from a specific one-pickup bass. Some, like grandad above, mention liking things simple, fewer controls etc, and I sympathise with that. Having had basses with multiple switches and 3-4 band EQ... I find them distracting. But again, that's just me and my personal preference. My personal preference is active EQ, onboard, because I like the ability to tweak the sound just so at my fingertips. But a lot of preamp/instrument combinations leave me cold, so I guess I'm mostly talking about particular preamps in particular basses. I would not prefer just any active bass over any passive bass. I like my Precision passive as it is, thank you very much. I like my JJ and P/JJ passive too... a Jazz I like either way, and a Stingray active because their preamp seems just right for that instrument, to me. It all boils down to how much you like a given instrument... if it's active you will embrace the battery etc, if it's not then you won't have a reason to put up with it (even if it's just a once a year event)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 All my basses have East preamps in them - I use a fair spread of tones in the function band, and I don't want to faff with my backline to do it - especially if we're using in-ears without backline I don't have any axe to grind either way; it is, as has been pointed out several times, all down to personal taste and preference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tee Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 As stated, it's a matter of personal taste. I prefer passive. More organic to my ears. I also don't like the look of plastic battery compartments in the back of a bass, nor having to worry about batteries. But then i'm also of the belief that a bass only needs one pickup, in the sweet spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 No dislike of active basses here. The only preference I have is for passive P basses. Other than that it depends on the sound of the instrument, the pickups and the pre amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillento Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 There are a few aspects to consider: - traditional tones vs. modern scooped tones (musical fashion) I for myself, I have several reasons playing only passive instruments these days, but they all come back to the same point: sound! I did one album production with two active hi-end JJs and PJs where I had major sound issues. the studio guy (not the tech) brought in a passive JJ, a passive P and a Rick and from there on, everything went fine from there on. I discovered that passive instruments are "better" sounding especially in the studio. They produce less annoying (to the song) frequencies and are better audible (frequency-wise) in a mix. As far as dynamics are concerned, according to a very reputable preamp builder, a preamp needs at least 27 volts (as opposed to 18 or even 9 volts) to provide the same headroom as a pure passive bass. I have been playing active JJs and PJs (Sadowsky, esh, Trace Elliot, Lakland,...) for a very long time. As soon as I got my first passive Nordstrand VP5, I haven't bought a single active bass again. Nowadays I am using two Nordy VP5, a Reverend Rumblefish R5L, a Squier JV P and an Epiphone Jack Casady and all of them do fit right into the mix of any band I am playing with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I'm easy, have both and never really give it much thought. If i use my passive basses i adjust the amp as required or needed. If i use my active basses i use both the amp or bass EQ as required. I'm more interested in whether i like playing the bass. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Either is fine with me. Passive P bass - great. Active Stingray - great. The one instrument that straddles the boundaries well is my Big Al SSS which is basically a bizarre 3 pickup bass that nails a P bass tone, and the active/passive switchover is so incredibly well refined that both are worth using all the time. The main issue is a GOOD passive tone control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Reading previous posts, IMO replacing a battery is less hassle than changing strings and less frequent. What can go wrong with active Electrics on basses? They hardly ever go wrong these days, and most preamps have a "get you home" passive option anyway. They are only as difficult to operate as you want to make them. At the very least you can start with all the controls in the middle and work back and forwards from there. I have 2 passive basses and 3 active basses and I just had to stop and think which was which! My Lull Jazz is an 18v pre amp. My first experience of one of these. Yet again the sloppiness in my technique has been exposed! This bass has a level of clarity and punch that I've not experienced before. It sounds amazing. Buy the bass you like the sound of, if it's active or passive is something that should be discovered later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 [quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1484599704' post='3216748'] It's the normal basschat argument fodder..:-) Other examples include Pbass vs everything else Fender vs everything else Flats vs rounds Neo vs ferrite Valve vs everything else Class D vs everything else.. 😂[/quote] I dream of living in a world where "pick vs fingers" isn't so regularly debated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markstuk Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 [quote name='Burrito' timestamp='1484649074' post='3217089'] I dream of living in a world where "pick vs fingers" isn't so regularly debated. [/quote] perhaps we should make a naughty list that can't be discussed... ? 4 strings versus 5 strings Long scale B string vs "standard/short" B string Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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