LukeFRC

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1379765002' post='2216538'] I hardly think a few mm vs a few cm in the length of the lead between the pickup and the buffer is going to make any real difference. [/quote] yes and no. Partly depends on how many pickups you have. It's a buffer for each pickup. So it would only make no real difference if we were talking about one pickup or a preamp with each input buffered and then an active blend. Here you're talking about the higher end preamp designs... A lot (most) of onboard preamps put the pickup signal through a passive blend and volume and then into the preamp for buffering and Eq. As an aside the original musicman preamp was quite cool in that it fed the pickup straight into the preamp and then used the volume control on the output gain stage of the preamp.

A point to note - the "flat" setting on any active eq might not actually be the flat in terms of sound. Some onboard preamps are built this way (glockenklang for instance springs to mind) whereas others set flat will display characteristic bumps in your Eq curve. [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1379759919' post='2216474'] BTW What exactly are "active pickups" and how do they differ from a normal magnet and wire coil pickup attached by a very short lead to a pre-amp? I can't help but think that it's all marketing bullshit. [/quote] Active pickups, EMG being the main proponent is where each pickup itself has a preamp and possibly tone shaping built into the pickup. This can then be fed through a pretty much standard passive volume and tone control (different value pots though) and into an amp, or into a onboard preamp. Effectively you are right that they are normal magnet and wire coil with a tiny lead to their own preamp... but it's good to make the distinction so people understnad where it is their signal is being buffered. EDIT: as can be seen here:

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1379671394' post='2215458'] I don't have small hands by any means but find skinny and shallow necks much more comfortable to play. Even to the extent of just a couple of mm - recently bought a lovely Silver Series Jazz bass - beautiful old battered thing that sounds great - but for some reason the neck was 40mm at the nut. I am going to change it to a Mighty Mite Jazz neck as I just feel that much more comfortable with it. Just the way it is - big guys play Jazz basses, ladies with tiny hands play 5/6 string basses - no logic. [/quote] I have a similar age japanese squier precision neck on my bitsa jazz - oddly it's also 40mm - i think they just all went similar sizes. Nice necks though. It must onyl be a few mm between that and the streamer (narrower necks) and the Precision (wider) but it makes such a difference- mind you Dave-the-bass I think may have a point and I may pushing with too much/little pressure as the neck's thinner - which suggests I could get back up to speed on it... or might just chuck it and replace it with something with a thinner neck!

I'm not that sentimental about things - Ive a box of trinkets and stuff I've picked up over the years that is nice to have, and some books I like. Gear wise I sold my first bass to buy something better when it wasn't getting used so don't regret that. My japanese '57ri I had was great - that was my first gigging bass - and kinda wish I'ld kept it - it got sold to afford the JV I currently have - which looks identical and plays better... but it doesn't have the same history. The SS1 i didn't like at first, but changed parts, fret job, and almost 5 years of playing and... I couldn't find a better bass.

[quote name='pietruszka' timestamp='1379693568' post='2215838'] I'm in the same boat as Machines. My dad (sadly not with us any more) got me my Stingray for my 18th birthday. That will never leave me if it's the last thing I do! I can't bare the thought of parting with it, and one of the last conversations we had about gear was him saying "that bass was the best thing I ever got you". Dan [/quote] that's such a good story.

For years and years I played a certain bass, then I replaced it with another bass essentially the same. It has a big wide flat neck. Never a problem I have small short fingers. Then I started playing another bass with a narrower neck accross the fretboard. My playing has progressed. The original bass doesn't fit my hand any more. I can feel myself straining to reach, and some things I can't do quick enough that I can on the thinner necked bass. It's all a bit odd, anyone else experienced this? Is it just that one fits my hand (it does) and the other one is a compromise - or is it that I've just got used to what I'm playing and with practice and time I will be able to go from one to the other no problem. I was always a tiny bit proud I could get by on the wider necked bass with no problems given my stubby fingers - no moaning from me! but it does make a difference. (and does it mean no 5 strings for me ever?!)

bit odd this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trace-Elliot-Prototype-Bass-guitar-made-in-2000-/271280784342?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3f299843d6 so remember the status T bass in the 90's - well apparently this is being sold as a prototype from about 2000 (when it was a gibson company) Who knows what it is - interestingly the fingerboard markers look like the ones status was using on their wood necked basses - but it looks like a one piece neck where I think status used 3 piece.... all a bit odd. Looks well put together whatever it is

I write on my batteries when I stuck them In. I check them when I do a set up or something every few months. If they are over a year and a half old then I just replace them - never had one die on me.

[quote name='cocco' timestamp='1379535594' post='2213980'] Passive for me, I like the simplicity of use on stage, the natural sound of the bass and the lack of a battery. I've tried actives and owned many, Warwick streamer s1 5er, musicman bongo and stingray, trace T-bass, Shuker single cut headless 4 and possibly more. I found them mostly lacking personality, with the exception of the ray. They were too clean and clinical sounding. I like things a little rough 'round the edges. People talk about the output of active basses, and yes it's higher than most passives, but there are plenty of people who'll make you a high output passive pickup. That said I am currently inexplicably also drawn to the troy sanders bass. [/quote] Passive = simplicity??? the first bass in your thread is a Peavey T40!!! I've had one of them - my current bass has a dual filter preamp with 8 knobs... but it's simpler than the passive T40 to get your head round!!! While we're on the T40.... I had one - and to my hands it felt a little dead, compared to my main bass at the time which is super resonant the T40's massive bridge effectivly decoupled the body from the strings. Odd to play but designed that way and playing with a band you realised it didn't matter too much and it was very rewarding bass to play. My point is that the way the bass was constructed, then the pickups and pickup placement determined the sound - and a active circuit after all that isn't going to make too much difference unless it's been designed that way (in the way a stingray or alembic have). My point - wether it takes batteries or not is the least of your worries when bass shopping. [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1379539035' post='2214060'] I know what you are saying but people are still boosting frequencies without even knowing it in many cases, I am not familar with every amp but I presume many have active EQs like my Genz heads? Also many basses use 18v or even a lead feeding endless power to the bass from a fixed power supply just like the amp has, I know EBS Freak has this for a fact, it also runs all his leds, metronome and tuner, the average P bass lover would be put off by that without hearing it! [/quote] I bet however fancy the EBS system they aint pushing mains voltage down the instument cable! My more serious point was that onboard bass preamps are a compromise of design wether they are on 9 or 18v power supply- in each cases the designer has to ballance the best part with it's power consumption. There's no point making a curcuit that sounds amazing but burns through batteries in only an hour. Obviously on an amp you don't have these constraints and can go for higher power consumption chips... or even ramp the power up and use tubes in your Eq section.... ooooo....

[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1379535231' post='2213973'] Mark said it improved it, but what he meant was that he thought it improved it. One shouldn't confuse opinion for fact. [/quote] i did say more or less that.. then decided to remove it from my post. Tecamp preamp is pretty good to my ears - esp with the onboard compressor

[quote name='Mark Dixon' timestamp='1379357049' post='2211733'] You can pre-order for £1599 from Bass Direct [url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Vanderkley_Aurora_amplifier.html"]http://www.bassdirec..._amplifier.html[/url] It will be interesting to see how the pre-amp in the Auroa performs. I've just bought a Jule Monique tube pre-amp and used it to by pass the pre-amps in friend's amps, namely: Tecamp Puma 900 Aguilar DB751 (assuming you can hear the amp over the droning fans cooling the bloody thing) Aguilar TH500 Genz Benz Streamliner 900 It was astonishing how the Monique improved the sound from all of them, I guess the pre-amp is the weakest part, hopefully the Aurora addresses this weakness. [/quote] improved? you stick a top of the range boutique valve preamp that you like the tone off before almost anything and it will probably improve it! ESP. when comparing it to bass amps either way cheaper than the preamp or going for solid state lightweight. (or are a DB751 - which I know nothing about apart from it's big and silver)

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1379532762' post='2213900'] How many people on here bang on about passive basses only to put it straight into a modern amp with an active EQ? What they are saying is they prefer a pickup with a really long lead [/quote] The difference is that the amp EQ isn't being forced to run on a 9v battery.... Mind you some classic bass sounds require a certain Eq - the ray, and the slightly nasel sound of a Warwick eq spring to mind

Dr Bass, that's the fella who used to make amazing wee cabs that everyone raved about and then went a bit awol and everyone on talkbass raved init? why do they give you the L pads? what's the theory behind that?

is it that much for one of them? andy baxter I don't think is that overpriced normally

It really depends on what you're wanting to do doesn't it? My main bass has a very fancy (and daftly expensive) preamp in it - but it is filter based and can do things my amp can't and sounds great (but not passive) my other basses are passive, I like that sound too. On their own the passive sounds better - in the mix I can shape where I am in the mix easier with an active preamp. BUT I have done sound/pa for years so can hear what I'm trying to get in terms of FOH sound and the overall band mix. Otherwise you can change tone with an active bass.... but you can do that almost as effectivly with moving your plucking hand... if I were buying a new bass at the cheap end I personally wouldn't bother with active.

Really really beg Richardd to sell you that Valenti of his.

[quote name='Ray' timestamp='1379447175' post='2212893'] The Mid Sweep 01 looks like it might do the trick. Thanks guys! [/quote] email him and say it's for a piezo though.... depending if you've already put the pizo signal through a preamp...

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1379456672' post='2213033'] Yes... I always drop a PM to a seller when I take delivery... just seems courteous to me. [/quote] it's when they don't reply to the "did it get there then? is it ok? are you happy?" message I sent them. Odd

The amount of times you post something worth several hundred pounds via a courier, the courier says they delivered it.... but you never hear from the buyer again. that's more odd.

Tecamp Puma 1000 (powersoft version) and Tecamp M210, the neo version. every so often think of changing but, meh it works

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1379402544' post='2212114'] Why don't you just get a pre-amp with a passive option? Lol [/quote] the bass does according to the op s sale thread. - just the pups are active too.