'Boutique' active P type basses...

[Musicman20]

Maybe i'm being far too cynical, but I don't see why you'd need an active P bass.

Surely you are better off with a decent passive Fender and the right strings?

I used to own an American Standard Deluxe Fender P, the one with the humbucker, and it sounded nothing like a P bass should if im honest.

Every time I see a demo of an active P bass its 'oh I leave the EQ flat and roll the tone down'.

Edited September 13, 2012 by Musicman20

[Dingus]

Serendipity! Strangly enough , I woke up today thinking about these beauties that I saw for the first time the other day , thinking " I've never seen the point of active Precision basses , but these look and sound mega! " :

http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/09/02/xotic-introduces-4-string-version-of-xp-1t-bass/

That gold one is downright luscious, and the sunburst is a bit of alright too.

On the question of whether the actives would be of any use, I think if you were to add a touch of bass and a touch of mid, it might bring out the P-Bass kind of sound even more in the right situation, but these can be switched to passive anyway, and look like they would be a great straight-ahead P style bass , regardless. I used an active Jazz Bass as my main bass for nearly nine years and used to set the pickup pan pot about 1/3 of the way past the centre detent towards the neck pickup with the bass and mids boosted slightly to get a Precision like sound and it worked really well.

These Xotic basses ain't cheap, but they look lovely quality, and I particulaly like touches like the wooden pickup covers .

[Lozz196]

I was in a band where the bassist had an active Precision. Didn`t sound like a Precision at all, was all horribly clicky-clicky, like it was just more an active fret-board. Yuck! But of course, that was the way he was using it, with the amp and bass eq, doesn`t mean a good sound couldn`t be coaxed from it, just that I never heard one.

[Fat Rich]

Leo Fender must have thought it was a good idea, he went on to make the Stingray

[Musicman20]

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1347610065' post='1802938']
Leo Fender must have thought it was a good idea, he went on to make the Stingray
[/quote]

Oh yes, but totally totally different sound

[Gust0o]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1347622054' post='1803116']
Oh yes, but totally totally different sound
[/quote]

Absolutely.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1347622054' post='1803116']
Oh yes, but totally totally different sound
[/quote]
I dunno, it is utterly different - but I think he was aiming for the same thing musically.

[Raggy]

Have you tried a John East P Retro?

[Musicman20]

[quote name='Raggy' timestamp='1347622893' post='1803146']
Have you tried a John East P Retro?
[/quote]

That is the only one I'd give a bash. I am all for technological advances (hell, I like the Bongo) but something about a P Bass to me is the pure simplicity. Plug in, tone control to taste, done.

I've heard a lot of active P basses and they have something that takes away the organic P bass tone...although I've yet to hear a P Retro in the flesh so to speak.

I think its the high mids...they almost become a little too cutting and precise/modern.

[Musicman20]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1347622156' post='1803118']
I dunno, it is utterly different - but I think he was aiming for the same thing musically.
[/quote]

True, he was...basically an advance on the P bass...which I can see where that comes from. But, if he wanted a P bass but active, he failed and rather randomly created one of the best bass guitar tones known to man...sweetspot humbucker with the Ray EQ.

The P to me sounds a hell of a lot warmer, less defined, it does get aggressive but it doesn't kick you in the face like a Stingray with the treble dialed up.

[chris_b]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1347567781' post='1802642']
....I don't see why you'd need an active P bass....
[/quote]

Not just boutique basses; Fender made active basses in the 80's, and still does.

….and why does Fender put jazz pickups on a P bass?

Because they can and as long as the sound is good then someone will buy them and love them.


[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1347567781' post='1802642']
....Surely you are better off with a decent passive Fender and the right strings?....
[/quote]

I guess that the bottom line is that I'm better off with my choice, not yours.



[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1347623824' post='1803182']
...and rather randomly created one of the best bass guitar tones known to man....
[/quote]

Nothing Leo Fender did was random or by accident. Everything he did was intended.
[font=Arial] [/font]

[Raggy]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1347623687' post='1803175']
That is the only one I'd give a bash. I am all for technological advances (hell, I like the Bongo) but something about a P Bass to me is the pure simplicity. Plug in, tone control to taste, done.

I've heard a lot of active P basses and they have something that takes away the organic P bass tone...although I've yet to hear a P Retro in the flesh so to speak.

I think its the high mids...they almost become a little too cutting and precise/modern.
[/quote]

I think the phrase "P Bass on steroids" fits perfectly.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1347623824' post='1803182']
True, he was...basically an advance on the P bass...which I can see where that comes from. But, if he wanted a P bass but active, he failed and rather randomly created one of the best bass guitar tones known to man...sweetspot humbucker with the Ray EQ.

The P to me sounds a hell of a lot warmer, less defined, it does get aggressive but it doesn't kick you in the face like a Stingray with the treble dialed up.
[/quote]
If you listen to where a P bass will typically sit in rock music mix, and then a Jazz bass. Then compare it to a ray- then the ray is very close to the feel of the P - in the mix. - but with added variety - I really really do not think that this was random chance - the fact that most ray copies can't really pull it off suggests the sound is the result of many things in the design, not a random fluke.

[Musicman20]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1347624905' post='1803208']
If you listen to where a P bass will typically sit in rock music mix, and then a Jazz bass. Then compare it to a ray- then the ray is very close to the feel of the P - in the mix. - but with added variety - I really really do not think that this was random chance - the fact that most ray copies can't really pull it off suggests the sound is the result of many things in the design, not a random fluke.
[/quote]

I didn't mean it was actually totally random, as he got the P and J right...so he knew what he was doing. What I meant that was he created something that is quite different to a P, perhaps this was intended. As mentioned, apparently he couldn't hear the high end on the Ray hence why it is so aggressive.

[Musicman20]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1347624417' post='1803197']
Not just boutique basses; Fender made active basses in the 80's, and still does.

….and why does Fender put jazz pickups on a P bass?

Because they can and as long as the sound is good then someone will buy them and love them.




I guess that the bottom line is that I'm better off with my choice, not yours.





Nothing Leo Fender did was random or by accident. Everything he did was intended.

[/quote]

The active P basses I've played are not the traditional P tone. If you want, for example, that old school thump, you don't need an active EQ. You need technique, flats, and to take the tone down.

You can like your choice, why would anyone say anything otherwise!

As mentioned, the Ray snarl is due to his problems with hearing the high end. Apparently, he couldn't hear that raspy tone, and a few commented in the early stages that the hi-mid/treble was too much. IF this is true, then we do have a tone that was created because of his hearing problem....

[Darkstrike]

I'd assume the idea of an Active P is to get the classic voicing, and you can use the eq to get other voicings and such. Certainly be useful as a recording bass.

I have a Cort with a P pickup and a pre-amp, adding a spot of treble make it sound proper grindy and slices through aggressive mixes, love it.

[rogerstodge]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1347567781' post='1802642']
Maybe i'm being far too cynical, but I don't see why you'd need an active P bass.

Surely you are better off with a decent passive Fender and the right strings?

I used to own an American Standard Deluxe Fender P, the one with the humbucker, and it sounded nothing like a P bass should if im honest.
Every time I see a demo of an active P bass its 'oh I leave the EQ flat and roll the tone down'.
[/quote]well said that man

Edited September 15, 2012 by rogerstodge

[thodrik]

So a Precision with extra pickups and onboard eq sounds different from a passive one? Wow, I''m stunned

Although I do prefer my Precisions to be passive (it saves me from 'needing' another one), I don't see why active Precisions should be viewed as unnecessary, while active Jazz basses are now pretty much the standard for all most Fender-based designs.

I guess that we are so used to active jazzes that we sometimes forget that there is a pretty big difference between an active J bass with a three band EQ and high output pickups compared to the 'classic' passive Jazz bass. With the variety of pickups, bridges, woods and eq options available on modern designs, sometimes the only thing that 2 different 'Jazz' basses have in common is that they both look like Fenders. This also applies to Precision designs.