Active electronics for Jazz style?

[ultramangeos]

Here is a new guy question for you. If I were interested in playing Jazz style with hammer-ons on the neck, Would it be better to have active electronics to pick-up the sound better?
I was watching a Victor Wooten (my idol) performance, and he seems to be barely tapping the strings, while I have to press hard, and still get bad hammers on my MIM Jazz bass.
My action is set good and low, so I do not think that is an issue.
I realize I am playing with a lower grade instrument. But when I upgrade to the next level, I want to make sure I head in the right direction.

[Bruce Lindfield]

I don't know what you mean by "Jazz style" - most bass in Jazz is acoustic Double Bass!

But anyway, I think that what you might be getting at is that "boutique" basses like the ones that Wooten uses can be set up to make them exactly how you want and consequently easier to play.

I played a Roscoe Beck V for about a year which is basically a Jazz bass with knobs on, but comparing it with my Tobias there is a huge difference in playbility!

So - OK the Fender Jazz has become a standard and a lot of people are used to them; but I can play things much more quickly and easily on my Tobias than on any Jazz bass.

I think in this context the active electronics thing is irrelevant - you can always get an outboard pre-amp - I always played the RBV through a Sadowsky outboard.

I think you also have to accept that Victor Wooten's technique is awesome and there are things I've heard him play, that I know I'll never be able to - no matter what bass I had!

[ultramangeos]

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I don't know what you mean by "Jazz style" - most bass in Jazz is acoustic Double Bass!
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I guess what I mean by that is that I would like to play a Jazz fusion style of music, Jaco kind of stuff. Not so much the harder rock/funk styles.
When I mentioned Victor (who I will never be!) I am talking about his jazzier stuff, like his version of Norwegian Woods, which is played almost entirely on the neck. Not so much his slap/pop style. Forgive my (new to bass) ignorance, but were the 60/70's Jazz basses that Jaco played active, or were they passive?

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally posted by ultramangeos
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IForgive my (new to bass) ignorance, but were the 60/70's Jazz basses that Jaco played active, or were they passive?

Definitely passive!

[JMX]

Keep in mind that he played Norwegian Wood on a bass with piezos and in tenor tuning(?)

Also the Fodera's construction differs totally from a Jazz bass, just making it active won't be enough.