Why don't Guitars have active preamps?

[markjazzbassist]

I know basses can have active and passive pickups and active and passive preamps. I also know that guitars can have active or passive pickups, but i have never heard of a guitar with an active preamp? Why?

[JimmyM]

Back in the 80's a lot of guitarists had active electronics with Lace Sensors and EMG's. But, as bassists are finding out now, active electronics just don't sound as good as old fashioned magnet-and-wire pickups with passive electronics. They sound OK but compressed. Plus batteries are a pain. I have been seriously toying with the idea of replacing the EMG's in the 3 basses I have them in with Fenders. But I'm cheap so I probably won't

[AxtoOx]

Some do, they just never caught on. I think Music Man still makes active guitars. Who plays Music Man guitars professionally except Steve Morse? I don't know if the Eddie Van Halen models was active, I never liked it enough to play one.

[Trevorus]

Carvin guitars can come with an active preamp. I just don't think it has quite as much use with a guitar.

[Peter McFerrin]

Guitarists prefer passive electronics with high output impedance because it creates more dynamic interaction between the front end of the amplifier and the player. The drawback, of course, is a severe loss of high end when using cable lengths of more than 20 feet.

To get around this, you will often see guitarists using small stompboxes like the Z. Vex Super Hard On and Fulltone Fat Boost that are conceptually similar to your typical onboard bass preamp.

[Embryodead]

Originally Posted by AxtoOx

Some do, they just never caught on. I think Music Man still makes active guitars. Who plays Music Man guitars professionally except Steve Morse? I don't know if the Eddie Van Halen models was active, I never liked it enough to play one.

John Petrucci

[superbassman2000]

the fender eric clapton strat has an active mid boost on it

[JimmyM]

Neither the Eddie nor the Morse guitars are active. The Morse has 4 pickups on it, though

[AxtoOx]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Neither the Eddie nor the Morse guitars are active. The Morse has 4 pickups on it, though

Production model, but the one he plays in the video I have is.(Steve that is) Looks like the Luke is the only production model that is active.

[JimmyM]

Well, another illusion shattered. All this time I thought Steve's personal guitar was passive, too. Go figure!

[Passinwind]

Originally Posted by markjazzbassist

i have never heard of a guitar with an active preamp?

My Heritage 204 had EMG actives and an EMG preamp with active tone controls. Worked fine, as did my old Alembic preamp-equipped Ibanez. Neither was factory stock like that though. I finally changed the Heritage out to a standard passive setup a few weeks ago. As someone else said, many guitarists use floor pedals anyway, which takes care of the buffering function.

[WalterBush]

Most guitarists don't like active electronics because it's more fun to buy Eq pedals, boost pedals, distortion pedals, etc than to simply have a great guitar in the first place. Plus, I think that on some level they all know that their guitar has enough treble and midrange boosted by guitar amps to make our ears bleed without the need for 18v preamps.

[markjazzbassist]

thanks for the responses so far. It seems that most people agree that the PICKUPS are active, but as for an onboard preamp with tweakable EQ (like a bass, 2 band, 3 band, etc) those guitars seem to be nearly non-existent.

Very interesting. Keep it coming.

[DistortedBass]

Bc Rich has had onboard preamps from the begining. I have 2 myself. Interesting stuff.

[Passinwind]

Originally Posted by markjazzbassist

thanks for the responses so far. It seems that most people agree that the PICKUPS are active, but as for an onboard preamp with tweakable EQ (like a bass, 2 band, 3 band, etc) those guitars seem to be nearly non-existent.

My Alembic Activator rig had a vari-mid that sounded like a wah when you changed the setting. The EMG rig had boost/cut pots for both bass and treble, but frankly my own DIY preamps sounded better to me. I liked the EMG pre OK into my modelers and other rack guitar gear, not so much straight into my Fender tube amp though. I have the same feelings about bass too, but since I prefer solid state rack preamps for bass I'll likely stick with an onboard pre in my basses, albeit with passive pickups.

Gibson had the old RD series with Moog electronics in them-- anyone remember those?

[Kurisu]

Originally Posted by superbassman2000

the fender eric clapton strat has an active mid boost on it

I was gonna say...
This is one of the more famous Fender sig models, AFAIK.

[AxtoOx]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Well, another illusion shattered. All this time I thought Steve's personal guitar was passive, too. Go figure!

Yeah, this one has a prosessor or something built into it. Obviously custom.
I just looked up his offical site, and it's nowhere to be found. They all look like the production model. Maybe it was just a phase, but the one in the video is wild. It's the Steve Morse Hot Licks Video. He has a unique style.

[JAUQO III-X]

Guitarist DaLawn Simpson that plays with me has an Audere pre in his guitar.

[markjazzbassist]

Interesting. So do you guys think that eventually lots of guitars will have Active Pre's like basses? Or will they stay mostly passive?

[AxtoOx]

Originally Posted by markjazzbassist

Interesting. So do you guys think that eventually lots of guitars will have Active Pre's like basses? Or will they stay mostly passive?

Oh I think the majority will stay passive. This has been around for years and never caught on big. I don't see an active PRS or Les Paul, would have said Strat but didn't know about the Eric Clapton thing, Tele, SG, or any of the classic mainstays going that way.