I just received an Ibanez SR605 that I ordered online. I had read many reviews on the guitar as well as the Bartolini pick ups and I had read they were passive pick ups. However, the bass has a battery installed in the back :/ my previous bass was passive, so I have no idea if actives are reliable. Any comments?
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Active Basses: Yay or Nay?
- Thread starter Chico16
- Start date
Passive pickups, active electronics (boost and cut). Versatile, but if you are concerned, eq changes may be made at your amp rather than at the bass. As an Alembic user, I prefer versatility and am comfortable changing the battery whenever I change strings. Reliable? Yes, just don't ever lend it money or let it alone with you girlfriend! 
I've never been a fan of active basses.
The whole idea of needing a battery to make you pickup sound good, just says to me it an weak pickup to begin with.
To me, nothing sounds as good as a great passive pickup.
If you dig active then enjoy them.
I don't like them. Simplicity is a beautiful thing!
But are they reliable? Sure, if you make sure the batteries don't die in the middle of a gig.
But are they reliable? Sure, if you make sure the batteries don't die in the middle of a gig.
Active pickups usually have a stronger output, and cleaner tone, at least when you are talking about good quality pickups. Is one better than the other? Well, that depends on your tastes. I have seven basses , and only one of them is passive, which I just bought last year. I think more basses are made with active electronics than without, so they are definetly more common, IMHO. I have never had an issue with active basses to date.
I have a Peavey with an active system....it's an effin' beast. It unfortunately doesn't get enough play because I don't have the right truss rod wrench 
You gain a lot and with the right preamp, you lose nothing. Get an active bass if you want an active bass. If they weren't good on some level, they wouldn't be as popular as they are.
It has an active preamp in it.
I don't like Ibanez preamps all that much, there are much better ones out there I think. A good preamp can really add something nice to the sound. There is also the added flexibility of having EQ controls on the bass itself.
I prefer passive basses myself, but I have no qualms about the reliability of active basses. Just keep spare batteries handy.
Some TYPES of pickups need a bit of refinement (not because they're bad pups, they're just different).
For example, piezo pups (generally) need a preamp or they sound weak and rough.
It's all a matter of opinion really, if you like it, play it.
IMHO, active pres sound great, but the ones I've played just feel too modern for me :S
For example, piezo pups (generally) need a preamp or they sound weak and rough.
It's all a matter of opinion really, if you like it, play it.
IMHO, active pres sound great, but the ones I've played just feel too modern for me :S
In all honesty it's up to the user to decide if they'd rather have active pickups or eq comepared to passive. Play both, see which you feel gives you the better sound and tone you're looking for and decide on it from there.
I went from Fender to Spector because Spector gave me the tone I wanted and it just had this growl that I LOVE. It's all up to you.
I went from Fender to Spector because Spector gave me the tone I wanted and it just had this growl that I LOVE. It's all up to you.
Piezo pickups actually tend to have many times the output that magnetic pickups have.
Hell yay. All but two of my basses are active, and most of them have an active/passive switch. Pretty much the only time I'd ever shift into passive mode would be if my battery crapped out mid-song, which has happened once to me in the last 15 years. I like having boost and cut with at least 3 bands of EQ.
patlozrox
Guest
yay - best preserves the whole tone to the input of your pedalboard or amp because the buffered/amplified output of the pre is less susceptible to cable, pedal and amp loading which can color the tone of the bass. After that, you can do what you want with equalization and effects with assurance that you've got the best of what your bass can provide to work on.
This assumes that your onboard preamp doesn't color the signal too much. A well designed onboard preamp will color the signal less than a passive/cable setup. That said, there's nothing wrong with passive if you are already getting the tone you want.
This assumes that your onboard preamp doesn't color the signal too much. A well designed onboard preamp will color the signal less than a passive/cable setup. That said, there's nothing wrong with passive if you are already getting the tone you want.
I have no active basses.
All passive, all the time, but I do use outboard pre-amps. Sometimes, you get a room that just soaks up some frequency that you'd really like to hear.
I don't mind the 9V battery thing, but I trust a 120V AC rackmount device a bit more to do the same thing, useable with ALL my basses.
And although the idea of being able to widely and quickly change the sound of my bass FROM my bass appeals to me, I think the guys behind the sound board might disagree.
I'd still like to experiment with onboard active stuff, but I don't think it'll really be my "thing", as I've grown to love the simplicity and richness of Vintage type basses.
All passive, all the time, but I do use outboard pre-amps. Sometimes, you get a room that just soaks up some frequency that you'd really like to hear.
I don't mind the 9V battery thing, but I trust a 120V AC rackmount device a bit more to do the same thing, useable with ALL my basses.
And although the idea of being able to widely and quickly change the sound of my bass FROM my bass appeals to me, I think the guys behind the sound board might disagree.
I'd still like to experiment with onboard active stuff, but I don't think it'll really be my "thing", as I've grown to love the simplicity and richness of Vintage type basses.
Roy Vogt
Supporting Member
- Sep 20, 2000
- 4,433
- 537
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Kiesel Basses, Ampeg Amplification, Hotone Ampero II effects
I prefer having active/passive just in case something should happen onstage and I have to get through a song/set sans preamp. The Carvins take care of this nicely. I've had only 2 preamps fail in 30+ years (Music Man Stingray and Alembic Spoiler) but they were both at really highly visible gigs/sessions and I was really glad to have backup basses there!
