Active or Passive Pickups with Aguilar OBP 2 or 3?

[mancefine]

Hi All,

In all my years of bassing I have never done much with my electronics and am realizing how ignorant I am when it comes to preamps and pick-ups. So here's my scenario:

I have a Spector Euro 4 LX that currently has the Tone Pump preamp (made by Spector) with the active P/J EMG pickups that come in most Spector Euro's. I have been wanting a tone with a little less treble clack while retaining the mid range punch and thunderous bass the Tone Pump puts out. I've listened to quite a few samples and really like the Aguilar OBP 2 or 3 (the 3 sounds the best from what I've heard). However, I also want something that gives me more tonal diversity and would like to be able to switch between active and passive, which I understand both OBP preamps can do. What I am wondering is what is the difference in using active pickups versus passive pickups with an active preamp? I am basically wanting to pair the EMG passive Geezer Butler's with the preamp so that I can dial in that passive P bass tone if I need it. I just want to make sure that I won't lose alot of headroom/volume using passive pickups instead of active ones, and I will still get that active punch from the preamp if I use passive pickups.

TL;DR:
What are the difference between active and passive pickups when used with an active on board preamp?
Is there a specific model of Aguilar OBP preamp that I need to look at to be able to switch between active and passive?
Will the passive EMG Geezer Butler pickups pair well with an OBP preamp?

Thanks!

 

[line6man]

There is no inherent difference between active and passive pickups, other than output impedance. Be more concerned with design specifics than whether a set of pickups is active or passive.

As a side note, you don't normally pair active pickups with preamps, because it is a bit redundant. Active pickups are already buffered, so buffering a second time with a preamp is not necessary, and theoretically could lead to increased noise and decreased headroom. I would stick to passive pickups, unless you happen to find a set of active pickups that sound the way you want them to.