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Active or Passive
- Thread starter TortoiseBass
- Start date
I have an Elite Jazz. It had a passive switch. Thing is, I hated the active sound, and it was a battery killer (yes I unplugged it between uses). Anyhoo,I didn’t buy it for the active part. The clincher was when the jack went bad and I could only get one from Fender at the time. Took forever. When it’s your only Bass, that stinks. So I got a pre-wired Emerson Jazz kit, plugged the jack hole on the end with a carriage bolt, and am super happy. Better? I won’t go there. But FOR ME, it is. Less worry, less stuff to fiddle with and just play the darn thing. If I ever buy a new Bass it will be passive from the get go, or it better be something special to keep it active
I have an active pre-amp but I leave the batteries out and play passive.
Reason: gigging experience revealed that the passive tone cut through the mix better at lower volume.
Reason: gigging experience revealed that the passive tone cut through the mix better at lower volume.
Thanks for everyone’s input! I wasn’t expecting this to get so many replies. Interesting to see the opinions of everyone. 
I’m sorry I don’t know the meme please explain? (I know I sound like an idiot)
"Carrots" is the default poll answer for "idk" or "other", etc. around here. That’s why people keep saying "Cucumbers", as a thread-inspired riff on the standard carrots theme
Do you want to have to buy batteries to put in your in your bass?
Do you want to have to remember to unplug your bass after each use to keep from draining that battery?
Do you want to be limited in the kinds of fuzz pedals you can use with your bass?
If the answer is no to any of those questions you probably want a passive bass.
Also if you want to be a part of this community put a carrots option in the poll.
Don't ask why, just do it. It's important.
Do you want to have to remember to unplug your bass after each use to keep from draining that battery?
Do you want to be limited in the kinds of fuzz pedals you can use with your bass?
If the answer is no to any of those questions you probably want a passive bass.
Also if you want to be a part of this community put a carrots option in the poll.
Don't ask why, just do it. It's important.
Welcome to TalkBass!!!!
Seems you were hit by many of our snarky brethren first thing. Sorry about that.
Some people need to find some grace before responding.
That being said, we've debated the topic a lot here. There are dozens of threads.
I, personally, have both. I'm in a passive phase right now. Most of my basses are all passive. But I also have a G&L L2000 fretless (will do both) that benefits from the preamp.
Don't get discouraged. Snarky happens everywhere. Most of us are kind and helpful (albeit goofballs).
Thanks! I’ve not got too much money but one day I definitely will have both one day (I wouldn’t be able to resist
) This thread was more to see what people prefer as I was interested. Not really to give buying advice but I have got a lot of it which is really helpful!
If you already have a passive bass I said try active, but remember there is the extra cost of batteries and making sure you have fresh ones installed before your gig. This may not bother everyone, but it is something to keep in mind.
In all honesty who can really tell the difference, main reason I prefer passive is because I don’t want to spend money on batteries and then there’s that monkey on your back worried if the battery is gonna die in the middle of a song on stage. I recently scored a Nate Mendel Pbass that came to me with active EMGs, I liked its tone and dead quiet circuitry but I put the original Quarter pounder pickups back in it because that’s what a Nate Mendel is, sound wise it was fine either way..
Doesn't matter. Probably 30% of my basses are passive, the other 70% active. A few of the active ones have a passive bypass.
One isn't inherently better than the other... instruments are just tools, you use the one you want, when you want, for whatever purpose you want. Sometimes you want a great passive 60s j-bass tone, so you pick up a passive j-bass with 60s pickup spacing. Sometimes you want a modern-sounding hi-mid bass with soft highs so you pickup an active bass with Bartolinis. Sometimes you want an aggressive tone with punchy everything so you pick up a Spector with EMGs.
People with active instruments keep batteries in the case, just like people with lights in their house keep extra light bulbs around. Not a big deal.
One isn't inherently better than the other... instruments are just tools, you use the one you want, when you want, for whatever purpose you want. Sometimes you want a great passive 60s j-bass tone, so you pick up a passive j-bass with 60s pickup spacing. Sometimes you want a modern-sounding hi-mid bass with soft highs so you pickup an active bass with Bartolinis. Sometimes you want an aggressive tone with punchy everything so you pick up a Spector with EMGs.
People with active instruments keep batteries in the case, just like people with lights in their house keep extra light bulbs around. Not a big deal.
