Active or Passive

[B-Mac]

It’s pretty simple really. Active or Passive! I’m not too sure what I mean, I guess a bass with anything active (Stingray/Subray) or a bass with everything passive (P-bass).

I am aware the Stingray has passive pups but it has active EQ so I’m counting it as active.

(Btw this is my first poll)

one of each

 

[dave64o]

I have 5 basses, half active and half passive. My Stingray 5HH (also my #1) and my FrankenJazz 5 both have active preamps. My Precision V and Ibanez AGB-205 are passive. My G&L L-2500 has an active preamp with a passive mode option and it use it both ways as needed.

That being said, I prefer having an active preamp (with active EQ, though I still love my L despite it having passive, cut-only bass and treble). I do backing vocals and in the past year have done more lead vocals, so my spot is up front. Since I usually have other bandmates and their instruments between me and my amp, I can set the amp for a good tone in the room and then having flexible EQ controls on my bass enables me to quickly and easily make an occasional adjustment and also return to my main settings just as quickly.

However, that does not mean I’m a knob player who occasionally throws in a bass note here and there. Once I get my sound set, it stays set that way most of the time except for a few songs where I want a specific tone.

 

[SteveHeissner]

It was actually a mess. I had to replace the volume pot with a 500k, run the pickup into volume control instead of directly into preamp and then to the switch that bypasses the preamp. You could do it with a push-pull switch, but I already had a series/parallel switch, so I drilled another hole for a mini toggle.

Thanks for the info. You've convinced me that if I get a Stringray I should just keep it stock and make sure the battery is good.

 

[IronLung1986]

I've had several of both. I think passive generally feels better to play and sounds more natural in a song. They also usually sound better with a pick than active basses, and continue to sound good with old strings where active basses start to get really lackluster.

I like active basses where the preamp is necessary for the design, and not just added to a bass that could just as easily be passive. A Stingray for example kinda needs its preamp because the pickup is way back by the bridge. So you get the percussive and articulate sound from the pickup location and the preamp just dials the low end back in. To me that's elegant and makes sense. The two components are well incorporated and each needs the other in order to fulfill its purpose. I don't really like active P basses for example because the pickup doesn't need a preamp, and the preamp doesn't add anything you actually need with a pickup in that location. Neither needs the other, so it's annoyingly inelegant to me.

 

[Vodyanoi]

Both. Why limit myself?

 

[Nedmundo]

I normally prefer passive, so that got my vote. I dislike most active-only basses, including the first two I owned, an Ibanez SRX500 and Fender American Deluxe P (1999). I'm not crazy about most EBMM basses either, though I've liked a couple. So for years, I didn't expect to end up with an active bass.

Then I bought my G&L USA M-2500, and it's just fantastic. I've been surprised how much I've liked it, and I've played it for several gigs that didn't require a five.

So really, it depends on the bass, but despite the M I still have a strong bias toward passive.