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Active P bass - your experience?

Discussion in 'Basses [BG]' started by Snarf, Dec 3, 2007.

  1. Dec 3, 2007 #1
    Snarf

    Snarf Suspended

    Jan 23, 2005
    Tri-state
    I'm thinking about getting some routing done and adding a preamp to my MIM p bass. I feel like that will really bring out the upper register out of the mud. Also, Ric Fierabracci did the same thing to his P bass, with amazing results. What experience do you folks have with a 3-band preamp in a precision environment, with only the single split-coil pickup?
     
  2. Dec 3, 2007 #2
    ibanezcollector

    ibanezcollector Yoyo's Hurt When You Crank It Into Your Face

    Feb 18, 2007
    Cleveland Ohio
    never played a active pbass but if your getting mud, then a simple solution would be to drop a better pickup in there..

    But a active P could be interesting.... Go for it and by all means post some pics and samples.

    What pickup did you have in mind for the alteration?
     
  3. Dec 3, 2007 #3
    Snarf

    Snarf Suspended

    Jan 23, 2005
    Tri-state
    I was thinking a Bart P pickup and an Aguilar OBP-3 with push-pull active/passive.
     
  4. Dec 4, 2007 #4
    Earwigger

    Earwigger I'm a Roland man now.

    Aug 23, 2005
    Cleveland, Ohio
    The Bart P is rather dark sounding. It has a clear low end that's prevalent and a slightly better high-end then the normal mexican Fender fare, but it's not going to make a huge amount of high end come through.

    I say keep the default pickup and let the preamp do the work. Boost the treble on an OBP 3 and you should get the sound you want.
     
  5. Dec 4, 2007 #5
    lovemybasses

    lovemybasses Guest

    Mar 4, 2007
    call me whatever - but for me, P needs to be passive!
     
  6. Dec 4, 2007 #6
    lovemybasses

    lovemybasses Guest

    Mar 4, 2007
    .... maybe you should work with outb. preamp, or DI and bit of compression to get sound you like.
     
  7. Dec 4, 2007 #7
    flipper_gv

    flipper_gv

    Nov 13, 2007
    Montreal, Quebec, Canada
    getting a quarter pound could help too to get a more compressed sound
     
  8. Dec 4, 2007 #8
    Snarf

    Snarf Suspended

    Jan 23, 2005
    Tri-state
    I actually don't want much treble. I'm looking to bring out the upper register of the instrument, which means more mids, and less sparkly highs. And I'd rather not use outboard, I want this to be part of the bass. Outboard is just too inconvenient for me.

    My sound on my Roscoe is mid-heavy but little treble, so think the typical New York electric jazz sound, but with less treble. I want something that comes a little closer to that on my P, simply because I do a lot of soloing, and with the stock electronics the upper register just disappears. Do you think the kind of sound I'm describing is achievable with a pickup change and the addition of the preamp? Would a bridge pickup be necessary?
     
  9. Dec 4, 2007 #9
    cnltb

    cnltb

    May 28, 2005
    Yep, I agree
    P stands for PASSIVE!!!
    :p