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Active Vs Passive basses. Is it even worth caring about?
- Thread starter Peeved T-40
- Start date
I prefer active basses. What's even better are the ones from John East and also Kiesel with that passive mid control that works in active and passive mode. I am not shy to turn the controls wider than 1/2 if that's what is needed.
For me, the best preamp is the one that Bartolini made. It was just a Q control , no bass or treble boost. I am lucky enough to have one installed on my first bass which I still have.
For me, the best preamp is the one that Bartolini made. It was just a Q control , no bass or treble boost. I am lucky enough to have one installed on my first bass which I still have.
Turnaround
Commercial User
Well designed active basses can be run in passive mode and preserve the passive tone control. So then you have both in one instrument.
We have, but the trade off is more power consumption and a shorter battery life.
Clearly longer battery life is a higher priority than lower hiss to the designers.
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All of the components in any bass could fail, so obviously an active bass has more points of potential failure than a passive bass (which isn't to say that they're likely to actually fail; they're not), but where does the endless fussing come into it?
(Sincere question, I really don't know what you mean.)
I don't understand why some folks are so afraid of active preamps. The battery isn't an issue, even when I'm gigging full time I change my battery a couple times a year, and that's mostly a precaution, not because it's dying at gigs. All my active basses have had pretty clear audible signs when the battery was starting to degrade, I never had one simply die at a gig.
As for more things to fail, well, your amplifier and speakers are probably more likely to fail and more delicate than your instrument. I suppose if your gig is playing on a cruise ship with no backup, or on an island in the middle of nowhere, maybe passive or a passive switch option is preferable about of an abundance of caution, but in the real world you are for more likely to have your amp or speaker crap out than your active preamp suddenly stop functioning.
Do all you passive guys actually dial in your amplifier? Do you make adjustments on the gig? Do you account for the room, the stage, or whether or not the environment is indoors or out? If so, you're already "fiddling" with stuff just as much as you would with an active preamp. You are just doing it on the amplifier and denying the option to fine-tune things on the instrument.
I love active preamps and controls. I can set my amp to a predictable preset and then adjust on my bass itself for the variables. I can also set my bass up with several different sounds and quickly toggle between them. I find it very useful to turn a couple of knobs, flip a switch, and go from a thumpy walking blues tone to an aggressive jazz-bass slap tone a la Marcus Miller. Turning my back to the audience and making those changes on the amplifier would not be practical.
In the end you should get the bass you want and not let anyone else dictate what features you choose. Just don't let people scare you away from modern features, especially if they themselves can't explain the usefulness of such things. Otherwise you may as well buy an upright because a bunch of boomers will tell you that new Fender Bass thing is just a fad and it will never catch on anyway.
As for more things to fail, well, your amplifier and speakers are probably more likely to fail and more delicate than your instrument. I suppose if your gig is playing on a cruise ship with no backup, or on an island in the middle of nowhere, maybe passive or a passive switch option is preferable about of an abundance of caution, but in the real world you are for more likely to have your amp or speaker crap out than your active preamp suddenly stop functioning.
Do all you passive guys actually dial in your amplifier? Do you make adjustments on the gig? Do you account for the room, the stage, or whether or not the environment is indoors or out? If so, you're already "fiddling" with stuff just as much as you would with an active preamp. You are just doing it on the amplifier and denying the option to fine-tune things on the instrument.
I love active preamps and controls. I can set my amp to a predictable preset and then adjust on my bass itself for the variables. I can also set my bass up with several different sounds and quickly toggle between them. I find it very useful to turn a couple of knobs, flip a switch, and go from a thumpy walking blues tone to an aggressive jazz-bass slap tone a la Marcus Miller. Turning my back to the audience and making those changes on the amplifier would not be practical.
In the end you should get the bass you want and not let anyone else dictate what features you choose. Just don't let people scare you away from modern features, especially if they themselves can't explain the usefulness of such things. Otherwise you may as well buy an upright because a bunch of boomers will tell you that new Fender Bass thing is just a fad and it will never catch on anyway.
The misinformation in this thread is somewhat unfortunate.
The only difference between a passive bass guitar and an active bass guitar is that the active bass guitar has a preamplification stage built into it. Some preamplifiers are better than others. Some are more preferable to some players than others.
In any case, preamplification stages to adjust tone are part of every single electric bass guitar signal chain. I suspect the number of bass players who plug a passive bass directly into a power amp with no intervening preamplification stage is vanishingly small. We ALL use preamplification stages. Having one in the instrument is just one way of doing it.
Some basses don’t need much preamplification to modify their inherent tone. The Precision Bass is one of them. So, active Precision Basses are not a big thing.
Other basses get a huge benefit from onboard preamps. Jazz Basses are capable of a wide variety of sounds; but, those are most easily accessed with a high quality onboard preamp; such as a Sadowsky.
BTW, well designed onboard preamps can do many gigs before the battery stops providing sufficient power. The misinformation that the preamps shut down on the gig is largely false. They tend to start becoming less effective as the battery loses voltage; and just a bit of attention once a year or so avoids on-gig issues.
Anyhow, there are great onboard preamps, and less well engineered versions. Making blanket statements about the use of onboard preamps is rather uninformed.
The only difference between a passive bass guitar and an active bass guitar is that the active bass guitar has a preamplification stage built into it. Some preamplifiers are better than others. Some are more preferable to some players than others.
In any case, preamplification stages to adjust tone are part of every single electric bass guitar signal chain. I suspect the number of bass players who plug a passive bass directly into a power amp with no intervening preamplification stage is vanishingly small. We ALL use preamplification stages. Having one in the instrument is just one way of doing it.
Some basses don’t need much preamplification to modify their inherent tone. The Precision Bass is one of them. So, active Precision Basses are not a big thing.
Other basses get a huge benefit from onboard preamps. Jazz Basses are capable of a wide variety of sounds; but, those are most easily accessed with a high quality onboard preamp; such as a Sadowsky.
BTW, well designed onboard preamps can do many gigs before the battery stops providing sufficient power. The misinformation that the preamps shut down on the gig is largely false. They tend to start becoming less effective as the battery loses voltage; and just a bit of attention once a year or so avoids on-gig issues.
Anyhow, there are great onboard preamps, and less well engineered versions. Making blanket statements about the use of onboard preamps is rather uninformed.
Active or passive is not a factor at all, when it comes to my deciding that I want a bass. I've yet to have a battery die, and I always have a 2nd or 3rd bass at the gigs.
I used to avoid active basses like the plague as my only experience with them had been cheap ones. The tone always sounded sterile to my ears, playing them solo in my living room or whatever, and I couldn’t get that midrange punch I always look for from passive P’s.
The scales were removed from my eyes when I played a US Deluxe Dimension HH with the band however. THE GUITAR PLAYER of all people said it was the best sounding bass I’d brought yet to rehearsal, and he’s also our sound guy and plays bass at home. Listening to the recordings, it sounds warm when I wanted it to and bright and snappy when I wanted it to. So much versatility in one bass, it’s kinda crazy. Lots of mids when I want them, but also lots of highs and lows when I want them. So now I’m in the “it depends” camp. Three band onboard EQ and two humbuckers, sign me up. Now I’m eyeballing some used US Deluxe and Elite Precisions on Reverb, the ones with a J bridge pickup and a passive switch. Still love my passive basses though.
The scales were removed from my eyes when I played a US Deluxe Dimension HH with the band however. THE GUITAR PLAYER of all people said it was the best sounding bass I’d brought yet to rehearsal, and he’s also our sound guy and plays bass at home. Listening to the recordings, it sounds warm when I wanted it to and bright and snappy when I wanted it to. So much versatility in one bass, it’s kinda crazy. Lots of mids when I want them, but also lots of highs and lows when I want them. So now I’m in the “it depends” camp. Three band onboard EQ and two humbuckers, sign me up. Now I’m eyeballing some used US Deluxe and Elite Precisions on Reverb, the ones with a J bridge pickup and a passive switch. Still love my passive basses though.
Get the Tribute, that's what I did.
And I regret not getting it sooner. The L series is pure genius! The time controls (the and bass) are both passive which means in passive mode (or if your battery dies) you still have tone controls!
I'm an old school kinda guy so I play it that way a lot. Even so for me, active brings the zing, especially when you use a long cable. And series/parallel pickup modes adds more tonal flexibility.
Just be aware that the MFD pups are so full that to get that old school feel I do have to roll back all 3 pots, but once you realize that this is not a dime everything all the time bass, you will find it to be quite a chameleon!
Try it... you might like it!
My reasons for avoiding active basses are these. Some of them may be weird:
- I avoid battery powered anything when possible. No battery means one less point of failure, no worries about having to always unplug the bass. No worries over is it fresh or is it starting to deteriorate. One less thing to carry a backup of, one less thing to obsess/worry about. One less thing to toss in the garbage when it’s used up.
- In the past, with an active bass, I have ended up fiddling with the eq controls constantly. Flat bass? Boosted bass? Is it the same position as when I set my amp or nah? Between the eq in the pre, my pedals, amp and foh, thats just too many layers of eq knobbage.
I like passive tone.
ymmv, just one knucklehead’s opinion and all that.
Good luck!
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Do it! I have the 5 string version. The only caveat with that bass in particular for me is the bridge pickup doesn’t have much bass to it on its own, though the active eq helps to correct it. That P bass pickup blended in or soloed is the ticket though. The P pickup in that bass has a really pleasing tone. I’ve flirted and will probably eventually put a set of Delanos in there. The Sandberg basses sound incredible with them, this bass is pretty dang awesome to get in the neighborhood for a fraction of the price of one of those.
If you get active you will need to be concerned about the battery, which means you should never leave the cord plugged into your bass and leave for an extended period of time as it will drain the battery. If you get an active bass, you might consider one that has active bypass such as a G&L L-2000. This will allow you to bypass the active circuit in case you find yourself in the situation where the battery is dead. As far as tone goes, I have always preferred the tone of passive basses, but that's me. YMMV
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I always think of active as the ‘hi-fi’ version of basses. I like both active and passive. Fender fan boi’s generally detest them and for some reason others can’t hand the additional knobs.
I have grown to really like an active that has a passive switch. My 2014 Fender MIA Deluxe Precision (really a P/J) has such an option.
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Get a G&L L-2000, it has a active and passive electronics, and it sounds killer. I read somewhere that it's not a real passive mode, but I tried mine without any batteries, and it works fine, so I guess the passive mode is really passive.
I have both active and passive basses, and each gets used for different purpose. In a cover band situation, I prefer the active circuitry in order to change my tone on the fly from one song to the other if need be, without having to go to my amp. For playing all original stuff, I prefer passive. The real win is if you get an active bass that allows you to switch off the preamp and do passive. One of my active basses has a push/pull pot that turns the preamp off if you pull up on the volume knob. My other active bass, sadly, is not setup that way. I have toyed with the idea of replacing the preamp in that bass with one that has an active/passive switch.
Short version, if you go active, try and get one that has the ability to turn the preamp off!
Just my opinion...
Short version, if you go active, try and get one that has the ability to turn the preamp off!
Just my opinion...
certain basses - the stingray is a good example - the preamp has a lot to add.
i mean, the majority of active basses have a passive toggle. when switching between the two you can decide is the active mode worth it? does it sound better? in my experience being able to boost the low end a little is a big benefit.
really depends on the preamp. some sound amazing, some are 'fine.' some actually take away from the sound of a good pickup.
i don't really consider it all that big of a deal. if i like a passive bass, thats cool. there's something pure about it. there's also something dope about an active bass that sounds out of this world.
i mean, the majority of active basses have a passive toggle. when switching between the two you can decide is the active mode worth it? does it sound better? in my experience being able to boost the low end a little is a big benefit.
really depends on the preamp. some sound amazing, some are 'fine.' some actually take away from the sound of a good pickup.
i don't really consider it all that big of a deal. if i like a passive bass, thats cool. there's something pure about it. there's also something dope about an active bass that sounds out of this world.
After years of playing my #1 passive, only going active for a slight boost, I recently started playing active all the time. I can't really tell a difference
(it's a G&L L2000 Tribute, New battery)
I should listen closer with headphones again
(it's a G&L L2000 Tribute, New battery)
I should listen closer with headphones again
People always throw batteries out there when discussing the cons for active basses like it's the black plague, yet nobody is saying that about the remote control in their living room, their smoke detectors, their vehicles, etc, etc.
I find that odd.
