Agree or disagree/ true or false?

[Pbassmanca]

I'm passive aggressive w a active mind..

Bahahahahahaha....New: Fender 1965 Passive Aggressive Jazz Bass pickups! With a tone that sounds neutral no matter how hard you play!

 

[Frenchy-Lefty]

Disagree 100%, some preamps can be 100% transparent.
One of the reason some people despise active basses - and I used to be one of them - is that the cheap.ones sound aweful, bristling and ugly, especially the ones made during the 80's and 90's. That is why I hated active basses for years myself.
Put a Mike Pope in a Jazz Bass and it is a whole different story.

 

[BusyFingers]

Yeah man, everything flat in active mode, it just doesn't sound right or as good as it does when it's passive

Indeed, that quick pickin' is finger lickin'! But the tone sounds like rubber bands.

 

[inanimate_carb]

Might be going into "apples vs. oranges" mode without a Jazz bass reference, but Pino got a big, warm, growly (God, I hate that word) tone from his active Stingray back in his fretless days.

 

[madjazzbass]

I know a few things because I've seen a few things . . . . . honestly, who cares? If passive works for you, ride with it. If you can't get that tone with an active setup, don't get one. If what you have works and satisfies you, that's all that matters.

And honestly, I never understand these 'post a sound clip' posts: I'm supposed to listen to somebody that not me playing a bass I've never owned thru who-knows-what kind of rig, and then I'm s'posed to play it back over my computer speakers and make a decision. . . . .

Really? ? ? ?

 

[Passinwind]

Active pickups/Electronics just don't cut it when it comes to getting that/a good bridge pickup growl (aka the "Jaco tone"). I own both active and passive Basses, and I find in order for me to get a nice, good warm growl from the bridge pup on a Jazz Bass ... or any Bass really, it has to be Passive or else it sounds ... well, 'un-natural'. If anyone disagrees, please post a sound clip of your Active Bass (while in active mode) getting a really good, warm growly tone and I'll eat my words ... and probably look into getting that pre-amp/pickup combination

I have no idea what "warm and growly" means, seriously.

 

[MichaelT]

First off, I have an Ibanez SR505 (2016) with upgraded Bartolini MK5-CBC pups and NTMB a/p preamp. When playing the bridge pup I kinda hear something different when switching from passive to active (flat EQ), though I only hear it WHEN I DIG IN. It sounds like more of the woody mid range tones comes out. Although, I personally prefer the sound of my bridge pickup when the EQ's active (even set flat) though it sounds quite different from all the other bridge pup I hear. Usually a bridge pup alone will sounds thin, but mine sounds thick and meaty which I like more, so the EQ is able to provide me with even more of that thickness. I feel that a bridge pup alone lacks "warmth" and active EQ is more likely to give you that "warm growl".

 

[Pbassmanca]

I have no idea what "warm and growly" means, seriously.

Like a fur coat, but alive still.......

 

[petrus61]

Are we talking about "burp"?

/bərp/:

1. The fwampy sound a single coil Jazz pickup makes when situated in the "bridge" or "rear" pickup location, usually achieved by staccato plucking above said pickup

2. A mouth fart

 

[micguy]

A passive bass gets its sound from the cable's capacitive loading on the circuit. In an active bass, you can do the exact same thing if you want by using a...capacitor. Even a really good capacitor costs less than a dollar. Most active basses don't do this, but there's no fundamental reason it can't be done.