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are You a passivist?

#161
I'm new to bass and I have two basses - one active one passive. The passive is the Squier VM SS Jaguar - I needed something to learn on to transition from guitar - and I really like it. Then I got a Hagstrom Beleuga IIf active and it is a beautiful and amazing bass, but when the battery goes it just screws everything up and sounds terrible, and it eats batteries like I eat potato chips. I now play it without a battery in passive (it has an active/passive mode switch) and it sounds fine, but I think I regret buying it.

Now I have a few chops I might seek out a good quality passive to move into for my next stage of development. Playing with batteries just seems unnecessary - any suggestions for a good quality passive under a grand?

Peace,
Pierre
 
#162
vox_rox said:
I'm new to bass and I have two basses - one active one passive. The passive is the Squier VM SS Jaguar - I needed something to learn on to transition from guitar - and I really like it. Then I got a Hagstrom Beleuga IIf active and it is a beautiful and amazing bass, but when the battery goes it just screws everything up and sounds terrible, and it eats batteries like I eat potato chips. I now play it without a battery in passive (it has an active/passive mode switch) and it sounds fine, but I think I regret buying it.

Now I have a few chops I might seek out a good quality passive to move into for my next stage of development. Playing with batteries just seems unnecessary - any suggestions for a good quality passive under a grand?

Peace,
Pierre
Click to expand...
What kind of music are you wanting to play? What kind of sound?
 
#163
vox_rox said:
...I got a Hagstrom Beleuga IIf active and it is a beautiful and amazing bass, but when the battery goes it just screws everything up and sounds terrible, and it eats batteries like I eat potato chips.
Click to expand...
Find the problem and fix it...
(Could be as simple as making sure you're unplugged...)
I change batteries once a year, like my smoke detectors, whether they need it or not...
 
#164
16 basses, two of which are active....but not for long;)
My 82 Hamer Cruise has an EMG p/j setup that I'm gonna swap out for passive Dimarzios
and my newest jazz also has active EMGs that I'll be changing out.
The only active basses I really like are MM Stingrays and Alembics.
 
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#165
AdamK said:
What kind of music are you wanting to play? What kind of sound?
Click to expand...

Hey Adam - mostly pop cover stuff now, classic rock, some R&B - trying to get a good bottom and mid sound. Like I said, I'm new to bass playing and it's a real nuance thing. Would like to play some harder stuff eventually, but 70's blues, rock, R&B is dominant right now.

ArtechnikA said:
Find the problem and fix it...
(Could be as simple as making sure you're unplugged...)
I change batteries once a year, like my smoke detectors, whether they need it or not...
Click to expand...

Actually, it's always unplugged 'cept when I'm playing. Or are you talking about the actual battery being removed? Other than that, I p[lay the bass every day nad when I'm not, the amp goes off, the cable comes out and I hang it on the wall. Will it still drain the battery?

Once a year? I wish - I'm changing it once a month!

Peace,
Pierre
 
#167
vox_rox said:
...when I'm not, the amp goes off, the cable comes out and I hang it on the wall. Will it still drain the battery?
Click to expand...
Not supposed to. Something's wrong.
Maybe the jack is wonky.
Maybe there's something shorted or otherwise miswired in the control cavity.
Possible something on the jack is shorting to the cavity shielding.
It's typically not something horribly complicated.
 
#168
vox_rox said:
Hey Adam - mostly pop cover stuff now, classic rock, some R&B - trying to get a good bottom and mid sound. Like I said, I'm new to bass playing and it's a real nuance thing. Would like to play some harder stuff eventually, but 70's blues, rock, R&B is dominant right now.



Actually, it's always unplugged 'cept when I'm playing. Or are you talking about the actual battery being removed? Other than that, I p[lay the bass every day nad when I'm not, the amp goes off, the cable comes out and I hang it on the wall. Will it still drain the battery?

Once a year? I wish - I'm changing it once a month!

Peace,
Pierre
Click to expand...
Ah, nice. Well, I really like my Epiphone Jack Casady. Maybe check that out.
 
#169
AdamK said:
What kind of music are you wanting to play? What kind of sound?
Click to expand...
I like tp play both finger style , slap and occasionally with a pick and some overdrive. I have a boss 7 band graphic eq and mxr preamp so I can get active type boost from those. Is there really much difference in tone from an inboard eq or is having control on the bass the only difference? I guess I'd like to experiment myself and it seems like it might be a good idea to have an active weapon on deck.
 
#171
I'm looking at the new Fender Jazz Bass Deluxe to buy soon and notice they are all active! Well, seeing that just means a revamp of the pickups and electronics to passive. I'm sure it can be done! Not big on the battery deals anymore! Plus the manufacturers use it as an excuse to jack up the prices WAY above what they should be!
 
#172
Definitely Passivist. Out of 17-19 basses (I forget, exactly), there's only one "active" spot in my little herd, and an Alembic Epic fills it nicely. And, aside from the fact that I'm a crusty old coot who's not fond of battery-powered basses, I just simply don't need an active bass for 99.5% of the stuff I play. Actually, about half of it was originally recorded with an upright bass; but I can't physically play one of those, anyway. I understand that active basses have their place, and that some music benefits by using one; but I don't play that kind of stuff, and get no benefit. My Alembic is pretty nice, though...:)
 
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