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Curiosity

Which is your favorite and why.

  • Active

    Votes: 73 32.9%

  • Passive

    Votes: 148 66.7%

  • Both

    Votes: 1 0.5%
  • Total voters
    222
#101
gregmon79 said:
Almost all my basses are active. I much prefer active over passive. Lots more tonal options to be had (with my litter of basses anyway) and they sound more clear and crisp. More hifi if you will. Noting at all wrong with passive. I just like the way active sounds and responds to me and my playing.

I'll also add that in almost 20 years of playing, I've only had one show where the battery gave me issues. That's a lot of practices and shows that I never worried about a battery or had issues because of it. But I always stay mindful of it. It's just one of the common comments I hear some say in them explaining why they don't use or like active electronics.

In the end though, it all depends on what the music calls for IMO. I would take my passive PJ to a blues gig over my active Ibbey ATK 300.
Click to expand...
Cool video.
 
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Reactions: gregmon79
#104
I go through phases where I prefer one over the other, but generally I like both for different reasons. I do have three basses that are both passive and active, two are dual humbuckers and one that's a Jazz style bass (Sire) which I have to say is my favorite in my collection as of late - with that in mind, my ideal basses would be a jazz or P/J that are both active/passive.
 
#105
Thanks...I'll have to experiment with that.
Click to expand...

I feel like the actual touch to the strings has so much to do with tone shaping, even the pressure exerted with your left hand. The placement on the fingers makes so much of a change.

For me, I have found that passive basses allow me to be more expressive tonally. With actives I feel like you get set up's sound consistently, and is not as subjected to the spectrum of touch related changes.

Not at all saying actives are not as touch sensitive sounding, not at all. -
My experience has been that passive allows me more touch driven expression.

Not just where you put them, but how you put them to the strings on any bass colors your tone.
Experiment with that too! :thumbsup:
 
#106
lexefx said:
I feel like the actual touch to the strings has so much to do with tone shaping, even the pressure exerted with your left hand. The placement on the fingers makes so much of a change.

For me, I have found that passive basses allow me to be more expressive tonally. With actives I feel like you get set up's sound consistently, and is not as subjected to the spectrum of touch related changes.

Not at all saying actives are not as touch sensitive sounding, not at all. -
My experience has been that passive allows me more touch driven expression.

Not just where you put them, but how you put them to the strings on any bass colors your tone.
Experiment with that too! :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Will do...thanks.
 

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