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Do all high end basses need preamps?
- Thread starter bassdaddy5
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Not as much as preamps need high end basses Wha, saving lives isn't notable?Next time I'll join a profession that requires wearing a cape.
I think "in the music biz" was implied.
Sure, but the future is never set in stone. Besides, I once designed something on a bass and it has sold about 20 units on Rob Allen basses. So, I've made a difference to 20 bassists.
Besides, just because not everyone has heard of Jean Baudin and he's not playing arenas doesn't mean that he should just quit.
....and another thing, having a humility pissing contest has got to be an oxymoron or something.
Great, now I can officially retire.I've spent 6 fruitless years trying to raise a titter from my half-donkey gags on TB and finally, I've got a result
!!!It's a tough crowd here, that's for sure
!(Fender32 disappears into obscurity, patting himself on the back as he goes .......)
I've spent 6 fruitless years trying to raise a titter from my half-donkey gags on TB and finally, I've got a result
It's a tough crowd here, that's for sure
(Fender32 disappears into obscurity, patting himself on the back as he goes .......)
As my drummer says, "even the sun shines on a dog's ass sometimes."
Sure, but the future is never set in stone. Besides, I once designed something on a bass and it has sold about 20 units on Rob Allen basses. So, I've made a difference to 20 bassists.
Besides, just because not everyone has heard of Jean Baudin and he's not playing arenas doesn't mean that he should just quit.
....and another thing, having a humility pissing contest has got to be an oxymoron or something.
Google Jean Baudin brings up pages of results.
While not a house hold name, he's certainly done notable stuff in the music biz, and a lot of people know who he is.
The rest I'll let you figure out on your own.
- Apr 1, 2000
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- Endorsing Artist: Roscoe Guitars, DR Strings, Aguilar Amplification
Really? Can you link us to some of your work? I've got really good friends in Nebraska - maybe you could use your real name, they might know you and give you a good word....
Otherwise, your credibility is lacking.
john turner
You don't want to do that. Trust me.
probably the same reason why a few other folks get all defensive and snide when people say how they don't like passive p-basses, or crack jokes about em being chunky and inelegant.
in the immortal words of jack the joker, don't ever rub another man's rhubarb.
i think everyone needs to take a step back and have a lemonade. go ahead. talkbass will still be here when you get back.
john turner
You don't want to do that. Trust me.
having a paying gig is great for -gig- credibility, but some of the biggest "dum-basses"
with regard to gear and hardware i've ever run across were big time pros who couldn't be told a thing - remember a certain big-name touring pro who joined up here a while back and tried to tell everyone how "the real guys" used 4x12" cabs, and all the rest of the folks here were loser posers? he ended up banned for his troubles.i think, in situations like this thread, mutual respect and "live and let live" attitudues are going to go a long way. after the lemonade, that is.
having a paying gig is great for -gig- credibility, but some of the biggest "dum-basses"
i think, in situations like this thread, mutual respect and "live and let live" attitudues are going to go a long way. after the lemonade, that is.
Exactly. I 've seen pros who are less clued in to the subtleties of their instruments/rigs than many bedroom players.
This sort of illustrates the chasm between a couple of adages.....
"Shut up and play your guitar" (or bass, as the case may be....)
AND
the G. A. S. syndrome.....(for those of us that love to look at catalogs)
"Shut up and play your guitar" (or bass, as the case may be....)
AND
the G. A. S. syndrome.....(for those of us that love to look at catalogs)
Are you implying that because I play music that you don't approve of, that I shouldn't be able to have a high quality bass built for myself? I hope that's not the case, but it sure sounds like it.
I'm not trying to prove you wrong Spade, I'm simply pointing out that actives aren't for everyone, and I've tried at length to explain why. I'm sure that slappers would LOVE the active pre, but like I said before, not everyone who wants a finely built bass slaps. Why are you discounting those who don't? Do only slappers want nice basses? I doubt that's the case.
Sure, a jack can go bad in any bass, but you'll never hear of a dead battery in a passive bass, or a pot comming off a board on a passive bass. If it doesn't have those parts, they aren't going to ever fail.
No offense but that reminded me of a classic thread here where a guy was touting the superiority of through body stringing. On of the benefits was that, in the event that all of you screws came loose, the strings would still hold the bridge onto the body.
The vast majority of my active basses don't have pots directly mounted to circuit boards. Can the wires come off the pots? Yes... just like on a passive bass. Can the pots get scratchy? Of course... just a like on a passive bass.
Much of this debate comes off like people who simply can't empathize with something THEY don't prefer. I personally don't understand the fear of something breaking on an instrument, be it a 14 knobbed custom or one of those cardboard box uprights. If you stay on top of the instrument and take care of it, it should be a non-issue. If you don't... it's like complaining that a straplock you installed and never checked for tightness again came loose. Blame the straplock, not the lazy owner.
Passive basses by their very nature are limited as to what you can do AT THE BASS. If that's not an issue, cool. Most people seem to perfer having more, not less control, especially when they're spending more, not less money. Some are even crazy enough to consider resale value when ordering a custom. Why? Because unlike the bassist who gets "surprised" by a dead battery, they ANTICIPATE things.
I don't look at less things to break as a positive though I can kind of understand why some people do. They clearly don't have the same needs as someone who wants a preamp. That's not an insult, it's a fact.
What my hands can do has seemed to work out pretty nicely for me so far.
And being a big proponent of controlling my tone with my hands (figured this out a couple of decades ago), I still understand there are pretty obvious limitations. You either don't experience them, don't feel restricted by them, don't feel the need to not be restricted by them or don't understand they're there. Maybe there's another option.
It would be pretty pointless getting opinions on whether high end basses need preamps from people who don't like high end basses... wouldn't it. Kind of like asking me which tubes I prefer in SVTs*.
The subject is high end basses, not basses in general. That's what some seem to either not understand or are just ignoring.
And again, as proponent of using my hands primarily for tone, it is not nor will it ever be ALL in the fingers. If it was you'd be able to make any bass sound like any other bass, any string sound like any other string, any passive sound like any acti...
*BTW my answer would be Markbass
It would be pretty pointless getting opinions on whether high end basses need preamps from people who don't like high end basses... wouldn't it. Kind of like asking me which tubes I prefer in SVTs*.
The subject is high end basses, not basses in general. That's what some seem to either not understand or are just ignoring.
And again, as proponent of using my hands primarily for tone, it is not nor will it ever be ALL in the fingers. If it was you'd be able to make any bass sound like any other bass, any string sound like any other string, any passive sound like any acti...
*BTW my answer would be Markbass
Enough man!
I was agreeing with allot of what you said but your taking it to far. There are plenty of high end passive basses and guys that can get all the sounds they need out of them. You seem to imply that those people are in someway inferior.
Because that's where everyone plays?
Just jumping to conclusions... which has been raised to Olympic proportions in this thread. Or maybe it was an insult.
I notice a difference wherever I play, be it in my family room or out back on the porch. That covers indoors and out.
So you're refusing to read the actual words or just confused? I'm saying what I'm saying and have no need to imply anything. Either it's a misreading or not reading on your part or just plain old imagination at work.
And compared to high end basses overall, what is your idea of "plenty"?
I'm not confused. Fodera makes both active and passive basses along with Lakland, I could name others but I won't.
The question is "Do ALL high end basses need preamps" and the OP was referring to active preamps, to be clear.
Regardless of your opinion of what you prefer the answer is clearly no.
I have both, and love both. One of my Spectors has active EMG's (P-J combo) sounds killer. My Ibanez SD400QM has active PUP's sounds great. My Fender MIM "P" is passive sounds great. It's just different great. It's all a matter of taste. I just bought the Ibanez on a whim, so i'm playing that the most right now (since i've only had it for 3 days) but i'll switch back to my P basses or passive spectors. Active electronics (preamp) onboard is not necessary, but it's a nice option
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