Do I need active bass ?

+1 to trying new strings first.

I would recommend you set your amp's EQ flat (everything at the 12 o'clock position) and adjust it from there. It's common for people to boost the frequencies they want, but sometimes you can get a better result by cutting the other frequencies first. Play with that some.

From there, I would suggest you try out a couple preamp pedals. Personally, I never got the tone I wanted until I started using preamp pedals, even with basses with onboard preamps. They add a character to your tone that you really cannot replicate any other way (imo).

 

IMO And IMO only........
I would replace the Rumble. I have one and cannot get a tone I like out of it. My experience is exactly the same as yours in regard to tone. Sounds muted to me.

The Mesa D800 puts the Rumble to shame tone wise. As does the Hartke and Ampeg I tested out prior to purchasing the Mesa.

 

I vote for strings, too. Some players like Markus Miller change their strings every day, the guy who played for Michael Jackson changed them after every take(!) in the studio.
My second guess is that your bass isn't that good or your amp. Buying a maybe mediocre active bass might just make things worse.
It's subjective for sure, but no passive Fender or even Squier I know off with fresh strings - if you like that sound - connected to a halfway decent amp sounds the way you describe the sound of your bass connected to your amp.

If I would fall in love with one particular preamp in a bass, I would buy it, but apart from this, there is no advantage of having an active preamp in the bass other than that you can quickly change settings while playing. But some pedals are faster and you can change the settings with your feet. I would prefer outboard preamps. You can use them with different instruments and you can change them without touching your instrument.

 

I would try another amp as well. The rumbles have a reputation of being dark. I have that same amp at work and it doesn't get zingy on the top end. I'm assuming you've tried the bright switch as well.

 

Your bass guitar is fine; but, you need to realize that it is only the first part of the signal chain between your fingers and the speaker.

There are many kinds of signal chains, depending on whether you are playing live with speaker cabinet, live with IEM, or in the studio. But, in nearly ALL of those signal chains, bass players routinely use purpose designed preamps to address the balance issue you describe. BTW, the Sadowsky Preamp, either in the bass or as an outboard preamp is a great example of one of the first effective preamps for the Jazz Bass.

But, over the last couple of years, other Outboard preamps have become available, which are also well suited to the passive Jazz Bass. The Mesa Subway would be one example. Where you choose to put the preamp, either in the instrument or on a pedal board, depends on what kind of gigs you are doing. But, yes, the Jazz Bass needs a preamp to address the points you raised. Generally a two band or four band will be particularly well suited. And, where you put it depends on your rig and gig. Hope that helps.

 

Also that clip is most likely recorded direct, which means the treble content will be pretty prominent compared to what you hear out of any amp.

 

Just add a pedal. Much cheaper.

Also, IME it's easier to achieve a good sound with pedals if you use a passive bass. Actives can be a bit too hot.

 

Maybe there is something not right with the wiring in the bass?

 

There have been a few folks in the past that have made decent sounds with a passive bass. On the other hand, if you have 3 times the talent of, say, Jamerson or Jaco, and feel it's limiting you, well then maybe, an active bass would help, but...realistically, if a bass sounds bad, it's not because it's passive. Something else is not right - strings or the other things in the chain.

 

No, I don't think EQ/preamp/active bass is the solution to your problem, but it can be a bandaid. I suggest instead you look for the real origin/root of the problem and deal with it. Some ideas below:

What cable are you using, and how long is it? A very long, high capacitance cable can darken the sound of a passive bass. Some more than others, but it's a factor to pay attention to.

The Yamaha should sound fine, but try it with other amps, like it's been suggested. If it sounds good, then it's your amp. If not, then it's the bass. Of course, you can try different cables at the same time.

If it's the amp: The Rumble can sound fine, but I preferred (and got) the Ampeg in that price range. While it sounds "drier", it has a more usable tone imo. The Rumble sounded "bloated", with boomy lows and sort of sharp highs, with undefined mids.

If it's the bass: Try different strings and tweak the setup. The P will be mid-forward, but you can tame it with technique adjustment. The Yamaha is a PJ, yes? Bring in the J to scoop some of the mids out...

 

Did anyone else read the bit where the OP said he runs the EQ maxed? +12@80Hz (or whatever the Rumbles do) is going to sound cr@p regardless of the other settings...

 

Good thread but I haven't seen mention of changing the pups out.
I have owned a 57 P bass - single coil pup - since 1975 and always wanted more frequency response. I have used nearly every round wound string made short of $$$$; Rotosound being the best but chews frets. I don't own pedals and have only used an EQ and wah for guitar. I am usually a cord only player and let my amps do the work. I finally made a decision to replace the original pup with something hotter and put a Dimarzio quarter pounder in and now have a usable tone control that makes sense. It can be snarly or thump along like the original. Best part is it is still passive. I have an SVT cab and a Mesa 2x15 and they are happy together.

 

nobody "needs" active. i almost always use it, but my heart will probably continue beating if i use my bass in passive, or use an alltogether passive bass.

try a bunch of active basses and see if you find that to be a thing you need. with experience you're going to learn what you need, dont need, want, dont care for, must have, cannot live without, etc.

enjoy the journey.

 

The correct answer: This is TalkBass, you need another one. What was the question?

New, bright roundwound strings on a bass with aggressive pickups can be similar enough to an active bass sound that it's a matter of personal preference whether you need a battery or not. That's my take on things.

 

May not be the solution to the OP's problem but I had a $3.00 cable drive me crazy recently. I went on Amazon and bought me a cable tester (Pyle Pro). I'm not going through the 'cable game' anymore.

 

Do you *need* an active bass? No. If you have no treble, then first put a new set of strings on, then check your amp to see if it has a tweeter. Either one of these things will make for no treble.

You should be able to get a reasonably treble-y Jazz bass sound with no active preamp. If you can't, it's a problem with the source (the bass/strings) or the speakers.

Once you know you have good strings and a good amp/cabinet, only then can you decide if you *want* an active preamp.

Tom

 

I concur. Keep that Yamaha--that's a great bass. And get something like the Sadowsky, or my personal fave, the Xotic RC (more transparent than the Sadowsky, which has sort of a signature sound):

Xotic Bass RC Booster Pedal

 

In the video at 1:50, it looks like the player is using the neck pickup only. The right hand is over the neck pickup. Definitely hearing the sound of fairly fresh round wound strings.

The tone at 1:15 is the sound of the bridge pickup, with the right hand plucking close to the bridge.

Didn't notice a mention that the tone is also dependent on where and how the strings are played with the right hand.

Active/Passive is just a question of how much control you want to have in the instrument itself as opposed to outboard preamps and pedals.

Great tone can be achieved with either passive or active instruments.

 

Although a few onboard preamps seem to impart some tonal character to a bass, they're really just another tone control circuit. If you're plugged into an amp or preamp that has any kind of EQ or tone shaping, you can manipulate your tone that way with as much flexibility as the active circuit on the instrument. You can also do a great deal with your right hand, like people have written here.

So - if you can't get where you want to be using your amp's controls, I bet you just don't like the way your bass sounds.

Edit: 1:50 in that video sounds like the neck pickup solo, the guy is plucking right on top of the neck pickup and not digging in much. That recipe will yield a beefy, P-bassish tone. The tone he gets right there doesn't present to me as active, really, even though it is. A Yamaha BB415 should be able to get right in that tone neighborhood if you solo the split pickup.