Do we really need high-end basses with intricate active electronics?

[friendlybass]

Right tool for the right job to your preference. Some cooks use lemon juice from a bottle, some fresh squeeze a lemon every time. I like my one active bass and I like humbuckers and hollowbodies and single coils and lots of switches and no switches they all have a place in the grand tone soup.

 

[nostatic]

I think it's also about what you can afford. If I had a gig every other day like nostatic, I'd have a different opinion about active setups.

Unfortunately a lot of those only pay Squire money

I need a day job to afford the high end stuff...

 

[lfmn16]

I can't believe how some people are reacting to the original post. Seems like an interesting topic but somehow it's offended a few people. Can't seehow personally. Sorry am I trolling?

It's the passive/aggressive nature of the post. He opens it like he is actually looking for other opinions and then the rest of it is all geared towards how we don't need these basses and if we don't do things the way HE thinks they should be done, we don't belong in the game.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I get tired of these people wanting to limit what everybody else does/plays/thinks. If someone wants to play a yardstick taped to a cereal box with rubber bands for strings, I don't care. Just please STFU about what I want to play. Not agreeing with me is fair and offers the opportunity to share opinions; telling me I'm wrong because someone doesn't agree with me crosses the line.

 

[Biggbass]

I like a passive bass but sometimes active tone control really comes in handy.

 

[gruesome]

Hi Gang,

I wanted to get some opinions about the differences between what many of us consider to be so-called lower end models of major bass manufactures like: Squire to Fender, Soundgear to Ibanez, LTD to ESP, Sterling to Musicman, etc. etc. etc.

Also, what “truly” is the relevance of active pick-ups and multiple tone, balance & volume knobs on today’s modern basses?

Do all of these devices truly make us better bass players or bass players more dependent on electronics to sound good?

Personally I believe we should all purchase bass guitars that fit us physically first, then aesthetically & emotionally.

I believe that electronics should be the last consideration because (in my humble opinion) if we can’t make (for example) a Chinese Hondo Fender Precision Jazz knock-off bass sound good through a decent amp, with no special electronics, and damn good fingering techniques – then we have no business in the game.

I also believe that the “lower-end” models of major bass manufacturers can (given the chance) out-perform basses that cost 4 times as much. (in the right pair of hands)

Dozens if not hundreds of cats 20, 30, 40 years ago played simple, straight-forward electric bass guitars and they were bad-asses that sounded great with either none or very little of the modern day electronic assistive devices we find on most of today’s modern instruments.

I own 5 bass guitars and only two of them have active pick-ups.

I prefer the basses with passive pick-ups and maybe 2 or 3 volume, tone, balance knobs without all the glitz because they challenge me to concentrate more on my fingers for creating the sound I want.

Please give me your feedback……..thanks…

My Traben has active electronics and a 3 band eq. My SX Ursa 4 has passive j bass pickups and old school j bass volume, volume, tone. Honestly, I don't think the active pups sound much better. A bit more tone shaping options with no need for a second eq is the biggest advantage I find.

 

[Worldeeeter]

ACTIVE-ACTIVE-ACTIVE!!!
YES-YES-YES!!!
GOOD-GOOD-GOOD!!!

The only thing I like more than my active basses with 9V preamp and active pickups are my 18V active basses!!!

 

[Chef]

All my active basses have passive tone control.

Boom! I win!

 

[TitaniumRx]

Soundgear to Ibanez,

Soundgear (or GIO,ATK etc etc) IS Ibanez,nothing like the Squier is to Fender or Epiphone to Gibson.Is series of models.

 

[red_rhino]

Active electronics and more controls are not going to help me much if I can't get more than one distinct tone out of the 3 controls (typically) on a passive J bass.

Just changing the pickup bias toward neck, bridge, or evenly blended, changes the tone on every J bass I've ever played. The passive tone control typically only provides high-end rolloff, but even that contributes to the overall "flavor". Active EQ just provides more "flavor" options. But yeah, if a bass sounds bad to begin with, active EQ won't fix that.

-Alan

 

[okcrum]

Well, either that, or the player can't hear the difference. I've run into a few who just dime the volumes on their Js and never adjust them, whatever the reason.

 

[friendlybass]

Well, either that, or the player can't hear the difference. I've run into a few who just dime the volumes on their Js and never adjust them, whatever the reason.[/QUOTE/]

I tried that with my active jazz bass for about 2 seconds. All boosted all the time sucks. Learning the V-V-T setup on my sg has been fun usually my pickups are on off switches or have a blend knob

 

[ggunn]

Need? No. Like? Yes.

There's an echo in here.

 

[Amplified]

Answer is you need many basses. Passive, active, fretted, fretless, 4-, 5- 6-strings, 9v, 18v, zero fret, brass nut, etc....

 

[hsech]

Do we need them..... NO.
Do some want them..... YES.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Do YOU need high end basses with active electronics?No.Apparently not.
Do I need high end basses.Need?No
Want?Yes!
Afford?No!
I buy mid priced($300.00 -$800.00) basses that just so happen to have active electronics.
But if they don't have active electronics,that's no big deal.

 

[Webtroll]

Need? We don't need active basses. We don't need more than 4 strings. We don't need frets. We don't need a choice in color. Fortunately we have choices and some of us like some things, some of us prefer others. I don't see that the options make anybody "better" just different. To individuals one option may be better than another, such as active vs. passive, but that's up to the individual and anyone who tells you it's one or the other is full of it. Same with 4 strings vs. more (or less), picks vs. fingers, flats vs. rounds, maple fingerboards vs. rosewood, and so on.

 

[Feral Feline]

No, we really don't need high-end basses with intricate active electronics.

Nor do we need cars with anti-lock brakes, automatic transmissions, nav-sat (people found their way around the globe using sextant & compass)... What was wrong with the Model-T? Did we really need Ford to come out with the Model A?

Why bother with jet engines on planes? We were doing just fine with single-prop engines.

In fact, we did okay as a race using horse and buggies.

Well, okay, maybe it's kinda nice that we have cat-scans and somebody doesn't have to be lame just 'cause they broke their leg. Or somebody that got burned can have a skin-graft, but do we really need all that?

Why can't we just stick to a good ol' fashioned blood-letting!



Maybe we just need medium-end basses with simple active electronics.

 

[Neveragain55]

It's the passive/aggressive nature of the post. He opens it like he is actually looking for other opinions and then the rest of it is all geared towards how we don't need these basses and if we don't do things the way HE thinks they should be done, we don't belong in the game.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I get tired of these people wanting to limit what everybody else does/plays/thinks. If someone wants to play a yardstick taped to a cereal box with rubber bands for strings, I don't care. Just please STFU about what I want to play. Not agreeing with me is fair and offers the opportunity to share opinions; telling me I'm wrong because someone doesn't agree with me crosses the line.

It's the passive/aggressive nature of the post. He opens it like he is actually looking for other opinions and then the rest of it is all geared towards how we don't need these basses and if we don't do things the way HE thinks they should be done, we don't belong in the game.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I get tired of these people wanting to limit what everybody else does/plays/thinks. If someone wants to play a yardstick taped to a cereal box with rubber bands for strings, I don't care. Just please STFU about what I want to play. Not agreeing with me is fair and offers the opportunity to share opinions; telling me I'm wrong because someone doesn't agree with me crosses the line.

Ok, last shot at this, yes, you are taking offense unnecessarily because I've stated several times that I have my preferences but I fully respect what evdybody else does and thinks.

Think about it for a second, how in the world could I force my preferences or beliefs onto hundreds of others who (of course) are going to have varied opinions.

The post was not written to force or shove my viewpoints down the throats of others.

Tip, it's always a good idea not to play psychologist when reading posts in forums written by strangers you've never met who you couldn't possibly be able to read with any accuracy.

I respect all musicians, and the gear they choose......

 

[AMJBASS]

I'm not sure I see the point of this thread either. I play full time using both active and passive basses and use whichever one the situation dictates. An active bass gives you a bit more flexibility. You want the truth? No one cares what you play on stage as long as you look good, and sound great.

 

[Baird6869]

Answer is you need many basses. Passive, active, fretted, fretless, 4-, 5- 6-strings, 9v, 18v, zero fret, brass nut, etc....

I want a 27v or 36v active bass now.