Do you mostly play passive or active basses?

[BassicJazzy]

I think that's finding the smallest possible nit in a sea of pedantic nits to pick. 'Active bass' has come to mean, historically, a bass with an active preamp installed in the bass itself, irrespective of the pickups in question. There's a reason why few basses in general followed the Alembic model of being 'fully active', and the options for those systems have remained relatively scarce in comparison to the established setup we see widely used. EMG comes to mind. Even Leo decided that an active pre with a passive humbucker was the ticket for the StingRay.

If you play an active bass into a pedalboard with another preamp somewhere along the way, it doesn't make the bass 'double active'.

Yes, I have heard it can be problematic going pre-amp to pre-amp. Something involving too much gain, or creating noise in the chain? In my case, even though I have pre-amps in 4 of my basses, I try to keep things as simple as possible, and either not use the on-board pre or use it very lightly. I also keep the pre settings on my amp pretty flat and don't use the contour settings. If I'm going to mess around with the signal I prefer to do it on the pedalboard, with the chorus, the fuzz/octave, or the compressor. Generally I will only apply one of those at a time (with exception of light compression, which is on any time I use the board).

 

[JazznFunk]

Yes, I have heard it can be problematic going pre-amp to pre-amp. Something involving too much gain, or creating noise in the chain? In my case, even though I have pre-amps in 4 of my basses, I try to keep things as simple as possible, and either not use the on-board pre or use it very lightly. I also keep the pre settings on my amp pretty flat and don't use the contour settings. If I'm going to mess around with the signal I prefer to do it on the pedalboard, with the chorus, the fuzz/octave, or the compressor. Generally I will only apply one of those at a time (with exception of light compression, which is on any time I use the board).

It depends on the nature of the 'preamp' being used, IMO. I run my active basses into a tube preamp almost every time I record, or use a live rig. I use an EBS ValveDrive, or more recently, a SushiBox MORE (which has no tone controls - just a gain/volume control). There are no issues with noise or 'too much gain' because I set things up to where the volume level is pretty much the same whether the preamp(s) in question are engaged or disengaged. I also pay attention to the same thing with any effects pedals on my board, if I am using a pedalboard.

The problems come in when people 'boost up' the volume too much collectively with one of the downstream preamps, introducing noise or distortion into the picture. Things can be just fine if people pay attention to how gain staging is set along the way.

I never bypass onboard preamps on my active basses. They are the least of my concern in any signal chain.

 

[kittywithabanjo]

I just got my first Passive bass in a long time, its interesting Its definitely different.

 

[bucephylus]

I did not miss your point. You missed mine.

An active bass has an active preamp onboard. The electronic boost/cut system being built into the bass makes is an 'active' bass per the industry standard definition. A passive bass does not. Not sure how that is confusing.

A car's cruise control manipulates the throttle without using the gas pedal, but that doesn't mean the cruise button is the same as the gas pedal, even though they manipulate the fuel flow into the engine to maintain a given speed. We don't suddenly refer to the cruise button as the gas pedal.

We shall agree to disagree. You apparently prioritize form over function. So be it.

 

[JazznFunk]

We shall agree to disagree. You apparently prioritize form over function. So be it.

Form and function are in fact defining characteristics of many things. You can use a screwdriver to pound a nail in a piece of wood, but a hammer makes it much easier and more efficient. Outboard preamps are highly useful and often have expanded feature sets which aren't necessarily practical or possible to install in a bass on-board, but using one with a passive bass doesn't make the bass 'active' in the way you want it to be. Next time someone is playing a 1962 Jazz, running it into a pedal board or a tube DI or something else down the line, try convincing them their un-modified classic is actually an 'active' bass because of what they plugged it into. Good luck!

 

[bucephylus]

Form and function are in fact defining characteristics of many things. You can use a screwdriver to pound a nail in a piece of wood, but a hammer makes it much easier and more efficient. Outboard preamps are highly useful and often have expanded feature sets which aren't necessarily practical or possible to install in a bass on-board, but using one with a passive bass doesn't make the bass 'active' in the way you want it to be. Next time someone is playing a 1962 Jazz, running it into a pedal board or a tube DI or something else down the line, try convincing them their un-modified classic is actually an 'active' bass because of what they plugged it into. Good luck!

 

[wboyd68]

Those John East pre's are getting lots of love on this board. Super easy to install, but they aren't cheap, $350 for the premium model.

They have gone up in the last few months. Those were closer to $299 a few months ago.

 

[Jim C]

Outboard preamps are highly useful and often have expanded feature sets which aren't necessarily practical or possible to install in a bass on-board, but using one with a passive bass doesn't make the bass 'active' in the way you want it to be. Next time someone is playing a 1962 Jazz, running it into a pedal board or a tube DI or something else down the line, try convincing them their un-modified classic is actually an 'active' bass because of what they plugged it into. Good luck!

I screwed up my own poll by not including outboard preamps. I play both active and passive basses but always use my custom outboard pre. In my mind, an outboard pre makes it an active bass.

 

[JazznFunk]

I screwed up my own poll by not including outboard preamps. I play both active and passive basses but always use my custom outboard pre. In my mind, an outboard pre makes it an active bass.
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I disagree, but life goes on. If it's not installed in the bass with on-board controls, it is not an active bass. Clearly, everyone's getting different mileage. Carry on.

 

[Zazie Moondust]

There are a dozen ways to address cable capacitance. Most tuners have buffers in them that would take care of the issue

You still need to plug a cable from the bass into the tuner, I mean 0 cable capacitance. A buffer doesn't get rid of any capacitance that happens earlier in the chain and I have tested this with a normal length cable into a buffered pedal vs a 1ft cable straight into the amp. The latter was quite a bit brighter. But really it's about consistency more than brightness, I like the more hifi sounding, but really I want it to sound the same no matter what I plug into, so I don't need a specific cable or buffer.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

1 battery in a year's time, max.... usually way longer if you unplug the bass and aren't playing a lot. Batteries themselves have shelf lives of years. So it's not something you do 'all the time.' People use up more batteries in a given year swapping them out in their smoke detectors.... or you SHOULD anyways.

Having used battery powered basses for many years (StingRays), I can conclusively say that I much prefer not having to worry about dead batteries. With the amount of gigs I play it's definitely more than one per year. Again, one less thing to worry about.

 

[JazznFunk]

Having used battery powered basses for many years (StingRays), I can conclusively say that I much prefer not having to worry about dead batteries. With the amount of gigs I play it's definitely more than one per year. Again, one less thing to worry about.

I will agree that there are much more pressing things to worry about than replacing 1 or 2 batteries per year. Having played primarily active basses for many decades (Laklands primarily) I usually made it through an entire year (or longer) without having to replace one when I was gigging heavily. Never had one fail either. That was playing almost every weekend out of the year except for maybe 2 or 3 slow months in the winter. I would always replace the battery before a studio session or high profile gig, just as preventive maintenance.

 

[Herrick]

Active for Herrick.

 

[Mayborns]

This year I have been through a few basses to find what suits me. Despite always havng GAS for an active instrument, I always migrate back to passive. It's nothing to do with changing batteries, but purely with tone and what suits the bands, mix and songs I play.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

I will agree that there are much more pressing things to worry about than replacing 1 or 2 batteries per year. Having played primarily active basses for many decades (Laklands primarily) I usually made it through an entire year (or longer) without having to replace one when I was gigging heavily. Never had one fail either. That was playing almost every weekend out of the year except for maybe 2 or 3 slow months in the winter. I would always replace the battery before a studio session or high profile gig, just as preventive maintenance.

the cool thing about Laklands is that you can bypass the preamp. A great feature. On StingRays you cannot do and the newer ones require two batteries. FWIW, my favorite basses are my passive Laklands- 4460, 4464 and Skyline J Sonic

 

[JazznFunk]

the cool thing about Laklands is that you can bypass the preamp. A great feature. On StingRays you cannot do and the newer ones require two batteries. FWIW, my favorite basses are my passive Laklands- 4460, 4464 and Skyline J Sonic

I've never had to bypass it, nor would I want to. The volume drop between passive and active is pretty noticeable, so it's not a feature I find any practical use in.

I can get on with a passive bass just fine, but I often find myself missing the in-the-moment adjustment options I have at my disposal with an active bass, especially with a Lakland which has all the standard coil switching and panning options. Without the preamp engaged on those LH-3 or NTMB-L equipped basses, you can't tailor the sound to account for changing configurations.

Like StingRays, the voice of the bass is found in the preamp as much as anything else. If one is bypassing the active preamp on a purpose designed active bass.... then I agree there is no need for a preamp if one isn't going to use it.

 

[GIBrat51]

Well...
I currently own - and play - 29 basses. Of those, 5 are active; the rest are the old fashioned passive type. So... you do the math.... Why are most of my basses passive?
I learned to play bass in 1968, on a friend's lefty '68 Rick 4001. Definitely a passive bass; and, TBH? I don't know if there were any active - in the modern sense - basses one could buy, anyway. And, by the time that there were active basses that an average lefty like me could buy? Well, I knew that the original idea behind active guitars - and basses - was to overcome the signal loss that came with giant stages and very long cables. I didn't figure I was ever going to be in that situation, so... I just never saw the need. However...
There was a spot on the "Bass Herd" list I'd made - in the late '90s - for an "Active Bass"; so, in about 2004 or so, I started looking for one. The first one on eBay that caught my eye? A '95 Alembic Epic. So, it's not like I "eased" into the active bass experience... It didn't get played much, until about 2018: I didn't care for the thin, weak, nasally sterile sound at all. Turned out, the problem was my old Marshall combo amp - not the bass. I replaced that amp with a Fender Rumble 500, and... problem solved. Since then, I've acquired 4 more active basses. Some of them fill spots in my herd - but, not necessarily because they're active. The EBMM 4HH Stingray Special fills a "Particular Bass" spot - like my Gibson T-Bird fills the "Gibson T-Bird" spot. The fact that the 4HH Stingray is also active, doesn't really have much to do with it. I'd wanted one since they were first made; the SOB's made me wait 'till Christmas of 2019 for a lefty... As for the 3 other active basses?
- G&L Tom Hamilton Signature ASAT Bass. It was bought as an active bass, when I decided to move the Alembic into a spot that I was having a lot of trouble filling; "Long Scale Set Neck Bass". Doesn't matter what bass fills the "Active " spot; it just has to be a 4-string, lefty active bass...
- Schecter Stiletto Studio 4-FL lined fretless bass. It fills the "Active Fretless" spot in the Herd... And, finally...
- Sterling 4H Sub Ray. I bought it a couple of weeks ago, when I was in the local GC store for other stuff. In the 5 years I've lived here? It was the first new left handed bass I'd seen. It had some cosmetic damage, and so the price was marked waay down. But, it felt good; sounded good; worked good; and, they had a case for it. So, I took pity on the poor thing, and brought it home. Set it up with a set of EB Slinky Cobalt Flats, and it' sounding pretty sweet. And I'm fixing the cosmetic damage, so... pretty soon it'll look good, too.
As for the whole "multi-band equalizer" and multiple tone knob thing? And the... battery... thing? I'm still not playing on a giant stage, and a 12 ft. cable is the longest one I own (but seldom use). And 90% of the music I play doesn't require much more than the basic "fill the sonic hole with a thump" thing. But, they are very nice basses, so... I simply make sure their batteries are still good - and, just play them...