• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Do you prefer simple or complex controls on your bass(es)?

Ideal onboard electronics setup

  • Simple Active

    Votes: 92 17.9%

  • Simple Passive

    Votes: 341 66.5%

  • Complex Active

    Votes: 60 11.7%

  • Complex Passive

    Votes: 20 3.9%
  • Total voters
    513
#102
AllFifths said:
Variety does matter as does hand position but I've never found that I change up a lot after finding a few good sounds...maybe others do...
Click to expand...

Completely agree.

"Here is this really great tone I get from this bass you all know and love! Now here is this other usable but just ok sound I'm going to play you just to show off my guitars versatility for the next two songs!"

I see this A LOT
 
  • Like
Reactions: AllFifths and Claymore
#106
I have bass, trebble and a 5 band EQ on my amp. I can't see the point of duplicating that on each of my basses. If I'm going direct into the desk, the sound guy takes care of EQ. I roll off the tone for songs that need it but nothing more really.
 
#108
I like simple stuff and nowadays my main and favourite bass for all my metal gigs is a Fernandes Tremor 5 strings which I bought used last summer for about 250 euros

5 strings, one MM type humbucker pick up (in a centered position) and two knobs (volume and tone)
 
#110
scuzzy said:
disclaimer: This thread is a great excuse to post a pic of my favorite basses.

I believe that the majority of the folks on this forum will likely say simple, ala Precision bass with a volume and tone, or simply a volume, or perhaps straight to the jack. I have one p-type bass, and I do love to play it on occasion due to it's simplicity and versatility within that simplicity. But although I own and enjoy playing several passive basses, I still default to basses that are primarily active, with the ability to go passive.

I think that I now have my primary 4 basses. They are all 4 active with passive options. I would group them into "boutique" -style 4 and 5 string, and more "traditional" (non-coffee table) -style 4 and 5 string.

View attachment 3801052

Between these 4 basses, there are....
  • 10 pickups
  • 23 knobs
  • 14 switches
  • 8 batteries
  • 38 pickup combinations
All can go from active to passive. 3 out of the 4 have a passive tone control, which has proven to be a very useful thing. One of them, the passive tone control works in active or passive mode.

It has taken quite a bit of exploration and tweaking to learn each up to this point, and how I can utilize their potential. I certainly have more learning to do. I primarily play at church and at home. Playing at church is comparable to playing in a cover band (but with less booze) so you never know what bass or amp might show up on a recording. Versatility has been good for my mental state, as I like to sound as close to the recording as possible, although I'm sure most people don't know or care.

So what do most of you prefer?

Simple Active - no switches, simple 2 band EQ or similar
Simple Passive - no switches, tone control
Complex Active - Lot's of knobs and switches
Complex Passive - Lot's of knobs and switches
Click to expand...


Poll is too complex :woot:

I think complex controls look cool...

But the older I get, the I appreciate simplicity.
 
  • Like
Reactions: scuzzy
#111
I like volume, balance, active tone (3 way please), and I set it and forget it for each bass I have (all very minimal though, like -10% less highs and 20% more low end). Even though I use my basses only for recordings, I want to play with the 'final sound' for a mix and I rarely have to do a lot with it in the mix this way. For some styles I change the balance of the pickup (more neck for slap) and I might roll off or add highs (reggae vs slap). With my passive basses I always miss the ability to do minor changes.
 
#112
FBA843AD-2A8A-424B-B959-F0F0602542B7.jpeg
I like it passive and simple on my bass. I have enough controls on everything else. If want to sweeten the sound or make it punchy then I’ll go through a Sadowsky Preamp/DI. Works great as a preamp for headphones too.
 
#113
Ever since getting my Sire, the passive pickups with an active-pre, bypass switch, and EQ controls are mainly what I land on when I'm eyeballing bass guitars. I like being able to adjust tone on the fly at the bass and keep my amp pretty much flat.

That being said.. I could enjoy a passive bass.. I could add a pre-amp or EQ pedal to my board for added flavor, or my amp's pretty nice with tons of EQ options and a built in HPF.

I could get by with either.. but if I buy any bass guitars in the future they'll probably have an active pre, 2 or 3 band EQ and a pre-amp bypass switch.

I couldn't tell you if I'd enjoy them as much as I enjoy the Sire.. but I'm a fan of options, and I feel like I could make that bass work for any situation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: scuzzy
#115
I can't pick just one configuration cuz I like them all. On one side of the spectrum I converted a 5 knob active bass to a 1 knob passive. On the other side of the spectrum, I love basses full of knobs for endless tweaking. I don't know... I guess it depends on the bass.
 
#116
somegeezer said:
Voted simple active, but honestly would be happy with just volume. If the EQ controls were hidden under the hood, to be set and never touched again. I'd be happy.
Click to expand...
I did this but instead of the 1 knob being volume, I made it a blend. There's something reassuring about knowing that you could tweak the "under the hood" EQ at some point if your tastes happened to change but I'll probably never touch those trim pots again. :laugh:
 
  • Like
Reactions: somegeezer
#117
i played a Precision for 25 years and mostly had everything full on, so it seems no controls works for me. I probably have dozens of sounds in my active Jazz bass, but fortunately I found a great tone pretty quickly and haven't adjusted the controls since.

I guess my main objective with gear is to get the right sound by using the least amount of EQ possible.
 
  • Like
Reactions: minimalist freedom and scuzzy
#120
WillyWonka said:
Vol/blend/tone for two pickups

I always set the blend in the middle.

tone is either 0 or 11

volume varies

prefer passive just because I’ll forget to unplug batteried basses
Click to expand...

Funny, I would do quite opposite!

Vol always at full, cause I don't want to change the gain level for my OD and my sound guy...

Tone is two positions toggle: closed for vintage and opened for modern sound.

And the blend varies, as it is the way I choose how my bass sounds! From Jamerson (left) to Jaco (right) with all the in between...
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back