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Do you think the scale will ever tip back towards hi-fi/active basses?

#21
I see plenty of active super Js, Dingwalls started a multi scale movement that’s alive and vibrant. Spectors are still everywhere. Warwicks don’t seem to be getting as much love (which means they’re great buys right now!)

Scott’s Bass Lessons has one of the most popular YouTube channels for bass and it’s active F basses, Wals, and Ken Smiths all over that channel. Ian has a custom Mike Lull model and promotes for Spector.

I love vintage bass sounds and will always have some sort of passive J and P. Sometimes nothing else will get that sound. My current daily driver is an active Spector.
 
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#22
I think there are still-learning players and guys that live and die and buy basses around a steady stream of internet vids.

Guys that are long term vets play any and everything as they've long since figured out what they need to do what they do.

I'm continually amazed that while modern medicine has brought all manner of disease to heel, they seem to have made little or no headway combatting the epidemic of Grown Men Terrified of an Itty-Bitty Battery Syndrome, whereby musicians can't sleep at night worrying about the batteries in their bass guitar. So I think for the next while, passive basses will be the preferred option.

But make no mistake, guitars (and basses) are the height of Me Too fashion. If The Next Big Thing bassist is an EMG active guy, things will flip over to that just that fast and passive basses will seem old hat suddenly.

When I came in, it was a Precision Bass world, and you couldn't give away a Jazz Bass. Then neck through and active electronics (and brass aftermarket parts!) became the thing to have. Then carbon fiber. Then the worm turned yet again and a vintage guitar market influenced a move back to the classics, where we are now, as well as this 'copy' era we're in now, where Fender players often buy a better Fender Shaped Object . . . from a different builder.

My first real active bass was a Fernandes Gravity 4 I gutted because of the dreadful FGI components, and replaced with a PJ/BTS Circuit EMG setup. It was transformed: Silent as a tomb, no shielding or grounding required, and had I been a pedal guy, this drives pedals way better. It solved every shortcoming instantly and sounded fabulous. I changed the battery at New Year's and Fourth of July and never missed a beat, and a battery was small change to pay for the massive improvement. But then, your results may differ.
 
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#23
P bass tone can vary quite a lot, different strings, foam mutes, how and where you pick so you can get some variation besides the player.

Producers are familiar with P basses....i've read stories of bassists coming in with all kinds of basses but engineers need to get a working, pleasing sound quickly im guessing so the P bass wins.

Otoh, bass tone has evolved and i am glad to hear all kinds of different designs if the artist/project calls for it....still i think time and money in the studio win out....P bass!
 
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#25
J Wilson said:
I think there are still-learning players and guys that live and die and buy basses around a steady stream of internet vids.

Guys that are long term vets play any and everything as they've long since figured out what they need to do what they do.

I'm continually amazed that while modern medicine has brought all manner of disease to heel, they seem to have made little or no headway combatting the epidemic of Grown Men Terrified of an Itty-Bitty Battery Syndrome, whereby musicians can't sleep at night worrying about the batteries in their bass guitar. So I think for the next while, passive basses will be the preferred option.

But make no mistake, guitars (and basses) are the height of Me Too fashion. If The Next Big Thing bassist is an EMG active guy, things will flip over to that just that fast and passive basses will seem old hat suddenly.

When I came in, it was a Precision Bass world, and you couldn't give away a Jazz Bass. Then neck through and active electronics (and brass aftermarket parts!) became the thing to have. Then carbon fiber. Then the worm turned yet again and a vintage guitar market influenced a move back to the classics, where we are now, as well as this 'copy' era we're in now, where Fender players often buy a better Fender Shaped Object . . . from a different builder.

My first real active bass was a Fernandes Gravity 4 I gutted because of the dreadful FGI components, and replaced with a PJ/BTS Circuit EMG setup. It was transformed: Silent as a tomb, no shielding or grounding required, and had I been a pedal guy, this drives pedals way better. It solved every shortcoming instantly and sounded fabulous. I changed the battery at New Year's and Fourth of July and never missed a beat, and a battery was small change to pay for the massive improvement. But then, your results may differ.
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I kinda feel like you're leaving out a whole bunch of other groups in favour of a "me vs them" mentality. "me the hardened vet who knows everything" vs "everyone else who lives and dies by internet videos".


Maybe other people who know exactly what they want in a bass sound. Who cares where they may or may not have learned the information? I like the modern metal bass tone. It has nothing to do with fads. I don't have any interest in playing modern metal, or being in a modern metal band, I just like the sound
 
#26
Just Wrong said:
There's that story of Sean Hurley moving to L.A. with a five-string active Lakland to become a session player just to realize it's a P-bass world out there. It wasn't always the case though. There was time when hi-fi or active basses were all the rage, like Warwicks, Ken Smiths, Alembics, Tobias, Zons, Spector etc.

Do you think the scale will ever tip back towards hi-fi/active basses? If so, how do you think it'll happen?
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Lee Sklar plays different basses....depends on the session....to me, he is at or near the top for decades.
 
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#27
Altitude said:
Hurley plays mainly in situations where the bass has a traditional support role, so no surprise his employers prefer P-Basses that make sounds they know how to work with.

I suppose for those of us who play in more music-y situations where we’re trying to give the bass a soloist or featured role, active basses might still be popular and useful.

All mine at the moment are passive. One is a P-bass.
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Being active or passive for a bass doesn’t have much to do with the role one wants to give to the instrument in a musical context in my opinion.
You can always shape the bass’ tone using an external preamp.
An active Sadowsky JB sounds like a JB with more presence in certain areas of the time spectrum due to its onboard preamp.
However, it may not be the best deal for tapping; tapping and the other more music-y stuff will transform a groovy instrument (a bass) into a more musical but, in my opinion, super boring experiment.
Music is made by notes; I play busy lines and improvise quite effectively in the jazz-fusion domain (at least, I’m developing towards that field with all issues a self-taught guy may experience) trying to put the right notes in the place.
I play passive P and J basses only.
Why? Because they sound right and, moreover, they sound like the majority of my idols’ basses with fond notable exceptions … Stanley Clarke’s Alembic is a typical example in this regard.
He made 3 good albums and I’d like to have a series I myself for the sand of it.
However I’m content of what I have seeing their prices and continue to develop my technique and musical culture ..
 
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#28
I know the story Sean Hurley tells. It's a good one. Don't forget that he's selling a Fender signature bass. It's nice.

That said, for traditional r&b / funky / rock hit music, the producers still don't want to spend time/money on the bass tone when there's so much other work to be done. They know what a hit record sounds like and the sonic space a bass takes up therein. K.I.S.S.
 
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#31
Captain Chaos said:
You know what I would like to see? I would like to see those types of guys do it on a P bass for ***** and giggles.

Also saw these guys about a month ago and they blew my mind.

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Its funny. When i was learning bass in my teens and early 20's, I was far more into the chops laden music. Al Dimeola, Bruford, Dregs, Tribal tech. Stuff with killer chops but also pretty musical. Now as an old man, i don't know if i could take more than 10 minutes of what appears to be a Bass demo for a multi scale, more than 4 string, umpteen pickup bass. I truly respect everyone's varied taste in music. And yea..these kids got chops, but (for me) I can't hear a groove, or a melody, or anything that would entice me to ever listen to this stuff more than once, if i could even get through one listening. And the basses they're using would def be the norm for this, and likely, only this type of music (IMHO). I agree with the captain, but the music in this vid just isn't made to be created on a P-bass.

So back to the original poster's query....as long as folks wanna make this kinda music, these greater range basses are gonna be around. I'll stick with my Sadowsky. Active until the hiring party wants a passive sound, then, I'll lift the tone pot.
 
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#32
It's funny, I was listening to an interview with Guy Pratt who stated that, while he loves his Spector NS-2, he felt it was "of a time" (dated) in comparison to his Burgundy Mist Jazz which was somewhat timeliness in his mind... While I agree that the Jazz is timeless, I don't think the NS series basses are dated.. one of the few things I'll disagree with him on.
 
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#33
dpaul said:
I have no concern for what’s “in” or popular, I play what I like. I currently own 6 basses, 4 of the 5 are active 5 strings, 1 passive 5 string, and 1 active 4 string. None are P-basses. Case closed ;)
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You said it all for me!
Three sixers and one eight.
 
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#34
DavidEdenAria said:
Producers are familiar with P basses....i've read stories of bassists coming in with all kinds of basses but engineers need to get a working, pleasing sound quickly im guessing so the P bass wins.
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Frankly those stories sound like hooey to me in any sort of current context. I can't imagine a producer saying to someone who plays a Strat with a Floyd Rose that they should play the ES335 sitting in the corner. That's not their sound, and they're not going to play their best on a type of guitar they're not familiar with. Same with basses. If an engineer can't get a good sound without a musician playing a specific type of instrument I'd be wondering if another engineer should be brought in.
 
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#37
tim gueguen said:
Frankly those stories sound like hooey to me in any sort of current context. I can't imagine a producer saying to someone who plays a Strat with a Floyd Rose that they should play the ES335 sitting in the corner. That's not their sound, and they're not going to play their best on a type of guitar they're not familiar with. Same with basses. If an engineer can't get a good sound without a musician playing a specific type of instrument I'd be wondering if another engineer should be brought in.
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Not everyone is hired for “their sound.” Someone recording music for commercials doesn’t really care about “your sound.” And neither do most bandleaders and solo artists of renown. Sure, they might hire a famous name for “their sound,” but us folks without a name don’t get that luxury, and if you don’t give them what they want, they’ll find someone who will, and they’ll let their friends know you’re a trouble maker.

So refuse to play that 335 at your own risk.
 
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