• 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.

First bass, active or passive?

#22
I play metal (and metal tinged punk). Either active or passive are just great for metal. After you factor in amp, cabinet and everything else neither is louder or better than the other. They just lend themselves to different situations better. If you like a really scooped sound with a lot of downtuning than an active bass might be better. If you want a lot of character and complexity in your low mids, and don't plan on changing your tone much from song to song, a passive may be better.

As far as 5 vs 4. I have owned and played both and finally went back to the 4 banger.
5 strings are not required to hit low notes.
They are required if you want to hit those low low notes AND still do all that jazzy hippy stuff on the top strings too.
I actually prefer to play a 4 string tuned like the bottom 4 strings of a 5-er.
But as soon as you start getting into down tuning and extended range basses then you start having to deal with grown up stuff like string tension, intonation, truss rod adjustment etc. There is more to playing bass than just putting your finger here and..here.
 
#23
Active. Much better tone tweaking ability and better sound overall in my experience and opinion. Lots of great active basses out there for very little coin to. Ibanez SR300 and ESP Ltd B154dx as just two very nice ones for $300 & $349 respectively for internet store prices new.
 
#24
First of all, I would highly suggest saving up a bit more dough and spending more than $300. You will get what you pay for. I would also recomend a 4 string and drop tuning it. Some 4 strings are 35 inch scale which helps...

Both passive or active can be great, depends on the bass/player...

I would suggest buying used and check the classifieds on TB

My recomendations

1.Musicman Stingray 4 or 5 string. Proven tone for rock/metal as well as other styles...4 string can be dropped tuned with right strings and setup
2. Spector NS 35" 4 string. dual coils can also be switched to single coils for great metal tone...
 
#25
Sometimes you can trade quality for complexity at the same price point. But don't worry about a bass being too complicated for you to use. I assure you, you'll figure out how to switch pickups and use a mids knob.

One of them, usually the right one, will keep haunting your thoughts. It might be a 4 or 5 string (maybe a 6er will get you excited?) It might have a parametric eq or just a tone knob. Go play a bunch, and do it through an amp, but don't buy right away. Go back a day or two later and play it again. If it still feels right, you'll be a little giddy as you go to pay for it. If you don't feel it, wait another day.
 
#26
But those basses are like.. very expensive

I thought of a 5 string because the music I want to play is almost always tuned between A and C, but I'd also play standard and D tuning and I'd hate to retune every couple of songs.

I won't be buying anything tomorrow, just comparing.

I've set my mind on a Cort Action V active and when I watched the video, it really did sound different (to me) when the knobs were being tweaked, from a "nice" sounding tone to a dirty more death/black metal sound, really liked it.
 
#27
+1 on that. When I got my first i wouldn't have known the option of passive or active. I like active now but I've gotten lazy.


monsterthompson said:
Probably a dead horse, but a passive 4 string didn't hold back Geezer, or Steve (mentioned in the OP).

I'll admit that I've had 5s and 4s and I like 4s better. The extra range doesn't change the game for me. It primarily allows me to fret the B/5 region instead of playing around open E.

Edit - as a Dingwall and fEARful owner, I'll admit that the low B calls on bigger watts and beefier speakers to get the goods. If you go for the lower notes, be prepared for the power consumption/handling they need to make them shine.
Click to expand...
 
#28
I think Yamaha make some pretty good beginner to intermediate basses too, so perhaps that's another option when you have a browse. Cort is okay, but I find their quality inconsistent compared to the Yamahas.

Maybe just me, but I don't really hear a huge amount of difference between active and passive basses. I've played both and I own an active bass, but I think when you are starting out, it's more important to find an instrument that is a) within your budget and b) is comfortable. You can worry about active vs passive basses later.
 
#29
Well, I own a Cort guitar and so far is excellent and I 've only read good things about Cort guitars and basses, if Yamaha basses are like guitars, then they are too heavy for me. But anyways, tomorrow I'll ask for basses around a price range and compare
 
#31
Yogen said:
But those basses are like.. very expensive

I thought of a 5 string because the music I want to play is almost always tuned between A and C, but I'd also play standard and D tuning and I'd hate to retune every couple of songs.

I won't be buying anything tomorrow, just comparing.

I've set my mind on a Cort Action V active and when I watched the video, it really did sound different (to me) when the knobs were being tweaked, from a "nice" sounding tone to a dirty more death/black metal sound, really liked it.
Click to expand...

Not everyone here understand the concept of a "budget". ;)



Anyway, forget about the active vs passive thing. It doesn't really matter all that much, and is something that can be changed later on pretty easily (and somewhat cheaply). Concentrate on getting a bass that you find comfortable.

I would try to get a 5 string, but if you find a 4 string you really like you could always tune it to BEAD. I play mostly metal and find the B string very practical. Not only for low notes, but it gives a getter range without moving my hand.

Just be aware that the B string can't be used for everything as it will always sound ever so slightly different than the E string. This is especially true on higher frets.
 
#32
From what you've said, my advice is to ignore what everyone has said, open your mind, and try as many different basses as you can.

I bought my first bass used and cheap off eBay (£50 for a Yahama RBX360, good deal) then, while I was saving up, went to lots of music shops and tried lots of different basses - active, passive, 4-string, 5-string. The end result was that I bough an active 5-string, but not because it was 'best' for my music or because it was recommended. I bough it because it was the bass that felt and sounded 'right' in my hands. Not a video demonstration, not a TB recommendation. MY opinion.

Shop around, play lots and have a fun time narrowing down your options!
 
#35
My first bass was a 4 string passive and then I put a preamp in and I think it made it sound 10 times better. If your going to play metal though I would recomend an active bass because IMO you can get a deeper sound out of the lower notes. Maybe you could borrow a 4 string from someone to start out on? After you have that down you could buy a good 5 or 6 string. My second bass was a rogue 6 string and it is active and passive.
 
#36
Yeah, I checked my friend's passive Ibanez and compared to the actives I tried on the stores, it sounds very "weak" in my opinion, although maybe a bit warmer for rock and stuff.

So, after 2-3 hours of searching, I had a really hard time because most basses available are $500+, so damn.

These are the ones I am interested in (not exact prices and yes, everything is more expensive in Mexico): Cort Action DLX ($300), Cort Action V-A ($280), Squier Jazz Bass 5 string ($430), Palmer magnum STD ($390).

Some are more expensive so the general rule would be for them to be better, but I'm looking for the best "bang for your buck" deal and something that will suit me good.
I'm more inclined towards a Cort bass, the others are more expensive and a Squier sounds interesting, but hey, I'm just a beginner who wants to play metal and I may not hear too much difference yet in the price range.

If i buy a $350+ bass, I'll have to buy a $100- amp, but if I buy a $300- bass I can get a $200 amp.
 
#37
playing at volume with a band, the "louder" actives and "weak" passive basses will generally be close in volume. An amp can only go so loud after all.

Main thing I get from active basses is that they sound more consistent from amp to amp than passive ones. The varying impedances on the front end of different amps make my passive basses sound completely different sometimes.
 
#38
I'm gonna go against the grain and suggest that it might be good for you to start out on an active 5 string. If you switch from a 4 to a 5 in the future you may think of your bass as a 4 but with an extra string as I did, and I found that I couldn't get used to the 5.

Another thing I could never get used to was having extra "bells and whistles" to control my tone, and my tone always sucked because I didn't really know what I was doing with them. So again, I wish I'd learned all that first.

I now play a passive Fender P and I'm happy with that, so if you think you might be happy with that then start there - if you don't think you will be happy with that, start with an active 5.

All IMHO of course, and I have no idea if this makes any sense.
 
#40
Passive.

I dread it when my new beginner students show up with an active bass. If your technique is sloppy (which is usually the case with beginners), the added noise and string sensitivity is so prevelant that it actually creates a huge distraction. I would prefer my students learn on a passive bass, and after they have developed some technique and control, then test out an active bass to see if they like it.

If a beginner must go active, I would prefer it be one of those that has a knob or switch dedicated to dialing the active component in or out.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back