whats the big difference between active and passive basses in this situation? I use two basses mainly, an active sr4 and a passive jazz. how would this effect the fuzz search?
It can be summed up in one word: impedance.
I'd highly recommend reading this thread specifically addressing impedance, active basses, and fuzz:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=395455