Is a 3 band EQ worth the extra money?

[Claymore]

I ripped a 3 band EQ out of a bass and made it passive... I enjoy it much more now. Of the 3 band actives I still have, I mostly only use the mid knob for boost.

 

[zortation]

Depends on the eq. Which were you thinking of? The three on my Pj are fantastic but don't give me a wide range, just more variations of a fender tone. The two on my Spector give me a much wider range. The cut and boost on my Overwater gives me the widest range of all three.

Yep. Onboards can vary widely depending on what's inside.

 

[tb-player]

I've owned a couple of basses with the John East J-Retro preamp. Each had a stacked, parametric/sweepable mid control. It was the most functional preamp I've ever had. And it made those basses ridiculously versatile. I used it all the time. I've also had Stingrays where the mid knob was very functional.

Yet, on my passive 2-band instruments, I don't necessarily miss the mid control. I guess it just depends on the situation.

 

[fhm555]

I like my J plus setup. It's 2 band 3 knob arranged parallel to the strings that run (f to r) stacked vol/blend, stacked bass/treble boost cut, four position rotary switch. Switch from bottom to top is, bass off, 2 band eq, 2 band eq with mid boost/cut via a trim pot on the board, passive. Blend and both tones are center detent and the battery is safe when the switch is off, no need to unplug.
IIRC it was marketed as an active bass with a slap switch. You set it on option 2 and adjust the mid to give you a good slap tone then all you had to do when you are in 2 band mode and needed a good slap tone was roll up one on the selector switch and slap your heart out. I don't slap so I've never monkeyed with the mid trim pot. My repair guy offered to set up the slap switch but i never got around to getting it done.
It's the only pre I've ever had that i found all the controls to be useful when shaping the output in any situation.
it spoiled me. With most basses I can get a useable tone no matter where or what but it may not be as nice as I'd like it. With the plus i can nail it, or get closer to what I want, more often.

 

[panzerfaust]

it's like you compare automatic transmission and manual transmission on car......

worth or not depends on your demand,....i myself needs 3 band to shaping my tone,..doesn't mean it is superior.....but it's back to you,....there is always person who say this better than that,...

 

[bigtone23]

I use my 3 band often, mostly when playing live and doing the cover thing. I need to make some small changes here and there to emulate tones of other basses since I don't really like to carry more than 2 basses to a gig and don't want to constantly be switching instruments. My most commonly used instrument is a US Dlx Jazz V with the onboard controls set flat and both pickups up for my go-to tone. (I also do this with my US Dlx Precision V, Peavey Dynabasses and 72 J with a J Retro). Roll to the soloed neck pickup, cut a little treble, boost a touch of mids and a smidge of bass and now it sounds more like a P. Roll to the bridge pickup, boost the highs and lows, cut some mids-sounds more like a Stingray. It's not spot on, but in a live band mix, it's close enough and gives a touch more authenticity.
I also like the mid control also for a quick scoop to make a more distant, dubby tone, or boost it a touch for some punchy prominence in the mix. Mid controls centered around 400-600Hz work best for me.

 

[ComeHomeShane]

Stingray Special... mids? yes.

 

[JTE]

Making blanket general recommendations like this is pointless. WHICH 3-band compared to WHICH 2- band? I use the mids on my Laklands quite a bit, albeit subtly. But the pre-EB StingRay 2-band (mostly) boost only pre is very useful musically and worked better for me than any EB 'Ray 3-band.

And of course, you got the obligatory "you don't need a mid because I don't need a preamp at all" replies. If you're after some useful information, let us know which pre in which bass and PUP combination you're considering, and some idea of what general tone you're after.

 

[wmhill]

In my experience, with my MTDs loaded with Bartolini's, the mid control makes a huge difference. Crank the mids if I want a little more clank or grit, scoop for slap and usually flat for fingerstyle.
I have had several basses equipped with EMGs and 2 band EQs and those worked fine with the 2 band. One was a Schecter that had some dip switches on one of the pots that let you tailor your tone to taste a bit more.

 

[bobdabilder]

Yes. It is to me.

 

[Killing Floor]

Depends on the bass, pickups and amp and stuff and junk. On a MusicMan bass the available 3 band makes a big difference to me, the mid is how I dial to the room.
I have a Jazz with a John East preamp that helps the earth stay the exact distance from the sun to sustain life. Most basses don't do that.

 

[Bodeeni]

+1 on the Stingray Mid control, it is very effective, although I am in the process of taking that bass passive

 

[bass theory]

it is like most things, once you set it you will rarely change it. But, you might find a setting to leave it on that wouldn't be available without it.
If you are always fiddling with it, that just proves you are distracted by it.

I am in the middle of building a Bass that I am determined to make the very best possible for me to make. I bought a 2 band eq. then decided that if i am serious that i want the very best i am capable of, i have to make it a 3 band, even though(more accurately, because), i fully expect that i will never use it after i find the setting i like it at.

 

[seedokebass]

Per your question: it's not always worth it in my opinion. I prefer to make most eq adjustments on an amp or pedal board.

I prefer 2 band over three. I do like the 3 band Darkglass pre in my NG3, but that gets used very little for subtle tweaks with either the lows or highs mids.

Warwick's 2 band on the Thumb is my favorite of any bass I've owned. It's tuned perfectly for that instrument and it's musical regardless of what I'm playing.

 

[seedokebass]

I use it if I've got it but don't miss it if I don't. Having a good amp is more important in my opinion (learned this the hard/expensive way).

I agree this is generally most important for the foundation. You can build on that with pedals or your on board eq.

 

[Johnny21]

I prefer passive basses, the active EQ just adds more weight with batteries and all.

I prefer just controlling the EQ from the pedal or amp.

 

[chris_b]

I tend to choose the bass that sounds good to me and I don't bother to count the EQ knobs. I guess if it gets you the sound you want then a 3 band EQ is great.

 

[N4860]

I have a few Stingray Specials and I have them each setup differently for different tones. The mid is very important for this as it helps me optimize the tone I am looking for with each of these basses. Once I have the tone set, I tend to not change it much except for very small on the fly adjustments in a live setting. Generally, I would use my amp at the start of a show to set up my sound to the room.

I think what is important to think about is why you need the active eq on your bass, and how you are planning to use it. Once you decide and define exactly what it is you are looking to achieve, you will likely get much better responses and recommendations.

 

[eJake]

I prefer passive basses, the active EQ just adds more weight with batteries and all.

I prefer just controlling the EQ from the pedal or amp.

I came here to say this. I just don't see a reason that I need the preamp inside my bass instead of on in a pedal.

 

[Dr. Keebs]

If the bass is good overall, I can use whatever onboard eq it does or doesn't have. Generally, the more flexible/powerful the eq is, the more sparingly I use it.