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Not a poll, but do you prefer active or passive & why,,

#181
A-Ro said:
I just purchased a 2011 G&L Tribby L2500. When I got it, I checked the battery (it was the original it came with) AND IT STILL WORKED.

That leads me to this...the whole battery argument being a pain is WAY overblown imo. Batteries last a lot longer than people MAY want to leave them in. Add to that the multitude of basses out there now that have switches to go passive or active, it's really only an issue if you choose to let it be one.
Click to expand...
I picked up one of my active basses last month that I had not touched in 3 years. I figured it would be dead and there would be powdery acid all over the battery. Nope. It still works.
 
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#182
A-Ro said:
I just purchased a 2011 G&L Tribby L2500. When I got it, I checked the battery (it was the original it came with) AND IT STILL WORKED.

That leads me to this...the whole battery argument being a pain is WAY overblown imo. Batteries last a lot longer than people MAY want to leave them in. Add to that the multitude of basses out there now that have switches to go passive or active, it's really only an issue if you choose to let it be one.
Click to expand...

On batteries, I agree pretty much with this. I have never owned a bass that went thru a battery in less than 6 months and most last far longer.
 
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#187
For me, simpler has always been better, so passive. In general, fewer controls, fewer pickups, fewer adjustments are where I'm at, hence why I prefer the old-school Precision bass, single passive pickup. Very easy for someone running a board to get me dialed in optimally for the mix and/or room. I really only have one exception to this, I loved my Stingray's tone - probably the only active tone that really resonated with me. Most other active tones seem too noisy or harsh.
 
#189
Very HOT passive...
janktone.jpg
 
#190
I have both active and passive basses. When I play the passive bass I am more conscious of where my right hand is playing and the difference in tone playing closer to the bridge vs. playing closer to the neck makes. Certain amps sound better to my ears active vs. passive too. I like passive basses with tube amps and active basses with solid state.
 
#191
Active with active pups and pre. The difference to me is like a condencer vs dynamic mic. I have passive pups with active pre and fully passive basses, none compare to the fully active. But I admit, I don't have a real high quality all passive bass.
 
#193
Doesn't matter to me as long as the feel of the bass is good... Neck, body, etc..
I have active and passive basses and sometimes the active is better suited to a specific room
where bass EQ becomes important. But the nice thing about my actives is that they are easily switched to passive so it's the best of both worlds.
 
#195
When I ordered my custom 5-string I went passive. I think the pickups already sound great, and I can get any sound I want by getting the right gear. I don't want to worry about a battery going bad, or having a problem with the circuitry. In the event of a zombie apocalypse, I want something that will work.
 
#196
I use both and all of my so called active basses have passive pickups that are hooked up to an active preamp. So in some ways I guess you could say their All passive even if they're not. lol I do like passive basses through vintage amps and active basses through modern amps. I'm not sure why, but it just seems right to match them up. lol
 

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