Active. More tone shaping options and I don't have to go to my amp to adjust my sound.
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I also appreciate the environmental argument -- even if the spent batteries from bass players' active basses are but a tiny drop in that very large bucket.
I'm a bit surprised, too, by all the concern about batteries. Usually batteries last a long time in basses, you can often tell if they've started to lose their oomph before they completely go, and it's not really such a big deal to leave a bass unplugged so as not to drain the battery unnecessarily. Basses vary in how easy or hard it is to access the battery(-ies) to change it(them), but even if I need to pull out a screwdriver, it's pretty rare and not a big deal, especially if I combine it with other set-up activities like changing strings, adjusting the neck, etc. However, I can still appreciate conceptually the desire to have fewer things that can fail (e.g., @GIBrat51 posted about Murphy's band of gremlins).
Anyway, as I posted previously, I use both active and passive basses and each type has its place in my playing.
For my personal taste, I am about 180 degrees away from the P-Bass with flats sound.
I have had some passive basses with P/J configs and, like I said, the sound was just lacking to me, like it didn't have clear, strong highs or lows.
I really do prefer a single coil sound and then prefer actives over passives.
YMMV, of course.
People are afraid of actives because the battery might fail? So... keep your bass unplugged when you're not playing and keep a spare handy. Also, if you're really that worried about it, get a bass that works both passive and active. If the battery dies, flip the toggle.
- Jun 30, 2010
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- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Agree - it depends how you manage your tone; through the bass controls, the amp controls, and/or the pedal controls. No single correct way with any bass active or passive.
I like both.
Passive basses for simplicity and the more natural sound
Active basses because some of them sound just awesome, and unlike anything a passive bass could achieve. Think: Spector, Warwick, Music Man. You won't get that sound with a passive bass, no matter how much you fiddle with the amp.
What I don't really care about are active basses that sound like passive basses, just with more flexibility on board. That's just redundant.
Passive basses for simplicity and the more natural sound
Active basses because some of them sound just awesome, and unlike anything a passive bass could achieve. Think: Spector, Warwick, Music Man. You won't get that sound with a passive bass, no matter how much you fiddle with the amp.
What I don't really care about are active basses that sound like passive basses, just with more flexibility on board. That's just redundant.
I've got one of each, and I prefer passive. It's more plug and play, and I feel like it responds more like an acoustic instrument. More electronics in the signal chain make me feel more removed from the sound that's coming from the amp. This may just be the perception of someone who's played acoustic instruments for decades; maybe I'm also responding to the more organic/natural sound of the passive instrument.
Cabs, I'm not so worried about, I'm happy with the pair of SVT210AV's that I have. But everything before the cabs...I seem to go through cycles with.
I prefer Passive these days. It makes me feel like more of a musician, if that makes sense...using my hands to affect tone rather than knobs.... Not that it isn't possible to do with an active instrument, but it is easier for me to get to know and manipulate a passive bass. in other words, i find active electronics can be somewhat overwhelming.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
Passive. No batteries. I get the sounds I want without an onboard preamp. If there's more shaping, pedals and the like are more versatile and provide a wider variety than an onboard preamp can. Not that I ever use pedals. It's easy enough to make a bass sound different by moving your hand or changing techniques. I tried active. It didn't provide any advantages.
That's the rub. I'm happy with all my basses. I have whatever I need for the tone and stage perception I need. I'm still farting around, waiting for the perfect cab, though. It's my 1970's hi-fi roots. For me, the speaker has ALWAYS been the key to the sound. I just want my basses to look good on stage, be playable, and not have any audible flaws (high frets, dead spots, etc.)
When I started playing back in 1998, one company was offering some bass design "co-designed" by some famous bass player. I believe it was a P. It had one knob: volume
At the time I thought it was nuts. I get it now.
I played bass for 20 years before I realized just how much cabs influence tone. When I got my audiokinesis cabs, which are the flattest cabs ever, I realized what the tone of my basses truly was. Especially the upright bass. Can't say how much I love those cabs
Yup. It's how I feel about Acme, but Acme is the only "flat" cab I have experience with. I consider them (and the audiokinesis, obviously) to be the type of speaker upright players' dreams are made of.
And get a pair and you can use them with your home stereo when you're not playing.
Most electric bass cabs seem to be designed to boost lower mids and sometimes low freqs. These are NOT good idea for upright player and until the audiokenisis I had to make radical adjustments with my amp eq, usually in the midrange department, to sound haflway decent and not to feedback the whole time.
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.
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.
I like and own both. To me just a different tool in the box.
