Rediscovered Passive Basses

[jdwinva]

OK - I've owned A LOT of nice basses, but recently started playing a passive Nordy VJ5 with Big Single pickups. Holy crap!!! Have I been missing out!! I thought "well if it sounds this good a premium preamp will make it sound even better, right?" WRONG!! It sounds "right" passive. I tried three different preamps in it and they all made it lose something. Anyone else come to this epifany?

 

[JumboFriendly]

The first bass I owned (Yamaha RBX 1000) was active. This was about 15 years ago.

As soon as I get rid of my Squier Deluxe Active Jazz V I will have only passive basses left, and I'm okay with that.

I'm just a passive sort of guy.

 

[Figjam]

Yup. While I still love my Sterling for the active tone when wanted, my 93 fender standard jazz sounds amazing. Through my epifani rig it is a perfect combo. The fender is fat and warm, perfect vintage tone, and the epifani adds clarity and a great slap tone. Love it.

 

[Electra Player]

I prefer passive ofr three reasons:
-Purer tone
-Lower cost (mainly on mass produced basses)
-Less money on batteries

 

[ProfGumby]

I am not a passifist...but I love passive basses! I don't know what it is, but as said before passive basses just sound right to me. And active basses just are not my thing.

And I always wonder what is wrong with a passive bass into a rack preamp or amp with a pre.... or more to the point, if an amp has a preamp, why use one in a bass?

And I like the no battery thing too. Of course as I progress, this is all subject to whim, right?

 

[thehurlatron]

I guess you'll just have to sell me your Alleva-Coppolo then.

 

[Chef]

I'm curious to know if the Nordstrand preamp was one of the ones you tried?

Also, your Alleva is active, right?
I've heard some folks say they A/C stuff is "same as passive."

Is that not your experience?

I wrestle with the active/passive thing. I think I generally concur that active sacrifices something, and that these days I tend to prefer a great passive bass over a good active one.

 

[jdwinva]

The Alleva-Coppolo was the most "passive sounding" active bass I've played. I did try the Nordstrand preamp and it sound the most natural in the Nordy of the three I tried (Nordstrand, Sadowsky and Audere). But in the end I decided to stick with the Nordy VJ5 passive. The best description I can give is that passive sounds organic to me and not forced. The Sadowsky preamp was the most hyped circuit but that's what it is intended to do.