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What do you prefer? Active or Passive Bass?

#123
My current crop of basses all have one or two batteries that last about a year. That's not a problem. An acoustic/electric bass is both by definition; doesn't need an amp but has the built-in headroom to drive a line level input. True passives can't do that. The other kind of active/passive (solid body) sees mostly passive duty but the extra EQ is there for a second flavor to toggle. Carrots!
 
#125
brianrost said:
I own and use both. All I care about is what the bass sounds like. There's nothing inherent better or worse between passive and active.

People will mention on an active bass the battery can fail on a gig. So what? I had a passive bass die on a gig once (pickup windings opened up after 50+ years).
Click to expand...

Have you ever had a battery that lasted for 50 years, though?

[note: this is not a statement on active basses.]
 
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#131
My answer, coincidentally, is also the punchline of a pretty bad joke I will not repeat here...

"Depends."

Try a bunch if you can, and consider selecting what you like based on your ears rather than what people on here say.
 
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#137
I don't really mind, as long as there's some kind of tone control and I like the basic sound of the bass. I will say that I didn't find the preamp on the Squier Deluxe Jazz I owned very useful. I pretty much just left it flat the whole time (I liked the sound of the preamp in the showroom but not on stage). So if I was going to get another Squier I would just go passive.
 
#138
bass12 said:
I don't really mind, as long as there's some kind of tone control and I like the basic sound of the bass. I will say that I didn't find the preamp on the Squier Deluxe Jazz I owned very useful. I pretty much just left it flat the whole time (I liked the sound of the preamp in the showroom but not on stage). So if I was going to get another Squier I would just go passive.
Click to expand...
Perhaps the answer is not to buy another Squier.

There are some impressive onboard preamps out there, the best of which, when set flat, sound the same as the bass in passive mode. With those preamps, the choice is whether you want the overall controls on your bass or at your amp. At many of my gigs, the amp is not readily accessible. Having the controls in easy reach is a plus. Then I can run my amp flat. And in the situations where I am going through FOH, my amp is meaningless in terms of the audience experience. But with active electronics the feed to FOH is still within my control and offers me a degree of contour I wouldn't otherwise have.
 
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#139
I actually really like the "style sweeper" preamp on my little Ibanez SR-300. Stacked Bass\Treble boost\cut, with a mid knob that acts more like a pre-shape (low-mid bump at one end of the pot, mid scoop on the other end). Though I do most of the EQ on my amp, I find the preamp on the bass to be very useful for quick tweaks between songs or sets. Just use it judiciously-- a little bit goes a long way.

Having said that, my passive P clone is still my favorite.
 
#140
They're all cool.

I play mostly actives these days. Spectors with haz preamps.

Those preamps are voiced similarly to, and use the same tone circuit style that Neeve console preamps use, among others.

So, right off the line you have a sound that's similar to the sounds you'd get from a DI into a really expensive console at a nice studio.

I feel that's a good starting point.

That being said. I loved passives for years and know a ton of great players that are all passive.
 

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