i want to know the difference between active pickups, preamps and active EQ's. i am confused. i thought that active EQ means that the bass has a preamp and active pickups. please help
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whats the difference?
- Thread starter blondebassist12
- Start date
An "active pickup" is a pickup that has a preamp inside the pickup itself. EMG pioneered active pickups, but they also make passive pickups these days and there are very few other active pickups out there.
Most "active basses" actually have passive pickups that go into an active EQ. An active EQ is an active preamp which also includes the ability to boost/cut certain frequencies. There are a few preamps that just boost or buffer the signal from the pickups and don't include and EQ capabilities, and there are a couple of EQs (Villex, Dingwall?) that are actually passive and require no battery, but by and large "preamp" and "active EQ" are used interchangably when referring to bass circuits, and they all require batteries.
Mike
Most "active basses" actually have passive pickups that go into an active EQ. An active EQ is an active preamp which also includes the ability to boost/cut certain frequencies. There are a few preamps that just boost or buffer the signal from the pickups and don't include and EQ capabilities, and there are a couple of EQs (Villex, Dingwall?) that are actually passive and require no battery, but by and large "preamp" and "active EQ" are used interchangably when referring to bass circuits, and they all require batteries.
Mike
