I put a J-retro in my MiM J because I've always loved the feel of that bass, but the tone left me wanting. With the active pre, I've got more power and great flexibility. I use the pre to tailor my tone to the song, or even for certain parts in songs.
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When did you go active and why?
- Thread starter sigmafloyd
- Start date
My very first active was my first real bass. Mid 80's Charvel 3B. I didnt know it was active. I didnt even know what active was. I brought it back to the store because it stopped working. Thats when the guy told be about the preamp and battery.
My 86 Foundation S. I converted it to active about 2 months after I bought it new. I still have it, though I recently converted it back to passive. I do have 2 others. my Ibanez SRT805 with EMG's and my Franken P Bass I built last year with a Duncan preamp. Thinking about changing the pup configuration and pre on that one, but hey, that's why I built it so I could screw around with it to my hearts content.
I've always pretty much been an active guy but have come to greatly appreciate my passive basses. I think passive basses are more organic and responsive to changes to attack; active basses with active/passive switches are cool but don't quite get it. This is a generalization based on my experiences, I'm sure there are exceptions to both. My G&Ls are kind of like that, even active they have a kind of passive vibe.
I generally prefer active basses due to their tonal flexibility and ability to drive long cable runs without a DI. Many preamps having passive tone controls is a cool feature and something I dig big time. Still not exactly a passive vibe but closer than a treble roll off. I never would have thought I'd say this preferring round wound strings and a bright aggressive sound but it's hard to beat the feel-good of a P-Bass with flats... Hated it at first but it's so fluffy!!
I have found that I usually have my EQ set flat on my bass and prefer to EQ at my amp and tweak my onboard EQ to suit the room or gig. Something I've been doing a lot recently is using the mid control on my mid control to give me a boost and drive my dirt. This will depend on on the preamp though.
I generally prefer active basses due to their tonal flexibility and ability to drive long cable runs without a DI. Many preamps having passive tone controls is a cool feature and something I dig big time. Still not exactly a passive vibe but closer than a treble roll off. I never would have thought I'd say this preferring round wound strings and a bright aggressive sound but it's hard to beat the feel-good of a P-Bass with flats... Hated it at first but it's so fluffy!!
I have found that I usually have my EQ set flat on my bass and prefer to EQ at my amp and tweak my onboard EQ to suit the room or gig. Something I've been doing a lot recently is using the mid control on my mid control to give me a boost and drive my dirt. This will depend on on the preamp though.
My first active bass was a 5 string, by design. I wanted to be sure the low B would cut through, and I wanted a modern tone.
I go back and forth between active and passive basses.
I go back and forth between active and passive basses.
My first active was a fiver, too, I wanted to up my string count thinking I could handle it (and I did... a few years later 
), I liked the tone and the flexibility and handwaved the battery as a negative thing. I still switch between active and passive and I like both tones.
), I liked the tone and the flexibility and handwaved the battery as a negative thing. I still switch between active and passive and I like both tones.
I have fully passive basses, fully active, and passive PUs with active pre. I can't say I have a favorite; I like all the combinations but they all sound different. If I had to stick with one of the above it would likely be passive PUs with an active pre to keep the tone of the passive PUs and have the flexibility of the active EQ.
I bought a new Active Jazz Bass last summer when I got back into bass playing after a long absence. Why active? Well, the Blacktop Jazz I originally ordered was on backorder for who knows how long and the store had the Active Jazz (which also had hum canceling pickups, something I wanted) in stock. In spite of all the angst that some experience over this decision I regard the difference between active and passive with about as much passion as a choice between two colors that I like. Either one can be nice and usually is.
Ken
Ken
Unrepresented
Something Borderline Offensive
I was originally a satisfied passive guy, but eventually wanted to expand my sound to include a more modern sounding instrument for variety. I found a great price on a Warwick $$. It took some warming up to, by both me and my bandmates, but eventually it's gone on to become my primary instrument. My jazz bass is relegated to backup status now.
My first active bass was the very first run of the Mexican Fender Deluxe Active Jazz Bass. It was a five string. It was all black with a tortoise shell pickguard. If you all remember that far back, it was the one that the massive almost dime size pole pieces. I got in late 2003 or early 2004. I was always looking for the next best thing and quantity. She was gone almost as soon as I got her. I still regret that to this day. I wanted active electronics to tailor my sound to what I wanted, and because that was the hot thing back in the day. No matter what she looked like or how she sounded or even the cost, your bass just wasn't cool if it didn't have a battery in it. I miss that bass. I've grown up a lot since then, but still to this day I prefer active basses. So I guess you could say I've been playing active basses since about 2003.
I never really "went active". I hadn't played bass for 6 years or so, and I wanted to start again. This was 4 years ago I think. So anyway, I searched for basses that looked cool and chose the Ibanez SR500. I went to the store and played it. I thought it sounded good and bought it. Only when I got home did I later find out that it was active. I had no problems with it at all but I discovered that I had no use for all the controls on the bass.
I stopped playing again for a few years and when I got back into playing, I decided that I did not need an active bass. I really wish Ibanez made some nice passive basses because I like the look & feel of those Soundgears very much.
I stopped playing again for a few years and when I got back into playing, I decided that I did not need an active bass. I really wish Ibanez made some nice passive basses because I like the look & feel of those Soundgears very much.
I started in '83 with a '72 P-bass, passive of course, and got my Charvel 3b in 86. So it was 86 for me, but I never buy a bass based on whether it is active or passive. For me it is more of the feel first. I go for the characteristic sound of the bass itself...so, I would probably think that an active p-bass is "weird", or a passive Charvel/"metal" bass would be weird....not wrong, but just weird to my ears...
I just wanted an ATK it just so happens they were active.
Active passive who cares? As long as it sounds good to me I'll rock it.
Active passive who cares? As long as it sounds good to me I'll rock it.
I've always played passive Fender Jazz basses until I got a great
deal on a Fender MIM Deluxe Active Jazz and fell in love with it. .
Now I've got TWO of them, plus an American Special Jazz that's been modded with EMX pups and an EMG preamp.
What I really like about the Active basses is the ability to boost/cut 3 EQ bands on the fly for accurate tone for different tunes.
I've got 4 other passive Jazzes including an Aerodyne and a fretless Jazz but I gravitate toward the Active ones for gigging
most of the time for the flexibility.
deal on a Fender MIM Deluxe Active Jazz and fell in love with it. .
Now I've got TWO of them, plus an American Special Jazz that's been modded with EMX pups and an EMG preamp.
What I really like about the Active basses is the ability to boost/cut 3 EQ bands on the fly for accurate tone for different tunes.
I've got 4 other passive Jazzes including an Aerodyne and a fretless Jazz but I gravitate toward the Active ones for gigging
most of the time for the flexibility.
