Dr M Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 There just don't seem to be as many options out there. It seems like a good majority of companies make one or two passive beginners' basses, and then nearly everything else in their range is active. Fender being an obvious exception. Or am I just missing something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon1964 Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 You're missing Rickenbacker, Gibson, Lakland, Sandberg, Yamaha, G&L, Gretsch, Warwick and no doubt loads of others I haven't thought of off the top of my head. All of those make high end, all passive models. Plus lots more with passive / active switching options. Personally I've gone full circle on the active / passive issue and find I prefer the simplicity and tone of a good passive bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr M Posted December 21, 2012 Author Share Posted December 21, 2012 Fair point with Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, but I thought basically all Warwicks and Sandbergs were active? Sandberg's website certainly only seems to list one or two models that don't have a preamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 (edited) Don`t forget that a few of the more expensive ranges have a passive option on a switch or by pulling up the volume control, thus bypassing the pre amp. Edited December 21, 2012 by jezzaboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 I imagine if you have two high end basses- one is a all passive set up. The other is the same but has some bells and whistles preamp in it. Which do you think would be easier to sell? Or put it another way... what kind of passive bass, and what would it do that a fender can't? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocco Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 There's something missing in the tone of active basses in my opinion. I can't put my finger on what though. I've had a few actives in my time, from stingrays to shukers and every one has had something missing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 Thing is, if you have passive, it will not rescue an average bass, whereas active can, to a better degree. I don't think this is the way to go about myself and wouldn't have an active bass that doesn't sound very good passive tho. The attraction for high end basses is that it takes away the 'guess' work of how the woods will inter-react. You aren't going to be best pleased paying £2500 for an average sound...and the pre is the insurance You don't want to be using an active to the full anyway. Running such extreme boost rarely works, IMO A subtle treak is enough.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinball Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 (edited) [quote name='Dr M' timestamp='1356109580' post='1907048'] Fair point with Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, but I thought basically all Warwicks and Sandbergs were active? Sandberg's website certainly only seems to list one or two models that don't have a preamp. [/quote] Sandbergs come in loads of options or custom builds. Most active Sandbergs have an active/passive switch and I know there are passive only Panthers and Californias-the Umbo is a passive. Edited December 22, 2012 by Pinball Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raslee Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 [quote name='cocco' timestamp='1356167282' post='1907509'] There's something missing in the tone of active basses in my opinion. I can't put my finger on what though. I've had a few actives in my time, from stingrays to shukers and every one has had something missing. [/quote] +1, I know what you mean. With the thanks of Kiogon and his brilliant replacement wiring all my active basses are now passive and i much prefer the tone off all. Don't get me wrong i think there is perhaps more immediate bass/treble tone with active...but just not what i like....it often sounds compressed to my ears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 [quote name='cocco' timestamp='1356167282' post='1907509'] There's something missing in the tone of active basses in my opinion. I can't put my finger on what though. I've had a few actives in my time, from stingrays to shukers and every one has had something missing. [/quote] And I feel exactly the opposite! dull and lack lustre for me and I have tried all sorts of stuff trust me. I am not really that much of a treble fan but rarely have I tried a passive bass with any bite in the top end. My amps have active EQ's on them so they make any bass sound good really but climbing over a drum kit mid song to add a bit of treble/bass because the room is filling up or emptied and changed how it sounds is no fun either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 Even my upright is active Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 Why does every thread with the trigger words "active" and/or "passive" turn into an "active vs. passive" debate regardless of the question posed by the OP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 [quote name='Rasta' timestamp='1356174224' post='1907593'] +1, I know what you mean. With the thanks of Kiogon and his brilliant replacement wiring all my active basses are now passive and i much prefer the tone off all. Don't get me wrong i think there is perhaps more immediate bass/treble tone with active...but just not what i like....it often sounds compressed to my ears. [/quote] I think in most cases it is- a 9v active circuit has limits. Though that's not the only thing that can make things loose something - I feel the same about a lot of high mass bridges - yes the heavy weight disconcts the strings from the body meaning longer sustain - but you've just disconected the strings from the body! My point is... that this often seems important - but I find in a band mix that it all matters far less. (their are exceptions to this obviously - sometimes the sound of a passive P or J is what you need. Actually there's a point there....) I'm not sure precisions ever need to be active. I don't think jazzes or jazz types need to be - but some folk might like that Stingrays are designed to be active. Many other basses are designed to be active - and work better that way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan_da_man Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 [quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1356175445' post='1907612'] Why does every thread with the trigger words "active" and/or "passive" turn into an "active vs. passive" debate regardless of the question posed by the OP? [/quote] Because active is clearly better than passive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 In response to the OP, yes you're missing quite a lot. There are loads of quality passive basses out there, seems to me though that active basses can sometimes (wrongly) be thought of as higher quality in the eyes of both high end luthiers and consumers alike, that is to say that I think high end basses with active EQs would likely sell more than a similar model with passive electronics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon1964 Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 (edited) [quote name='Dr M' timestamp='1356109580' post='1907048'] Fair point with Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, but I thought basically all Warwicks and Sandbergs were active? Sandberg's website certainly only seems to list one or two models that don't have a preamp. [/quote] Sandberg do their Jazz clone as a passive only option, and the Umbo only comes as passive. And I think most Sandbergs have active/passive switching (my old Sandberg Basic certainly did). You make a fair point on Warwick. I think they've always offered the Corvette as a passive only option, but I guess passive is not really what Warwick are about. Oh - and I missed Hofner from my first post! Edited December 22, 2012 by simon1964 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 [quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1356175445' post='1907612'] Why does every thread with the trigger words "active" and/or "passive" turn into an "active vs. passive" debate regardless of the question posed by the OP? [/quote] What else is there to say about the op? some companies make only passive others only active most make both because, and heres the bit that answers your question, some people like passive some people like active some people like both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertbass Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 I think that if you can't just plug a bass in and have a good sound then it's not a very good bass in the first place and if it needs active EQ to make it sound any good, then look for another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 [quote name='cocco' timestamp='1356167282' post='1907509'] There's something missing in the tone of active basses in my opinion. I can't put my finger on what though. I've had a few actives in my time, from stingrays to shukers and every one has had something missing. [/quote] At the risk off sounding moronic they just don't sound as heavy, i don't mean in a heavy metal way, they just sound a bit light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 [quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1356175445' post='1907612'] Why does every thread with the trigger words "active" and/or "passive" turn into an "active vs. passive" debate regardless of the question posed by the OP? [/quote] Right! That's enough, everyone stop debating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 A few Ibanez basses have active/passive switching. Mine did until I decided to rip the pre out of it (I broke it) & now it's just passive. Still sounds great & the signal is the same level as it was when in active mode. [quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1356122754' post='1907259'] ... what kind of passive bass, and what would it do that a fender can't? [/quote] That's easy! Look good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiOgon Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 I know quite a few active owners who have requested passive conversions & are now very happy with their sounds I no longer have any active basses, they always have an artificial quality to the tones to my old school ears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 (edited) Artificially awesome is fine by me it always makes me chuckle with these threads that people say they have never had any problem getting enough treble from their gear so there is no need for active basses or tweeters etc then in their sig they have an array of fenders probably on flats played through an ashdown rig! As for the op Each to their own so you either need to find a passive bass you like or find an active one and gut it, which has variable results ime. I have never seen active basses as being higher end ever in fact most of the passive basses I have tried in recent times have been expensive ones, how much is a circuit to the manufacturers £2? Edited December 22, 2012 by stingrayPete1977 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 That's not directed soley at you Ki0gon btw but I guess you are included Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1356203742' post='1907978'] As for the op Each to their own so you either need to find a passive bass you like or find an active one and gut it, which has variable results ime. I have never seen active basses as being higher end ever in fact most of the passive basses I have tried in recent times have been expensive ones, how much is a circuit to the manufacturers £2? [/quote] I don't think it has anything to do necessarily with the inherent value of the active circuitry, but I think it's viewed on a subconscious level as preferable or even maybe to justify the price of an expensive bass. Just food for thought really, I think manufacturers will most certainly think of these kinds of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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