Active vs. Passive Bass Guitars: Which to Buy | Reverb

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  • Опубликовано: 6 июл 2024
  • Are you a bassist wondering whether to buy an active or passive bass? Also: what's the difference between the two? Our very own low-key hero, Jake Hawrylak, is in the studio running through the benefits of each so you can make an informed decision before you make your next purchase.
    Read more on Reverb: goo.gl/bLZ7PE
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Комментарии • 774

  • @garyjones7044
    @garyjones7044 4 года назад +1335

    I've been told by a few people that my bass playing sounds best with active pickups and dead batteries.

    • @taylorvella3
      @taylorvella3 3 года назад +17

      🤣🤣🤣

    • @samsmelser_
      @samsmelser_ 3 года назад +6

      Lol😂😂😂🤣🤣

    • @VmShpman82
      @VmShpman82 3 года назад +3

      hahahahaha. wow !!

    • @thelifeofpewpew3290
      @thelifeofpewpew3290 3 года назад +77

      Oh nice, I've been told my bass playing sounds best when I leave it at home 🙃

    • @GuitarType01
      @GuitarType01 3 года назад +6

      Is that because you get no sound?

  • @pCeLobster
    @pCeLobster 5 лет назад +959

    95% of the time, even in an active bass, the pickups are still passive pickups. "Active" in this context refers to the presence of the onboard preamp. The only actual active pickups you will commonly see are EMG's.

    • @danielbrown8556
      @danielbrown8556 5 лет назад +35

      I guess that's why they say active *bass*

    • @kimseniorb
      @kimseniorb 5 лет назад +67

      Yes this vid doesn’t make much sense, active pups is a different concept. They should’ve used the 3rd bass with EMG or MEC pickups

    • @leFoodeater
      @leFoodeater 5 лет назад +23

      In my experience people calls it active pickups even though it is wrong. I've been a bass player for 14 years and it was only recently that I learned about this lol. To my excuse, I go my first active bass this year.

    • @brenlouissurio2404
      @brenlouissurio2404 5 лет назад +11

      @@leFoodeater lol. That's okay. Been playing for years too, less than your years. I thought active is just for preamp. But as long as I like the sound, I don't give a fuck ha.

    • @maxjbg
      @maxjbg 5 лет назад +5

      And MECs

  • @saam6768
    @saam6768 5 лет назад +398

    The best is a passive/active bass with a dead battery so you have a kill switch.

    • @CaseSet236
      @CaseSet236 5 лет назад +1

      But why? Why would I want any of that

    • @mangmang3855
      @mangmang3855 5 лет назад +17

      Haha I have an active bass and I did this for like three months just cause the on off switch was so handy

    • @CaseSet236
      @CaseSet236 5 лет назад

      @@mangmang3855 how is that handy?

    • @hyalinamusic18
      @hyalinamusic18 5 лет назад +4

      kim linnerkvist Well, it helps to turn the volume down, and it could lend to some cool sounds. See Tom Morello for example.

    • @CaseSet236
      @CaseSet236 5 лет назад

      @@hyalinamusic18 yeah I know who Tom is. he's an amazing guitarist but we're talking bass. I just can't see the use of having a killswitch and if you're gonna have one wouldn't it be better to wire an actual switch instead of using the pickup selector

  • @MachSea
    @MachSea 5 лет назад +335

    Yeah, im definetly going passive.
    -Confused electric guitar player

    • @nathanwebb1327
      @nathanwebb1327 3 года назад

      Same man same

    • @shamerzaihan8638
      @shamerzaihan8638 3 года назад +8

      Active bass master race

    • @VmShpman82
      @VmShpman82 3 года назад +3

      I think both passive & Active are good, but It all depends on what your trying to achieve. To me Passive is either good for jazz & backkground bass lines like for either light jazz or easy listening music. Active are real bright if you want them to be & helps cut thru the muffle sound . I know to each their own, I use to hear that flat wound strings on a passive bass, worked good for studio recording. Then again Actives have been used on studio work as well. You have to experiment. If the shoe fits wear it.

  • @basicoptimalmouse
    @basicoptimalmouse 4 года назад +427

    "Passive bass doesn't cut through"
    *Laughs in Steve Harris

    • @TinyDragon
      @TinyDragon 4 года назад +16

      Bradley S true he cuts through but he also plays a rack rig setup through Marshall guitar cabs which gives some of the “clack” to his tone as well as his technique

    • @parkerdavidson5868
      @parkerdavidson5868 4 года назад +37

      Not to mention he plays freakin FLATwounds

    • @ChadHargis
      @ChadHargis 4 года назад +6

      I was thinking the same thing.....poor Jaco must not have cut through either with his passive Jazz bass. Fact is...a passive bass plugged into an amp has a preamp.

    • @EpicStuffMan1000
      @EpicStuffMan1000 4 года назад +8

      @@ChadHargis everyone knows that, it's just a preamp before a preamp adds even more tonal shaping. what the greats did worked for them, what people do now works for them too. that's what matters

    • @southofheck
      @southofheck 4 года назад +15

      To be fair, iron maiden has a pretty clear cut sound, its not like death metal where you can barely tell the two guitarists apart, let alone the bassist

  • @jaco20443
    @jaco20443 5 лет назад +418

    0:09 GENERAL KENOBI

    • @enriquemendez1507
      @enriquemendez1507 5 лет назад +2

      You cant do that

    • @TheAcContreras
      @TheAcContreras 5 лет назад +1

      didn't get it🤔

    • @yigitcengil2465
      @yigitcengil2465 5 лет назад +42

      A Star wars comment in a bass video huh?
      A surprise to be sure but a welcome one.

    • @viceng.6311
      @viceng.6311 5 лет назад +14

      @@yigitcengil2465 you are underresting his power

    • @yigitcengil2465
      @yigitcengil2465 5 лет назад +10

      @@viceng.6311 Not intention of doing that man. I`m just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe.

  • @BZK33
    @BZK33 4 года назад +547

    There is some misinformation in this video
    1- a active bass is not always louder than a passive bass
    2 - most of the time pickups are passive, active basses are passive pickups with active preamp
    3 - an active bass is not cutting through the mix better, but the active preamp is there to help you cut through the mix if you use it well.
    4 - Dynamics is not better on a passive bass.
    5 - if a preamp compress the bass sound, then it is not designed well.
    6 - "active" preamps are like effect pedal, they have buffers inside to adapt impedance to the next source in the chain.
    Clearly bass mythologie and BS information will have a long life with this kind of videos

    • @DavidChampoux
      @DavidChampoux 4 года назад +21

      100% agree. This video is full of sh**... I'm surprised, because Reverb normally post great vids with nice and accurate info. This one should be deleted ASAP.

    • @seenbelow
      @seenbelow 4 года назад +8

      You're wrong about dynamics.

    • @boogie8008
      @boogie8008 4 года назад

      Came here to say this

    • @StarZendonna1687
      @StarZendonna1687 3 года назад +1

      I agree I mean this video is about picking favorites not making equal sense here

    • @shahi4827
      @shahi4827 3 года назад +1

      is tone suck really that bad?

  • @spynae
    @spynae 5 лет назад +229

    ACTIVE PICKUPS ARE NOT THE SAME THING AS AN ACTIVE PREAMP COMBINED WITH PASSIVE PICKUPS. And yes, this is a relevant criticism of this video because it says in the thumbnail "Active bass pickups." Active pickups are pickups with incredibly low impedance due to the low number of winds of wire. This produces a pickup with no resonance peak or cut frequencies, but they also do not produce a signal loud enough for general use; thus, most active pickups either have a preamp built into the pickup themselves (such as EMG pickups and some MEC pickups that Warwick uses) or require a more typical onboard preamp (such as Alembic's pickups) in order to add gain to the signal. Those pickups with builtin preamps also typically include a built-in EQ curve to offset the flat frequency response of an unaffected active pickup.

    • @user-pp3bf3he1c
      @user-pp3bf3he1c 5 лет назад +2

      "active pups" generally are pickups that use active (not passive) electronics. That's why they called active. So, passive pickups with built-in preamp are active pickups by definition. Everything else is just a commercial bullshit.

    • @mattymodeerf
      @mattymodeerf 5 лет назад +5

      +Антон Кузнецов no. theyre quite different dude

    • @user-pp3bf3he1c
      @user-pp3bf3he1c 5 лет назад

      @@mattymodeerf oh, really? ) well, everyone need some miracle mojo to believe

    • @MuscleDad420
      @MuscleDad420 5 лет назад +4

      The model they used in the video for the "active" portion has passive pickups paired with an active preamp, hence the active on/off switch to run passive. So poo poo on you

    • @joseortegabeede8233
      @joseortegabeede8233 5 лет назад +5

      Active pickups have a battery connected to each pickup, and they have much less copper wire because the extra electricity provided by the battery makes up for it. Passive pickups wired to an active pre-amp are NOT active pickups, but of course they benefit from the active EQ.

  • @nikwik5351
    @nikwik5351 4 года назад +19

    Passive basses make so much more sense, I'd rather have my pre-amp / DI on my pedalboard

  • @paulraffles87
    @paulraffles87 5 лет назад +73

    Active pickup? I think it is passive pickup with preamp.

    • @rockereivanivan
      @rockereivanivan 4 года назад +12

      Exactly my thoughts, hate when people confuse those, basically you have 4 options, passive pick-ups no preamp, passive pick-ups woth active preamp (the best option I believe), active pickups without preamp and finally active pickups with active preamp

    • @PinguinoSod
      @PinguinoSod 4 года назад +5

      @@rockereivanivan and then multiply this by precission, jazz and pj basses and you have 36 different bass options to choose :(

    • @HeLicks
      @HeLicks 4 года назад +6

      @paperchasin23 chill out lol

    • @Sjrm126
      @Sjrm126 4 года назад +1

      You can also have active preamp with an active preamps

    • @chiharutakahashi5112
      @chiharutakahashi5112 4 года назад

      Eivan lml I prefer the simplicity of calling them either active or passive Basses, even if the pickups are either passive or active I like to call them what they are based on how many knobs are on the bass rather then the pickups itself. As I cannot find much examples of a bass with an active pickup without a preamp either I am looking at the wrong place or the wrong brand.

  • @guydude6546
    @guydude6546 5 лет назад +216

    Active pickups made much more sense back in the 70s and 80s, but nowadays when the amps can easily make up for the low output of the pickups i just don't see the point, passive for me anytime

    • @kimseniorb
      @kimseniorb 5 лет назад +15

      Guy Dude he was only talking about passive pickups and preamps. Active pickups is a different concept whatsoever

    • @guydude6546
      @guydude6546 5 лет назад +5

      @@kimseniorb true, I overlooked that, though i still think active preamps are somewhat redundant, i guess an onbord EQ would be useful but i can't think of an ocassion where i'd need to change my eq settings in the middle of a song

    • @kimseniorb
      @kimseniorb 5 лет назад +3

      Guy Dude I agree unless we are talking about emg or mec pickups, which sound really different and not only eq-boost wise. Just a different architecture

    • @kimseniorb
      @kimseniorb 5 лет назад +3

      But speaking of passive+preams I agree in today’s world its not essential

    • @spynae
      @spynae 5 лет назад

      Most (if not all) amps lack a low-impedance input (XLR inputs on amps tend to expect line-level signal) that would facilitate the use of an unaided "active" pickup's low output; in general they need at least some source of gain for the natural capacitance of a long cable to not reduce the signal to nothing by the time it would even reach the amp. The signal-to-noise ratio would be far too low if you relied solely on the gain in the preamp stage of the amplifier (or elsewhere in your signal chain, such as from a boost pedal, a compressor, or pedal with buffered bypass) in order to boost the signal of a low-impedance pickup (this problem is compounded by the use of regular instrument cables, which are more susceptible to picking up external noise than, say, an XLR cable; noise which would be amplified at the preamp stage). That's why very low-impedance pickups are basically unheard of, despite the flat frequency response being fairly ideal with some good signal processing. The only exception I can think of off the top of my head is the specific low-impedance pickup used in Warwick's Jonas Hellborg bass; while it has an onboard buffer for a 1/4" output, that can be bypassed with a balanced XLR output that requires the bass to plug into a microphone preamp (or, presumably, any instrument amplifier with a balanced input which provides gain).

  • @-k-b-
    @-k-b- 5 лет назад +25

    I find passive pickups to always sound better, it really comes down to player/amp set up/pedals/etc. So active electronics or pickups just make shit even more complicated

  • @leaguelongclips247
    @leaguelongclips247 5 лет назад +1053

    Very impressive but...
    Oh wait wrong channel

  • @zingbasstube
    @zingbasstube 5 лет назад +48

    Omg! You are talking about "active preamp" and "passive electronic" on bass.
    Not active or passive pickups. Please stop say that again.

    • @BZK33
      @BZK33 3 года назад +1

      This video is full of shit man.. don't bother.

  • @hyalinamusic18
    @hyalinamusic18 5 лет назад +12

    I've got a jazz bass with passive pickups and an Ibanez soundgear with active pickups. I like both, each are good for different situations.

  • @dhruvchandra6049
    @dhruvchandra6049 5 лет назад +4

    This man is great! He explains everything so well and so simply. Reverb, please put out more videos with him in them.

  • @thekatazsiuniverse4868
    @thekatazsiuniverse4868 3 года назад +10

    "Passive probably won't cut through in punk and metal", I raise you Steve Harris

    • @arthuraguirrejr.9500
      @arthuraguirrejr.9500 3 года назад +1

      I'm gonna go on a bit of a tangent here: I can't hear Steve's bass live. I feel the presence of a bass, but I can't hear his iconic basslines. Tbh in any big bass arena/stadium, any bassist's tone that I admire gets lost in the sauce.

  • @mrpres17
    @mrpres17 5 лет назад +11

    I have some Bill Lawrence pickups that are so hot, they're almost in the ballpark of an active pickup. They also have way more clarity than the stocks pickups. I'd definitely buy them again because of the awesome tone 🤘

  • @ianjohnson4987
    @ianjohnson4987 5 лет назад +2

    Really helpful. Love your tone on the passive demo. Thanks

  • @gnpahdc
    @gnpahdc 5 лет назад +67

    1) He seemed to confuse active pickup (rare) with active instrument via preamp (common) with his erroneous use of the term "active pickup" when he meant "active bass". 2) He said a passive bass is "more work" for tone shaping due to lack of control knobs on the instrument. That is false. The work is simply at a different physical location. And one could argue that a passive is less work period, as your FOH will do it for you - literally. 3) He stated several times he would use the same instrument for consistency of comparisons, and then used a P/J for the active. And please tell me I wasn't hearing flats on the passive P and rounds on the active P/J. 4) He said that an active gives you more volume so you have to be careful. That is false - it's the signal that is different, not the volume as such. 5) He said that an active bass cuts through better, especially against loud drums or if you're playing pick. That is oversimplifying to the point of being false. It's not the bass that is helpful or less helpful - it's the musicians, the settings they individually use, and the one mixing the house; those are what must be right. If no one is competent an active bass will give you an unfair advantage but only if you don't know how to use your amp volume knob or bought an amp that is insufficient. Ok, I'll stop. Gosh. This vid is disappointing.

  • @bak1386
    @bak1386 5 лет назад +70

    I prefer a passive bass these days. The tone is much more mellow and smooth to my ear. Plus, like he was saying, especially with a p or even a jazz, it's very simple. The older I get, the more I appreciate simplicity lol. I'm not much of a slapper either so that has guided me more toward the good ole p bass

    • @EMan-tp4zp
      @EMan-tp4zp 5 лет назад +4

      I learned Higher Ground and everyone associated me w/slap. I learned double thumbing...yet thier are people that do it way smoother. Of course, drummer is nervous and comes in at %40-%50 quicker. Leftie guitarist w/locked whammy bar doesn't have a back up and breaks a string. No other lefties...nothing like moving yer gear for 15mins of playing. We were recording from the board for "trouble shooting". I quit next day. If i hear a Seinfeld theme request one more time...

    • @orengesus5080
      @orengesus5080 4 года назад +2

      @@EMan-tp4zp who asked

    • @christhepocketmasterr
      @christhepocketmasterr 3 года назад +15

      @@orengesus5080 You're rude. Have some class.

    • @cacaman17
      @cacaman17 2 года назад +3

      I agree, also noticed that with certain great bassists, Geddy Lee and Flea for example, they started with crazy ass active basses and all ended up with passive fender basses.

    • @VanjaSpirin
      @VanjaSpirin Год назад +1

      This is a tipical story of an old bassist who can't play bass well. This p-bass cult. Stingray is also simple instrument, but sits much better in a mix.

  • @PMAWoodner
    @PMAWoodner 5 лет назад +1

    Super helpful video - thanks man!

  • @Jack-pp2ng
    @Jack-pp2ng 3 года назад +12

    My first bass was active, it sounded good for a while but then started crapping out on me so I just took out the active circuit and made it a passive bass, I prefer passive

  • @rosewurkz
    @rosewurkz Год назад

    Thanks for the clarity and simplicity ☺️

  • @chris2fur401
    @chris2fur401 2 года назад +5

    I prefer both. I do session work in the studio and fill in for people often at live gigs. It depends on what style you’re playing. For a beginner, I’d look into a bass with a active/passive switch maybe.

  • @jamessmith-zk4co
    @jamessmith-zk4co 5 лет назад +3

    Excellent video! Very informative, but you're talking about basses with onboard preamps compared to passive basses, right? Thanks so much for doing this vid.

  • @sbentsen2714
    @sbentsen2714 5 лет назад +16

    Man I’m done with Active basses, I’m so glad I don’t hv to deal with the battery issue anymore. So lame, for my situation how often I play & hv to leave it plugged in, etc Active no bueno. Also I found dynamically Active pickups aren’t as open to responding to how much energy I put into notes. I love being able to tell the bass how to sound, thru my fingers & my playing. Love it 😁

    • @EMan-tp4zp
      @EMan-tp4zp 5 лет назад +1

      ive had batteries go mid-song. Carried spares, just a pain

  • @julianthesmooshyhusky8976
    @julianthesmooshyhusky8976 3 года назад +3

    The push/pull bypass is the great equalizer. I usually rock it passive and just use active mode for a little extra boost for slap or soloing.

  • @CNick75
    @CNick75 5 лет назад +54

    A lot of misleading generalizations, half-truths and misinformed opinions in this video. I respect the effort but this has a lot of bad information in it mixed in with a few good points.

  • @yocraigst
    @yocraigst 5 лет назад +2

    Please, on another video, distinguish between basses with active pick-ups VS. basses with passive pick-ups but active pre-amp. Or is there a difference?

  • @limitededition1053
    @limitededition1053 4 года назад +10

    If you already have a passive bass then just buy an FX pedal to make it active and in fact get more tonal options than with active pickups.

  • @VmShpman82
    @VmShpman82 3 года назад +5

    I knew there were batteries in my bass, but I didn't realize how the batteries can go to waste. I've never heard of Lakland basses before. I never really researched pick-up history before either. Thanks for the good video. I like both Passive & Active.

  • @innocentoctave
    @innocentoctave 5 лет назад +16

    I think it was a good decision to emphasise that the real difference between passive and active basses is not the pickups themselves, but how much boost and EQ control you want on the instrument itself. You can do everything that the onboard preamp and EQ do with pedals or other outboard gear, all of which is powered ('active') in one way or another. Having that stuff on the bass itself is a major convenience in some situations: but since the pickups themselves are passive, regardless of the active circuitry, there will always be another way to get those sounds.

  • @joeyfitz9
    @joeyfitz9 4 года назад +2

    I love this guy. He's thorough, direct, straight to the point. Thank you! And he's playing Jamerson @1:57. Yes.

  • @markrodgers2976
    @markrodgers2976 4 года назад +5

    Solid presentation. And, what I personally came away with from this, is that now I KNOW I don't want an active bass !! (i'm a big fan of simplicity).

  • @robertogrady2798
    @robertogrady2798 3 года назад +2

    Excellent, clear info for me - brand new to bass.
    Cheers 👍👍👍

  • @geerhoar
    @geerhoar 5 лет назад +2

    I like to noodle with effects and find a passive bass works best for those. There are outboard preamps one can use if you want some eq and color

  • @slw59
    @slw59 5 лет назад +2

    Love the look of that passive deluxe p-bass!

  • @Geriatric_Punk
    @Geriatric_Punk 2 года назад

    Thank you for the video. It aswered a lot of questions I had.

  • @bookbm
    @bookbm 4 года назад +1

    Jake Hawrylak, I wanted to say thanks for all the bass videos you are doing. Selection is limited in my opinion, you provide that shit we need to be aware of as bassists.

  • @juzek1958
    @juzek1958 5 лет назад +3

    I love my '97 Fender Jazz Deluxe (1 9vt always on). I can use flat wounds and cut thru the mix.

  • @BartlettBlog
    @BartlettBlog Год назад

    Question regarding the active bass he uses in this video (Fender Deluxe Active P Bass Special), if you left the guitar plugged in, but used the toggle switch to switch to passive, does that save your battery from dying?

  • @ugmodude
    @ugmodude 4 года назад +1

    Jake. I love your info-packed videos. I was wondering can replace the pumps on my active Ibanez bass to passive pups and let the amp/pedals solve any potential volume problems? My preamp is fried but I love my bass.

    • @slavesforging5361
      @slavesforging5361 4 года назад

      yes, but you have to replace your volume and tone pots as well. the resistance is different for active vs. passive potentiometers. most active systems run 25k pots. most passive run 250k or 500k. (fun note: the higher the resistance, the brighter your instrument will sound).
      Wait... what do you mean your pre-amp is fried? do you mean the pickups don't work? there is a difference between active electronics (coil tapping, coil splitting, etc.) and active pickups. if you have active pickups the preamp is built into the pickup and you'll never see it or know it's there. they're just pickups that use an internal pre amp to make them higher output.

  • @raine4214
    @raine4214 4 года назад +2

    Alembic was the first company to offer active bass options in the early 1970's.
    Thank them for not only producing some of the best guitars out there, but for also setting the standard on active electronics

    • @larslevinberget9558
      @larslevinberget9558 2 года назад +2

      Their guitars were never popular, but their Basses very good and the electronics superb! You could take an old Fender P-bass, install Alembic electronics and it would sound like a million bucks through a Peavey TNT-amp!

  • @Romans1-8
    @Romans1-8 Год назад

    Good looking out! Nice video man!

  • @TheOverlordOfProcrastination
    @TheOverlordOfProcrastination 4 года назад +1

    That passive Precision sounds fucking AWESOME.

  • @preciseaudioblog
    @preciseaudioblog 4 года назад +2

    Nice vid. The only thing is that one of the basses has a bridge jb pickup, so for me is hard to get a clear idea of a sound difference between. Further more, it didn't say if the bridge pu was on or off (would've helped).

  • @danielmoriarty751
    @danielmoriarty751 4 года назад +32

    Lmao!!!!!! A passive bass won’t cut through the mix now that’s some funny shit.

    • @richardmilligan1410
      @richardmilligan1410 4 года назад +1

      That's exactly what live in an arena sound engineers told Flea so he had to go back to his active Modulus. That was story I read years ago.

  • @kimbaptempura4073
    @kimbaptempura4073 3 года назад

    What a fantastic video!!!!!! SO MUCH INFO FOR BEGINNERS!

  • @ronherrera6651
    @ronherrera6651 5 лет назад +1

    Nice job on that Jamerson Motown lick on the P bass.

  • @southofheck
    @southofheck 5 лет назад

    Could you still play more extreme metal with a passive bass, like the regular Fender Player Series P Bass? If i had the right amp could i still make it cut like an active bass or is it not worth the effort?

    • @slavesforging5361
      @slavesforging5361 4 года назад

      it would be difficult. i don't think the right amp alone would do it. you'd need the right pedal combo too. probably a parametric eq and some kinda 'modern-voiced' pre-amp pedal like a dark glass alpha omega. probably aftermarket passive split pickup as well. maybe a duncan Quarter pounder? larger magnet with more wire wraps equals a very high output passive pickup. i think the Dimarzio split P gives a bit of an active sound, with a bit of a mid range boost.

  • @Angelr_1028
    @Angelr_1028 5 лет назад +3

    I’m happy with my fender jazz bass with Aguilar pickups 😎😍

  • @razzo2538
    @razzo2538 5 лет назад +9

    Just have the best of both worlds, my Warwick is active and I can switch it to passive why not have a choice at your fingertips?

    • @pitinhabitant
      @pitinhabitant 4 года назад

      Dude, you can also just take out the batteries

  • @krishall9225
    @krishall9225 4 года назад +7

    I really enjoy this host and the channel's content, but when you emphasize so much how well one type cuts through other instruments versus another, maybe Reverb should invite other musicians to demonstrate that difference. Just a thought

  • @jd87fierogt
    @jd87fierogt 5 лет назад +1

    Not counting my acoustic bass...active, I have a G&L L2000 and a Reverend Thundergun. The L2000 is active with a passive switch but I play passive 100% of the time. The Thundergun is passive but potent.
    Would I buy an active bass without a passive switch?
    Absolutely no need to.
    I'm definitely all about tone and I've already found perfection.

  • @norm2944
    @norm2944 3 года назад +1

    With the Phil Jones BP 800 a passive bass never sounded so good. I played my 2 active basses through this amp and couldn't figure out what was going on so I and picked up a passive bass and back in rhe pocket.

  • @leeahcl6942
    @leeahcl6942 3 года назад

    I have a Musicman Bongo6. What do you people think about adding a passive/active transition switch to it?

  • @DAVIDGREGORYKERR
    @DAVIDGREGORYKERR 5 лет назад +2

    There is also the Light-Wave or Opti-Pick guitar pickups that allow you to nylon or steel strings on your guitar, What about Telecaster Bass Guitar that can accommodate 2x PJ996 9 volt batteries.

  • @goncalomarques2711
    @goncalomarques2711 5 лет назад +8

    I use a Sire, and you have a switch to choose between passive and active, and I think if you know how to use it, is the best option

    • @lcbryant78
      @lcbryant78 5 лет назад

      Gonçalo Marques tell me more about the sires, what are your complaints, does it adapt to pedals well?

    • @maxonmendel5757
      @maxonmendel5757 5 лет назад

      Is there a way go install this into an already active bass?

    • @kimseniorb
      @kimseniorb 5 лет назад

      @@lcbryant78 why wouldnt it? its a jazz bass

    • @chrisl2206
      @chrisl2206 4 года назад

      The P/J bass demoed here has the same feature.

  • @markbrock4170
    @markbrock4170 4 года назад +3

    Okay. I came to this instruction with an intellectually honest and open mind. I learned on a 1972 passive Fender Precision. I seemed to be able to cut through all of the noise of the drums and the lead guitars. I also was able to slap, pull and pop like I do on an active bass. Therefore, based on your statements I should have been an excellent bass player. However, I wasn't. The question still stands, passive or active? Based on your instruction, I would humbly have to say active. No more teaching for the progression of active basses, I would presume? Balance, my friend.

  • @user-lb3pd1ne8t
    @user-lb3pd1ne8t 2 года назад

    thanks for upload! I understaned the difference active bass and passive bass
    WOW!

  • @user-ge2vc3rl1n
    @user-ge2vc3rl1n 5 лет назад +1

    Is it me or is the bass with the active pickups also sporting fresh strings, they sound much brighter, seems to me like the strings here are the big impact.

  • @stefanoribas
    @stefanoribas 3 года назад

    Real awsome! What are your opinions about PJ bass guys? (Passive!)

  • @mr_hppd348
    @mr_hppd348 4 года назад

    Can you get a more even volume with an active bass? I want as little dynamics as possible, as close to a midi bass as possible??????

  • @evanbrown2781
    @evanbrown2781 4 года назад +2

    What's that riff/song at 1:57?

  • @TinyDragon
    @TinyDragon 4 года назад +16

    Thank you for telling people to unplug when not playing - a point people overlook

  • @markchip1
    @markchip1 5 лет назад

    I just kept noticing that strangely large string spacing between your A & D strings - what's up with that? (On that first passive bass you demo'd)

    • @rrdream2400
      @rrdream2400 3 года назад

      the space is bigger if the nut is not compensated. The space is the same between the core of each string, it's just the lower strings are bigger so they are closer

  • @coldfire2812
    @coldfire2812 2 года назад

    wonderful video, thank you!

  • @bobs1540
    @bobs1540 3 года назад +3

    I think both active and passive are great. Sure it may not be truly active pick ups but still there’s a difference in set up. But either way no matter what you’re playing it can all be shaped with your hands and other materials at your disposal. Most people at a gig wouldn’t know the friggin difference if it was active or passive bass. You would just listen to the tone and like it or not.

  • @Bottomdweller
    @Bottomdweller 4 года назад +3

    The funny thing is, contrary to what he says there aren't any "active pickup" basses in this video at all, they all have passive pickups. Active bass and active pickup are actually two totally different things.

  • @doca9357
    @doca9357 4 года назад +1

    hmm, had a gibson RD artist years ago, huge preamp with, two 3 way switches, was supposedly designed by Moog with Entwistle input, had a huge amount of possibilities, also had, still have a 1st year G&L L1000, single humbucker, bass/treble tones and a 3 way switch, dual, single and reverse polarity, still had plenty of umph and volume in double coil mode, matched the output of 2 of the 9 variations available from the gibson

  • @aarondavis4341
    @aarondavis4341 5 лет назад

    Volune and tone on a p bass? I hot wired my P directly to the input jack,no pots at all,,i let my pre amp or amp do the e.q.ing for the bass

  • @nrich5127
    @nrich5127 4 года назад

    If you are using a bass with "active electronics" when you switch the electronics off the pickups should become passive so you should have both options. However some basses might not have this optional switch.

  • @Noone-of-your-Business
    @Noone-of-your-Business 4 года назад +4

    I beg to differ. Cutting through the mix depends on sound shaping, and you can (in fact, _should_ ) do that in the pre section of your bass amp. You also usually have more complex shaping options there than the basic bass/mid/treble on your "active" instrument. Signal degradation in the cable is really the only argument for me to ever use active. And while some might argue that an "active" signal has slightly more dynamics, I dare say you can match the active vs. passive sounds of the same instrument with appropriate pre-amp equalization. I don't think the difference will be notable - as long as you do not use a crappy - or too long - cable. Hmmm,... maybe I really need to test my basses...
    I am no fan of the rudimentary 3-band EQs on an instrument. I don't ever need the treble to be higher than neutral, and I never touch bass and mid, so I have 2 knobs that I constantly need to check if they are in the neutral position I want them in. As for giving your thin-sounding bridge pickup the oomph it needs, I find a 3-band EQ completely unsuitable for this. I use the _EQ balance_ on my Trace Elliot, which gives me an absolutely fantastic gnarly, bone dry mid bite that is far more than just cranking the parametric mid EQ on the instrument. I wonder why they don't make these any more. Come to think of it, I find current bass amps strangely wanting in sound shaping options. They have become really cheap and small and incredibly powerful, but the pre amp sections don't hold a candle to my 30-year-old GP12-SMX. Anyway, I really would have liked a comparison of the _same instrument_ in active and passive modes against each other - with matching EQ compensation.

  • @rkharper
    @rkharper 5 лет назад +157

    Good player, but he talks BS. A passive bass doesn't cut through ?! Dude, you've got a battalion under your feet!!!!

    • @mikkohirvela309
      @mikkohirvela309 5 лет назад +28

      Rafi Kirder Yeah, quite often it’s actually a passive p-bass what you need to cut through the mix.

    • @pntballfreek
      @pntballfreek 5 лет назад +17

      Most cut I've ever had in a mix was a passive P bass through an Swr stack....dudes blowing smoke out his ass

    • @drewmcdonald4082
      @drewmcdonald4082 5 лет назад +9

      @@pntballfreek Right on - I run a passive P bass through a darkglass microtubes b7k ultra and an swr stack and I have to turn it DOWN

    • @DMSProduktions
      @DMSProduktions 5 лет назад +8

      It's because he has so MUCH mids scooped out!

    • @EMan-tp4zp
      @EMan-tp4zp 5 лет назад +1

      guy i know... bassist comes in and essentially doubles the Gibson Les PAul in tone. He had zero signature...best musician out of the bunch though. I strapped his bass (chinese P/J 5), turned the treble ON...seriously, thats how close they sounded. He is guilty of having a 5, yet tuning E to D. Dont get a 5 if you cant transpose well. Ya...Geezer Butler never cut through...probably found his bass under a porch couch. The space btwn the notes is where the music is found

  • @johnniedelong9322
    @johnniedelong9322 5 лет назад

    Great video, I would like to ask a question. In the early 70s I had a Silvertone bass amp, It was like 35W and for sure 6X10s speakers. I can't find anything about this amp, like it was a dream. Can anyone tell me if there was such a amp? Thanks

    • @lawrencegenereux8567
      @lawrencegenereux8567 5 лет назад

      Oh yeah, it was real. They made both a guitar and bass version. The amps head slid into the back of the speaker cabinet for storage and transportation. In my youth, I used the guitar version, and the bassist in a local blues band used the bass version. They were pretty loud for their time.

    • @johnniedelong9322
      @johnniedelong9322 5 лет назад

      Thanks Lawrence...@@lawrencegenereux8567

  • @sergiomiskell8713
    @sergiomiskell8713 4 года назад +1

    Is there a point in buying and learning the bass just for enjoyment or do you have to be a musician? I'm interested in playing bass but just did not know if it is "wasting my money"

  • @StratBurst92
    @StratBurst92 Год назад

    Excellent video, I wonder why there are no active basses where you have the choice of making it passive. At least none that I know of anyway.

  • @plinkbottle
    @plinkbottle 4 года назад

    Cort GB series, has active with the turn of a switch and equalizers.

  • @rhoodj
    @rhoodj 4 года назад

    Which one is the best: Fender Elite or Ultra vs Ibanez Adam Nitti vs Musicman Bongo HH6 vs MTD 535FL vs Ken Smith vs
    Marleaux bass?

  • @renecruzmusic
    @renecruzmusic 5 лет назад

    Love it dude!

  • @l24dmarks
    @l24dmarks 5 лет назад +1

    One more thing to keep in mind - w. passive bass you need to pay more attention to the guitar cable quality and understand why the buffer is helpful.

  • @johnniedelong9322
    @johnniedelong9322 4 года назад +1

    I hope next time I hope you get both bass guitars with the same pickups, good vide.

  • @cnner1997
    @cnner1997 4 года назад

    Is Reverb a good place to buy a Bass Guitar
    Reviews say otherwise but idk

  • @FrancoGrimoldi
    @FrancoGrimoldi 5 лет назад +52

    Those "active" pickups are passive...

    • @bowel_movement
      @bowel_movement 5 лет назад +1

      Your definition of "active" is wrong.
      "Active" pickups incorporate electronic circuitry to modify the signal. Active circuits are able to filter, attenuate or boost the signal from the pickup. The main disadvantage of an active system is requirement of a battery power source to operate the preamp circuitry. Batteries limit circuit design and functionality, in addition to being inconvenient to the musician. The circuitry may be as simple as a single transistor, or up to several operational amplifiers configured as active filters, active EQ and other sound-shaping features. The op amps used must be of a low-power design to optimize battery life, a design restriction that limits the dynamic range of the circuit. The active circuitry may contain audio filters, which reduce the dynamic range and mildly distort certain ranges. High-output active pickup systems also have an effect on an amplifier's input circuit. - Wikipedia
      Any pickup that has an electrical circuit that requires power is an active pickup. So a pickup with a preamp is an actual active pickup.

    • @FrancoGrimoldi
      @FrancoGrimoldi 5 лет назад +16

      ​@@bowel_movement: so maybe Fender, Sadowsky, Fodera, Ibanez, Lakland, Musicman, Yamaha, Warwick are all wrong, you should definitely tell them ASAP!

    • @ilpatongi
      @ilpatongi 5 лет назад +10

      Body Movement Not really, the pickups themselves don’t require any circuitry.
      Real active pickups like EMGs can work without the need of a preamp, they already have it inside the pickup itself.
      That’s why EMG sells active pickup kits that include passive volume knobs whilst the pickups themselves have the battery connection.

    • @ulrikehandler3075
      @ulrikehandler3075 5 лет назад +1

      @@ilpatongi Yes, but the only difference is that the EMGs have preamp built in - which has advantages and disadvantages: e.g. it is not possible to use a common passive treble control (resistor + capacitor against ground) with EMGs as it will not change the resonance frequency of the pickup - it sounds completly different....

  • @btoledo90
    @btoledo90 5 лет назад +17

    Jake, you likely don't read RUclips comments on these videos, but just in case you do... I just wanna say that, as a musician who grew up in your scene in Santa Fe, New Mexico, I am so fucking proud to see you making videos with Reverb. Keep up the good work.

  • @billyanderson7763
    @billyanderson7763 5 лет назад

    What's the song at 7:35 it sounds familiar

  • @cour1988
    @cour1988 5 лет назад +1

    I get what they are getting at but it would have been nice to have a bass with actual active pickups. Maybe show all three options.

  • @yiwanye1221
    @yiwanye1221 4 года назад

    Would active bass produces more harmonic distortion, e.g. white noises..?

  • @bassimprovjams3772
    @bassimprovjams3772 2 года назад

    Cool video!! I absolutely love my stingrays!!! I would love a Jazz elite!!

  • @bartlomiejzakrzewski5195
    @bartlomiejzakrzewski5195 2 года назад

    Great info

  • @vonicrimson3619
    @vonicrimson3619 3 года назад +4

    I always go active because metal. I use mainly a stingray, I also prefer schecter since they’re really awesome for my style. And yes I sweep pick on bass.

    • @PSXBOX-lz1zq
      @PSXBOX-lz1zq Год назад

      Me too, after playing passive for years, after i shifted to using active I cant go back to passive, and Im also a metal bass player

    • @VanjaSpirin
      @VanjaSpirin Год назад

      @@PSXBOX-lz1zq I am old metal bass player. So I spent many years trying to get Steve Harris tone, wich is basically p-bass and Trace Eliott. And the best aggresive and punchy bass tone is with Ampeg and active Stingray to my taste. Not a big fan of a p-bass, partially because of a p-bass cult, where everybody histerically adores p-bass. In gets on my nerves.

  • @Thomas.harding
    @Thomas.harding 5 лет назад

    What is that bassline at 2.00 ?

  • @TonySnider69
    @TonySnider69 Год назад

    I am planning on getting a bass. It is active/passive since I have no idea what I want. I really enjoyed the video.

  • @busterrabbit
    @busterrabbit 3 года назад +1

    Almost all "active basses" have standard passive pickups and a pre-amp, and most can be played without much change in tone or output, unless you are usually boosting active tone controls, in which case I'd turn up your amp gain instead.

  • @shawnhuff6024
    @shawnhuff6024 4 года назад +1

    I have a great American fender elite Jass bass and it has a switch on it for active and passive switch I can do both I don't need two basses

  • @olivecool
    @olivecool 3 года назад

    is the ibanez sr300e an active bass?

  • @getaloadofthisguy9285
    @getaloadofthisguy9285 3 года назад

    i was trying to decide between a p and j for months and didn’t even think about the loss of powerful tone (rn i’m using a stingray) so I might just get a better stingray

  • @Rick-pi9zn
    @Rick-pi9zn 5 лет назад

    due he's running the passive bass through a preamp pedal, isn't the bass therefore also more than less active?

  • @emdiar6588
    @emdiar6588 5 лет назад +1

    My Aria has excellent actives, but the best thing about it is it also has a great passive option at just the flick of a toggle switch. No flat battery crisis for me. I don't get why all active basses don't have this option.

    • @chrisl2206
      @chrisl2206 4 года назад

      The P/J bass he's demoing has that option. Don't know why he didn't mention it.