QQ: Can all active bass pickups be passive as well?
Or are there active bass pickups that are just active, and cannot be switched to passive with a flick of a switch?
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The pickups are never active, only the electronics. My previous Ibanez Musician had a switch to bypass the active EQ and may basses have this on a push pull vol pot.
However, the pickups in these setups can be bland without EQ as many users of EMGs for guitar have found.
However, the pickups in these setups can be bland without EQ as many users of EMGs for guitar have found.
Ah thanks for clarifying. So essentially same question then - if a bass has an active preamp/EQ, are all these wired so they can be bypassed with a switch? Or are there some that won't work at all without a 9V battery?
Some do, some don't. Most are probably able to be modded with a push pull or switch. Easier on a single pickup bass (not a MM) where you can just have the direct signal go to the output and bypass pots and all.LionAquaLooper said:Ah thanks for clarifying. So essentially same question then - if a bass has an active preamp/EQ, are all these wired so they can be bypassed with a switch? Or are there some that won't work at all without a 9V battery?
That's wrong. EMGs are always active and do not work without a battery at all. The pickup housings have tiny preamps in them to get the signal up to the usual level.Winny_Pooh said:The pickups are never active, only the electronics. My previous Ibanez Musician had a switch to bypass the active EQ and may basses have this on a push pull vol pot.
However, the pickups in these setups can be bland without EQ as many users of EMGs for guitar have found.
Then it's optional to add an active EQ as well if you want, or just use passive tone controls that come with the pickups. But the pickups are still active
Oh - and as for the "bland" thing - they are just different and need EQ-ing differently.
The EMG J pickups were designed just to be noiseless versions of 1960s jazz pickups and they nail that.
You still get some people claiming Bobby Vega was a heretic for sticking a set into his actual 1960s jazz even though they can't hear the difference.
The downside to EMGs (and some SD I believe) is that they cannot have a passive safety option if the battery craps out. Once the power goes the bass goes silent. I have a sticker on the back of my headstock to remind me to change the battery every year. Never had a problem after that.
The EMG J pickups were designed just to be noiseless versions of 1960s jazz pickups and they nail that.
You still get some people claiming Bobby Vega was a heretic for sticking a set into his actual 1960s jazz even though they can't hear the difference.
The downside to EMGs (and some SD I believe) is that they cannot have a passive safety option if the battery craps out. Once the power goes the bass goes silent. I have a sticker on the back of my headstock to remind me to change the battery every year. Never had a problem after that.
Yes and no. There really aren't any "active pickups" - but as fretmeister said, there are pickups which have the active circuitry built into the pickup casing, which is the same thing from a practical point of view - and these can't be run passively.
Most other active basses have passive pickups and the preamp circuitry in the control cavity, and these can theoretically be run passively, but won't necessarily sound good like that.
I also agree that EMGs don't sound bland, by the way. They sound very clean and aren't prone to noise or cable loading, which is not the same thing... but if you like a bit of hum and the 'warming' effect of capacitive treble loss then they may not do what you expect.
Most other active basses have passive pickups and the preamp circuitry in the control cavity, and these can theoretically be run passively, but won't necessarily sound good like that.
I also agree that EMGs don't sound bland, by the way. They sound very clean and aren't prone to noise or cable loading, which is not the same thing... but if you like a bit of hum and the 'warming' effect of capacitive treble loss then they may not do what you expect.
Two facts about Bobby Vega that you already know but some reading your post may not.fretmeister said:You still get some people claiming Bobby Vega was a heretic for sticking a set into his actual 1960s jazz even though they can't hear the difference.
1) Some of his career defining instruments are "cut 'n' shuts" assembled from more than one vintage Fender. There is no vintage value to preserve.
2) He is a total MF. Anyone who plays like him can do whatever he likes to get his sound.
Sire basses can be either active (run off 2 x 9V batteries) or passive at the flick of a switch. Also, if the batteries go/fail while using the active side, it automatically defaults to passive and you can carry on.
EDIT: Quick fire and late night response from me and I thought 'Basses' not 'Pickups
EDIT: Quick fire and late night response from me and I thought 'Basses' not 'Pickups
The other difference between many active and passive pickups - especially the ones that conform to the EMG design philosophy, is that they are entirely epoxy potted. This further removes the overtones and 'interference' from microphony and adds to that very 'clean' feel. Some like it some don't.ICBM said:Yes and no. There really aren't any "active pickups" - but as fretmeister said, there are pickups which have the active circuitry built into the pickup casing, which is the same thing from a practical point of view - and these can't be run passively.
Most other active basses have passive pickups and the preamp circuitry in the control cavity, and these can theoretically be run passively, but won't necessarily sound good like that.
I also agree that EMGs don't sound bland, by the way. They sound very clean and aren't prone to noise or cable loading, which is not the same thing... but if you like a bit of hum and the 'warming' effect of capacitive treble loss then they may not do what you expect.
As it happens I seem to be disappearing down a bass pickup rabbit hole - I have a variety of pickups in my basses including EMGs in 2 of them.
But I am thinking about changing them in my Sandberg TT4 (jazz) and putting in something old fashioned and somewhat dirty sounding as my tastes seem to be going that way.
Good pickups aren't cheap though!
But I am thinking about changing them in my Sandberg TT4 (jazz) and putting in something old fashioned and somewhat dirty sounding as my tastes seem to be going that way.
Good pickups aren't cheap though!
I seem to be rewinding a lot of old bass pickups at the moment ... been doing a good number of Hofner Beatle bass ones of late. Of course along with the usual 70s Jazz bass ones ... that only break marginally less frequently than Rickenbacker or Hofner ones :-)fretmeister said:As it happens I seem to be disappearing down a bass pickup rabbit hole - I have a variety of pickups in my basses including EMGs in 2 of them.
But I am thinking about changing them in my Sandberg TT4 (jazz) and putting in something old fashioned and somewhat dirty sounding as my tastes seem to be going that way.
Good pickups aren't cheap though!
…and (on my Jazz-a-like at least) the passive tone control stacked with the volume control works just the same in both modes.Kebabkid said:Sire basses can be either active (run off 2 x 9V batteries) or passive at the flick of a switch. Also, if the batteries go/fail while using the active side, it automatically defaults to passive and you can carry on.
This.Winny_Pooh said:The pickups are never active, only the electronics.
The correct description for EMG, Duncan, Fishman and the occasional Gibson bass pickup is low impedance. The coils inside these pickups are far smaller than yer average passive P or J Bass unit. The wire used can be of considerably heavier gauge.
[I shall insert a photograph of the innards of a Duncan AJB-1N, if I can find it.]
From there, the circuit needs to either remain low impedance for D.I. studio applications - e.g. Gibson Les Paul Signature and Triumph models - or have a pre-amp stage to make the signal suitable for use with regular amplification. (These Gibson basses actually have both. The later RD Artist Bass does not.)
On my modified Warwick Corvette Standard, the pickups are old +9v powered Seymour Duncan J-types but the controls are straightforward 25k VVT.
On my modified Warwick Corvette Standard, the pickups are old +9v powered Seymour Duncan J-types but the controls are straightforward 25k VVT.
A lot of the old Westone basses and guitars could be bought as active options. Did this really just make them louder as they worked normally with the circuit turned off?
A good active circuit should not make it louder unless the player wants it.
Ideally there shouldn't be any tonal changes between on and off if the EQ is all set at their centre positions.
Ideally there shouldn't be any tonal changes between on and off if the EQ is all set at their centre positions.
Funkfingers said:This.Winny_Pooh said:The pickups are never active, only the electronics.
The correct description for EMG, Duncan, Fishman and the occasional Gibson bass pickup is low impedance. The coils inside these pickups are far smaller than yer average passive P or J Bass unit. The wire used can be of considerably heavier gauge.[I shall insert a photograph of the innards of a Duncan AJB-1N, if I can find it.]From there, the circuit needs to either remain low impedance for D.I. studio applications - e.g. Gibson Les Paul Signature and Triumph models - or have a pre-amp stage to make the signal suitable for use with regular amplification. (These Gibson basses actually have both. The later RD Artist Bass does not.)
On my modified Warwick Corvette Standard, the pickups are old +9v powered Seymour Duncan J-types but the controls are straightforward 25k VVT.
If the preamp inside a pickup housing is not able to be separated from the magnet and coils and cannot function without power at all, then it's an active pickup - it is just not operable without power and all the elements (the low power coils / magnets AND the preamp) are a single unit.
Semantics? Yes. Accurate? Also yes.
Impedance is actually irrelevant to this as it is possible to build such a pickup with high impedance. Therefore it is not a required specification.
I don’t think that definition works at all, neither in terms of accuracy or how people actually use the terms.Funkfingers said:This.Winny_Pooh said:The pickups are never active, only the electronics.
The correct description for EMG, Duncan, Fishman and the occasional Gibson bass pickup is low impedance. The coils inside these pickups are far smaller than yer average passive P or J Bass unit. The wire used can be of considerably heavier gauge.[I shall insert a photograph of the innards of a Duncan AJB-1N, if I can find it.]From there, the circuit needs to either remain low impedance for D.I. studio applications - e.g. Gibson Les Paul Signature and Triumph models - or have a pre-amp stage to make the signal suitable for use with regular amplification. (These Gibson basses actually have both. The later RD Artist Bass does not.)
On my modified Warwick Corvette Standard, the pickups are old +9v powered Seymour Duncan J-types but the controls are straightforward 25k VVT.
I have low impedance fully passive bartolini pickups in one of my basses. Similarly something like Lace Alumnitone is a low impedance fully passive approach - designed not to need active circuitry at all!
typically an active pickup would be a pickup unit that includes an active buffer or preamp in the pickup itself - and requires power for the buffer to work. As you point out one of the benefits of this is it can allow better low impedance pickup designs - but that’s not always the case.
typically an active pickup would be a pickup unit that includes an active buffer or preamp in the pickup itself - and requires power for the buffer to work. As you point out one of the benefits of this is it can allow better low impedance pickup designs - but that’s not always the case.
Active preamps in the bass is a whole other kettle of fish