So, I did a thing - active to passive

[ErikH]

My Sterling SUB Ray4 bass came with active treble and bass controls. While they are nice to have, I've been curious how this bad boy would sound wired up like a P-Bass, passive 250k volume and 250k tone w/ .047uf cap only. The pickup was changed out not long after I got it for a Seymour Duncan SMB-4A, wired in parallel. When I did the rewiring, I changed it to be in series. The original harness (pots and jack) is still all together in case I want to revert back. All I'll need to do is solder the battery holder wires to the PCB and the bridge ground wire.

The outcome? What I was hoping for. The pickup isn't too hot in series but it does add some more midrange and punch. Even with the way the StingRay pickup is closer to the bridge, it is not too trebly at all. I feel I have more control over the bass now than I did with the active controls.

So, do you have a bass with active electronics that is kinda meh right now? Switch it to passive (as long as the pickups can work that way). It could be the solution for you.

 

[uOpt]

Yeah. My Stingray is running passive with a SD Alnico pickup. I like it better that way.

Just have to find an elegant solution to use the spare controls for series/parallel switching.

 

[ErikH]

I had thought about adding a series/parallel switch but decided not to. Good thing because the route where the stock volume goes is too small for a full-size pot so I moved them all over one place. The output jack is still in the last hole as the stock jack but the volume is where the stock treble was and the tone is where the stock bass was. Ended up using a plastic hole plug in the stock volume control hole.

 

[solspirit]

Yeah. My Stingray is running passive with a SD Alnico pickup. I like it better that way.

Just have to find an elegant solution to use the spare controls for series/parallel switching.

Should be pretty easy, I dont know if tou could make a blend control, but that would be pretty cool

 

[idsnowdog]

It's not that surprising because the Stingray is known for slap bass. The pickup runs in parallel to scoop the midrange and the active controls are used to compensate for the weak output and accentuate the percussive sound.

 

[jeremy]

ive used that specific pup on a few passive basses (usually with a series/split/parallel switch) and i think it sounds fantastic with just passive controls

 

[ErikH]

I ran it through my amp with it turned up a bit this evening and man, what a feeling. Loving the midrange and additional bite. A light touch with the tone rolled back is smooth. As much as I thought I liked active bass controls, I’m definitely a passive guy.

 

[uOpt]

Yeah. It's cool to have EQ and whatnot right in the bass. But in the end you don't lose that kind of control if you have the same EQ in the rig.

Active setups that move the resonance peak of the pickup(s) might be a different matter, but they are rare anyway.

 

[Mr. B]

I like active EQ if it is a high quality (ie expensive) setup. I hate it in low end models like the Sterling Ray 4 and Ibanez TMB / SR series basses.

 

[PFDarkside]

I like active EQ if it is a high quality (ie expensive) setup. I hate it in low end models like the Sterling Ray 4 and Ibanez TMB / SR series basses.

Yes, those cheap preamps need an upgrade. It seems like the SUBs are great platforms to build upon though!

 

[ErikH]

I have an Ibanez TMB bass here, my oldest daughter's really, and the active controls in it are much nicer than what came in the Ray4. It's a nice bass but she doesn't like me playing it. That's OK. I like the neck on my Ray4 better.

 

[ErikH]

After playing it this way for a while, I decided to wire the pickup back in parallel mode. In series there was some clipping I was getting in the low lows that I couldn't get rid of no matter where the gain on the amp was set. And yes, using 250K pots in the passive wiring setup. Parallel wiring eliminated it and after some adjustments on the amp, it sounds fantastic. Nice and clean.

I'm about to start playing bass in a band I used to be in, one I co-founded actually and was on guitar. They asked me if I was interested as their current bass player is leaving soon. Needless to say, I've been working on the song list a lot and giving this bass a lot of play time.

 

[Chistopher]

My Sterling SUB Ray4 bass came with active treble and bass controls. While they are nice to have, I've been curious how this bad boy would sound wired up like a P-Bass, passive 250k volume and 250k tone w/ .047uf cap only. The pickup was changed out not long after I got it for a Seymour Duncan SMB-4A, wired in parallel. When I did the rewiring, I changed it to be in series. The original harness (pots and jack) is still all together in case I want to revert back. All I'll need to do is solder the battery holder wires to the PCB and the bridge ground wire.

The outcome? What I was hoping for. The pickup isn't too hot in series but it does add some more midrange and punch. Even with the way the StingRay pickup is closer to the bridge, it is not too trebly at all. I feel I have more control over the bass now than I did with the active controls.

So, do you have a bass with active electronics that is kinda meh right now? Switch it to passive (as long as the pickups can work that way). It could be the solution for you.

I've got that same bass. The biggest issue I have with it is that the tone controls immensely effect the volume. Passive would definitely be something I'd be into trying, but I like it enough as is to where I don't want to fiddle with it and risk messing up a good thing.

 

[formula73]

I go passive on every bass. I run a good bit of dirt and active always sounds fizzy.

 

[Chrisxedge]

I’ve got a couple American stingray 4s and a really cool 5. And those are all great, but I got a cool deal on a 2002 4H American stingray in need of a pickup. And seeing that I’ve already got a couple other 4 strings I’ve been considering a new passive SD MM pickup, with a VVT and a dummy knob in the last position. I’m just trying to decide between the three models available.

 

[ErikH]

I’ve got a couple American stingray 4s and a really cool 5. And those are all great, but I got a cool deal on a 2002 4H American stingray in need of a pickup. And seeing that I’ve already got a couple other 4 strings I’ve been considering a new passive SD MM pickup, with a VVT and a dummy knob in the last position. I’m just trying to decide between the three models available.

You should be able to use a SD MM pickup with the existing active electronics. The pickup is passive but the rest in the bass is active. I used the 4A with the stock active electronics in my SUB Ray4 for a while before deciding to go the passive route. I really like how it sounds.

 

[Securb]

If there is a battery clip inside, remove it. They can rattle if there is no battery in them. If it is the door type, don't sweat it.

 

[ErikH]

If there is a battery clip inside, remove it. They can rattle if there is no battery in them. If it is the door type, don't sweat it.

Definitely remove it with the rest of the active bits. Mine has the battery door on the back so leaving it there and the wires in to the cavity. They're tucked away. No big deal.

 

[Mikelamury]

I just took the pickup out of my Orange O-bass(the amp company randomly made a mid priced bass) and I'm going to put a QP P bass pickup in it standard controls with no load tone.