Thoughts on active basses and dual Ps

[Inflames626]

For those who have been following me, I'm a metal guitarist who has been trying to find my ideal bass pickup configuration and whether that is an active or passive sound.

I picked up an import Warlock the other day, mainly because it has a dual P configuration, which I wanted to try in place of a dual soapbar or PJ.

First, I really like the dual P sound. It has all the advantages of a P with more pick attack, which I was looking for without having to do crazy things in EQ or on the amp. I wish it were a more common configuration. Dual soapbars probably approximate this in a soapbar casing, but for P purists, dual P's are a bit hard to come by. The only downside might be that these pickups tend to get in the way of the pick for those of us who dig in pretty deeply. Also, a bit uncommonly, I use a metal pick.

Second, I picked up the bass used. It turned out being active. Even though the pickups are stock OEM B.C. Rich and could probably sound better, I don't care for it much, at least in 9 volts.

I see why people might like actives--they're very even and balanced and would bring a bass out live or in a mix, but they're also somewhat sterile, with a lot of boost around 2-2.5k that would seem to compete with guitars and snare drums. I can't help but think a bass amp with an active EQ would accomplish a similar tone to active pickups and active preamps.

I seem to remember David Ellefson saying 15 years ago that he liked passive for recording but active for live. I think I would be in the same boat. I also liked his early tones--articulate but fat.

It probably also has a lot to do with taste. I don't like doing a lot of tone changes on the bass so I wouldn't use most of the features on a high end bass like a Conklin. I prefer doing it in software or on the amp so I can recall presets exactly. I don't even use a tone knob much--usually just leave it wide open.

And I think a passive bass sound adds some warmth when using heavily distorted active pickup guitars.

Anyway, I tried a Fender Original 62 P (the one with beveled magnets that comes on the Vintage models) and I really liked it. I'll order another one and change them both out.

I already tried an SPB3 and it's just too much bass. The mid scoop also kills out the 400-1.6 khz range where the bass needs to sit so that you can hear it against the guitar but not so much that the two are competing for the same mix space.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Thoughts on active basses and dual Ps

I love active basses. I like to dial the treble and mids down and really boost the bass with actives. It brings out a deep, fat as hell tone that does not compete with guitars or snare drums but rather blends nicely with a well mixed kick drum. I like passive for vintage tones but when it comes to both recording and live I much prefer active basses myself. The tones I prefer from active bass are great for hip-hop, reggae, reggae punk, funk and other bass heavy music.

That being said, I find in a bass guitar with a really nice wood combination (that are also very resonant and musical pieces of wood) that passive pickups really shine like in my Warmoth swamp ash body with the Warmoth bubinga neck Jazz bass.

At the end of the day though, it's really a subjective, personal preference kind of thing. Some like active, some like passive and some like both. In my experience both active and passive basses have their own well deserved place.

 

[Inflames626]

Re: Thoughts on active basses and dual Ps

I can definitely hear actives for music where the bass should be in the front--say funk with a guitar just vamping a dominant add9 chord or something.

In metal I'm at cross purposes. I don't like thrash metal bass tones (what little there are) because they too often sound just like guitar cabinet low end or they get lost with the kick drum. They're so in the pocket and mix that they are indistinct.

I much prefer a tone like Steve Harris's where he's up front, but occasionally is overwhelming (I've always thought that Iron Maiden's guitar tracks sounded narrow because they were making room for him in the mix).

For me, I suppose some of it is getting a vintage tone but where it also sounds a little like a guitar to the point that you can pick the parts out by ear without struggling to hear what the bass is doing. Actives make it sound a bit too much like a guitar to my ear, especially where the mix might clash, like the high strings of a bass and the low strings of a detuned guitar.