Topic: Active vs Passive Pickups
Your thoughts?
Here's a shoot out of active vs Passive.
- CharlesZ.
- Bronze Member
- Offline
Re: Active vs Passive Pickups
Active pickups seem to be embraced by the metal guys/girls. Can't put them is a Lester without some mods as you got that battery you have to deal with. Some say active p/u's sound "sterile". I favor a low output PAF passive p/u. There's nothing you can't do with it. Stack a compressor and some dirt and you can get very heavy yet stay articulate. When possible I try to wind up the amp to do the dirty amplification. An Active pickup is just a pickup with an amp built into it - I'd rather crank the amp.
"You know, it's just that people like this... you know... they get all they want so they really don't understand, you know... about a life like Frank's. I mean, when you've loved and lost the way Frank has, then you, uh, you know what life's about."
"How can "less be more"? It's impossible. "More" is more." - Yngwie Malmsteen
"How can "less be more"? It's impossible. "More" is more." - Yngwie Malmsteen
Re: Active vs Passive Pickups
CharlesZ. wrote:
Active pickups seem to be embraced by the metal guys/girls. Can't put them is a Lester without some mods as you got that battery you have to deal with. Some say active p/u's sound "sterile". I favor a low output PAF passive p/u. There's nothing you can't do with it. Stack a compressor and some dirt and you can get very heavy yet stay articulate. When possible I try to wind up the amp to do the dirty amplification. An Active pickup is just a pickup with an amp built into it - I'd rather crank the amp.
I like them both but I think over the course of a set the active pickups may grate on me a bit. I did live sound for a band whose bass player had active pick ups in a P-bass and his tone would kinda come out of the mix because it has so much definition.
I think he was going direct. Maybe if his amp was mic'd it would have blended better.
4 2018-08-26 05:13:13 (edited by CharlesZ. 2018-08-26 05:13:51)
- CharlesZ.
- Bronze Member
- Offline
Re: Active vs Passive Pickups
CGB wrote:
CharlesZ. wrote:Active pickups seem to be embraced by the metal guys/girls. Can't put them is a Lester without some mods as you got that battery you have to deal with. Some say active p/u's sound "sterile". I favor a low output PAF passive p/u. There's nothing you can't do with it. Stack a compressor and some dirt and you can get very heavy yet stay articulate. When possible I try to wind up the amp to do the dirty amplification. An Active pickup is just a pickup with an amp built into it - I'd rather crank the amp.
I like them both but I think over the course of a set the active pickups may grate on me a bit. I did live sound for a band whose bass player had active pick ups in a P-bass and his tone would kinda come out of the mix because it has so much definition.
I think he was going direct. Maybe if his amp was mic'd it would have blended better.
Yes, I've observed that a lot more bass players use active electronics than six stringers do, and a lot of bass players like to go direct live and when recording. Lately I seem to like the nuances that low output pickups give me, rolling back the volume and tone controls often to get a good solid tone. Compression into dirt gives you additional "size" and crunch, and off you go!
I use a Barber Tone Press into a Friedman Dirty Shirley overdrive for all the dirt I need and it never sounds sterile, sings like a bird, cleans up, etc. Everything except for the heaviest doom metal tones are there at your fingertips.
Any users of active pickups want to chime in regarding their pros and cons?
"You know, it's just that people like this... you know... they get all they want so they really don't understand, you know... about a life like Frank's. I mean, when you've loved and lost the way Frank has, then you, uh, you know what life's about."
"How can "less be more"? It's impossible. "More" is more." - Yngwie Malmsteen
"How can "less be more"? It's impossible. "More" is more." - Yngwie Malmsteen
- Adrian J
- Platinum
- Offline
Re: Active vs Passive Pickups
Never found a set of active pickups that I like. As the poster above states, I always found them too sterile. I'm sure they have their place, but not in my guitars!!
Guitars: Fender American Original 60s Strat, Fender American Vintage 52 Tele, Gibson Les Paul Traditional
FX: Various including - Ceriatone Centura, Fire Custom Shop Carpe Diem
Amp: Fender ML212 Deville + 212 extention cabinet
FX: Various including - Ceriatone Centura, Fire Custom Shop Carpe Diem
Amp: Fender ML212 Deville + 212 extention cabinet