Still confused about pickups

[Martthebass]

I know there's been a few threads about pups, but can anybody clarify any of the following:

1. I understand that the J's in my active 'vette are active with an active preamp - what advantages does this give over passive pups with an active preamp? What would be the difference in sound?

2. Why are the hummers in the $$ passive and used in combination with active eq? I notice that the heummers in my MM are passive so is this a hummer type pickup thing?

3. Is the battery drain much more in active/active over passive/active?

Thanks guys, look at it as enlightening an old fart,

Mart

 

[odominguez]

I know there's been a few threads about pups, but can anybody clarify any of the following:

1. I understand that the J's in my active 'vette are active with an active preamp - what advantages does this give over passive pups with an active preamp? What would be the difference in sound?

2. Why are the hummers in the $$ passive and used in combination with active eq? I notice that the heummers in my MM are passive so is this a hummer type pickup thing?

3. Is the battery drain much more in active/active over passive/active?

Thanks guys, look at it as enlightening an old fart,

Mart

Hello Marth,

Good questions.

- Advantages of active pickups:

1. Wider dynamic range.
2. Better signal to noise ratio.
3. Louder output signal.

On your active 'vette the main acvantage would be that you get a lot less noise than if you had a passive/passive or passive/active setup.

- 'Vette $$:

Yes. The pickups in the $$ are passive humbuckers with an active MEC pre-amp.

- Battery

Batteries can last up to 6 months in an active/active setup (regular use). But this might change depending on how careful you are on leaving your bass plugged in over night and stuff like that. But the answer is Yes, the active/active setup requires more battery power than the passive/active setup, but it's not enough to cause you a problem.

 

[sethsbase]

Mart,

"Active Pickups" and "Active Electronics" are completely different things, easily confused.

An active pickup means that there is a small preamp inside shaping the sound of the signal as it is produced and being sent through your bass. The way the manufacturer sets up the preamp determines the "sound" of the pickup... different makers put different preamps in, thusly Bartolinis sound different from MECs and Basslines, etc...

Active electronics are the tone shaping controls on your bass... the next step in sound control before the signal goes to your amp. If all you have is a "tone" knob, that's passive electronics; no battery needed. All a tone knob does is reduced high frequency output; that's it. It's a cut for your high end. Anything more involved is called a 2 or 3 band EQ; these offer both boost and cut for specific frequency ranges; either treble and bass, or treble/mid/bass, depending on the model.

Both these items are preamps inside your bass, and they require an outside power source. "Drain on the battery" isn't as dramatic as it sounds... I play a LOT, and my batteries last three to four months, though I usually change them after two months just to be safe. The way I see it, a 9 volt battery costs $2.50. If I can spend $35 every time I change my strings, I can pay ten to fifteen bucks a year to keep my active parts happy!

Hope this helps...

 

[saxonbass]

I've had active/active and passive/passive, and I find passive/active is a good compromise - especially with a passive by-pass.

I've never wanted a 3 band eq - have enough control via amp controls. I think one of the best tone controls is the front/back pickup balance - then adjust treble to taste. But I've never actually tried a 3 band - maybe I'm missing out on something

 

[Martthebass]

Cheers guys, all is now clearer. Regarding the 2 vs 3EQ thing, I can see what you mean Steve. The 'vette and my old 'ray are/were 2band, the Sterling is 3band. Can't say I find myself fiddling with the knobs too much, certainly not the mid. If the bass has good tone to start with - why spoil it