Posted by GC on January 25, 2004 at 14:26:36:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: A bass by any other name... posted by Wade (sans typos) on January 25, 2004 at 13:30:03:
...And to guys like us (doublers, that is) the only thing that differs from passive to active electronics is that active needs an on-board 9v battery.
I'll agree that to doublers who are beginners that passive basses are just fine, but your statement doesn't apply to doublers who are serious bass players and who either need or want the flexibility and tone-shaping of active systems. If you don't need or want active (as beginners really don't, as you said), then don't waste time or money on on it. Many of us doublers actually get in a lot more time on bass than on tuba, and some of us want the extras.
That being said, many people have excellent careers as professionals using the old passive p-bass. The great majority of the best-sounding bass parts ever played were done on passive Precision and Jazz basses; Jaco and James Jamerson were probably the best ever, and both used Precisions and Jazzes. There are recording engineers and session directors in many studios who tell players that they prefer the sound of a p-bass to anything else. I'm saying that you can't go wrong with a p-bass in good condition. I'm actually agreeing with Wade, just not with the way it was said.
One other problem with old Precisions: when the old-style Fender machine heads (tuners) get old, they can begin to slip constantly and can't be made to hold pitch by tightening. Fortunately, that's not a high-cost repair.