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Active/Passive Switch

C

coldtrain

Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2004
Messages
11
Location
Alexandria, VA
Has anyone installed an active/passive switch on their stock SR4 3-band preamp? I've been caught more than once with a dead battery in the middle of a tune...I suppose I could just replace my battery every 3 months but that requires effort and remembering stuff.

I know Bartolini makes a pre with a switch, but I'd rather keep the stock pre.

Thanks!
Fabio.
 
I buy 9V batteries in bulk at Sam's Club and just put in a new one at the beginning of each gig. I save the old ones for rehearsals and just put them in when the old one dies. I would rather spend the $2 than be standing on stage with a bass that won't make a sound.
 
I check mine with a mult-meter before each gig. Still a passive switch mode sounds like a good deal to make a great bass better.


tk
 
tkarter said:
I check mine with a mult-meter before each gig.
Click to expand...

Same here... a multimeter is indispensable for a gigging musician. You don't really have an excuse for not having one.
 
Failing that, I date my batteries with a marker pen and just check every week that it's not too old.

Works for me.....
 
I'd wish all basses come with a/p switch, especially my SR5, if only to try out the passive sound of it. I recently changed one of my active basses to an all passive bass, the difference was day and night. But of course I've also changed the pickups.

As far as I know, throwin' in an a/p switch into an existing active system is very very difficult. Your simplest option is to put the switch before the preamp, which bypasses everything and goes directly to the output jack. This means you'll lose all your pots in passive mode. The much more difficult alternative is to rewire for two different circuits: switch select a/p if active goes to preamp if passive goes to separate volume tone pots etc. I do not know if this can be done without turning it into a franken-bass. The easiest way is to completely get rid of the existing preamp and put in a new one with a/p switch, but we all love our MusicMans as it is, aren't we?
 
I was very curious about this as well, so I just had it done: Added a switch that hotwires the pickup straight to the output jack.

Haven't had a chance to fully evaluate it, but there's definitely a tonal difference in passive mode, similar to the general differences between active and passive basses. Active has a bit more hi-fi detail and smoother top end, a little more open-sounding; passive seems more raw and throaty, like a P on steroids (which is pretty much what I was hoping for).

I'm mostly looking forward to having the passive option when recording, since it's hard to beat the standard (active) Ray for live use.
 
Could you post a sound clip of the two settings? Sounds very interesting!
 
I knew someone would ask that...so far, it's just been a really informal "flip the switch on and off in the rehearsal room and see how it sounds" kinda thing. Haven't actually recorded with it yet, haven't even decided which sound I prefer, and I expect it may be different for live vs. recording. If I can get something that clearly shows the difference, I'll be glad to post it.
 
dlloyd said:
"Same here... a multimeter is indispensable for a gigging musician. You don't really have an excuse for not having one."

Actually I have a couple of them. When I'm not disguised as "BigStrings," a blues bassman of the night, I'm actually "Mike the happy Electrician" by day. But a multimeter will only tell you what the existing no-load voltage is, it won't tell you when to change the battery. I think changing the battery before every gig is a little over the top unless your only playing once every 3 months. I checked the battery in my Sterling and it was down to 8.88, so I changed it, but I'm wondering just how low the voltage will go before you start to notice problems. Anybody know?

In regard to the active/passive switch, I have a 1982 Ibanez Musician that came that way with 3 seperate tone controls for the active mode. Kind of cool because if your battery died, you just flipped the switch and you get away with maybe the guitar player giving you one quick funny look and nobody else knows the difference. Truth is, I played it in passive mode most of the time anyway because I dig the raw, punchy, straight ahead sound that it gets and also because it would eat 9 volts like candy. I'm sure glad the new basses have much more efficient power usage.
 
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I still think changing the battery is the surest way to go. It costs less than a drink at the bar and I think several of us could forego one to insure our sound. :D

BTW - Our band only gigs about once a month. If we were playing more often I probably wouldn't change the battery as often. (I do hang onto the batteries that I take out before a gig and use them in rehearsals.)
 
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I plan on running my current battery down to the place it messes up.
Will check that voltage and post it. Could take awhile as I get lots of time out of a battery. That is also the reason I think it would not be necessary to change batteries before a gig unless you were close to 8.8 volts.

IMHO

tk
 
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