Question regarding Passive versus Active pickups

[The Ozzman]

Is there an easy way to tell if a pickup is passive or active without going into the guts of the guitar and figuring it out?

I mean, how can I look or hear a guitar and know if the pickups are passive or active?

 

[viewerfromnihil]

it's all in the ear... personally, i can't tell on a recording but i can tell if someone is playing actives in person

 

[ParsonsMatt]

"Actives" and "Passives" are way too broad as categories to really make generalizations about. Some people will say, "Active pickups are cold, thin, and lifeless". That's wrong. Replace "Active pickups" with, "An EMG 81 in a bright sounding guitar", and the statement is now true. If an EMG 81 won't sound good in a guitar, then very likely a Seymour Duncan Dimebucker won't sound good in it either. They are similar sounding pickups. More similar, to my ears, than an EMG 81 and an EMG 85, even though the Dimebucker is passive.

The only popular active guitar pickups are EMG. The active EMGs are all either grey ( the most common ), creme, or white covered pickups with the EMG logo on them. Any other pickup is probably passive.

 

[viewerfromnihil]

gibsons have actives

also, bareknuckle pickups also offer actives

 

[cannibal corpse]

What is the difference beetween active and passive pickups?

 

[viewerfromnihil]

active pickups contain a battery powered pre amp that allows them to have a higher output

 

[The Ozzman]

Well, I have two guitars that have passive pickups and active electronics, so it isn't necessarily the pickup that is active. Though, I guess that's why some of those systems need 18 volts of power (9 for the pickups and 9 for the EQ).

I don't know what passive pickups with an active EQ really does that is different from an active-active setup, but whatever

 

[viewerfromnihil]

it goes to 11, thats what

 

[The Ozzman]

I thought the amps went to 11?

 

[viewerfromnihil]

couldn't you just make 10 louder?

 

[Cease]

The easiest way to tell if a guitar has active pickups is by looking for an extra panel on the back where the 9v battery will be located. I'm not sure if ALL active pickups have an extra spot for the battery, but all of the ones that I have run across do. A lot of times the panel is easier to access, and will open w.o any screws or anything of the sort and is about the size (lengthwise) of your standard 9v battery.

Other than that what the other guys have said - actives tend have more of a punch.

 

[viewerfromnihil]

The easiest way to tell if a guitar has active pickups is by looking for an extra panel on the back where the 9v battery will be located. I'm not sure if ALL active pickups have an extra spot for the battery

they all do unless there is an extra large electronics cavity

 

[The Ozzman]

The easiest way to tell if a guitar has active pickups is by looking for an extra panel on the back where the 9v battery will be located.

I have to use a 9-volt battery, but the Bartolini pickups I have are actually passive while the 3-band EQ is active.

That's why it's a bit confusing to me

 

[waif]

As far as actives go, go for Seymour Duncan blackouts.

 

[Cease]

I have to use a 9-volt battery, but the Bartolini pickups I have are actually passive while the 3-band EQ is active.

That's why it's a bit confusing to me

Alright that does add some confusion, I hadn't run across that before, but it makes sense.

Sorry Ozzman, I don't know enough to really help ya; all I'd be saying is what you already know

 

[ParsonsMatt]

active pickups contain a battery powered pre amp that allows them to have a higher output

Not necessarily higher output. It allows the magnet inside the pick up itself to be weaker. This means there is less string pull, so your intonation and sustain are improved. The internal preamp sets the output, you are correct. But the EMGs aren't close to the highest output pickups available. The DiMarzio X2N and Seymour Duncan Invader are both much higher output than any EMG.

 

[viewerfromnihil]

^nicely put

i'll stick with teh EMGzur's

 

[ParsonsMatt]

I like EMGs and I like passives. Each pickup has something to bring to the table. Whether or not you like it, is a personal thing.

 

[Eligos]

Doesn't Bartolini only make bass pickups? Maybe you should've mentioned that you were talking about a bass guitar, not just a guitar. It changes the rules a little.

 

[The Ozzman]

How does it change the rules?

And no, Bartolini makes regular guitar pickups as well.

I'm talking in general how you can tell the difference.