Thoughts on active eq with passives

[dpmasunder]

Well BKP, what are your thoughts and opinions re. onboard eq used with passive pickups?
I've not had a great deal of success with it myself.

[HJM]

OK on bass.....never liked it on guitars!  :?

[Tim]

Why?If the pickups sound good why colour it!

[dpmasunder]

That's pretty much how I feel, I really like minimal controls, just a vol and switch.
The only thing I've been curious about is a parametric mid control, or rather a mid cut/boost with selectable frequency...
Knowing myself fairly well, which I do, it would probably last about 3.5 minutes before being removed

[Ratrod]

I like those eq's on acoustics but not on electrics.

The new Reverend guitars have a bass contour control. I don't know exactly how it works but it seems interesting.

[PhilKing]

There is one sold by Stewart MacDonald in the States, the musitech mid boost.  It gives a hb sound from a single coil.  One setting is Keith Richard's Stones settings, the other is Clapton Bluesbreakers.  It also has a 20db boost.  I have used this in a couple of guitars because I know the guy who makes it (John McIntyre).  He used to build valve amps and is really particular about sound.  It is like having the SD-1 built into the guitar.  The only problem is that you end up with a battery in the guitar.  That said, it is easier to change the tone and boost with the controls on the giutar.

What I have used and liked is the Live Wire passive 'active' tone cube.  This use the voltage generated by the pickup and some different capacitors.  They make the tone control work.  I have one with a Crawler and 2 P-90's on a PRS.  

I also have a H/S/S EMG setup with the presence and mid boost (the Dave Gilmour setup).  With this you already need the battery for the pickups, and with EMG's you need something to colour the sound anyway  ^^

Actually having active tone controls is something I only ever put on basses and then only with active pickups.