confused about active bass pickups/electronics

[Leonardo Silva]

ok, so two things, there are active electronics, for example an active 3 band eq for low/mid/high frequencies, and active pickups...

which uses a preamp(right?), so, questions arise.

I know some pickups are designed to be active and use a preamp, but can I use a preamp on any bass pickup?, this is a bit confusing, if I would go with an active EMG set with its corresponding EMG preamp circuit and active EQ, wouldn't have a problem, but as I plan on buying the pickups and active electronics separately (non EMG), it gets a bit confusing.

this is the wiring diagram of the active electronics I want to buy.
http://www.allenedeninc.com/pictures/drawing/9030.PDF (click link to open diagram)

and for the pickups I'm looking for a wilkinson humbucker on the bridge position and a Select by EMG Split Coil on the neck (korean version of EMG), none of those pickups say the actually need some sort of preamp but I should able to use the preamp without a problem, right?

anyway, a more experienced question, If I was to use that active electronics, is there a way I can install a switch/push-pull in order to take the preamp out of the circuit but still getting the active EQ?

[Beate Ritzert]

anyway, a more experienced question, If I was to use that active electronics, is there a way I can install a switch/push-pull in order to take the preamp out of the circuit but still getting the active EQ?

No, there isn't. (An active EQ is by itself also based on a preamp).

[Joshua Levin-Epstein]

What you could do is use regular (high impedance) pick-ups that do not require a pre-amp. Wire a switch to bypass the preamp, but include a passive tone control (250k pot with .05mfd capacitor). This will give you both the sound of a "vintage" bass as well as something more modern. Roger Sadowsky does this on some of his basses, though I don't know how he controls volume or pick up selection. in the passive mode.

Though you can feed any pick up through a preamp, you want to use pick-ups with wide frequency response. In general this means vintage style pick-ups. Pick ups that are overwound have less highs so you have less signal to "EQ".