leftyhook Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 About how many gigs can I get out of a Duracell battery running a Warwick in constant active mode? My Wal gives me about 4- 6 months of 3 gigs a week. Great consumption that's hard to beat, I know. I've only gigged the Warwick once to date, so have no idea when a battery wil eventually go ta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorick Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Should get approx 1000 hours from a Duracell in an active bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftyhook Posted February 14, 2012 Author Share Posted February 14, 2012 Calculator says......1000 hours divided by 2 X 45 spots, plus 2 encores, X 3 per week,, + the odd time where I forget to deactivate the battery during spots = canny few gigs! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guyl Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Does you bass have an active by-pass? At least when then battery starts to go, you can switch off the active circuit until you get a moment to change the battery. My Warwick cover clips on and off in seconds (no screws), so it really is a 20 second job to change a battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throwoff Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 It has a bypass if you pull the master volume knob (if memory serves!) The passive sound is actually really nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Be aware that when the battery goes in your Warwick bass, your stops working... regardless of passive mode! Not a lot of people realise that it's only the $$ + one or two others that are truly passive when battery dies. The way to check is to remove your battery and try to use it; you'll likely find that there is no output. This is due to the fact that your pups (with the exception of the $$ as indicated) have a preamp built in and as such need power to work. As for time that they last; ages! I tend to fit new batteries at Christmas (present to your bass) and even when I was gigging just one of my basses, a couple times a week (+rehearsals and home use), I still had plenty juice in the battery after a year (use the discarded batteries in your non-essential items like a tuner). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 (edited) And it also might be useful to know that when you switch into "passive" mode, the battery is being drained just as much as when you're in "active" mode (even if your pickups are passive). The bypass switch just switches the output, but the preamp keeps working away. Edited February 14, 2012 by mart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 In spite of the pre still drawing current whilst bypassed, I've always got good battery life from my 3 Warwicks. They're all 9v EQs, and do seem to last about 2 years or so. That'd be about right, given that they all get used in rotation, along with the others. I am more cautious with the Fortress Masterman, as it has 2 EQs to run. It doesn't have a bypass, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftyhook Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 Having thought it through, I remember reading that a Wal battery consumption is about 1 year. Marvo the Memory Man am I! Anyway, all sounds good. Many thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throwoff Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 [quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1329218382' post='1538860'] Be aware that when the battery goes in your Warwick bass, your stops working... regardless of passive mode! Not a lot of people realise that it's only the $$ + one or two others that are truly passive when battery dies. The way to check is to remove your battery and try to use it; you'll likely find that there is no output. This is due to the fact that your pups (with the exception of the $$ as indicated) have a preamp built in and as such need power to work. As for time that they last; ages! I tend to fit new batteries at Christmas (present to your bass) and even when I was gigging just one of my basses, a couple times a week (+rehearsals and home use), I still had plenty juice in the battery after a year (use the discarded batteries in your non-essential items like a tuner). [/quote] Leftyhooks vette (used to be mine!) has passive pups so should work without a battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Undead Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Mine works without a battery, but then it's a $$. Not sure about other active models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 [quote name='throwoff' timestamp='1329312691' post='1540438'] Leftyhooks vette (used to be mine!) has passive pups so should work without a battery. [/quote] 'If' the pups are true passive and not the MEC active pups then yes it should work when/if a battery dies (assuming it has the push/pull pot to bypass the EQ) but the easiest way to establish is simply to unplug the battery and try the bass; as I said in my OP there are a couple of exceptions (the most noticeable is the $$) to the rule! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 [quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1329313638' post='1540452'] Mine works without a battery, but then it's a $$. Not sure about other active models. [/quote] [quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1329313671' post='1540455'] ... there are a couple of exceptions (the most noticeable is the $$) to the rule! [/quote] Synchronised posting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unpluggedjack Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 never measured it with my Warwicks but should be consistent with your WAL. I just change them every few months regardless and give the used batteries to our guitarist as spares for his pedals! The only time I had an issue with battery life in my 'Wick was when I converted it to 18v. Sound was marginally improved but battery life was terrible. Could be measureed in weeks! I pretty soon went back to 9v. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftyhook Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 Just checked. took out the battery, still works passively!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.