SIRE V7 1st gen(i think) preamp 18v battery sink issue

[izzyhigs]

hey guys, im new on here, however ive been playing about 15 years professionally, my sire v7 has an issue with the pre where the batteries are just not lasting usable time really, and its probably happening longer than it should been left go on i just go too used to playing in passive which to be fair im quite fond of anyway but i would love to get a hold of the active pre again as i loved having the use of the mid scoop on it. i know plenty of you will most likely point me in the direction of either the john east pre or sadowsky as they seem to be the most popular choice for replacement but im just afraid of them not sounding the same which is ok obviously but i would love to know if anyone has had any lucky getting  straight like for like replacement, i have written to sire about it and they just redirected me to enquire with my dealer which was thomann and to be honest i cant see them replacing it either(i will try them also), anyway thanks in advance for any help or suggestions, and apologies if the opening statement is a bit long winded.

 

cheers,

[asingardenof]

I'm assuming the obvious candidate of leaving it plugged in doesn't apply. Might be a wiring/soldering issue. How old is the bass, and is it still within warranty?

[izzyhigs]

thanks for the reply, the bass is 7 years old and the issue started happening approx 3 years in and had just gone out of warranty when it started happening. yeah i was quick enough to eliminate that possibility from the equation even to the extent of making sure it was left switched in passive and plugged out just to be safe and to no effect. i have written to the original order handler from thomann so i will see if he can help but im not confident.

[BassApprentice]

If you're not a man who likes to solder and tinker - then take it to a tech and see if they can find a fault.

 

Another option could be this : https://retrovibe.co.uk/product/sire-heritage-3-bass-eq-pre-amp-3-band/ and get the whole preamp replaced

[izzyhigs]

thank you bassapprentice, i am actually a man who likes to solder and tinker u just not sure where to begin looking on the pcb for battery draining issues, however that link to the heritage replacement is also exactly what i was hoping for too as i have not been able to find accurate replacements on my searches so thank you

 

[Doctor J]

If you have a multimeter, see if the preamp is getting a charge when the bass is not plugged in. It could be something simple like something making contact and completing the battery circuit when the bass is unplugged.

[BassBunny]

Just now, Doctor J said:

If you have a multimeter, see if the preamp is getting a charge when the bass is not plugged in. It could be something simple like something making contact and completing the battery circuit when the bass is unplugged.

This 

It could be something as simple as a problem with the jack socket.

[TheGreek]

I bet its a simple wiring issue with something grounding on another wire.

[Breaking Bass]

Este es un problema con prácticamente todos los Sire activos (hablo de bajos) tengo 3 (2 series M y 2 serie V) y los tres se comían la pila en 3 días y daba igual si desconectabas el previo y quitabas el cable cuando no lo uses… se descarga igual, yo ya lo he solucionado gracias al conocimiento de mi Hugo mi luthier. 
1.- ¿Dónde está el problema? El problema es el conector Jack hembra TRS donde Sire decidió poner uno de baja calidad. Este conector no hace bien el aislamiento entre sus 3 componentes y hace que el previo consuma batería de forma continua da igual que el previo y el cable estén desconectados.

2.- ¿Cuál es la solución? En mi caso (en mis 3 bajos) fue cambiarle el conector Jack por uno de calidad que haga bien el aislamiento… yo usé la marca Switchcraft que es de los mejores y cuesta solo 5-6€, lo cambias y solucionado la batería dura de 6 meses a 2 año dependiendo de cuánto lo uses.

3.- Problemas derivados. Aquellos músicos que desconocen esto no hacen más que cambiar la pila de forma continua y como el Battery Box tampoco es de gran calidad al final acaba dañándose o partiéndose. Por /0€ más puedes poner un Gotoh.

4.- Conclusión. Por 25€ y lo que te cobre tu luthier si no eres muy manitas en esto… has corregido el único problema serio de un Sire porque lo demás está hecho para durar.