Battery Power

[bassbonehead]

Hi Folks,
I am playing quite a large venue on Saturday night. I have an active Warwick which I will need to leave plugged in throughout the concert(will be playing another instrument). I am worried about the battery becoming flat (as it sometimes does when the lead is attached) the concert will last 2.5 - 4 hours and I don't want to risk the massive boom/feedback when plugging it in.

Is there anything I can do? Will pulling the pot (passive) disconnect the battery and stop the power drain?


Help mucho appreciato!

Bassbonehead

[Gareth Hughes]

As far as I know, pulling the pot to passive will NOT save your battery. The battery starts to drain once the cable is plugged in, effectively turning on the preamp.

A practical solution for me in these scenarios is using a Boss TU-2 tuner, which can mute your signal. Turn it on, disconnect the cable. Reverse when necessary.

Or use an A/B box and disconnect when you switch to the other instrument. Or use a volume pedal.

The cheapest option, if you don't wish to buy any new gear, is to put a fresh battery in before the gig. You'll certainly get more than one four hour gig out of it.

Whereabouts you playing in El Nortie?

[bassbonehead]

Cheers, Gareth.

Will maybe have to invest in the Boss Tuner.

[EBS_freak]

As a non-intrusive mod, you could install a second pull pot to replace one of the existing pots that will disconnect the battery.

[SimBass]

I also have a warwick with the push/pull pot and I'm pretty sure the battery still drains when passive but plugged in. I currently do most of my playing at church so play for maybe 30min over a 2 hour period (not good for the battery, if done most weeks). So I got a [url="http://store.daddario.com/category/146464/Circuit_Breaker_Series"]planet waves Circuit breaker cable[/url].
Just make sure the circuit breaker switch is at the amp end not the guitar other wise you'll still get a click when unplugging.

I've had mine for years now and its a great quality cable. (and cheaper than a pedal)

[bassbonehead]

Cheers Simbass,
That sounds like a plan.

[GreeneKing]

a 9v battery should last 100's of hours, or at least a lot longer than you need. Pop a new one in and don't worry

I sometimes leave my bass plugged in overnight and there's no problem unless I do it often and the batteries nearly flat anyway.

Edited October 29, 2009 by GreeneKing

[BassBunny]

I always use Lithium Batteries and they last about 4 - 5 times longer than normal alkaline.
That said, I also use leads with a "Silent Jack". No switch or anything to worry about just unplug.
My current ones are from Award Session [url="http://www.award-session.com/cleartone_cables.html"]http://www.award-session.com/cleartone_cables.html[/url]
But I am sure OBBM could make some up for you.
They are brilliant, just unplug and that's it.

[bassbonehead]

Concert over. I ended up plugging in the lead, then turning the amp on when I needed it. I think the sound tech pulled the sliders down on the main desk so as boom didn't go over the house PA.

Splendid, although would like to get something to eliminate my worries in the future. The silent Jack sounds good.
Many thanks for all who contributed help. Very much appreciated.

[spacecowboy]

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='640603' date='Oct 29 2009, 11:16 PM']a 9v battery should last 100's of hours, or at least a lot longer than you need. Pop a new one in and don't worry [/quote]


The 9 Volt battery in my Stage II lasted a whole year with me actively recording and gigging with it, it was an energiser lithium and i have used them religiously since!