Active/Passive switch ... can I?

[Stratosphere]

Hi all, quick question, I have an Ibanez SR300 active bass, not entirely certain what the battery is actually powering (so I suppose that's question 1) but want to know i I can add a switch to turn it into a passive bass in the event of battery failure?

Obviously if the pickups themselves need to be powered then this ain't gonna happen but I'm not sure that's what is being powered?

Other possibility would be to add a backup battery and switch for instant changeover?

Thanks,
Ed

[LukeFRC]

Well firstly the pups in your bass I am 99% sure would not need power.
The battery will be for the pre amp- the bass and treble. It would be reasonably simple to wire in a on off switch for the preamp....

but if you unplug the bass when not being played then the battery should last a fair while. Me personally would just keep track of how long the battery had been in there and have a spare to slot in.

[Stratosphere]

Just found this: [url="http://www.ibanez.com/supportResources/wiring/2008/EQB_3B.pdf"]http://www.ibanez.com/supportResources/wiring/2008/EQB_3B.pdf[/url] which helps a little.

I'm a beginner so I'm not really using any of the super duper EQ possibilities, keeping everything flat for now until I know what I'm doing.

I may have had a duff battery 'cos the last one went very quickly (I do unplug in between practice sessions) but current one seems to be doing OK.

Thanks,
Ed

[Stratosphere]

And the more expensive models have an EQ bypass switch ...

[icastle]

You're not going to be able to fit a second standby battery in there without some serious wood hacking.
I'm using a derivative of your bass (an SR505) as a main instrument (so pretty substantial use!) and I get through two batteries a year (I change them before they go).

I just scrawl last battery change dates on the packaging of the spare that I bought to replace the last spare that stays in the appropriate guitar case so I know roughly where I am with battery life.

[LiamPodmore]

Same as icastle here, my squier goes through about 2 a year when its being played most days. My Ibanez GSR200 used to go through 1 a year somehow, its now being converted to passive because the EQ in it did f*ck all. Once you start learning more you'll start to use the EQ to find your sound, thats what happened to me.

Also, batteries in basses dying isnt an instant thing, you'll start to notice lack of output and maybe a bit of hissing, so you'll know it needs changing.

Liam

[algmusic]

[quote name='EdwardCunliffe' timestamp='1323348106' post='1462240']
And the more expensive models have an EQ bypass switch ...
[/quote]

I had had one of those.. which batteries do you use.. mine lasted ages..

[Stratosphere]

Thanks all, I'm using pound shop, or internet Duracells. Current one is down to 7volts but still working fine with no perceivable degradation in performance. This one may have been in for 3 months now with maybe an hour to two hours of use a day. The last one ended up at 2 volts (no output) so may not have been a genuine Duracell anyway.

I think a backup battery could fit in the cutout where the rest of the electronics are but two batteries a year is fine as long as I have a spare standing by. Two currently in the guitar bag, both checked at 9.6 volts ...

[icastle]

When it comes to batteries you need to be a little bit carefull.

There are a lot of fake 'Duracells' doing the rounds on the internet and at car boot fairs - often cheap grade manganese oxide batteries with a legitimate looking 'Duracell Alkaline' wrapper around them.

Pound shop batteries are generally low grade alkalines at best and more usually the standard manganese oxide ones, don't be fooled by 'Extra Power', 'Long Life' and any other term that doesn't actually say 'Alkaline'.
A particular favourite ploy is to use black and gold packaging to make you think 'Duracell'.

If something is cheap then there's usually a good reason for it...

Using a DVM to assess battery life isn't as an exact science as it would seem on the surface - you need to measure the voltage under load conditions.
And just to make things even more interesting, different battery materials have different discharge characteristics.

[algmusic]

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1323365249' post='1462573']
When it comes to batteries you need to be a little bit carefull.

There are a lot of fake 'Duracells' doing the rounds on the internet and at car boot fairs - often cheap grade manganese oxide batteries with a legitimate looking 'Duracell Alkaline' wrapper around them.

Pound shop batteries are generally low grade alkalines at best and more usually the standard manganese oxide ones, don't be fooled by 'Extra Power', 'Long Life' and any other term that doesn't actually say 'Alkaline'.
A particular favourite ploy is to use black and gold packaging to make you think 'Duracell'.

If something is cheap then there's usually a good reason for it...

Using a DVM to assess battery life isn't as an exact science as it would seem on the surface - you need to measure the voltage under load conditions.
And just to make things even more interesting, different battery materials have different discharge characteristics.
[/quote]

all true..

I'm glad all my basses are now passive

[mcnach]

[quote name='EdwardCunliffe' timestamp='1323357691' post='1462435']
Thanks all, I'm using pound shop, or internet Duracells. Current one is down to 7volts but still working fine with no perceivable degradation in performance. This one may have been in for 3 months now with maybe an hour to two hours of use a day. The last one ended up at 2 volts (no output) so may not have been a genuine Duracell anyway.

I think a backup battery could fit in the cutout where the rest of the electronics are but two batteries a year is fine as long as I have a spare standing by. Two currently in the guitar bag, both checked at 9.6 volts ...
[/quote]

That's a big change...
I use Duracells, and after 6 months of similar use the batteries are still close to the 9V mark.
Don't buy cheap ones... they last a long time, so make sure you buy the real deal. Their performance is a LOT better.

[Nibody]

[sup]I had an active Washburn XS-4 and that used to eat batteries even when unplugged. I retro fitted a small toggle switch to cut the battery feed when it wasnt in use. It had a pre-amp built in as standard had a pull/push on the pick-up blend pot that allowed it to run as passive[/sup]

[99mustang]

I still have the original battery in my Ibanez SR600 and it's now a year old and still going strong after roughly 45 mins play every few days. So can't complain at all.

[Stratosphere]

Comments on batteries all noted and very valid, thank you.

I suppose I should check mine is disconnecting properly whe the lead is unplugged.

Ed

[StraightSix]

I get my Duracells at the local big supermarket (pop them in the trolley when she's not looking) - they're about a fiver for two PP3s and they last me well over a year in my active Jazz bass.

Edited December 13, 2011 by StraightSix

[LawrenceH]

[quote name='EdwardCunliffe' timestamp='1323521059' post='1464148']
I suppose I should check mine is disconnecting properly whe the lead is unplugged.
[/quote]

Yes, based on what you see on forums it seems it's surprisingly common for them to be wired up wrong!

[markstuk]

Duracell Procells.. Nuff said...

[Stratosphere]

[quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1323881542' post='1468224'] Yes, based on what you see on forums it seems it's surprisingly common for them to be wired up wrong! [/quote]


Thanks's I'll investigate further.

~Ed

[BanditSid]

Ed,

If the wiring has been "got at" it's possibly because the jack socket has been replaced but wired up wrongly. The black (ground wire) from the batteries goes to the inner ring of the stereo socket and is shorted to the socket ground by inserting a mono plug, as used on guitar leads, which then applies power to the pre-amp circuit. This allows the batteries to be disconnected automatically when the lead is removed, but won't work if a previous repair has joined all the "black" wires together,as the power will be connected permanently.

[Stratosphere]

Thanks Sid, I bought the bass brand new only a few months ago but I'll check it's disconnecting anyway. Current battery still working so I'm fairly sure it was a duff battery.

cheers,
Ed

[Stratosphere]

[quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1323881542' post='1468224']
Yes, based on what you see on forums it seems it's surprisingly common for them to be wired up wrong!
[/quote]

It was! Duff earth wiring.

[Stratosphere]

So anyway, it only took me two years to get round to sorting this out ... but I thought it would be worth updating in case anyone has the same problem. The bass was indeed wired incorrectly,

This: [url="http://www.ibanez.com/supportResources/wiring/2008/EQB_3B.pdf"]http://www.ibanez.com/supportResources/wiring/2008/EQB_3B.pdf[/url] is how it should be but the negative from the battery went straight to the bundle of earth connections on one of the knobs and there was an earth from one of the pickups that went to the switched part of the socket. Easily fixed with a soldering iron, amp is now powering down when unplugged so I'm looking forward to amazing battery life from now on.

Ed


[quote name='BanditSid' timestamp='1323970397' post='1469419']
Ed,

If the wiring has been "got at" it's possibly because the jack socket has been replaced but wired up wrongly. The black (ground wire) from the batteries goes to the inner ring of the stereo socket and is shorted to the socket ground by inserting a mono plug, as used on guitar leads, which then applies power to the pre-amp circuit. This allows the batteries to be disconnected automatically when the lead is removed, but won't work if a previous repair has joined all the "black" wires together,as the power will be connected permanently.
[/quote]