Unplugging an active bass when not in use

[Guest MoJo]

My first ever active bass was a Westone Thunder 1A which used to eat batteries. After years of passive bass ownership, I have recently delved, once more, into the world of active basses. Manufacturers advise unplugging the bass when not in use to extend battery life. I unplug mine between sound checking and the first set and again between sets. Am I being overzealous? How long do batteries normally last in active basses these days?

[Machines]

The cable creates a circuit.

[stingrayPete1977]

Once a year I do strings, battery and general check over on each bass.

[chris_b]

I unplug my active bass when it isn't being used. That is any time I'm not playing it, including between sets.

I used to run the amp volume high and the volume on the bass low and I changed the battery every year.



Edit: This was when I was doing about 150 gigs a year.

Edited July 27, 2016 by chris_b

[bubinga5]

As soon as you plug your lead into an active bass the preamp is getting a signal. Even if it's not plugged into the amp. I unplug and a cheap battery will last me 2 months depending how much I practice. Leaving a lead in will kill a 9 volt in under a week.

[stingrayPete1977]

I unplug any bass on stage between sets, saves big hoofed drummers hooking the cable and dragging basses off their stands!

[chris_b]

Me too. I've also stopped using my guitar stand for this reason. I'm putting the bass into the gig bag between sets.

[4stringslow]

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1469636540' post='3099952']
My first ever active bass was a Westone Thunder 1A which used to eat batteries.
[/quote]

Is it possible to quantify that a bit more? Battery life is going to be directly proportional to how often it is played (more correctly how long the cable is inserted). It may vary between different basses with different active designs, but I'd be surprised if there was a very large variance.

Basically, plugging a cable into the bass is what switches on the active circuitry. Cable in = circuit on. If you're not actually using the bass there really is no need to have it plugged in, but if you do then it will be draining the batteries.

Does the manufacturer give an estimated battery life in hours?

[M@23]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1469639164' post='3099977']
I unplug any bass on stage between sets, saves big hoofed drummers hooking the cable and dragging basses off their stands!
[/quote]

Yep, same here.

[JTUK]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1469638531' post='3099968']
I unplug my active bass when it isn't being used. That is any time I'm not playing it, including between sets.

.
[/quote]

Me too...
I'll use it every day and expect to get 6 months plus life out of it... possibly a year but I'll retire the battery before it fails on me.
I also have passive options on all basses..just in case.

[Machines]

I've only had to change the batteries maybe 2 or 3 times in 10 years but probably sold most basses before they beeded changing. All other times were out of the thought "it's been a while".

Edited July 27, 2016 by Machines

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1469644098' post='3100028']


Me too...
I'll use it every day and expect to get 6 months plus life out of it... possibly a year but I'll retire the battery before it fails on me.
I also have passive options on all basses..just in case.
[/quote]

I've only got one passive bass! Master Blaster by Stevie Wonder might be a stretch :-o
[URL=http://s997.photobucket.com/user/stingraypete/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150105_201850_zps9am97dvx.jpg.html][IMG]http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af100/stingraypete/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150105_201850_zps9am97dvx.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[BigRedX]

Battery life very much depends on the circuit. Generally speaking the more modern the pre-amp the longer the battery will last. As an example when I was using my mid-80s Overwater as my main bass the battery would last just over a month for about an hours worth of playing time a day. Also the sound would noticeably degrade when the battery was near the end of its life.

These days I don't play my more modern active bass as much - probably only 3-4 hours a week, but changing the batteries once a year means I never run out of power.

Having said that I always unplug my basses when I'm not playing them.

[Guest MoJo]

It seems I'm not alone

[Rich]

In common with many of my brethren above, the only time I'm plugged in is when I'm actually playing.
All my active basses get fresh batteries every January, whether they really need them or not.

[Skybone]

My old Thunder 1A was great on the batteries, I think I only ever changed them a couple of times in all the time I had it. I did unplug it when not in use, although, during breaks at rehearsals it was usually just left plugged in.

All of the other active basses (including a couple of StingRay's) I've owned were only ever plugged in when they needed to be, and again, I was never that religious about checking or changing the battery.

Still want another Thunder 1A, even though they were bloody heavy!

[TrevorR]

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1469650305' post='3100104']
In common with many of my brethren above, the only time I'm plugged in is when I'm actually playing.
All my active basses get fresh batteries every January, whether they really need them or not.
[/quote]

Me too.

End of set routine... Tuner mute on, Jack plug out, bass on stand. Every single time.

[drTStingray]

Here is an interesting thread from the Musicman forum on battery life based on the popular active Stingray bass covering continuously plugged in and variations thereof:-

http://forums.ernieball.com/ernie-ball-music-man-basses/62839-battery-life-info-15-sr.html

I carry spare batteries in my lead box just in case since having been embarrassed by my Bongo at a gig - luckily the band concerned uses several radio mikes so has a big stash of batteries for that purpose and came to my rescue. As I have 10 batteries worth of basses to deal with, plus strings, I've taken a leaf out of member Grand Wazoo's book and created myself a little spreadsheet - I used to think this was OCD but when I created this and actually tried to populate the existing information with the age of the batteries and age or even make of strings I realised in some cases I simply couldn't remember!!

Ten batteries is a lot of cash so I'm recording the dates I do them and they're rotated so basically three basses at a time throughout the year to spread the cost. I have never had batteries last less than about 18 months though I never leave basses plugged in these days.

The spreadsheet also has the serial number, build date and purchase date and cost so is a useful record in the event any get nicked....... and I add info as strings get changed etc - some may say this is OCD but it works for me.

[alyctes]

Unplug everything, for my money. Though I learned this pretty much the way the OP did (mine was an early Peavey Cirrus BXP, some of which had a circuitry fault - live battery time was about 6 hours), so it may not count.

[drTStingray]

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1469659681' post='3100199']


Me too.

End of set routine... Tuner mute on, Jack plug out, bass on stand. Every single time.
[/quote]

I agree - but do you trust the likes of drummers and singers, not to mention invited or uninvited stage guests not to send the bass flying? (Ps I recall an uninvited tween sets interloper as an 18 month old toddler pursued by embarrassed mum at a function event - made a bee line for my Stingray 5 for some reason)!!

Bass goes in case if there's any threat of on-stage metalwork movement or drum case introduction - in my experience these guys sometimes resemble the inebriated Oliver Reed on Parkinson show even if they are sober!!

Edited July 27, 2016 by drTStingray

[yorks5stringer]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1469649383' post='3100087']
Battery life very much depends on the circuit. Generally speaking the more modern the pre-amp the longer the battery will last. As an example when I was using my mid-80s Overwater as my main bass the battery would last just over a month for about an hours worth of playing time a day. Also the sound would noticeably degrade when the battery was near the end of its life.

These days I don't play my more modern active bass as much - probably only 3-4 hours a week, but changing the batteries once a year means I never run out of power.

Having said that I always unplug my basses when I'm not playing them.
[/quote]

You have a PM!

[Twincam]

Why not just have a switch fitted you can flip and leave the jack in. That is what I would do.

[TrevorR]

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1469659925' post='3100204']


I agree - but do you trust the likes of drummers and singers, not to mention invited or uninvited stage guests not to send the bass flying? (Ps I recall an uninvited tween sets interloper as an 18 month old toddler pursued by embarrassed mum at a function event - made a bee line for my Stingray 5 for some reason)!!

Bass goes in case if there's any threat of on-stage metalwork movement or drum case introduction - in my experience these guys sometimes resemble the inebriated Oliver Reed on Parkinson show even if they are sober!!
[/quote]

Never had much of a problem with that. Played with some very house trained drummers and always been a careful to place stands in as safe a place as poss, then tended to hang around to keep an eye. But in different circs, absolutely agree. Safer is better!

[TrevorR]

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1469661123' post='3100218']
Why not just have a switch fitted you can flip and leave the jack in. That is what I would do.
[/quote]

Force of habit is so much more foolproof and doesn't deface the bass.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1469661123' post='3100218']
Why not just have a switch fitted you can flip and leave the jack in. That is what I would do.
[/quote]

My Sei has LED side dots that are activated by a switch. The pre-amp battery gets changed once a year whether it needs to or not. I have the change the LED battery far more often because I forget to turn them off even though it's a lot more obvious that they are switched on than the pre-amp.