NancyJohnson Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 Just a quickie. If you leave an active bass plugged in 24/7, is there any evidence this will this cause the 9v battery to drain? Does the jack plug create a circuit that is always on or does something in the circuit just cut out, deactivating it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 The jack plug joins two connections to complete the active circuit acting like an 'on' switch, so yes it will drain the battery. This is on most active basses, there might be some with a fancy circuit that prevents this but I don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 Yes. The 3rd prong in the socket is the On Switch for the circuit. Have to unplug when not using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 I’ve forgot to unplug mine a few times , and it has drained the battery 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 To be honest I'd rather have a little mini toggle to turn it on and off. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 4 minutes ago, Maude said: To be honest I'd rather have a little mini toggle to turn it on and off. Me forking too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 (edited) You might forget to switch the toggle off. I've just got into habit of unplugging my bass when finished. If you select passive mode with cable attached will it still drain the battery ? Some active basses still work without the battery when you select passive mode. Dave Edited October 13, 2019 by dmccombe7 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 Although there are passive modes in some A/P basses, the circuit is always on when the plug is in the jack. The only exception I am aware of may be the Ex-Factor that had a rotary switch for OFF - Standby - ON, but did it shut the battery off while the cable was plugged, I do not recall. Owners of the Kubicki might be able to clarify this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 10 hours ago, Maude said: To be honest I'd rather have a little mini toggle to turn it on and off. I asked my tech guy if it was possible to do this to my Fender P-Lyte and he reckoned not. An old Hohner B2A I used to have had an active / passive mode switch, complete with red LED for active mode, but I can’t remember if leaving it in passive mode drained the battery still. Not much help, sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundfreedom Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 Definitely. I usually use any old cheap 9v battery but a couple of weeks ago I decided to push the boat out and but a Duracell. Forgot to unplug after practice and by the next practice it was dead as a Dodo. £4 for one practice. Lovely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted October 13, 2019 Author Share Posted October 13, 2019 Didn't someone come up with having an interior rechargeable battery? You just had something like a phone charger but it had a 1/4" jack on the end, plug it in et viola battery charged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 8 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said: Didn't someone come up with having an interior rechargeable battery? You just had something like a phone charger but it had a 1/4" jack on the end, plug it in et viola battery charged. I’m pretty sure the John East P preamp had that arrangement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 48 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said: Didn't someone come up with having an interior rechargeable battery? You just had something like a phone charger but it had a 1/4" jack on the end, plug it in et viola battery charged. I am sure that is easy enough but apart from one bass with dodgy wiring, I never had an active bass where the battery didn't last over a year (and my SR1000 is its 3rd battery and I bought it over 10 years ago). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 (edited) 13 hours ago, Maude said: This is on most active basses, there might be some with a fancy circuit that prevents this but I don't know. Its perfectly possible to have a system that detects the playing level and switches off after an hour, but it would be a lot of electronics, it would take more power and it is a problem that would be very expensive to solve something that is not really a problem for most people! It would also be possible to have it on a switch as well, as long as you are aware that if you hit the switch accidentally when you are playing your bass goes dead and if you then flick it back on you would get a massive pop risking taking your speaker out! Actually it would be possible to make a bypass that also took the battery out, not on a push pull pot, but on a separate switch (on any bass, if you had the room). Edited October 13, 2019 by Woodinblack 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 1 hour ago, Woodinblack said: It would also be possible to have it on a switch as well, as long as you are aware that if you hit the switch accidentally when you are playing your bass goes dead and if you then flick it back on you would get a massive pop risking taking your speaker out! I've solved that with my BT SmartSwitch(TM). The BT SmartSwitch(TM) is built inside the jack. Just unplug your bass after rehearsal, and the BT SmartSwitch(TM) will automatically disengage the electrickery and, importantly, the battery! Yes, I'm a genius. Ad in Marketplace to follow. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted October 13, 2019 Author Share Posted October 13, 2019 34 minutes ago, BassTractor said: I've solved that with my BT SmartSwitch(TM). The BT SmartSwitch(TM) is built inside the jack. Just unplug your bass after rehearsal, and the BT SmartSwitch(TM) will automatically disengage the electrickery and, importantly, the battery! Yes, I'm a genius. Ad in Marketplace to follow. Is this like a vegan burger made from 100% Scotch beef? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 13 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said: Is this like a vegan burger made from 100% Scotch beef? 😄 Perfec! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 3 hours ago, Newfoundfreedom said: Definitely. I usually use any old cheap 9v battery but a couple of weeks ago I decided to push the boat out and but a Duracell. Forgot to unplug after practice and by the next practice it was dead as a Dodo. £4 for one practice. Lovely! Biggest mistake of my life was to put a crap cheapo standard (non alkaline) battery in my Stingray (it lasted about 20 mins). We are talking about 1981 though. Ive generally worked on the basis that leaving the bass plugged in when you're not using it is unnecessary and at worst creates a trip hazard...... Batteries last years in my experience (using the best available). I generally use the Duracell with the blue band. I also put one of those coloured sticky spots on them with the date I changed them - just as a reminder. Its really a non issue in my experience!! And I have forgotten to unplug them occasionally. Best advice - unplug your bass when you're not using it - avoids other band members tripping over the cable and launching the bass across the floor (or someone doing the vacuuming at home). They're meant to last hundreds of hours plugged in anyway, the drain on most active basses being so small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJpullchord Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 What you need is a little wind turbine on the headstock. Position yourself near the drummer’s fan and hey presto. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyJ Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 Just get an EBS amp with phantom power 😛 Both the input jack and the FX return are 9V powered, and will power your bass or the last pedal in your chain through a stereo jack cable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 7 minutes ago, LeftyJ said: Just get an EBS amp with phantom power 😛 Or a passive bass. 🤔 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 Switches etc are not a fool proof solution: you would just forget to switch off some day. The current arrangement works for me because I was always in the habit of unplugging, passive or active. I just saw the cable as a trip hazard that could result in a costly accident. So I always unplug if not in use. When I'm a dictator I'll make all of you heathens do as I do 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 13 minutes ago, Maude said: Or a passive bass. 🤔 Too slow... Usually this reply comes in the first 5 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrunoBass Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 18 hours ago, Maude said: To be honest I'd rather have a little mini toggle to turn it on and off. My RMI Boomslang Jive has a mini toggle that does just this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 1 hour ago, LeftyJ said: Just get an EBS amp with phantom power 😛 Both the input jack and the FX return are 9V powered, and will power your bass or the last pedal in your chain through a stereo jack cable. How well does that work over wireless? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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