I'm trying to work out wether my bass is running out of battery, or if it's got some loose wiring.

basically, whenever I play anything on it, it crackles and fluctuates between really really quiet and then goes back to whatever volume I've got on the amp, loads.

it seems that whenever I knock it with my knee, or elbow, or hand or whatever, it'll go back to the original volume, knocking it doesnt make it change so dramatically the other way - this leads me to believe that it's some loose wiring.

I have used a different battery in there as well, but it was used in my acoustic, so it my be on it's last legs.

thing is that i'm a bit worried about opening it up, as it was an expensive guitar, and i dont want to mess it up completely!

if you need, I'll do a recording of it, to show you what it sounds like, I just cant be bothered right now.

Sounds like a it could be a bad preamp. Mine is in the shop now for the same thing. It started the way you mentioned and progressed to distortion. It's getting a new preamp now. 4-8 weeks wait for parts! :(

Sounds like a it could be a bad preamp. Mine is in the shop now for the same thing. It started the way you mentioned and progressed to distortion. It's getting a new preamp now. 4-8 weeks wait for parts! :(

I don't know if this is a warrany thing or not but I'd seriously think about replacing a unit that takes 4-8 weeks with the same thing even if it were free.

at least try replacing the battery with a new one, before you do anything to drastic, it sounds like something that happened to my friend, he didn't know you had to use a battery for an active, and ended up buying a whole new amp, becuase he thought his was broken

Ok. I know this might sound crazy, but try tightening the pots and mini toggle switch. I had the same problem with my 24 and I thought I got a lemon, but as a last ditch effort, I tightened the pots and switch, being VERY careful not to scratch the finish, and that fixed it! I hope it's as easy as that for you. I wouldn't even know what to do if the preamp died on me. I probably would just put it back on eb@y were I got it from!!!