went to jam with a friend and took my (active) Yamaha bass with me.

After a while a few of his mates came round and we decided on giving a little showcase.

About halfway through a song, my bass just cut out. No warning, the sound just died.

To make matters worse, some active basses won't work AT ALL without a battery.....




and mine is one of them.

Didn't have a spare battery either....:bawl::bawl::bawl:

No video, no fail......

Lesson learned. I would be willing to bet it won't happen to you again (because you will ALWAYS have spare batteries and check your battery before a show). Don't sweat it. If that's the worst thing that ever happens during your whole music career, you'll be lucky. Just prepare for the worst, and keep on thumpin.

No video, no fail......

why would I film what was supposed to be a practice?

Lesson learned. I would be willing to bet it won't happen to you again (because you will ALWAYS have spare batteries and check your battery before a show). Don't sweat it. If that's the worst thing that ever happens during your whole music career, you'll be lucky. Just prepare for the worst, and keep on thumpin.

The strange thing is that the battery had been working 10 min previously....

Oh well, lesson learnt. It could have been worse, it could have happened in church...

When I played an active bass, I 1) Always had extra batteries and 2) changed the battery every month or so. Batteries kinda suck IMHO.

I should really go and stock up on batteries now...

I should really go and stock up on batteries now...Either that or on passive basses.

I have an Audere with the blue light feature. It tells you your battery is good, or low.

Unplug your bass when not in use. I replace batteries in my active basses every one or two years.

Either that or on passive basses.


Which is why I'm saving for a new bass right now...

I'm still waiting for a thread full of joy and upbeat optimism from you...

Hurry up, I'm getting old and may not live to see it.

Either that or on passive basses.

Or on a push pull active/passive.

You didnt throw up on it afterwards, right Fassa?

Like everyone else said carry an extra battery or two in your case or gigbag at all times. I suspect that your bass just cutting out the way it did is more common among the lower end of the bass spectrum. Higher end basses, IME, die out over time and you can tell when that is happening because they start to sound thinner and the preamp become less effective.

I've never had a battery cut out on me ike than but after hearing some horror stories I started carrying around a mini tool kit to adjust and do minor fixes on my bass including 2 spare batteries. The only thing it's missing is a extra set of strings but I've never broken a string so I'm not sure if I'll make that a practice yet.

For a second, I thought the thread title was "I failed at life".

Makes you think.

Spae battery in case now...

That´s why my ESP LTD D-4 went to the doctor active and came out passive...(it sounds better now by the way) No more money spent on batteries!

why would I film what was supposed to be a practice?

I've filmed a few of my band practices.
You can go back and watch it later and find various things to work on.

Maybe have a switch installed to cut out the battery so you don't have to worry about keeping it plugged in.

Active basses should be powered by the awesomeness.

I carry spare batteries, but for pedals, not basses. My basses are old, obsolete technology and hence don't require batteries to make their obnoxious one-trick-pony sounds. ;)

Get a G&L, flip the switch to passive and rock on!

Unplug your bass when not in use. I replace batteries in my active basses every one or two years.


This. I use the same interval, and haven't ever had a problem.

I've filmed a few of my band practices.
You can go back and watch it later and find various things to work on.

In addition to that, if you're in a jam-happy band, you will thank everything that you know and love when you're able to recover, "That one BAD ASS thing we played last month" that no one remembers.

Unplug your bass when not in use. I replace batteries in my active basses every one or two years.

This is what I do too. Even under heavy usage, it's amazing how long that lil 9 volt battery will last you if you just unplug the cord from the input jack.

You don't need no stinkin' battery.
Brett on Flight of the Conchords doesn't even need a guitar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5iG11s-dok

A little off topic

Would a pedal power supply with a battery clip adapter work in an emergency?
I think it'll work, you'd have to stand/sit very close to an outlet but you'd have sound
I'd try it out myself but I don't have any active basses.

On my active basses I just replace the batteries on all of them right around January 1st every year so I don't forget. This leaves plenty of room for margin of error, even if I do occasionally forget to unplug one overnight. Never had a battery failure.

and here i thought this was gonna be another barf thread.

Active basses should be powered by the awesomeness.

If you mean the awesomeness of the player than I'd be screwed.

I had the same thing happen to me once at an audition. Had to quickly got to the store to buy a new battery.

Now I play strictly passive basses because batteries blow.

BTW, I still managed to pass the audition. They were more of a jam band anyway... very laid back.

I should really go and stock up on batteries now...

get rechargeables... be responsible

I think this is something that should be a bigger consideration when choosing an instrument that is going to be all you use.

So - don't take along something that won't make a sound without batteries. I really like how the 55-02 will convert to passive mode just by pulling up the volume knob! :)

A great feature!

If only there are plutonium powered batteries available....you won't ever need to change your batts for the rest of your life.

I think it was EBS that allowed phantom powering of active basses: Most active basses use a standard TRS jack for the output jack. When you short the ring and sleeve with a standard instrument jack (TS), you complete the connection and the battery powers the active circuit. What EBS does is put a voltage on the ring and sleeve, which powers the circuit instead of drawing from the battery.

It'd be very simple to hook a 9v wallwart on a TRS jack and do the same thing. I've often wondered why no one offers this sort of thing commercially.

KO

BATTERY!!!!. Dude that sounds cool! Where do I get one GC?

A little off topic

Would a pedal power supply with a battery clip adapter work in an emergency?
I think it'll work, you'd have to stand/sit very close to an outlet but you'd have sound
I'd try it out myself but I don't have any active basses.

Wouldn't it be easier to keep 1 or 2 9v's in your case than a power supply?



I change mine twice a year, just to be safe, and always make sure to unplug my cord from the jack between sets.

My friend modded his in case it happens mid-song. He put a 2-battery cavity, then put a switch for either battery, and led's for whichever one it's turned to. He plays with a pick mainly, so it's actually right behind the bridge, so he can hit it with his wrist.

In addition to that, if you're in a jam-happy band, you will thank everything that you know and love when you're able to recover, "That one BAD ASS thing we played last month" that no one remembers.

Exactly.
Sometimes I'll play a badass solo and since I have a horrible memory, it's nice to have it recorded.

The strange thing is that the battery had been working 10 min previously....


I've found batteries to be odd like that ... one minute they're working, the next, dead.