How long should a 9v last?

[scottice]

I just got back from vacation and was itching to do some practicing. Plugged the ol' Ibanez in and the cabs sound like crap... now I was afraid my buddy blew them when he gigged his SVT-Classic through them a week or so ago. I was all ready to drive over and let him have it. So, just on a whim I plug in my Jazz which is passive... cabs sound just fine. Same with my other passive bass. All's OK.

So, I don't really use my Ibanez THAT much and I always unplug it after I'm done. So, with light use, how long should I expect a decent quality 9v battery to last?

[Roundwound]

I tried to figure this out myself, but instead went out to Menard's and bought a small battery tester for $6. I'm actually using less 9-volts now because I'm no longer paranoid they're going but bug out in the middle of a show or practice. Prior to purchasing the tester I was changing batteries every 3 gigs or so (3-4 weeks including practice). Now it's about every 6 weeks, or at least that's about when the battery tester reads between "Good" and "Bad" using Energizers.

[scottice]

Originally Posted by Roundwound

I tried to figure this out myself, but instead went out to Menard's and bought a small battery tester for $6.

Great idea!

[bongomania]

Depends on the preamp. Some draw more power than others.

[alfredpunkjazz]

Just change it every 2 months, that way you won't ever have problems.

LOL

[Dave Muscato]

2 hours, if you have a Line6 Variax.... grr....

It lasts longer if you use 6x AA batteries, though.... and by longer, I mean 10 hours...

grr...

Otherwise, I love the bass! haha

Dave

[bassybill]

They last for ages and ages with EMG pickups, I find. Less time in a bass with a pre though - my SR4 seems heavy on batteries to me. The thing is, when they do go, they go pretty quick, which is why the "better safe than sorry" approach makes sense.

My GAS costs me a lot more than my batteries.

[Jimoleon]

I used the stock battery (9 v) with my Ibanez RD-505 for 18 months straight without a single problem and changing the battery didn't even change the sound dramatically I guess the preamp really doesn't need much power.

[dave_p]

i have a kubicki preamp in my jazz plus and i go years on a battery. there is an off position on the selector knob though, i have to believe it removes the battery from the system completely.

[Phalex]

900 hours in my AC50F

[vindy500]

ive owned my cort for about a year now and ive changed the battery once

[i_got_a_mohawk]

I usually get about 9 months or so out of a battery, usually change every 6 months tho.

[MistaMarko]

my 18v peavey VFL pickups with preamp (bass = cirrus 5 BXP peavey)...mine last about a good 2-3 months.

[scottice]

Thank you for all the answers... I think it has been about 3-4months now.

[T-MOST]

I have never had a battery last less than a year. Never had a battery even actually distort the output either. I change them once a year like smoke detectors.

[0rion]

musicman claims avg. is 3 months. This seems to hold true for me, except if I get drunk and forget to unplug my bass overnight.

[scottice]

Originally Posted by 0rion

musicman claims avg. is 3 months. This seems to hold true for me, except if I get drunk and forget to unplug my bass overnight.

Which happens... often?

[62bass]

I don't know how long the batteries will actually last in my SRX300, but I've played the bass an hour every day and weekend gigs for months and only changed batteries because I thought it was about time just to be safe. I put the old one in my tuner and get a lot of useful life from it.

One thing though-I don't crank my volume up full, but only to about 2/3 or less and never need to boost the bass and actually cut treble a hair usually. I think most active preamps have way too much gain and way too much boost. I set the volume on my bass to match the output of my passive basses when plugged into the passive input on my amp.

My Fender P with a Raven Labs preamp goes for years on two little lithium watch batteries. Unbelievable battery life.