battery compartment pros and cons

[jmorbita]

Recently there was a discussion on the pedulla club regarding the necessity of a battery compartment. Some found it competely useless, some said it was a must. Some even came to the extent of accusing luthiers of trying to make things harder on bassists by not putting battery compartments on basses...
I come into the luthier's corner from time to time to check the awesome builds posted here, I've never built nothing in my life. I've seen some builds by Alan from acguitars with battery compartments and some by wilser without them, just to name a couple of examples.
What I'd like to know is why some of you guys as luthiers choose to go with battery compartments or not.

[ZolkoW]

most of my basses were passive, but I'm not a fan of separate batt. compartments.
they might be practical, but my EMG on-board works 2 years easily from one alkaline, so I change it once a year max...

[TrooperFarva]

I find them useful. If you're in the middle of a gig, and you hear your bass start to distort, it's much quicker to swap a battery out if there is a battery compartment, versus removing all the screws for the control cavity.

If you want to see some impressive battery compartments, take a look at Dingwall. Pretty slick.

[KJung]

I'm not a luthier, but IMO there should be two rules written into the 'Luthier's constitution':

1) Any bass with an active pre or active pickups should be required to have a battery compartment that doesn't need tools to open (like Alleva, Celinder and others use), and...

2) All luthiers must use the 'wheel' truss rod adjustment system that Roger Sadowsky uses on his basses.

[jmorbita]

Ok, I already know the players point of view, but what i want to know is why a luthier chooses to build a bass with or without a battery compartment.

[Rodent]

reason for compartment:

* easier battery access for customer
* reduces potential for cavity cover screws stripping out
* commonly requested feature


reason against:

* increased end cost of bass (hard to justify added cost with people wanting a $500 custom 5-string neck-thru )
* increased labor to route cavity and install box
* if added cost is not passed on to buyer, more labor time and increased materials equals less profit (assuming there's profit)
* raised box can be felt by player when standing
* cheaper boxes tend to break causing added waranty costs not reimbursed by box manufacturer
* locations for placement can be limited for certain body designs, leaving the batteries to weigh on neck


all the best,

R

[Phil Mailloux]

There's another reason against:

*plastic battery compartments are fugly



What about a battery compartment inside the electronics cavity? Technically that's also a battery compartment. I like that one best. As for the risk of having the screws strip by changing the batteries too often, that's why I use threaded inserts for my electrics cavity and give a few spare screws to the customer in his little accessories bag (that little plastic bag with truss rod Allen keys you should always carry in your case)

[KJung]

Originally Posted by Phil Mailloux

There's another reason against:

*plastic battery compartments are fugly



What about a battery compartment inside the electronics cavity? Technically that's also a battery compartment. I like that one best. As for the risk of having the screws strip by changing the batteries too often, that's why I use threaded inserts for my electrics cavity and give a few spare screws to the customer in his little accessories bag (that little plastic bag with truss rod Allen keys you should always carry in your case)

The best execution of this I've seen is by Chris Celinder. He uses a standard 'flip up' type easy access 9 volt battery unit, but mounts it on the electronics cavity cover (in his case, also plastic). No extra routing, etc., but still easy access for the customer/user without having to remove screws and dig around in the electronics compartment. IMO!

[ZolkoW]

Originally Posted by KJung

I'm not a luthier, but IMO there should be two rules written into the 'Luthier's constitution':

1) Any bass with an active pre or active pickups should be required to have a battery compartment that doesn't need tools to open (like Alleva, Celinder and others use), and...

2) All luthiers must use the 'wheel' truss rod adjustment system that Roger Sadowsky uses on his basses.

If I go active, with passive pickups, I always go with bypass switch, too...

and just curious: why is the wheel adjuster better than allen key, or others? I don't know, really...

[eleonn]

Originally Posted by ZolkoW

and just curious: why is the wheel adjuster better than allen key, or others? I don't know, really...

Just a guess: Cause you need what ever you have in hand small enough to turn the wheel and not necessary a allen key?

[Nino Valenti]

Maybe over a year ago I started using the pop up battery compartment on my basses. I used to use a Fishman Voltage Doubler with the Aguilar OBP-1 preamp and everything would five neatly inside the control cavity. Fishman recently discontinued the V/D and I would have problems neatly fitting 2 batteries with 2 of my control layouts so now I'm using the external pop out battery compartments on all newer basses.

All of my active basses come with a preamp bypass switch so if the battery were to die during a gig, you can bypass the preamp and play the bass passive to get you through the set. I've only had one battery die on me and that was in a rehearsal.

Roger Sadowsky stopped using the pop up battery compartment on his basses because occasionally the battery would lose the connection with the battery terminals but a piece of foam solved that issue:

[eleonn]

Is there any battery compartments where having the bass laying on the top side the battery goes layed too and not stand up? (not sure is that makes sense). I guess another way to see it is which compartment require the less routing?

[KJung]

Originally Posted by ZolkoW

If I go active, with passive pickups, I always go with bypass switch, too...

and just curious: why is the wheel adjuster better than allen key, or others? I don't know, really...

Pure IMO (but most of my peers feel the same way), the wheel adjuster is just super easy to use. There is no issue in matching the exact size of the allen wrench to the instrument (all you need is a little steel rod or small screwdriver or almost anything to adjust it), there's no issue with scraping up a pickguard or body wood, and it's literally impossible to 'slip' when adjusting or strip out the truss rod head. It's a minor thing (like the battery box), but it just seems to be an improvement.

As long as I'm on my soapbox (sorry), another 'requirement' should be the dual use Dunlop straplock system. That way, the customer can decide if he/she will use straplocks or not. I don't see any downside to these (they have a traditional strap button design for regular strap use, but are also straplock units). Wonderful, and just like a passive switch which you mention as a 'safety device' in case you active circuit or battery goes down during performance, it's nice to know if your straplock strap goes missing, you can just grab a regular one.

Again, all this stuff is minor, but doing all these GTG's we do in Detroit, and having owned a bunch of basses, these three minor things (dual use straplock buttons, easy access battery compartments, and that very nice, uber simple wheel truss rod adjuster) seem to be the 'icing on the cake' in modern bass design.

Sorry for butting in with the luthiers

[erikbojerik]

Originally Posted by KJung

The best execution of this I've seen is by Chris Celinder. He uses a standard 'flip up' type easy access 9 volt battery unit, but mounts it on the electronics cavity cover (in his case, also plastic). No extra routing, etc., but still easy access for the customer/user without having to remove screws and dig around in the electronics compartment. IMO!

KJ - I think it is very cool when players come in and "crash the luthiers party" so to speak. Luthiers do build for players after all.

One problem I see with the battery unit built into the cavity cover is that it takes up about 50% more space than just the battery itself, and sometimes there's just not that much room in there.

I've built both with and without, and when I've built without one it is because I've wanted to dedicate as much of the back's real estate to wood grain as possible - this means a screwless cavity cover cut directly from the back wood (so the grain matches up) with the batteries inside the control cavity usually resting between the V-B-T pots (or in a battery clip if I have room). With that design feature in mind, a black rectangle plunked in the middle of all that wood grain takes away from the asthetic.

It really depends what the player wants for that particular bass.

[erikbojerik]

Here's a question - does anyone prefer the spoke-wheel access through the fretboard (between two of the higher frets) instead of at the neck heel?

[Mikey R]

Originally Posted by erikbojerik

Here's a question - does anyone prefer the spoke-wheel access through the fretboard (between two of the higher frets) instead of at the neck heel?

I gave this a try on mine:



Im a little worried about the thin material chipping out when I fret it tho.

[Skelf]

When I started out I used to put the battery in the control cavity in a small separated section within the cavity. I then moved on to the boxes as the guys that had the basses said they would prefer the box for most of the reasons stated above. Also with the introduction of coil switch and low battery indicator, and piezo bridges I need the room in the cavity. The Dingwall battery cover is a work of art which is in keeping with every thing Sheldon does.

The only problem I can see with the through fret board access is as the trussrod is tightened the spoke wheel does move abit as the trussrod assumes the curve you are putting in it. I would worry about ether chipping the board or at some point not being able to get the tool into the adjuster after the rod has been tightened.

Alan

[Mikey R]

Originally Posted by Skelf

The only problem I can see with the through fret board access is as the trussrod is tightened the spoke wheel does move abit as the trussrod assumes the curve you are putting in it. I would worry about ether chipping the board or at some point not being able to get the tool into the adjuster after the rod has been tightened.

Thats worrying me too - I cut a 6mm slot between the 20th and 21st frets, so Ive got a little under 3mm travel either way before the wheel goes out of reach. In practice, I doubt I'll be using the rod in reverse so I probably could have moved the rod 1mm or so towards the bridge... time will tell

Anyway, I dont think I'll be doing it this way again. Im leaning towards the allen key at the heel on the next one, looks neatest to my eye.

[Skelf]

It is not side to side movement it is up and down. As you move the trussrod either way the bend you put on the rod will either move the adjuster down into the neck of up into the finger board.

[Mikey R]

Originally Posted by Skelf

It is not side to side movement it is up and down. As you move the trussrod either way the bend you put on the rod will either move the adjuster down into the neck of up into the finger board.

Hi Alan, the slot is 6mm parallel to the strings x 15mm across the fingerboard. The 15mm is plenty of side to side for each spoke. But as the wheel is directly in the middle of the slot, if it screws more than 3mm either way the spoke holes wont be accessible. I dont know how many turns so how much tension that would equate to tho.

Ive just had a look at another truss rod, when the nut is in the middle of its travel there is 9mm of thread either way. But a 18mm x 15mm slot wouldnt fit between the two frets.

EDIT: actually its less, but you get my point I dont seem to be able to type this evening