Active bass players - pre-gig battery tester?

no. it wont.

the plug is just a trigger for turning it on or off.

 

I've never tried it on my J-dlx. Depending on how much it is played, the safest bet would be to change them at least every other week. When I am playing and especially gigging frequently, then I change them once a week. This way, I never have to worry about not having the juice when I need it!

 

HI!

If you unplug your active bass when not playing it, a battery should last you a few months, not a week. I have pre's in all my basses and change maybe twice a year

Rob

 

If it is that much of an issue to you, perhaps you should consider getting a standby switch installed on your bass.

 

I use my tongue to check every few months or so,takes about 10 seconds.

 

bikeplate is right. My batteries last forever, I change 'em twice a year, like a smoke detector...

 

Yeah, and that'll be really funny when you're 60 and have lost control of your ability to speak or taste food.

 

yes, in fact this will work. You can also supply 9v DC to an active instrument with an isolated 9v DC source at the other end of a cord, just like phantom power for an active microphone. There was an amp manufacturer that did this, but I can't remember who. The tip of the 1/4" plug will be positive, and the sleeve will be negative.

Your batteries should last you 6 months or so, even if you play a lot. If they are draining faster than that, you may look for a short in the controls cavity. This would usually be accompanied by godaweful sounds as well.

Good luck!

 

In general, you can't just connect a battery-tester to a 1/4" stereo plug, and plug it into your bass. The problem is that the both sides of the battery are not connected to the 1/4" stereo plug - only 1 is. The rest of the pre-amp circuit has to be passed through. This is unfortunate, because a battery tester does a good job by placing a load on the battery - when connected directly to both terminals!

A good comprimise was published in one of the major bass/guitar rags in the past. Connect a volt-meter to a 1/4" STEREO plug (to "Ring" and "Sleve" if I recall, but check carefully), then plug it into your bass to measure voltage (V). Sadly, this does not load the battery much (just the preamp load), but it's still a pretty good check. I also check the current (mA), comparing with what I get with a known good battery.

As other posters indicate, batteries should last a long time (many, many months) if you unplug when not playing.

 

Unless you're playing a Cirrus, the batteries should keep going, and going, and going...if you unplug your bass.

My former Cirrus used more batteries than my old VW did oil.

 

i keep my bass unplugged, but the batteries die after around 4-6 months or so... (aguilar obp3 18v)

but i noticed that the tone changes noticeably when the batteries are not fresh. so i change my batteries every 2-3 months.

if you feel the need to test the batteries, then chances are pretty good that you need to change them!

 

I also use the good ol' tongue check method, but if there's any doubt at all, or if the battery's been in there for any length of time, I'll swap it out before any important gig, just in case. Old batteries get demoted to pedals, tuners, junk around the house, etc.

 

Do what I did. By a pair of rechargeable NiMH batteries and a charger. Keep one in your bass and one in the charger at all times. After about a dozen gigs, put the fresh one in your bass and put the old one in the charger. Just keep swapping back and forth. Each battery is supposed to last for 500 charges.

Don't buy them at Radio Shack. Overprices. Lots of good online retailers. I got my whole order (2 9V batteries and charger) shipped for $20.