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Active Bass - Unexplained Battery Drain

IPYF

IPYF

Mar 31, 2011
1,254
158
#1
Hey so I've got a weird question. Is it possible for an Active bass battery to drain without being used or plugged into a lead?

I recently (a month ago) had a flat battery on my Spector so I swapped it for a really really expensive 9 volt in the hope that it would last for a few months of solid play. I picked my bass up off the rack last night to use it for some tracking, only to find that it was dead as a doornail. I was surprised and a little sh*t off that the battery I had paid about $20 for was toast after less than a month.

For reference, I rehearse once a week for about 4 hours each time. I am not an active bass 'noob' and I know to not leave the bass plugged in when I'm not using it. That's why it sits on the rack.

So is there any way that the battery might be draining while not plugged in? Could something be the matter with the electronics?
 
#3
Shouldn't be a problem with the electronics, because they shouldn't even be seeing power. It's most likely a problem with the switching jack on the instrument, which *should* be open when there's no cable plugged in, but which maybe isn't. Could be an accumulation of conducting crud on the contacts, which you can treat with contact cleaner and compressed air. Could be that the spring is tired/bent/broken, in which case a new jack is your best bet. Do you have access to the jack assembly inside the bass from a back panel?
 
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#4
Sid Fang said:
Shouldn't be a problem with the electronics, because they shouldn't even be seeing power. It's most likely a problem with the switching jack on the instrument, which *should* be open when there's no cable plugged in, but which maybe isn't. Could be an accumulation of conducting crud on the contacts, which you can treat with contact cleaner and compressed air. Could be that the spring is tired/bent/broken, in which case a new jack is your best bet. Do you have access to the jack assembly inside the bass from a back panel?
Click to expand...

Sure do. I'll look into getting a new jack. The jack itself on the bass has always been a weak point and is pretty ordinary in my opinion. I'll take it to my local store and get it checked.
 
#6
The most common problem is that the jack is improperly wired. Before you do anything, make sure the jack is a stereo jack and is wired like this diagram. The wire colors aren't important.

The stereo jack acts as a switch, which is why you have to unplug the bass to keep the battery from draining.

Also, if the contacts on the jack have somehow shorted together that would keep the jack from acting as a switch.

Link Removed
 
Last edited:
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#9
I believe it's your output jack. If you have a multimeter, you can check it. Attach one on the hot battery lead and one on the ground. With the cable plugged in to the guitar, it should register the battery voltage as the circuit is complete. Now, unplug the cable -the voltage should drop to zero. If not, something's not quite right as the circuit is still being completed and consuming the battery. Output jack could be too tight in the cavity and causing the constant contact. It could also be a short in a wire connection somewhere too. I've had a similar problem once before and for me, it was my input jack. Inexpensive replacement part thankfully.
 
#10
Had this problem when I first installed an EMG BQC preamp. The first time I tried, I ended up blowing the preamp by accidentally touching two boards together while it was plugged in. The second time, I didn't blow it, but batteries were only lasting me a month. Then I realized that there was one part from the original BQC that I didn't replace...the output jack. Replaced it and the problem was solved.
 
#13
Same problem here.

Schecter Diamond Series Gryphon 4. I am going to replace the jack anyway, but I'm going to test the jack first just to see if it IS the problem. There was a wiring diagram posted by ddnidd1, but is no longer viewable. Can you repost it? I have a Schecter diagram, but I am interested in seeing the other.

Thanks.
 
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#14
Pops OB said:
Same problem here.

There was a wiring diagram posted by ddnidd1, but is no longer viewable. Can you repost it? I have a Schecter diagram, but I am interested in seeing the other.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I can't edit the original post.

Here are a couple of diagrams. Only be concerned with the battery to jack wiring.
emg12x.jpg

Phone-Jack.gif
 
#16
By the way this points out the problem with using long life expensive Lithium (not rechargeable) batteries. They have great power and are supposed to last ten times as long. And this is great IF you use the device in a normal fashion. But if you forget and leave the bass plugged in or the jack is defective (or in my case I have a metronome that I keep forgetting to turn off) ten times the life or not, you will still run the battery to DEAD!

And the difference is that now you are out $10-$20 bucks rather than just a couple bucks. I gave up on the expensive batteries unless the device (like my tuners) have and auto-off function.
 
#17
I agree. I've never used lithium batteries, just the copper top alkalines. Fortunately, the first thing that ever gets done after a set is the gain goes down and the Jack gets unplugged. I never put a bass in the stand connected. Same during practice.

I am really looking forward to the hopefully good result of changing out the old jack.

Thanks!
 
#18
IPYF said:
Hey so I've got a weird question. Is it possible for an Active bass battery to drain without being used or plugged into a lead?

I recently (a month ago) had a flat battery on my Spector so I swapped it for a really really expensive 9 volt in the hope that it would last for a few months of solid play. I picked my bass up off the rack last night to use it for some tracking, only to find that it was dead as a doornail. I was surprised and a little sh*t off that the battery I had paid about $20 for was toast after less than a month.

For reference, I rehearse once a week for about 4 hours each time. I am not an active bass 'noob' and I know to not leave the bass plugged in when I'm not using it. That's why it sits on the rack.

So is there any way that the battery might be draining while not plugged in? Could something be the matter with the electronics?
Click to expand...

Six years later, was it the jack after all?
 
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