Ok, long time since Ive posted, but having a problem with several of my active basses. I have 3 down right now all with different brand preamps and can't figure out what is happening to them. 3rd I found today after not playing for a couple months. These aren't cheap basses, a brubaker 1st, spector 2nd, and now a music man. HELP!!! Any ideas that could point me into what in my house is causing this would be greatly appreciated!
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Active basses dying
- Thread starter BigD1961
- Start date
Sorry if this is obvious, but I need to ask to be sure. Are you changing the batteries?
After installing fresh batteries, if there are still problems, two questions:
1) Have you checked the jacks for wear, corrosion, or damage? My #1 5-string gig bass was eating batteries. It turns out the jack had gone just bad enough it still played but I couldn't leave the battery in it.
2) How is the shielding condition, along with the running internally of the wiring, and making sure pot lugs aren't touching anything they aren't supposed to? I had a 1949 Chevrolet I inherited and same thing: battery wouldn't stay charged. The insulation on the battery cables had deteriorated to the point it didn't cause a short, but inductance from the cable to the frame drained the battery. After changing the battery cables, I never had to purchase another battery for the many years I owned it.
1) Have you checked the jacks for wear, corrosion, or damage? My #1 5-string gig bass was eating batteries. It turns out the jack had gone just bad enough it still played but I couldn't leave the battery in it.
2) How is the shielding condition, along with the running internally of the wiring, and making sure pot lugs aren't touching anything they aren't supposed to? I had a 1949 Chevrolet I inherited and same thing: battery wouldn't stay charged. The insulation on the battery cables had deteriorated to the point it didn't cause a short, but inductance from the cable to the frame drained the battery. After changing the battery cables, I never had to purchase another battery for the many years I owned it.
Checked batteries and for corrosion in all three, all good. All batteries were duracells, tried different brands too, same problem happening. Also checked jacks, used Deoxit and brush, no difference.
Also all 3 have different brand preamps, 1 a Seymour D, 1 a Aguliar, 1 A factory Musicman. 2 basses are less than 10yrs old, 1 is 23yrs old, so it's age doesn't seem to matter.
Also all 3 have different brand preamps, 1 a Seymour D, 1 a Aguliar, 1 A factory Musicman. 2 basses are less than 10yrs old, 1 is 23yrs old, so it's age doesn't seem to matter.
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Do you have a passive bass you can rule out everything else with?
1 is a preamp issue. 3 isn’t.
1 is a preamp issue. 3 isn’t.
You’re not leaving them plugged in are you?
Is there any chance you were testing them with a stereo/TRS cable? Just wondering because most active setups use a TRS jack as a switch by shorting the ring and sleeve terminals against the sleeve of a mono plug. Passive signal would still pass as normal, but the preamp would not be switched on/
That is a negative. Only thing that 2 have in commen were they were in cases not gig bags.
No wish I did something that foolish. All three were tested with a standard guitar to amp cables, even bought a new one when I first started having the problems.
Top end or not, if a bass amp has an input coupling cap fault and is leaking DC back up the cable, well, that's no bueno (and short of human error, about all I can think of . . .)
Oh, and what are the climactic conditions in the space? Possible too that something is causing the contacts in the jack that switch the battery on to corrode and not make contact.
Oh, and what are the climactic conditions in the space? Possible too that something is causing the contacts in the jack that switch the battery on to corrode and not make contact.
All 6 of my amps have a clean bill of health, all other basses (active or passive) play fine through them. The basses I'm having problems with have set for several months. House has an average humidity of 40% and temps average 72-74 degrees. I have removed covers on these basses and can find no corrosion or loose wires on anything. All the quality shops in my area are not taking work for 2 months and I don't want to have anymore basses go belly up.
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If you're playing them steadily, and this happens and all your amps check OK, are you using the same guitar cable on all three?
You didn't mention type of problem with Basses or if all the same problem
If something in house was causing problem it should be all Actives
It is possible that 3 Basses are more susceptible to environment than others or even just a coincidence
it is very perplexing maybe take in for service and see if tech can tell what caused problem
If something in house was causing problem it should be all Actives
It is possible that 3 Basses are more susceptible to environment than others or even just a coincidence
it is very perplexing maybe take in for service and see if tech can tell what caused problem
“Dying” so there’s no signal output at all on those 3 of your 26 basses?
You really haven’t detailed what the actual symptoms they’re experiencing are.
The smart thing would be to just make appointments at OEM certified techs for each of the three basses and to also immediately open dialog with MM, Spector, and Bru directly regarding detailed specifics of their products’ failures.
You really haven’t detailed what the actual symptoms they’re experiencing are.
The smart thing would be to just make appointments at OEM certified techs for each of the three basses and to also immediately open dialog with MM, Spector, and Bru directly regarding detailed specifics of their products’ failures.
Using Different cables when testing on different amps, so it's not a cable problem.
Brubaker with the Seymore pre is completely distorted, makes me think not getting complete battery power. The Spector and Musicman have little to no sound from them. Those 2 are the ones that are really puzzling me, both have good 9.2 volts out of batteries.
