Average lifespan of V9 battery?

[GeoTop]

Hey guys,
I'm grabbing a Squier Deluxe V Active bass and I've heard it uses a V9 battery (and that it stops working in passive mode as well if the battery dies).

I know it may depend on the battery itself but what is the average lifespan of the V9 battery? Does it get depleted fast? Should I always have 2-3 backup batteries?

Cheers!

 

[bassballs_dk]

I have 2 active basses a Tobias and a MusicMan. I use both of them gigging and playing them almost everyday, and a battery seems to last forever, I change them once a year just to be sure. If I measure the voltage after a year It still says 8,9 volt, so don't worry, just change the batteries once in a while and remember to unplug the bass when not in use.

 

[GeoTop]

Ah, sound great then! I was just worried of my bass battery dying in the most responsible moment :x but I shouldn't be worried about that then!

 

[DWBass]

What's a V9 battery??

If you meant 9V battery........in my experience......under pretty active playing conditions, 4-6 months. Under sporadic playing.......up to a year. I change mine every 4 months. That's 3 batteries a year which is pretty inexpensive.

 

[GeoTop]

DWBass,
I read something about unplugging the cord even if it's the amp is turned off. I don't really get the point if the amp is already turned off. How does it affect anything?

 

[TheMinotaur]

The switch for the active electronics is in the socket for the chord so if the amp is on or not your using the battery if you have a chord plugged in

I tend to change out my battery before a gig and recycle it into my wireless system so on average I am changing my battery in my bass often for the best tone and I use rayovac batteries

 

[nocontrols]

remember to unplug the bass when not in use.

I don't play active basses but this is good advice. I once left a Boss pedal plugged in long enough to drain the battery (I wasn't using it very frequently at the time)

 

[sdoow]

The input jack has a third contact that works as a mechanical switch. It connects and disconnects the power from the battery. If you leave a cable plugged in to the input of your bass your battery will last only a day or two.

 

[MuzikMan]

It seems to last over a year with frequent use with a set of EMG's. I change it out after a year and it still has a full charge.

 

[dbhokie]

I get about 4 months if I am playing it quite a bit.

 

[Rickett Customs]

A v9 battery is the battery in a Motorola cellphone (The Razr, to be exact)

A 9v's life span is dependent upon how much you use it through an amp (via, 1/4" cable) and that it is wired properly (to a "stereo" jack, to switch it on and off, with the 1/4").

for some estimates, a year, for others, might be 6 months......YMMV.

 

[nocontrols]

None of my basses runs on batteries. I'm currently without even a single pedal, so things are pretty simple these days. I sound pretty good, too! (just playing with you )

 

[DWBass]

It seems to last over a year with frequent use with a set of EMG's. I change it out after a year and it still has a full charge.

Full Charge? Unlikely! Unless you never played it in that years time and even then.....

I'd be afraid the battery would start to leak after a year!

 

[Apt403]

Just remember to keep it unplugged when it's not in use.. Didn't know about that when I got my first active, I was getting kinda irate at how fast I was burning through batteries.

 

[GeoTop]

This may sound like a stupid question, but do active basses require any special cord to connect it to the amp?

 

[RickeyC]

unplug the bass when not in use.

This is the key to a long-lasting battery..

 

[Gomeztool]

I replace mine when I replace my smoke detector batteries (when we shift to and from Daylight Saving Time)

 

[Apt403]

This may sound like a stupid question, but do active basses require any special cord to connect it to the amp?

A standard 1/4" cord works fine. Some bass amps have dual inputs, low and high impedance, for passive and active inputs, respectively. Most Ashdown amps, for example.

 

[Bassamatic]

It is the OUTPUT jack of the bass that has the switch for the power. INPUT is on the amp. Unplug it when you are done playing and the battery can last a year. If it is more than 3-4 months old, change it before a major gig, or test it with a proper battery tester that puts a load on the battery (NOT a voltmeter).

 

[PazzoBasso]

A few years back, when I bought my Ritter Roya, I found some "power bug" batteries in the compartments. They're lithium 9V's & can last 2 to 5 times longer than alkaline (depending who you ask). Power bugs are no longer available, but they were made by Ultralife, which I use currently.

Google for more info.