You do not need to unplug it during the gig everytime you put the instrument down. With a new battery it should last at least 100 hours continuously plugged in. Some bases like Warwicks can last two three times that... So is active stingray really.
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Battery Drain with Active P'ups Forgetting to unplug
- Thread starter foulmouthbass
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D
Deleted member 368008
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I unplug everything, it's part of the jack hygiene, otherwise it kinks up inside. Oxidizing and so on. I even turn down all pots so they excersize the travel path inside, and it is keeping them from scratching.
That said, I used EMG soapbar active pickups for a long time. But connected 2 batteries so they didn't turn to 18v but 9v for a longer time. Paralell. On top of that, bought 2 9v LITHIUM batteries, the first time I installed them. It took almost 9 years before I had to change them out first time. And God knows how many times I left that cable plugged in for days on end. Those batteries are expensive. However do not try this with any other active system than EMG. They run at MICRO ampere, not milli ampere as pedals does. And works down to 4,2 volts before they choke and goes south.
I changed them again beginning of this summer. It took 7 years. But then I used regular batteries (Duracell, though). Not the expensive lithium ones. But I've learned more to be wary of cable unplugging.
Fishman Fluence pickups eats batteries for breakfast, hence their need to have usb rechargable battery packs covered in backplates and pickguards. If I should have any active system again, it will definitely be EMG once more.
That said, I used EMG soapbar active pickups for a long time. But connected 2 batteries so they didn't turn to 18v but 9v for a longer time. Paralell. On top of that, bought 2 9v LITHIUM batteries, the first time I installed them. It took almost 9 years before I had to change them out first time. And God knows how many times I left that cable plugged in for days on end. Those batteries are expensive. However do not try this with any other active system than EMG. They run at MICRO ampere, not milli ampere as pedals does. And works down to 4,2 volts before they choke and goes south.
I changed them again beginning of this summer. It took 7 years. But then I used regular batteries (Duracell, though). Not the expensive lithium ones. But I've learned more to be wary of cable unplugging.
Fishman Fluence pickups eats batteries for breakfast, hence their need to have usb rechargable battery packs covered in backplates and pickguards. If I should have any active system again, it will definitely be EMG once more.
D
Deleted member 368008
Guest
Why not install one of those pesky blue light leds on the bass. Then you'll know when that irritating and obnoxoius blue light is on, that the battery drains...when you turn off the room lights you'll automatically see it, and you'' go "Uh oh..forgot that one"...caveat: the led drains the battery too... 
Any habit can be created given enough repetition- the good news is that when one is established it requires no thought.
I unplug basses and guitars mostly as a cable management task, to prevent the studio floor from getting unmanageable. The plus side of the habit is that I then do unplug active basses when I play them.
plus tripping over a cable sux a lot
I unplug basses and guitars mostly as a cable management task, to prevent the studio floor from getting unmanageable. The plus side of the habit is that I then do unplug active basses when I play them.
plus tripping over a cable sux a lot
I've seen plenty of photos, and even experienced IRL, damage to instruments knocked off stands when the plugged in lead is pulled from say a trip.
And I can pretty much guarantee you'll get a thump on the output as it's powered on.
Maybe just unplug it?
Many years ago ago I worked in a music store in Oklahoma and this old guy came in and asked the repair guy to install a mercury switch between the output wire and the jack, that way when he set his guitar in it's stand it shut off... Brilliant.
I am not usually thing blunt but... just unplug the bass. It's a simply solution to an inelegant problem.
Yep, shorting the cable via the jack sleeve will certainly cause a pop, which is why I always plug in the cables before I turn the Amp on, and turn the amp off before I remove them. Plugging in a 1/4" speaker cable can be especially risky if the Amp is on (Speak-ons rotate to make contact, 1/4" TS will short).
(Edited to add) You can also engage a Tuner/Mute switch when you plug/unplug intrument cables to prevent the pop.
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It's called ADHD, and where's the incline to put your bass on to make you remember to take out the cord? Also, what's this rubber band around my wrist, and wasn't I supposed to write myself a reminder to do something?
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I'll tell you why I do it: so I'll play more. In my home office, I have a bass in a stand an arm's length from my chair. In the morning I turn on the amp so that throughout the day (I work from home) if I feel the desire to play even one song, I'm literally two or three seconds from playing. And once I start playing, I tend to keep playing.
With an active bass, I don't have a problem forgetting to unplug when I'm done. The problem is that when the urge strikes to play, I need to bend over to grab the end of the cord off the floor, plug it into my bass, and then turn on the amp. It takes only 20 seconds more, but that little bit of friction is enough to stop 9 out of 10 impulses to play. And the thing that keeps me from being a better bassist isn't my gear, it is that I need to play more.
It took more time and effort to post about not unplugging your bass than it takes to unplug your bass.
I’m
The overwhelming passion! Seriously tho, leave the cord through the strap. 2 seconds.
The overwhelming passion! Seriously tho, leave the cord through the strap. 2 seconds.
I personally, do not unplug my home bass, I just cycle batteries in it once a week. Pretty easy and not creating any friction in my creativity or progress. I think using passive bass would have been a bigger stumbling block, because I tweak EQ and there is a "new" sound, sparks desire to noodle something in it. With passive bass, I can only make it sound muffled, not really inspiring. It will probably prompt me to swap pickups every couple of months.
Just to clarify, for anyone reading this that might be in a similar situation: having a cable plugged into the output jack on an active bass functions as the “on” switch. It does not matter what is going on beyond the jack; it could be just a 1/4” TS plug stuck in the output jack that connects to nothing else, the bass is on and draining the battery.
