Big Al question

Yes

 

It should not drain in passive mode. Marcus Miller Jazzes are the only basses I know of with that problem.

 

The preamp will still be switched on as long as that cable is plugged in.

 

The switch is on the jack;
You could try putting a meter on the battery leads with it in passive mode (and your plug is in) to see if you have a circuit. If so, you will be draining.

But I'd contact EBMM to get the 100% straight skinny.

 

Not really answering your question but you could also NOT care and only play the Big AL passive!

(now I believe the battery will drain even in passive mode, I would not take any chance with mine)

 

It will drain but you will not know it until you attempt to use the active circuit.

 

As far as I know, every pre-amp out there drains when in passive mode. The "on" switch is traditionally located in the jack and not on the active/passive switch.

 

I confess my ignorance, however, I have always unplugged my active basses, whether they had a bypass or not, so I never had a battery go dead from being plugged in.

 

Active/passive switches bypass the preamp circuit; they do not turn it off. Left plugged in, your Big Al's battery will drain.

 

This is interesting because I often used the bypass to conserve my battery when playing at home. I might as well had not bothered. Brad Johnson always said that one might as well go active at home. As usual, Brad is right.

 

I don't know anything about Big Al bass output/active-passive jacks, just that I want a Big Al bass!

 

I believe there's still one here in the classifieds, and a couple on ebay

 

Caca - I'm dead broke, now, but thanks for the heads up.