Ibanez active bass-- about those battery boxes.....

[alaskaleftybass]

Moderators, if this is the wrong subject to post please feel free to move it. Thanks.

So I'm looking at an Ibanez SRGSR200B GIO lefty walnut finish bass. I know it's just a low level bass but I usually can modify them and clean them up well enough that they play and sound great for me.

Anyway, I looked at the flipside of the bass on Sweetwater and discovered that not only is Ibanez using a screw on cover for the battery box, but a single blade screw???? In this day and age, wouldn't it be just as easy and cheap to install a pop-open battery box rather than a screw on?

I'm glad that at least they're installing the quick release truss rod covers instead of the screw on covers. Some progress made! Opinions please.

Here's a pic of the battery cover:

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I like the way Ibanez has done it on later models where there's a snap-in cover, but you still have to manually attach the top on the battery.
Those ones where you slide the battery in & it makes contact automatically are a point of failure.

That's a GSR200, not a SRGSR.

add, if you're looking for a cheap Ibanez, go for the GSR100EXMOL.
It's also completely passive, which is a bonus, because I think the Phat II knob on SR200 is useless.
Surprisingly bright for the pickup position, but with plenty of thump with the treble-cut knob rolled back.

GSR100EX | SR | ELECTRIC BASSES | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars

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Having no finish on it makes it lighter than the poly-coated one.
I just sold a 5-string version of this that was less than 6-3/4 lbs..
The guy who bought it was ecstatic & tipped me 10%, LOL!

The machine-heads probably won't last, but that's expected with any SR below the Premium level (the ones that have GOTOH machine-heads).
That's only a $60 upgrade, however.

DOH!
It just occurred to me that you must be looking at the GSR200BL, & there's unfortunately no lefty model of the GSR100EXMOL.

I'll leave this up, though. Bound to be some folks who could benefit from this info.
The pickup in the GSR100 sounds surprisingly good & has plenty of output.
It reminds me of my old SR eXTreme (SRX).

 

[Jeff Scott]

 

[Floppystrings]

You could make a cover with magnets that would pop on and off easily.

 

[Cliff Colton]

View attachment 3420922

3 votes = 150%. ???

I remove the screws and put clear tape on mine.

 

[Jeff Scott]

3 votes = 150%. ???

Talkbass math.

 

[m-j]

I had a '80 Fender P Bass Special and always got nervous after opening the battery compartment and then having to close and tighten that when I would tighten I would do it to hard and strip the hole.

So much happier that I can snap open and close with my fingers with my MIM 2016 Fender Deluxe Active P Bass Special.

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[Killed_by_Death]

Not sure about the GSR200, but my SRX had a battery compartment just like the one in the photo above & the screws were Phillips machine-thread.
In the body were metal inserts for the threads to those screws.

 

[lz4005]

You could make a cover with magnets that would pop on and off easily.

I have two basses with magnetic covers. Infinitely better than any other system.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

I have two basses with magnetic covers. Infinitely better than any other system.

Where do you get something like that??

Thanks everyone for sharing! Keep 'em coming!

 

[lz4005]

Where do you get something like that??

One is a Kala solid body Ubass, the other is a custom build.
They're both full control cavity covers, made of wood, with small inset neo magnets.
It isn't particularly uncommon anymore, or expensive. The Kala was less than $500.
I think Dingwall is doing it on most of their active basses as well.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

One is a Kala solid body Ubass, the other is a custom build.
They're both full control cavity covers, made of wood, with small inset neo magnets.
It isn't particularly uncommon anymore, or expensive. The Kala was less than $500.
I think Dingwall is doing it on most of their active basses as well.

Thanks!

 

[Rabidhamster]

I think the screw and metal cover looks like a higher quality bass. If I got a stingray without the screw on cover Id feel odd. With that set up as it is you could remove one screw and flip the door open as needed if you don’t mind finish wear.

If all I care about is getting at a battery in a hurry, my favorite are the clip and flip battery boxes. You push the little release, the box hinges open and the battery slides right out. New one in, slap the door shut and you’re ready to go. Looks cheap like any other ugly plastic battery box, so hideous, but it’s functionally quite nice. And it’s on the back of your bass. They’re inexpensive and easy to install cleanly even with just a chisel and a patient hand.
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[alaskaleftybass]

I think the screw and metal cover looks like a higher quality bass. If I got a stingray without the screw on cover Id feel odd. With that set up as it is you could remove one screw and flip the door open as needed if you don’t mind finish wear.

If all I care about is getting at a battery in a hurry, my favorite are the clip and flip battery boxes. You push the little release, the box hinges open and the battery slides right out. New one in, slap the door shut and you’re ready to go. Looks cheap like any other ugly plastic battery box, so hideous, but it’s functionally quite nice. And it’s on the back of your bass. They’re inexpensive and easy to install cleanly even with just a chisel and a patient hand.
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Thanks! That's what I was looking for!
More thoughts, guys?

 

[ardgedee]

I like the ergonomics of the plastic slide-out boxes but anything that involves plastic clips makes me wonder how many times they can be opened before the clip breaks.

 

[garp]

I'd much prefer a snap-on cover, but alas, the engineers at Hoshino Gakki determined that it would be much better to force me to remove the control cavity cover (four screws).

Sometimes I really wonder about the motivations of product designers. I own an older '90s-era Korg keyboard synthesizer that uses a battery to maintain ROM patches. Battery replacement requires taking the entire synth cover off – 16 screws – and the use of a soldering iron. Clearly designed for no other purpose than to keep Korg's authorized service centers in business.

 

[brianrost]

As an EE I can tell you that the pop top battery holders cost quite a bit more than a flat piece of plastic. Many active basses require removal of the control cavity cover to get at the battery, which is even cheaper.

Sometimes I really wonder about the motivations of product designers. I own an older '90s-era Korg keyboard synthesizer that uses a battery to maintain ROM patches. Battery replacement requires taking the entire synth cover off – 16 screws – and the use of a soldering iron. Clearly designed for no other purpose than to keep Korg's authorized service centers in business.

In those days lithium batteries were considered hazardous. If not careful, the heat of the soldeing iron could cause them to explode. They also last a long time...in a synth 10 years easily for memory backup. Even today, although the batteries are socketed you still have to disassemble a synth to get at the battery. Mfrs do not consider them user replaceable.

The alternative was putting a half dozen AAs (or even Cs in one synth I had) that had to be replaced every 6 months or so or you lost the memory contents. So noone cared until they started buying used synths with dead lithiums.

 

[Duanestuermer]

The new Ashula's use a snap on/off battery cover, mine is the fretless/fretted model, it's very convenient.

 

[gregmon79]

I like the way my old ATK 300 is set up where the control cavity is one big cavity that has 2 pieces for the cover. So you can just remove the screws to the little door when you want to swap the battery. So I guess I prefer screwed in doors. Not snaps.

 

[nilorius]

I have an active Ibanez gwb1005 with snap on cover, if you don't like so much a screw type - don't buy it.