• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Please help! I have a show in an hour!

S

steviep77

Guest
Jun 1, 2011
7
0
#1
I have a Sterling by Music Man Ray34 Active Electric Bass. I'm playing a show with my high school jazz band in an hour. I was getting everything ready and wanted to make sure my spare battery work. I took the battery I was currently using out and through in the new backup, and lost a ton of sound. I firgured that was just a bad battery so I throw the one I was using before back in and that ones not working either. So I'm pretty sure the "active" part of the bass isn't working. Not sure how I broke it. I don't have time to take it to a shop to get fixed. Is there something dumb I'm just doing? Or is there something easy I can fix? Should I just use a pedal to try to bring the sound up? I'm really scared :bawl:
 
#4
Does it have a switch or a push/pull knob to turn the active on/off? See if that works.

Next I would check the batteries connections, make sure you don't have a broken solder joint.

Good Luck!!
 
#7
If you need to be using it in an hour then (carefully) strip a little bit of insulation from the broken off wire and trap the bare wire between the battery and the connector.

If you pick the wrong connection it will do no harm, just still not work properly. Swap to the other and you should be good to go.
 
#10
wWo7M.jpg
Sorry for the crappy quality. It's just completely out. Just called the local repair shop and no answer.
 
#12
A simple fix.

Run up to the electronics classroom, or the physics classroom (at a pinch, the car shop), and ask someone to solder it back for you.

HTH

Pete.

... and when you get a moment, ask one of the lab technicians to give you a 10-minute course in soldering. It's worth it's weight in gold (or silver-flux solder....)
 
#13
Your best bet given that your show is in a few minutes is to do what delta7fred said in post 7. It looks like there is already enough of the wire exposed that you won't have to strip any more of the insulation. Just put the bare wire between the battery terminal and the battery holder and the battery terminal and snap the holder into place. Essentially what you're trying to do is to connect the wire directly to the battery terminal, and you're using the connector just to hold the wire in place against the terminal. That should get you through your show, and then you can have it properly repaired.
 
#17
steviep77 said:
I have a Sterling by Music Man Ray34 Active Electric Bass. I'm playing a show with my high school jazz band in an hour. I was getting everything ready and wanted to make sure my spare battery work. I took the battery I was currently using out and through in the new backup, and lost a ton of sound. I firgured that was just a bad battery so I throw the one I was using before back in and that ones not working either. So I'm pretty sure the "active" part of the bass isn't working. Not sure how I broke it. I don't have time to take it to a shop to get fixed. Is there something dumb I'm just doing? Or is there something easy I can fix? Should I just use a pedal to try to bring the sound up? I'm really scared :bawl:
Click to expand...
Stevie good Lord how did your gig go 6 years ago?!
 
  • Like
Reactions: dralionux, 96tbird, BurnOut and 1 other person

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back