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Stingray specials and battery life

C

Cory rich40

Apr 10, 2021
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#1
I just saw the thread about the stingray with the battery dying mid gig and having to be changed. It had to be a pre special with only one battery. With my special's and bongo I have been changing my batteries once a year and try to do them all at the same time. Even then, the batteries have never died on me. This is practicing with the band once a week and playing out once a month, and even rotating the basses being used. Have any of you guys gotten less than a year's use out of your stingray specials or bongo's? How do the darkray batteries hold up since technically it's a stingray special?
 
#2
I have a SLO Special StingRay. I change the battery every 6 months when the time changes.

I did not see the thread you're talking about, but it could be that the player left the cable plugged in when not playing. That'll drain it quickly. But I don't think I'd go a year without changing it out. Even at 6 months I can notice an extra punch when I put in a fresh battery.
 
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#3
Jeff K said:
I have a SLO Special StingRay. I change the battery every 6 months when the time changes.
Click to expand...

To be clear: OP is talking about StingRay Specials, the ones with 18 V preamps; there are two 9 V batteries. This is a little confusing with the SLO Special terminology. I have a StingRay Special but it is also a SLO Special, which makes it a StingRay Special SLO Special. Your old StingRay 9 V preamp expectations should carry over.

OP: I don't have enough anectodal time with mine, but there's no reasonable expectation that an 18 V preamp from EBMM with two 9 V batteries is going to be significantly lower in usage time over a 9 V preamp with a single battery. The design has differences but I would expect the design to have become more power efficient with changes.
 
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#5
Cory rich40 said:
I just saw the thread about the stingray with the battery dying mid gig and having to be changed. It had to be a pre special with only one battery. With my special's and bongo I have been changing my batteries once a year and try to do them all at the same time. Even then, the batteries have never died on me. This is practicing with the band once a week and playing out once a month, and even rotating the basses being used. Have any of you guys gotten less than a year's use out of your stingray specials or bongo's? How do the darkray batteries hold up since technically it's a stingray special?
Click to expand...

Assuming rehersal and gig are each 4 hours you are talking about 130 hours per bass and year. That is not all that much use.
 
#6
I know this is an old thread, but I just bought a used Special from GC. I have no idea how much use the batteries had, but today the bass died suddenly mid-song during a rehearsal. I switched batteries and everything was fine. But it made me wonder what people are experiencing as to battery life on Specials in the real world. Thoughts?
 

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