Weird 9V issue with StingRay - Amazon batteries don't work?

[Boundary Effect]

Size does matter? Does the Ray have snap-on battery contacts or does the holder simply force the nodes against the contacts? In the later, size might be an issue. The other, check the polarity of the Amazon batteries. It somehow would not surprise me if they got (+) and (-) reversed. Amusing story, I needed an inexpensive audio snake for the studio. Craiglist seller had one for $40 claiming it always hummed no matter what. Bought new but didn't try it until months after purchase. He took $20. Gotta be operator error, right? Nope. Every connector wired pin 1 (-), pin 2 (+) and pin 3 (shield).

 

[Wicked G]

There have been issues with different batteries in Stingrays. If the battery is too small, a piece of paper behind the battery will act like a shim and help the battery make a proper connection. If the terminals on the new battery are too big, then you'll just have to try a different battery. I think the newer Duracell's have larger terminals so that might cause a problem now as well. Energizer's seem to work with or without a paper shim.

 

[klyph]

How'd they taste? They gotta be spicy. As others have mentioned, the duracells are always spicy out of the package.

 

[KohanMike]

I ran into a problem somewhat different. I only use 9v lithium rechargeable batteries, the kind that go into a charger base. Not long ago I saw that Amazon has ones that have a USB-C charge port, so I bought four. I charged them and as I prepared my gear for a gig, I put one in my bass. When I started to play at the gig, the audio would go high and low constantly, had to ride the volume knob on the bass continuously.

When I got home, I tested the other three USB-C, all had the same problem. I tested two of my standard rechargeable, no problem. The USB-C works in other 9v devices I have, but not in my active bass ukes.

 

[Geri O]

Try a battery-sized business-card insert behind the batteries that don’t work.

 

[Wood and Wire]

Ok... So here's a weird one... I got to my gig yesterday and figured "just for preventative measures, let me swap out the batteries on my StingRay (special)." I've been logging a crapload of hours on it so figured it was probably about time.
So I put two completely fresh Amazon 9V batteries in... NOTHING. I have a brief moment of panic, the stupid battery compartment wouldn't open, but eventually I put the 2 9v Duracells back in and all was good.

Today I put 4 different Amazon 9V batteries on my battery tester. They tested full strength. I put them in the StingRay... Nothing!
Put the Duracells back in... Bass is fine.

Anyone else come across this? Amazon batteries not working in your StingRay?

(and yes, I checked that it was properly oriented, seated in the holes, all that good stuff)

FAQ

Find all the answers to our most frequently asked Ernie Ball Music Man questions here. Don't see your answer? Click 'Contact Us' in the site footer.

www.music-man.com

We recommend Duracell batteries as replacements mostly due to size inconsistencies between battery manufacturers.


We do not recommend rechargeable batteries for replacement in Music Man instruments for 2 reasons:
1. They do not put out enough voltage (at least 8.4 volts) to properly run the instruments. NiCad and NiMh "9-volt" batteries, even when fully charged, put out a maximum of 7.2 volts.

2. Even if they did work, rechargeable batteries only hold a charge for 1-3 months. Alkaline batteries, when fresh, can go 6 months or longer. We recommend Duracell for a good fit.

 

[micguy]

If I recall correctly, some people have had problems with some battery brands in EBMM drop in battery boxes. Apparently, some batteries may have ever so slightly different dimensions.

I hate those battery boxes. I much prefer the old school unscrew the cover with a regular old 9v connector.

9 volt batteries have quite a bit of body size variation between various brands - having worked on a bunch of devices that use them, it's a constant problem. The battery clips that snap on the battery terminals are the best in terms of working on various sized batteries - the terminals themselves are pretty consistent. Unfortunately, those kinds of clips tend to not last too long. If you're using a device that uses the physical body dimensions to push a battery against flat contacts, you have to find a battery brand that works in that device and stick with it.

Some of the lithium batteries (the "10 year" batteries supplied with smoke detectors) will actually grow in dimensions as they are used up (the flat package of a 9 volt doesn't help, in that it's easy to make the walls swell), and can sometimes get stuck to where you just can't get them out of a device. When I bought a CO detector recently it came with a "10 year" battery, which I threw out.

 

[JenderBazzFass]

The Amazon batteries don't last long in my active basses. I generally use them in cheap around the house stuff that doesn't matter, but use better quality 9Vs in the basses.

 

[Oldfartguy]

Hey! It can be simply old batteries. As a rule of thumb, I use industrial lithium-based 9-V batteries for critical applications bass. like this

 

[CryingBass]

Based on some TB posts over the years on this topic, I bought Duracell ProCell's.

Again, sadly, hit or miss. Leaking on some, not others, but not what I expected. 9V and other sizes. And not cheap.

My guess? When you order online you never know how old those batteries really are, or how they passed QC, etc - regardless of brand.

YMMV May the voltage force be with you!

 

[JamesGrant]

Yes, I’ve had this problem before. Put the batteries side by side and notice the height of the battery body and the height of the contacts above the battery body. You’ll see the Duracell contacts protrude further from the body than the other brand, even if the overall height is very similar.

 

[Budbear]

You guys are better than me on battery testing....I just stick it to my tongue

I wet my lower lip and use that instead. It doesn't sting as much. Truly an electrifying experience.

 

[Billyears IV]

I use rechargeable 9v batteries with no issues at all. Had a sterling which worked absolutely fine with the rechargeables. Now play an active Sandberg with same rechargeables.

I replace batteries every few weeks with freshly charged ones, especially before gigs. Have a 2nd one handy just in case (plus a duracell).

Never had a problem (touch wood!)

 

[Geri O]

I use rechargeable 9v batteries with no issues at all. Had a sterling which worked absolutely fine with the rechargeables. Now play an active Sandberg with same rechargeables.

I replace batteries every few weeks with freshly charged ones, especially before gigs. Have a 2nd one handy just in case (plus a duracell).

Never had a problem (touch wood!)

That’s cool, I’ve been using rechargeable AAs in my IEM racks and bass wireless gear for years. In fact, my recent set of rechargeable AAs is going on 3 years old.

The 9V rechargeables has been a little more effort. I went back to alkaline 9Vs as I change them every 3-4 months and take the used ones to a local battery store. I’ll admit, I’m a little too lazy to treat my bass 9Vs as you do. More of us should, though.

 

[jeff62]

9v batteries don't have standard dimensions. They vary slightly from one manufacturer to another. Some have more rounded corners than others, as well. It would seem like the Amazons don't sit properly in the compartment and are not making contact with the terminals. I have been using lithium 9v's because they have a much longer life and don't need to be changed as frequently.

Another plus for lithium is that they don’t fail and leak and corrode the connector in your bass.

 

[GroovinOnFunk]

Yeah. Easy problem to solve. Just stick with Duracell

 

[Wood and Wire]

I'm just going to re-post this important information directly from EBMM, in light of how many people are using :

1) Lithium batteries (danger of overvoltage, that can damage the preamp)

2) rechargeable batteries (undervoltage effectively means the preamp is never able to operate optimally)

 

[sylvanbass]

I bought a big log of Amazon AA's for one of my son's gaming controllers thinking I could get a year out of that pack, but boy was I wrong. Got three days max out of two. Wouldn't trust Amazon batteries in my TV remote now.

 

[P. Aaron]

I would check for alkaline vs heavy duty. Alkaline batteries are what you want.

I thought Al Kaline played for the Tigers???!!! He a battery guy now?

 

[GIBrat51]

Ok... So here's a weird one... I got to my gig yesterday and figured "just for preventative measures, let me swap out the batteries on my StingRay (special)." I've been logging a crapload of hours on it so figured it was probably about time.
So I put two completely fresh Amazon 9V batteries in... NOTHING. I have a brief moment of panic, the stupid battery compartment wouldn't open, but eventually I put the 2 9v Duracells back in and all was good.

Today I put 4 different Amazon 9V batteries on my battery tester. They tested full strength. I put them in the StingRay... Nothing!
Put the Duracells back in... Bass is fine.

Anyone else come across this? Amazon batteries not working in your StingRay?

(and yes, I checked that it was properly oriented, seated in the holes, all that good stuff)

I picked up a Cort Space Bass - their Steinberger licensed model - that came from the previous owner with an Amazon Basics battery in it. The battery was VERY tight in the space provided for it (wedged into the control cavity) and swapping to a Duracell did change/improve the sound of the bass.

I don't go through batteries enough to justify trying to shave costs on them. Especially not at the risk of having issues.

I learned a long time ago, that all 9v batteries are not the same size. Not exactly the same, anyhow. A lot of the time, it doesn't really matter, but... as you've found out? Sometimes it does. For battery boxes/compartments where size does matter? I've always had good results with Duracells and Energizers. Not only do they fit everything (and everywhere) I've put them in, they're also good quality, too...