What is the best 9v battery for active basses?

[Honch]

Series give you 18V - PARALLEL gives you 9V. Two batteries in series INCREASES the drain and will last shorter than one. And it's not a good idea to parallel batteries as if one goes it takes the other with it - and the weaker battery will be charged from the other and possibly leak. When I converted to 9V from 18V I disconnected the second battery holder and just use it to hold a spare.

FWIW EMG provides these powering tips and diagrams, and warns nothing about hazards either series/pararell 9v/18 v:

Invalid Link Removed

I think your hazards comes from all other wirings with batteries, like car batteries etc, mixing different brands, and alkaline with lithiums and so on. Once you do a series-pararell connection which means BOTH doubling it to 18v (which means 4 batteries) and doubling capacity you might get some minimal risk of thermal runaway, but I have never ever experienced it with small 9v batteries, that are of the same brand, and hopefully from the same batch. If you mix with one 3 v battery and one 9 v to get 12 volts I can very well think that things will happen. As long as the aH (ampere hours) and the voltage are the same there's little harm. Very little. At most unlucky circumstances it may leak, but it will not ever explode.

 

[Honch]

Is there a line of picky nerds outside each battery factory lining up in order to catch the freshest set of battery batches there are? And pay the truck driver money and bribe him? You know, when the delivery gates opens they just throw themselves in for getting these "virgin" batteries...

Never seen one, but it wouldn't surprise me..not any TBers though.

 

[Honch]

I find it a funny coincidence though that my lithiums died just as we had this thread going on. If it wasn't I wouldn't have bothered.

 

[justin fleenor]

EverReady is the best 9v for metal, just look at the logo specific to the 9v!

Do they still use that logo lol when I was little I called em 9cats wth kids are strange.

 

[Honch]

Here's the solution to all you cats with teflon memory that can't remember to unplug your active bass, and to you all "phantom-powerers" too. Voila, just came in! Starting February 2016!

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Which means during a gig, when it's supposed to start go down ever so slightly, you can charge WHILE playing (another cable plugged in) and on top of that. The spare tyre is that is has a regular batter 9v option, should it take too long to charge the battery.


Now. Close thread. Freeze it.

 

[s0c9]

Didn't read all of the thread, but my 9v batteries in all my active basses (oh wait, they are all active!) and guitars, are usually Energizer or copper top.. no preference. They ALL LAST AT LEAST A YEAR !
Why? 'Cus I remove the guitar cables when not in use...
Slight behavioral modification and the battery life problem is no more!

 

[Rob22315]

ch, post: 18374781, member: 79026"]Here's the solution to all you cats with teflon memory that can't remember to unplug your active bass, and to you all "phantom-powerers" too. Voila, just came in! Starting February 2016!

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Which means during a gig, when it's supposed to start go down ever so slightly, you can charge WHILE playing (another cable plugged in) and on top of that. The spare tyre is that is has a regular batter 9v option, should it take too long to charge the battery.


Now. Close thread. Freeze it.[/QUOTE]

Here's the solution to all you cats with teflon memory that can't remember to unplug your active bass, and to you all "phantom-powerers" too. Voila, just came in! Starting February 2016!

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Which means during a gig, when it's supposed to start go down ever so slightly, you can charge WHILE playing (another cable plugged in) and on top of that. The spare tyre is that is has a regular batter 9v option, should it take too long to charge the battery.


Now. Close thread. Freeze it.

That's even more complicated than just using a TRS cable and a wall wart. Yikes!

 

[Honch]

That's what I thought too. What's the problem with passive?

 

[Honch]

They ALL LAST AT LEAST A YEAR !
Why? 'Cus I remove the guitar cables when not in use...

So did I. My TWO 9v lithiums lasted almost 8 years. Changed them out the other day. But ok then, that is at least a year too...

 

[Honch]

That's even more complicated than just using a TRS cable and a wall wart. Yikes!

Well if your cell phones battery dies on you, you might be able to use this one... as a spare... They thought of everything...(ironic). IRL I think what on earth have they been smoking when they came up with this idea?

 

[jazzyvee]

Absolutely not! Rock Legend Animal Is Not Dead

Duracell Procell user here. They last for months in my active basses and tuner, are cheap enough to buy in bulk and keep their charge when stored for long periods.

I didn't get much joy with the Procell batteries, I bought a box of 12 of those and they were all finished on two basses within a year. When they are ready to go flat they don't give much warning, fine one minute, dead the next second. I prefer to stick with Duracell Plus Power or Energiser batteries.

 

[Gaolee]

I didn't read the thread, but no need. The best battery is a metal one. Why is it even a question?

 

[zontar]

I believe lithium batteries give 100% output right up until the point they die, then nothing. So they last longer and you get full performance but they die without any warning. In a bass it might be bettery to use an alkaline battery which you should start to notice it losing power a few hours before it goes all fuzzy then dies.

Is this the main (or only) reason that bass makers do not recommend re-chargeables for their active basses?
Is there another reason?
This wouldn't be an issue for me with re-chargeables--I would have 2 or 3 batteries and put a fresh one in every time I play--and charge the other(s).

 

[RRDieselbass]

Nickel Cadmiums (rechargeables) actually give off less than 9 volts and last a much shorter time than an alkaline or a lithium. I have read over and over that they are not recommended for guitars with active electronics.

 

[zontar]

Nickel Cadmiums (rechargeables) actually give off less than 9 volts and last a much shorter time than an alkaline or a lithium. I have read over and over that they are not recommended for guitars with active electronics.

The voltage would then be the bigger concern if I am switching batteries every time I play and re-charging them right away.

Thanks.

 

[Sav'nBass]

Ok, how many of you do look at either:
a) manufacturing date
b) expiring date
of ANY 9v battery before you buy? Is it stated anywhere on a package? Either of them, but not both. That's way more important than price and brand/model. Since all batteries starts to drain the moment they leave the factory. No matter how little. I'd rather choose as fresh and as new one of a cheaper brand, than any posh NOS battery. (NOS=New Old Stock).

I do..

Expected for peope to wonder what the h'ck I meant with previous post.
The Lithiums died yesterday. At rehearsal, no big thing. But they DID crap out directly without going into distortion or weak signal. They were inserted LATE 2007 (December). It's 2016 now, not full 9 years, but at least 8. This is JUST FOR EMG pickups. That has been wired in series to produce longetivity, NOT to provide 18v. No leakage, no dust or stray things in the cavity. During coffe break I went out and bought cheap ones. Will do for now. I will take notice of time and date I'll put in NEW Lithiums. I will just have to track down as new and fresh ones as possible, to be able to buy a pair of new one, like, if you could smell them like a new bread from the bakery. That will require some hunting down, through town.
3 feb 2016 the 9v battery in my active bass died.
16 Dec 2007 I put them in there.
On top of that, I can really think that 9v batteries has developed since that. Both lithium, alkalines and all others. And yes, I do unplug all of the time. That bass has been "active playing" at least 10 hours a weeked (weekend warrior gigs) 2 hours a day. On long vacations to rest, some days totally off. 8-10 weeks was the longest time it was totally off, due to long vacation. Maybe 5 weeks a year added to that, it has been inactive. I e not plugged in. Forgot the plug once or twice at home when some emergency duty call on job happened...that's the best thing with these on call jobs. You can spend time playing and practicing because it doesn't matter when you get interrupted.
When putting the batteries into a meter they didn't give any reading at all. All other batteries shows some slight slight voltage, but these are just dead and then some.

I will have to try them in one of my basses..

I got Invalid Link Removed for $10 about two months ago. I got it because it was on sale after I wound up having a battery in my Cirrus die while playing.... very embarrassing.. I thought I replaced it with new ones but as it turned out one of them was old.. I got a great Digitech HT6 pedal tuner on sale for $30 a few weeks ago.. and I got it primarily because I can mute my bass when I unplug to save my battery.... I had been using a clip on. I have been using Duracells but I often buy whatever is on salke between the two major brands.. (Energizer and Duracell) .. .

 

[RoadRanger]

I got a great Digitech HT6 pedal tuner on sale for $30 a few weeks ago.. and I got it primarily because I can mute my bass when I unplug to save my battery.... I had been using a clip on.

Why not just use cords built with muting plugs?

 

[Honch]

I do..



I will have to try them in one of my basses..

I got Invalid Link Removed for $10 about two months ago. I got it because it was on sale after I wound up having a battery in my Cirrus die while playing.... very embarrassing.. I thought I replaced it with new ones but as it turned out one of them was old.. I got a great Digitech HT6 pedal tuner on sale for $30 a few weeks ago.. and I got it primarily because I can mute my bass when I unplug to save my battery.... I had been using a clip on. I have been using Duracells but I often buy whatever is on salke between the two major brands.. (Energizer and Duracell) .. .

Do not attempt to try lithiums on your Peavey Cirrus bass, though! Those Peavey basses are the only ones I recommend re-wiring for phantom-powered powering. Those Cirrus basses eats batteries for breakfast and has way too much CURRENT drain to be effective with any battery. But as people has said (EMG et al) no one recommends external power for driving any active circuit or pickups on any bass. Verdict, your Cirrus bass will eat those lithiums up, faster than any other battery. However, I heard that nothing really sounds like a Cirrus bass. I actually did a phantom rewiring on one of those, once. They got their own thing going on with those pickups. Definitely a sound of their own, on the positive side.

But you can try lithiums on your other basses, but keep in mind, if they only has MICRO AMPERE drain, not milliampere! For pickups like EMGs, they're perfect. I don't know how well they fare on other systems. So a caveat emptor is in place here, cause you'll spend too much on batteries that may go down the drain just as quick as regular batteries, even quicker, for - apparently - no reason.

You have to know your current drain of your active systems!

I for one, wouldn't ever have them in any dirt box pedals, or any pedals at all. YMMV.

 

[Sav'nBass]

Why not just use cords built with muting plugs?

You know ... I actually forgot they exist because I have been using my Monster cables so long.. What is the name of the cords..? I don't even remember it...

 

[Rob22315]

But as people has said (EMG et al) no one recommends external power for driving any active circuit or pickups on any bass

This statement is rubbish. I've been externally powering my onboardpreamps for years, works great. It's not for everyone but it's easy to do and works great for me and several other TBers.