[?] Battery saving in passive switch status

Joined
Nov 22, 2006
Messages
51
Reaction score
0
Hi

I'd like to know if there's battery consumption when I have my bass plugged (I mean connected with the jack but me not playing) and the volume knob pulled in passive mode. It's for not to unplug the jack.

It's a 90's thumb NT with bartolini and the original electronics.

thanks
 
Joined
Apr 16, 2006
Messages
1,048
Reaction score
4
Age
52
Your bass should have passive pickups.
If they're passive, there shouldn't be battery consumption in passive mode
 
Joined
Aug 27, 2007
Messages
1,507
Reaction score
217
The term active/passive refers to the EQ, the pups on most 'W's are active i.e. they need a battery to boost the level to that of the preamp. Sad to say but most 'W' owners are under the impression that their bass can be switched to passive if the battery dies... It can't!

Try it, take the battery out of your bass and plug your bass into an amp. It won't work.

I've replaced the MEC's in my bass with a pair of custom wound 'Wizard' pups and they are truly passive (with the battery driving the MEC EQ circuit still) and I can play this bass in passive mode without a battery.

In answer to your question about battery drain; if it is left plugged in to the bass then your bass will drain your battery. When you finish playing you should always unplug your lead, I wouldn't worry too much about between sets at a gig etc but if left in for days on end it will deplete your battery. To put it in a real life context, my main gigging bass gets used twice a week for a 4hr stint each night + rehearsals + home use and I have never had a battery fail BUT I change the battery every Christmas (it's my Christmas present to my bass).

Hope that helps!
 
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
10,906
Reaction score
41
Age
57
warwickhunt said:
The term active/passive refers to the EQ, the pups on most 'W's are active i.e. they need a battery to boost the level to that of the preamp. Sad to say but most 'W' owners are under the impression that their bass can be switched to passive if the battery dies... It can't!

Try it, take the battery out of your bass and plug your bass into an amp. It won't work.

Unless you own a $$. :wink:
 
Joined
Aug 27, 2007
Messages
1,507
Reaction score
217
Greg said:
warwickhunt said:
The term active/passive refers to the EQ, the pups on most 'W's are active i.e. they need a battery to boost the level to that of the preamp. Sad to say but most 'W' owners are under the impression that their bass can be switched to passive if the battery dies... It can't!

Try it, take the battery out of your bass and plug your bass into an amp. It won't work.

Unless you own a $$. :wink:

I suppose I should have added the caveat that there may always be the exception to the rule :wink:

Have you removed the battery from a $$ to check? I'm genuinely interested as I was under the impression that the pups were active on the $$.
 
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
10,906
Reaction score
41
Age
57
warwickhunt said:
Greg said:
warwickhunt said:
The term active/passive refers to the EQ, the pups on most 'W's are active i.e. they need a battery to boost the level to that of the preamp. Sad to say but most 'W' owners are under the impression that their bass can be switched to passive if the battery dies... It can't!

Try it, take the battery out of your bass and plug your bass into an amp. It won't work.

Unless you own a $$. :wink:

I suppose I should have added the caveat that there may always be the exception to the rule :wink:

Have you removed the battery from a $$ to check? I'm genuinely interested as I was under the impression that the pups were active on the $$.

A few members here have tried on their $$'s it & it works. :wink:
The $$ pups are passive.
 

Florin

OG
Joined
Oct 28, 2006
Messages
17,893
Reaction score
2,096
Age
49
If you use good quality bateries, like Duracell Alcalines, you will not have problems... I've never had problems EVER, and I am not very careful with that.
I have 4 gigs /week, and rehearsals between them, and I change the baterie from time to time... I guess 3 - 4 months, just to be sure.
The baterie doesn't die at once (rechargeables do). So... if your bass starts distorting a little, it is time to change it. It is not like you will not finish your gig, anyway, so just relax :)
 

nik

Joined
May 24, 2007
Messages
411
Reaction score
0
Greg said:
warwickhunt said:
Greg said:
warwickhunt said:
The term active/passive refers to the EQ, the pups on most 'W's are active i.e. they need a battery to boost the level to that of the preamp. Sad to say but most 'W' owners are under the impression that their bass can be switched to passive if the battery dies... It can't!

Try it, take the battery out of your bass and plug your bass into an amp. It won't work.

Unless you own a $$. :wink:

I suppose I should have added the caveat that there may always be the exception to the rule :wink:

Have you removed the battery from a $$ to check? I'm genuinely interested as I was under the impression that the pups were active on the $$.

A few members here have tried on their $$'s it & it works. :wink:
The $$ pups are passive.


if you are talking about a corvette $$ then its active and passive, with the pulled out volume knob.

but its not that much of an issue either way, cuz batteries last for a pretty long time, and its easy to get into that compartment too.
 

maddrakkett

R.I.P.
Joined
Apr 6, 2007
Messages
1,935
Reaction score
11
One thing I might add, which Mr. Rabble also recognized, is that Bartolini pickups are indeed passive, so pulling the switch will put it into passive mode, just like how my $$ bass works.

What I have not yet explored or confirmed is whether or not the battery wire is also switched off when the volume knob is pulled. I'll be exploring that soon, as I just bought a set of Bartolini pickups and a Bartolini 3.4 active preamp for my Thumb bass. I didn't like the setup however of 2 Volume knobs on a concentric pot, so I called Tyler over at Dana B. Goods and he's sending me out an MEC pot that has the 250k volume, a 500k Blend, and the pull switch on one pot (the Thumb had only a 25k volume since it had active pups originally).

An interesting side note: Bartolini does not offer a volume/blend/switch pot and a local guitar electronics shop told such a component doesn't exist, to which I replied, "MEC makes them for Warwick, so I'll call up Dana B. Goods and have one!"

Just one more reason Warwicks rule - they have the parts no one else thinks to make! Plus, Dana B. Goods takes care of me and all their customers! :D
 
Joined
Oct 13, 2006
Messages
1,067
Reaction score
1
can i add a switch to my active vette std. to allow me to keep it plugged in and not drain battery?
 

maddrakkett

R.I.P.
Joined
Apr 6, 2007
Messages
1,935
Reaction score
11
XxBassPlayerxX said:
can i add a switch to my active vette std. to allow me to keep it plugged in and not drain battery?

Absolutely. You can get a volume pot with a pull switch and just wire the battery's hot line to cut in and out with the switch (make sure to get a 25k ohm on the volume pot - that's what Warwick uses for their active MEC pups).

You can also do the same thing with a toggle switch, but that would mean drilling a hole in your beautiful 'Vette! :(
 
Joined
Aug 27, 2007
Messages
1,507
Reaction score
217
The Bartolini's are the exception to the rule with regard to the bass being able to be used if a battery fails completely (hence the $$). Some of the earliest Warwicks (and obviously individual models like the $$ :wink: ) were equipped with Barts, this is when quite a few early reviews for magazines would have been written/read, this probably explains why so many Warwick owners with MEC equipped basses seem surprised that their bass won't work with a dead battery.

Please don't drill a hole in your 'W' for the sake of removing a lead!

Do yourself and you bass a favour and buy it a battery regularly (once a 1/4 - once a year). To ease your mind, a local guy brought his MEC equipped Streamer to me to check over as it was making strange noises. I popped out the battery (simple first stage check) and the use by date was 3 years past. I asked when he'd put it in; 'I didn't, I bought the bass like that 5 years ago'! He may only gig a couple times a month but it is his only bass and in regular (active not passive) use. Heaven knows how long the previous owner had the battery in for... As has been said they rarely die instantly (rechargeables accepted :wink: )
 

maddrakkett

R.I.P.
Joined
Apr 6, 2007
Messages
1,935
Reaction score
11
After looking at the wiring diagram for the $$ I found that while the pull knob disengages the active EQ from the circuit, THE BATTERY DOES NOT DISCONNECT! As long as the cord is plugged in, the battery continues to drain (albeit very slowly) because it does not go through the pull switch but stays fully connected to the circuit board.

I remember that right after I bought my $$, I left it plugged in with the switch pulled up, but after a couple of days, the battery was dead. Now I understand why I can still play in passive mode with a dead battery or no battery, but cannot leave the bass plugged in without draining the battery.
 
Top Bottom