Acoustic Electric Guitars and Batteries

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lcuddy

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So I'm getting fed up with buying new 9volt batteries for my acoustic electrics. I have three acoustic electrics: a Taylor, a Fender, and an Ibanez. With all three I seem to have the same problem of going through 9volts every few weeks or so. And I can't get the guitars to work electrically without the 9volts in them. I always turn the guitars off and unplug them after use.

What am I doing wrong? Why do my guitars eat up 9volts and why do they need them to work?
 
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What sort of batteries... all 9v batteries are not equal.

I replace mine maybe once a year... but I use the most expensive ones I can get... super duper lithium or whatever..
 
Your preamp won't work without the 9 volts. Some A/E have an XLR connector, but I don't know if that will allow phantom power to work. Maybe a rechargeable 9 v. battery, I've seen them as NiCd's, maybe now in regular rechargeable (eneloop, etc.).
 
Thanks, I don't know why I didn't think of the preamp. I guess I typically use over the counter 9 volts, duracel or whatever. Maybe that's the problem.

Can anyone recommend a good 9 volt battery charger? I'm surfing the net but not having luck distinguishing the crap from the good stuff. Or does it matter with a 9 volt charger?
 
For example I found a Tenergy Century charger specifically for 9 volts with its own brand of rechargeable batteries.

Or I found an energizer universal charger with 9 volt nimh batteries. But the charger isn't specifically for 9 volts.

Is there any reason why I should get one and not the other for my purposes (guitars and pedals)?
 
lcuddy said:
So I'm getting fed up with buying new 9volt batteries for my acoustic electrics. I have three acoustic electrics: a Taylor, a Fender, and an Ibanez. With all three I seem to have the same problem of going through 9volts ever few weeks or so. And I can't get the guitars to work electrically without the 9volts in them. I always turn the guitars off and unplug them after use.

What am I doing wrong? Why do my guitars eat up 9volts and why do they need them to work?
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Take those batteries out of the guitar when you are not playing.

Those circuits continue to drain a few mA, (Milliamps), even when they are turned off...

Those mA's really add up after a while.
 
Slowrider said:
Take those batteries out of the guitar when you are not playing.

Those circuits continue to drain a few mA, (Milliamps), even when they are turned off...

Those mA's really add up after a while.
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This I did not know-- of never noticed.
OP Question-- do you unplug on breaks, whenever your not playing?
What I hate is checking them before a gig and seeing '8.6' or whatever. 'good enough?, 'change it??...
 
When you buy the batteries, check the 'use by' dates - I've seen as much as a 3 year difference on packages sitting next to each other on the rack for Duracells. Granted that I don't plug in more than once or twice a week, but batteries last me months. When I was practicing with the band regualrly, once a week, 3 hours at a time, a Duracell would last me 2 months. (3 x8 = 24 plugged in hours). If you are not getting that much life out of your batteries, check to make sure you are not leaving the guitar plugged in when done playing - that keeps using the battery. If the guitar is unplugged, then you may have a bad on/off circuit (it's usually a TRS jack that turns 'on' when you plug into it).
 
OP Question-- do you unplug on breaks, whenever your not playing?
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Yup, I try to always unplug, though of course I occasionally forget.

But my question about battery chargers has still not been addressed directly... Even if I start taking the 9 volts out after playing, would a battery charger be worth it?
 
I used battery chargers for my camera batteries for a while, but found that over time the batteries lost their ability to hold full charge, and they never got up to full voltage, either (a 1.5V would charge to 1.4V, for example). Of course the new lithium ion rechargables are much better, but much more expensive, too.
 
mjbphotos said:
When you buy the batteries, check the 'use by' dates - I've seen as much as a 3 year difference on packages sitting next to each other on the rack for Duracells. ..
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Ok big (but short :D side trip.. Tires! Although it takes several years more.. the same game applies.
And now.. Back to our porgram :)
 
dervish riff mentioned Eneloop rechargables. I've been using these for a few years in AA and AAA sizes and I absolutely love them. Of course I use them in remotes, wireless mice and keyboards and consumer electronics like that. I've never used one of their 9V.

But they're great rechargables. They show up already charged, they hold their charge for months in the utility drawer, and they don't seem to drain faster than regular alkalines and as far as I can tell, they take a regular full charge even after a few years of use. But again, the AAs that live in my TV remote and mouse may not take the abuse that a 9V would in a guitar preamp.

EDIT: actually, looking around on the web, I don't think that Sanyo makes a 9V NIMH
 
dervish riff mentioned Eneloop rechargables. I've been using these for a few years in AA and AAA sizes and I absolutely love them. Of course I use them in remotes, wireless mice and keyboards and consumer electronics like that. I've never used one of their 9V.
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Thanks. It looks like Eneloop has a 9 volt power supply for pedals called "pedal juice". Check it out here. This looks pretty cool, but it won't help with my guitar 9 volts.

I think I may go with the energizer rechargeable station I mentioned earlier since I actually use lots of AAs, lots of 9 volts, and a decent amount of AAAs.
 
lcuddy said:
Thanks. It looks like Eneloop has a 9 volt power supply for pedals called "pedal juice". Check it out here. This looks pretty cool, but it won't help with my guitar 9 volts.

I think I may go with the energizer rechargeable station I mentioned earlier since I actually use lots of AAs, lots of 9 volts, and a decent amount of AAAs.
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That may be a good one.

The only way you'll know, is to buy one and test it out over time.

I stopped believing the "Battery Propaganda" years ago.:guitar:
 
lcuddy said:
Thanks. It looks like Eneloop has a 9 volt power supply for pedals called "pedal juice". Check it out here. This looks pretty cool, but it won't help with my guitar 9 volts.

I think I may go with the energizer rechargeable station I mentioned earlier since I actually use lots of AAs, lots of 9 volts, and a decent amount of AAAs.
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Reply back to us after a couple of months of using the 9V ones in your guitars. I'd hate to have to replace them every week (I know I'd end up heading out to a gig one night and forget to do it).
 
Thanks guys. I'll definitely reply back to let you know how it all works out. The energizer recharger is on its way from amazon now.
 
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