Battery box

ThePrettyDamned

I need a battery box to finish my P-bass and wire it up.  It's using a Bartolini 8TC pickup, which is active.

Said P-bass is routed for a double battery box, but they (Gotoh do them) are 18V - can they be used as a 9V box, and use the other half as... Er... A pick holder?   it doesn't look like the pickup wants 18V according to schematics!

Cheers

ThePrettyDamned

For reference, I'll be using the 'Brightest Tone' top diagram I think.

http://www.bartolini.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/8tc-new.pdf

mart

Yep. You could just solder a short piece of wire across one pair of terminals in the battery box. Of course, the box might be wired to give 3 outs (+9v, 0v, -9v), in which case you wouldn't even need to short any terminals.

ThePrettyDamned

Cool.  

I was thinking of just getting a regular battery box from Axesrus... It would mean a hole in the back of the guitar, but is that such a big deal? 

Hmm.  At 17 quid, the Gotoh box is *not* cheap!

mart

Yeah, I'd just get a regular box, or even just a battery clip (most of my basses have just got that, despite being pretty high end). But it's up to you how you'll feel about the oversized rout. As far as re-sale goes, an oversized rout, or an oversize battery box are equally as bad (and equally not very important! ).

ThePrettyDamned

mart said:

Yeah, I'd just get a regular box, or even just a battery clip (most of my basses have just got that, despite being pretty high end). But it's up to you how you'll feel about the oversized rout. As far as re-sale goes, an oversized rout, or an oversize battery box are equally as bad (and equally not very important! ).

Cool, cheers.

It won't be resaled - it's a GSPBASSES P Bass and it's fricking gorgeous. I'll get a single battery box and maybe fashion the other side for something else - perhaps to hold a piece of foam for a mute

I'll get this then! http://www.axesrus.co.uk/Internal-Mounting-Battery-Box-p/ultracomp.htm

The bridge is from axesrus as well, came with the bass - a 'flip top' bridge.  It feels okay, but the saddles are a bit cheap and flimsy feeling, so I'll get the bass finished, see how it sounds and possibly replace it with a Hipshot bridge (the one I have uses 3 holes to mount, the hipshot uses 5 so I could easily fill and redrill for it).  

ICBM

Just think of it as a battery box with a built-in spare holder.

Wire up only one clip. If it's the kind with spring terminals rather than a floating snap, you might have to cut and move a wire so it only goes to one half.

And remember to rotate the spare with some of your other gear occasionally and keep a fairly new one in it, not to expect it to work when the main battery finally runs out in five years time and the spare is the same age .

ThePrettyDamned

So... It should work with just one?

I can't find any diagrams for it as to what the double box actually is! Bloody expensive, too... The single ones are a fiver so I'm thinking of getting one of those.

Unless there is an unbranded double battery box, but I can't find one...

ICBM

You can always modify a double box to operate on only one battery, yes - even if it's the type with all the contacts as springs at the ends. You just have to disconnect the ones you don't want and connect the wiring to just the ones you do.

I would much rather do that - even if it's expensive - than leave an obviously bodged single box in a hole designed for a double. But I am a fussy bugger .

steamabacus

Could you not wire two batteries in parallel and get double the lifespan?

sweepy

EMG's can run at 9 18 or 27v, so maybe the Bartolini can as well ?

ThePrettyDamned

sweepy;330149" said:

EMG's can run at 9 18 or 27v, so maybe the Bartolini can as well ?

Hmm, maybe. I'll write to bartolini tonight after work, see what they say

steamabacus;330144" said:

Could you not wire two batteries in parallel and get double the lifespan?

Now that is smart. Any thoughts guys?

mart

ThePrettyDamned said:

So... It should work with just one?

I can't find any diagrams for it as to what the double box actually is! Bloody expensive, too... The single ones are a fiver so I'm thinking of getting one of those.

Unless there is an unbranded double battery box, but I can't find one...

From some of the pics of the Gotoh box, it looks like it's got 4 wires, i.e. a pair for each battery. In that case you can just put one battery in, and use the other space for anything you want.

Just make sure to insulate the ends of the other two wires if you use the second space to hold a spare battery.

I hadn't quite clocked that this was a hole on the outside of the bass; I'd just assumed it was hidden within an electrics compartment (like a Les Paul). Now that I've grasped that, I think my preferred solution would be to just fit a cover to the hole, and put one battery in a battery clip. You could fill the rest of the hole with foam, or spare picks, or whatever!

But if you're never going to sell the bass, then it's entirely up to you!

ThePrettyDamned

Cool, thanks mate. I'll get the gotoh, spend out a wee bit.

Looking forward to this one being finished. It's my best finish to date, really gorgeous. Next build will be a strat probably, and I'll wudtone again (definitely got the hang of it!).

ICBM

ThePrettyDamned said:

steamabacus said:

Could you not wire two batteries in parallel and get double the lifespan?

Now that is smart. Any thoughts guys?

No, it's dangerous. If one battery discharges faster than the other, the good one will try to reverse-charge the dying one which can cause it to overheat. Never connect batteries in parallel without some sort of reverse-protection circuitry.

ThePrettyDamned

Won't be doing that then!

steamabacus

ICBM said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

steamabacus said:

Could you not wire two batteries in parallel and get double the lifespan?

Now that is smart. Any thoughts guys?

No, it's dangerous. If one battery discharges faster than the other, the good one will try to reverse-charge the dying one which can cause it to overheat. Never connect batteries in parallel without some sort of reverse-protection circuitry.

Noted and wisdom awarded.

ICBM

You can do the reverse-protection by simply using two diodes, but that involves throwing away 0.7V - it may not matter too much on a 9V system, but any loss of headroom is probably not ideal… some people find that NiCd rechargables (usually 8.4V due to the slightly lower cell voltage) don't sound as good as standard carbon or alkaline batteries.

ThePrettyDamned

Not worth the hassle for me anyway mate.

I'll use the double box, and mod if I need to (hopefully won't). Then I can use the second side for plasters for my thumb after all that shlapping.

I quite like the idea of keeping a mute in there, but it's too small

GSPBASSES

PM your address I've lost it and I'll send you a double box its not new but its just been hanging the work shop for ever.

ThePrettyDamned

You bloomin' legend.  PM'd