model 4 active pups

[bloodandtears]

How can you tell if the battery is gone?? What are the tell tale signs?

Last night i took my beloved 4m to rehearsal and it sounded weedy on the highE string around frets 15 upwards.. soloing in Aminor just disappeared, no sustain.. yet low end power chords still had volume.

I know I will revert to the swap it out for a new battery and let your ears decide technique; but I am curious..

Just thought I pop the question. I will being ordering an easy access cover plate from Dave asap.

[nhspike]

I test a 9 volt with my tongue.
Try a fresh one, then you'll know what a weak on feels like when you test one.
Sounds kinky huh?
LOL

[bloodandtears]

sure.. a battery test is a definitive method.. but i wondered if there was an initial audible clue that avoided ripping the cover off everytime.

[nhspike]

Oh, I getcha.
Hmmm.
I think they start to sound furry, then, when I forget to pull the chord overnight and they are totally dead, they make no sound at all.

[VitaminG]

the pickups aren't active, so they will continue to make sound once the battery is dead. It's the preamp that needs the battery, not the pickups. If your sound has become less than stellar, a fresh battery should pick things up for you

[Carbuff]

I dont think my 650xl made any sound with the battery out. I dunno, its been a while.

[Grandturk]

Yeah the circuit converts the passive High Impedence signal into a Low Impedence signal - i.e. the circuit is on all the time, whether or not you have it switched on or turned up. So if the battery's dead, you'll get no signal. Weak batteries will give you what I call a "farty" signal.

[BayRocker]

Correct, without the battery you get Nada...

When the battery first starts to go, you'll notice a lack of sustain, followed by what Grandturk calls a "farty" signal. That's a great way to describe it. The sound kind of blurts out and cuts out real quick. The pups are only picking up louder signals at this point, and any subtle string plucks are lost. When I gigged this guitar back in the late 80's, I traveled nowhere without spare 9 volters. Also, you must unplug the guitar cable whenever you're not using it, otherwise there is a drain on the battery. If you unplug your guitar whenever you're not using it, the battery lasts quite a long time, many months.

[bloodandtears]

cheers guys i'm definitely hearing a lack of high end sustain.. battery swap time..