T5z question
 

Not sure if this is the right forum for it, but whatever:

If the battery dies, do the humbuckers still work? Or is the guitar useless plugged-in?

The T5z runs the pickups through the preamp. No battery or dead battery = no output. The battery is only used when a cable is plugged into the guitar. Many players use a rechargeable battery for performances.

Yeah, that's what I thought. Definitely have to invest in rechargeables if I get one.

I kind of hate the idea of a guitar that dies without a battery, though - it's not like an acoustic where I do most of my playing with it unplugged.

Not sure if that's enough to make me not want one (haven't actually played one, yet, but it was at the top of my to-play list based on research) but it probably moves it down the list a bit.

This might not be a good application for a rechargeable battery. They do tend to self-discharge over time so you might not use the guitar for 3 months and find the battery has gone flat.

I used to have a T5 and the battery lasted a long time. If there are issues, there's a panel in back and it's very quick to change batteries.

Any battery can leak over time. You should remove batteries if you are not using the guitar or any battery powered electronics. Rechargeables are best for gigging guitarists. Charge the battery (or batteries) before the gig and you’ll never have to worry about running out of power.

I would say just try it and if you like it, buy it. Really if it's like any other of Bob's guitars the battery is a snap to replace. Still, playing it unplugged you will still hear it. I play my strat etc unplugged a lot. Also, batteries are a lot better than they were in years past and rarely leak but for piece of mind you could just store the battery in the case until you actually need it.

The battery is used only when an audio cable jack is inserted into the guitar. If you're used to leaving your guitar plugged in this way you'll drain down the battery. If you remember to un-plug it, I think you'll find it a non-issue and the battery usage will not even justify using re-chargeables (at least not from a cost perspective).

Plenty easy to put a back-up 9v battery in the case; it takes seconds to swap out the batteries, if necessary. They last a LONG time in this guitar. I also use a V-cable to be able to unplug anytime (the battery is only drawing when the guitar is plugged in).