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Old 12-19-2017, 08:51 PM
Dirty Bill Dirty Bill is offline
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Default Batteries

It seems my battery goes dead in my Martin OMCXAE,if I leave the battery in it. Has any else had this problem?
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Old 12-19-2017, 09:20 PM
CASD57 CASD57 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dirty Bill View Post
It seems my battery goes dead in my Martin OMCXAE,if I leave the battery in it. Has any else had this problem?
Do you leave the.cord plugged into it?
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Old 12-20-2017, 03:31 AM
Dirty Bill Dirty Bill is offline
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No,I don't. I hang it on the wall.
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Old 12-20-2017, 06:27 PM
AcouStickistNS AcouStickistNS is offline
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Default Batteries

My Martin has Fishman electronics in it and also eats batteries. I happen to talk to someone else who had the same issue with his. And no, I don’t leave the cord in. In contrast, my doubleneck Emerald still has the same battery in it, getting close to a year now.
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Old 12-23-2017, 05:56 PM
M Hayden M Hayden is offline
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It could be shorting through the jack. You can test it by pulling out the jack and checking for connectivity across the two leads which act as the switch, which are ring and switch in the diagram below.

http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/i-1521/i-1521.pdf

Also, check that the connectors haven’t bent and shorted through the screw-on metal shielding cap (if it’s installed). I’ve found that condition on a couple of guitars and it’s led me to use heat-shrink tubing on each separate connector on any Switchjack I install, because it isolates the switching connectors from each other and from the cap.

-mh
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Old 12-23-2017, 06:49 PM
Gordon Currie Gordon Currie is offline
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This is why I refuse to have a battery in a guitar ever. Twice I've been onstage when my partner's guitar battery died.

I'm working to get them to replace it ASAP.
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Old 12-23-2017, 08:00 PM
AcouStickistNS AcouStickistNS is offline
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Default Bridged circuits

Quote:
Originally Posted by M Hayden View Post
It could be shorting through the jack. You can test it by pulling out the jack and checking for connectivity across the two leads which act as the switch, which are ring and switch in the diagram below.

http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/i-1521/i-1521.pdf

Also, check that the connectors haven’t bent and shorted through the screw-on metal shielding cap (if it’s installed). I’ve found that condition on a couple of guitars and it’s led me to use heat-shrink tubing on each separate connector on any Switchjack I install, because it isolates the switching connectors from each other and from the cap.

-mh
Not quite what you recommended, but once I opened this, I found a tiny bit of metal flash coming off the shield connection touching the tip connection. I was able to clear it off with a screwdriver. No short circuits, pulled out my multi tester and checked as you suggested. I'm also going to put in a favorite Rayovac battery. Found an Energizer dated for 2018 running low on juice.

Thanks!
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Old 12-24-2017, 11:26 PM
BT55 BT55 is offline
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Many guitars use the end pin to switch the battery. Shorts in the end pin or leaving a cord connected will drain the battery. I’ve spoken to a few gigging guitarists and they use rechargeable 9 volt batteries so they know that they have full power for each performance. Check your jack for a short. Even the slightest connection of the "tangs" will turn on your pre-amp and drain the battery.
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Last edited by BT55; 01-14-2018 at 09:49 AM.
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Old 12-25-2017, 12:23 AM
M Hayden M Hayden is offline
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Glad it helped! . Switching jacks are fussy creatures, but treated right they behave well.
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Old 12-25-2017, 02:03 PM
cloudyafternoon cloudyafternoon is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BT55 View Post
Many guitars use the end pin to switch the battery. Shorts in the end pin or leaving a cord connected will drain the battery. I’ve spoken to a few gigging guitarists and they use rechargeable 9 volt batteries so they know that they have full power for each performance.
^ This! I use high-capacity NiMH rechargable 9vs in my 3 acoustics with preamps. If I ever wonder about their current capacity, I throw them on a charger during the day and they’re good to go!
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Old 01-11-2018, 07:16 PM
Dirty Bill Dirty Bill is offline
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I had a bunch of (NEW) dead batteries in my drawer. All's well now.
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Old 01-11-2018, 07:43 PM
rockabilly69 rockabilly69 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gordon Currie View Post
This is why I refuse to have a battery in a guitar ever. Twice I've been onstage when my partner's guitar battery died.

I'm working to get them to replace it ASAP.
Probably be smarter to teach the guitarist to change his battery every few string changes. In the last 15 years I've never had a battery die on stage and that's playing 5 gigs a week.
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