Avoiding internal battery bags

[tseliot]

Hi all,

I'm probably going to have my first gig soon in an acoustic duo (guitar + voice), nothing too fancy, it will be in a pub, I'll keep it simple, and it's just for fun.

I'm only used to playing my acoustic guitars unplugged, and following a friend's suggestion, I was planning to get a mixer (the Behringer XENYX 1202FX), so that I can connect both my guitar and my friend's microphone to it, but now I'm wondering about the guitar itself.

I have a couple of guitars (a Walden G3030CE and an Eastman AC322CE) that already have electronics but the battery bag is on the inside, and I find it really annoying to take the strings off, or to loosen them up, just to change the battery. In addition to that, I'm very nervous about ruining the nitro finish, given the temperature here.

I'm considering either installing a passive pickup in my Epiphone DR-500M, or buying the amplified cutaway version with electronics (the DR-500MCE), which comes with a battery slot on the outside (and the amplified sound seem to be ok, at least on youtube). If I were to go with the first option, could you recommend a good pickup, and how to get decent sound out of it please (maybe a preamp? Which one?)? Or shall I avoid the trouble and go with the latter option (the DR-500MCE)?

Thank you in advance

Note: I can't try the DR-500MCE as the shops don't have it in stock around here, but I really like my DR-500M

[kydave]

Put a K&K Pure Mini in the Epi that you like, buy a K&K Pure XLR Preamp (does your PA provide phantom power?) and be done with it!



P.S. FWIW - I've returned every Behringer product I've tried.

[Petty1818]

The K&K would not be my first choice for a pub gig. I find far too many people recommend it without really taking into consideration the venue and style of music.

As for the battery issue, you really only need to change the battery once a year and by the sounds of it, it will be even longer since you are not a regular gigging musician. I don't see how this is annoying. Also, what finish will be hurt inside the guitar?

[tseliot]

Originally Posted by kydave

Put a K&K Pure Mini in the Epi that you like, buy a K&K Pure XLR Preamp (does your PA provide phantom power?) and be done with it!

From what I understand, the Behringer has microphone preamps that support phantom power. I haven't been to the pub yet, so I'm not sure what their PA system is like.

http://www.behringer.com/assets/1002FX_1202FX_M_EN.pdf

Originally Posted by kydave

P.S. FWIW - I've returned every Behringer product I've tried.

Have you tried this specific model?

[jseth]

If you don't want to sell off the Eastman or the Walden, I'd give those pickups a try (probably the Eastman will be better). I agree that having a battery inside the guitar is a pain in the butt to deal with, but you need to realize how LONG the battery will last once you have it installed...

Most pickups with batteries aren't "on" until you plug a cord into the guitar... getting into the habit of unplugging your guitar when it won't be used for a longer period of time will increase that battery life 10 fold... in the guitars I currently own or the ones I've had before that had internal batteries, the life of the battery is SO LONG that it's easy to forget exactly "how long" have I had this in the guitar?

I have taken to writing down the date when I install a new battery, both on the battery itself as well as on my calendar and on a iece of paper that goes into the string pocket of the case... just so I know. Then, based upon the number of gigs I've played or the times I have had the guitar amplified, I can more easily gauge the life of the battery. Just by paying a modicum of attention to that, I have NEVER had a battery go dead while I'm on stage performing.

With the Baggs Anthem SL systems in my "stage" guitars, with a limited gigging schedule, I get a year easy from the batteries in them.

Certainly from a "cost effective" point of view, much better to deal with the guitars that already have pickups in them...

I have a Goodall Grand Concert that I absolutely was unwilling to put a battery inside; for that, I have the exact set-up that kydave mentioned; a K&K Pure Western Mini (passive) that I run to the K&K PURE XLR preamp... with either my Bose T1 or my AER Compact 60, I use the "phantom power" to power the preamp. The PURE XLR is battery powered, but will accept a phantom power level so one need not change the battery. Sounds is very good (I didn't like it much without the preamp) but I think I would still want to put an SM57 on it for a bit of string noise and "breath", as those are characteristics that a sound board transducer like the the K&K do not pickup at all...

Oh, and the Behringer? The high end stuff they make is the BOMB, the low end stuff, ... not so much. Too cheap for my tastes, but many people like the lower cost products quite a lot... so you're on your own about that little mixer thingamajig...

[tseliot]

Originally Posted by Petty1818

The K&K would not be my first choice for a pub gig. I find far too many people recommend it without really taking into consideration the venue and style of music.

What do you recommend then?

Originally Posted by Petty1818

As for the battery issue, you really only need to change the battery once a year and by the sounds of it, it will be even longer since you are not a regular gigging musician. I don't see how this is annoying.

This might be the first of a series of gigs, who knows

Originally Posted by Petty1818

Also, what finish will be hurt inside the guitar?

I don't think they spray nitro finish on the inside of the guitar. I was obviously referring to the outside. The Epiphone has a poly finish, which won't crack because of the temperature.

[tseliot]

Originally Posted by jseth

Most pickups with batteries aren't "on" until you plug a cord into the guitar... getting into the habit of unplugging your guitar when it won't be used for a longer period of time will increase that battery life 10 fold... in the guitars I currently own or the ones I've had before that had internal batteries, the life of the battery is SO LONG that it's easy to forget exactly "how long" have I had this in the guitar?

I had no idea. This certainly makes thing much less annoying.

Originally Posted by jseth

Certainly from a "cost effective" point of view, much better to deal with the guitars that already have pickups in them...

Yes, it sure sounds like it.

Originally Posted by jseth

Sound is very good (I didn't like it much without the preamp) but I think I would still want to put an SM57 on it for a bit of string noise and "breath", as those are characteristics that a sound board transducer like the the K&K do not pickup at all...

It makes sense, thanks

Originally Posted by jseth

Oh, and the Behringer? The high end stuff they make is the BOMB, the low end stuff, ... not so much. Too cheap for my tastes, but many people like the lower cost products quite a lot... so you're on your own about that little mixer thingamajig...

I've seen my friend use it live, and it seemed to be ok for the price.

[royd]

how often do you change strings? Depending on how often you're gigging, change the battery when you change the strings (or every other or every third time... etc.) and don't worry about it.

Just for example, the Fishman Matrix has 384 hours of battery life per their materials. Remember that is plugged in time. So, if you play a 5 hour gig once a week, that battery should last approximately 76 weeks, almost 1.5 years. You can do the math. At that rate, if you changed it once a year you'd have a nice margin of safety. Just remember not to leave the guitar plugged in on a stand in your bedroom as that turns the battery on. Any time it is plugged in, it is drawing juice. Any time it is not, it is not.

[tseliot]

Originally Posted by royd

Just for example, the Fishman Matrix has 384 hours of battery life per their materials. Remember that is plugged in time. So, if you play a 5 hour gig once a week, that battery should last approximately 76 weeks, almost 1.5 years. You can do the math. At that rate, if you changed it once a year you'd have a nice margin of safety. Just remember not to leave the guitar plugged in on a stand in your bedroom as that turns the battery on. Any time it is plugged in, it is drawing juice. Any time it is not, it is not.

Yes, it sounds reasonable, and I won't leave the guitar plugged in when I don't use it.

Thanks everyone for your help

[janmulder]

As mentioned above ... batteries last a long time. If you change the battery when you change the strings then you probably won't ever need to change the battery in between.

But really, changing an internal battery is no big deal. I changed out my battery during the interval in my last gig. I thought I could hear a little overdrive/distortion and to make sure it wasn't battery I swapped it. Dead easy to do. Remember, you don't need to loosen all strings (just a couple depending on how fat your hand is) and not all the way.

[tseliot]

Originally Posted by Dakedi

Remember, you don't need to loosen all strings (just a couple depending on how fat your hand is) and not all the way.

I'll keep that in mind, thanks