Only Durracell Batteries Work ?

[Mike Jenkins]

About a month ago my bass goes silent. No problem I thought, time to replace the batteries. Except the passive mode doesn't work either so I'm freak'n out. I replace the batteries just to see what happens...the passive mode now works but no active. I'm a little less freak'd but still freak'd none the less. I'm dreading sending my bass back to Ken cuz I'm to busy to be without it for even one day. So I've been doing everything in passive mode for the past month.

Everyday getting "Miss White" fixed, (an old girlfriend's name...don't tell my wife) is on my mind. But then I get this idea. I usually use Duracell batteries, no particular reason. Thats what was in Miss White before she lost her voice. But I replaced the Duracells with Energizers. No reason, just grabbed the first batteries I saw at the store. When the Energizers didn't bring back the active mode I figured they must be a bad batch of batteries so I get some more batteries that just so happen to be Rayovack. When the Rayovacs didn't bring back the active side I figured the circuits must really be fried. They don't smell fried. I don't remember anything weird happening like a power surge when she fell silent. But the circuits aren't working so they must be fried.

So every week for the past month I keep saying I'll call Ken and send Miss White in after this weekend. So back to my idea..I'm about to call Ken and I say to myself "Why don't I try Durracells?!?!?!? What have I got to loose?" I buy a fresh pair of 9volts, plug them in and Miss Whites got her active voice back again!!!!!!!!!!!

But I'm as confused as I ever could be. Why are Duracells the only batteries that give Miss White an active voice? And why did she loose her passive voice when the other batteries died??? She may still be sick, some sort of electronic cancer that only Dr. Smith and his staff can detect and cure I guess. Any thoughts?

[Ken Smith]

THis is strange. Any standard size 9v should work with a Smith Bass circuit if properly connected to the clips.

Passive? No batteries needed at all to work the passive. Just lift the volume knob gently and the active is disengaged and you have a passive bass with pickup balance control.

I don't know what's wrong but it all sounds strange to me..

Ok, I have to get back to sleep now. I have a gig in 12 hours.. (no batteries or amp!)

[Hajime Hirose]

I also think the symptom is strange. However, please remind each makers make different size of 9V batteries. Like Duracell, Panasonic, Sony and so on. Each size are not same. If you compare two different 9V batteries, you may notice.
Usually, Smith doesn't have no problem, since battery is in the cavity. The basses which have battery box have something due to this size problem.
I have talked with Gotoh (Gotoh makes tuners, battery boxes and bridges for many companies), it has many inquiries for that.

[Hajime Hirose]

And when Gotoh made first battery box, there was only one size. But now, there are difference.