Question Battery Compartment Cover

[danny-79]

Does anybody know where I can get a silver plate battery cover ?
I'm wanting to do away with the plastic/standard battery compartment, I have broken a couple so starting to think life would be a lot more simple if I just put a standard battery snap on, wrap the battery up in a bit of foam and covering it up with a plate.
Can I order these direct from Ernie Ball and.... will they retro fit (don't want to drill any holes) etc
Thanks in advance

 

[sanderhermans]

If you want to do it like you say you will have to drill 2 holes as with the classics. But on classic series they do not use wood screws but two small bolts with 2 inlays in the body. Ask customer service if you can get a complete fitting set as oposed to just the plate.

But how do you brake them so often?

 

[danny-79]

If you want to do it like you say you will have to drill 2 holes as with the classics. But on classic series they do not use wood screws but two small bolts with 2 inlays in the body. Ask customer service if you can get a complete fitting set as oposed to just the plate.

But how do you brake them so often?

Thanks, what I was after, and quite possibly best of is getting them made to order, use a tracing from the outside of the top of the battery box then get them made up, just at a loss to the ware to get them made.

Don't know how I manage to break them so often!, I replaced one on my buttercreme Stingray due to a wire breaking off, and both have been changed since at some point of other due to the battery not sitting in there 100% correctly, so with a quick tap, or catching it on an item of clothing it is enough to break the signal on/off,

The quick change box is great for just that, but then there is the different brands being different sizes issue/debate so for the frequency they are changed I can quite happily live with out it (they just cause me more trouble than there worth basically)

 

[sanderhermans]

Yeah. I like it like on the classics better too. Much more firm and looks better. And a batery change i do it about once a year wich is propably still too much. I really should measure how much power is left in em before changing em....
as for your idea, it sounds like a good plan. But cant help you as for where to have it done... luthier, hardware store,....

 

[Spudmurphy]

Danny- I did just that on my yamaha bass. I bought it as a project (set up isues, truss rod adjustment, paint repair using drop fill technique).
The battery compartment was shot, so I traced the outside perimeter of the battery compartment onto a piece of aluminium, cut it out and polished it. It looks and works fine. Aluminium is easy to work with and polishes up to as shinny as you want it.

Let me know if you need a picture?

 

[danny-79]

Danny- I did just that on my yamaha bass. I bought it as a project (set up isues, truss rod adjustment, paint repair using drop fill technique).
The battery compartment was shot, so I traced the outside perimeter of the battery compartment onto a piece of aluminium, cut it out and polished it. It looks and works fine. Aluminium is easy to work with and polishes up to as shinny as you want it.

Let me know if you need a picture?

Yeah thanks Spud, a picture to see how you got on would be great, never thought of using Aluminium id got Chrome in mind

 

[danny-79]

Thought I'd dig this up rather than start a new one, does anybody know if this will line up with the existing holes on the Stingray ware the battery box is ? or is it a replacement for the Classic, two holes, different shape, just no picture on the website
Ernie Ball UK - Music Man Battery Plate - chrome

 

[sanderhermans]

This will fit a classic stingray but propably won't cover up the gap and the holes on a normal sr4 but for 10£ you could try one out.... if you want i can unscrew my classic sr4 cover and hold it up to one of my other ray's tomorrow?

 

[danny-79]

This will fit a classic stingray but propably won't cover up the gap and the holes on a normal sr4 but for 10£ you could try one out.... if you want i can unscrew my classic sr4 cover and hold it up to one of my other ray's tomorrow?

That's what I thought, but yeah if you could do a comparison that would be great, if it will cover the old marks all good thank you !

 

[vates]

at some point of other due to the battery not sitting in there 100% correctly, so with a quick tap, or catching it on an item of clothing it is enough to break the signal on/off,

It happened regularly on my Bongo. Had to bend contacts back to restore a good signal. I figured it happened when the bass was stored mostly vertically: the contacts were bent under the weight of the batteries. If I'm ever gigging actively with this bass again, I will definitely toss the plastic box and install a metal cover and add some foam wrap.

 

[danny-79]

It happened regularly on my Bongo. Had to bend contacts back to restore a good signal. I figured it happened when the bass was stored mostly vertically: the contacts were bent under the weight of the batteries. If I'm ever gigging actively with this bass again, I will definitely toss the plastic box and install a metal cover and add some foam wrap.

I have a habit of catching them on ANYTHING that I might be dressed in and breaking them. I have changed the compartment more often than the battery inside of it!
Not been unlucky enough to damage one while playing a gig but its in the post!
I started this thread a little over a year ago, that was when I broke the last one, decided to give a new one another chance (manly motivated by not being able to find a "nice" way of covering the hole over if I just put a battery snap in ) and broke it again a couple of weeks ago while at rehearsal so not had much luck with them .... user error but it happens (regularly in my case )

 

[vates]

I'd use a metal plate despite it's not being the "nice way". This bass stays here for long. And if it'll become more reliable - it'll stay here no matter what

 

[sanderhermans]

Well danny i did some research on my basses. I took my classic sr4 cover to compare to the rest.
-classic stingrays and older ones like my 94 ray have the same size plate. So they are exactly the same.
- the metal plate will NOT cover up the cavity and holes on sub 4
- it will also NOT cover up the holes of the new style batery box like on my 2014 pdn ray.
It WILL cover up the cavity and the screw holes on older style cover like the one on my 1998 sterling.

Since your basses are 2005. I am not sure what style box is there with you. I will try to post pictures right away. The batery box on my sterling is aprox: 7.0 X 2.9 Centimeters.

 

[sanderhermans]

This will work:


This will not:

 

[sanderhermans]

Another link where you can see what type of batery box you should have to do the conversion:
Google Afbeeldingen resultaat voor http://www.bass-guitar-museum.com/uploads/bass/27/180606912417-1.jpg

 

[danny-79]

Thank you Sanderhermans for all the effort in yours posts, much appreciated.
The battery boxes on my Ray's outside measurement is 7x3cm so i'm guessing thats the same as what is on your Neptune Blue Stingray (love that blue by the way).
I have an old battery box that I have taken to various key cutting style shops to see if I can get one made, just trace the outline of the box to make the plate just not found anybody to do it, well one did try made it out of aluminium, cut by hand, nasty .....

 

[sanderhermans]

Thank you Sanderhermans for all the effort in yours posts, much appreciated.
The battery boxes on my Ray's outside measurement is 7x3cm so i'm guessing thats the same as what is on your Neptune Blue Stingray (love that blue by the way).
I have an old battery box that I have taken to various key cutting style shops to see if I can get one made, just trace the outline of the box to make the plate just not found anybody to do it, well one did try made it out of aluminium, cut by hand, nasty .....

If your box is 7 by 3 then you will be able to use the musicman metal plate. This is the size used i my sterling. The one in the neptune blue ray is larger.

 

[danny-79]

If your box is 7 by 3 then you will be able to use the musicman metal plate. This is the size used i my sterling. The one in the neptune blue ray is larger.

OK nice one, ill order one and see how it goes, nothing to lose will report back with findings
Thanks again !

 

[danny-79]

My bridge saddles are back ordered until the 15th of this month so I have an open order at the min so I just sent an email requesting they add a battery cover to the final list

 

[danny-79]

My bridge saddles are back ordered until the 15th of this month so I have an open order at the min so I just sent an email requesting they add a battery cover to the final list

Impressed, email back next day, and a Sunday!
just for the record open orders cannot have items added to them, just make a new one
(trying to save on postage )