A popular option for many bass guitar owners is to install a preamp, such as one made by John East, Glockenklang, Delano, Bartolini, Nordstrand or another manufacturer.
In order for the preamp to work, you have to power it. And while there are many ways to power a bass guitar’s preamp system, here are 4 to take into consideration.
Battery box
This is where you would route out a separate space for a battery box, usually in the back of the guitar, and power your preamp that way.
Internal battery in control compartment
This is an alternative to your typical battery box routed area, where instead of a box, the battery is held either by a clip or by simply using foam to hold the battery in place.
Here is an example of a battery in a control compartment:
Internal battery under the pick guard
By “under” we mean “physically below,” as in physically below the pick guard. This is an option used often by owners of Fender or Fender-like style instruments that want to keep the bass looking as original as possible. The drawback of course is that every time you want to change the battery, the pick guard must come off first.
Here is an example of a battery mounted under the pick guard:
Phantom power
What is phantom power? It’s DC (direct current) power that in this context is transmitted through the instrument cable itself (important note: must be a stereo cable to be able to carry the current.) You’ve heard of phantom-powered microphones. Phantom-powered bass preamps work in a very similar way.
The only thing you have to decide is where to get your phantom power from.
Usually, the two most convenient places for a bass player to get phantom power from is either from a pedal or from the amplifier.
An example of a pedal that has a phantom power option is EMG ES-9 for 9-volt, and the ES-18 for 18-volt.
For phantom power direct from the amplifier, EBS does make an amplifier that can supply it.
Got questions about phantom power or battery applications for your bass guitar preamp? Ask us directly.
You can email us at sales@bestbassgear.com or call direct at +1 (877) 839-3531
You can also use an outboard phantom power supply. My favorite solution is a phantom powered FET input DI, which can then be sent to a mic pre, a passive DI run backwards like a re-amp setup or a mic splitter for distribution.
It IS in face possible to superimpose DC on AC signals, but a stereo cable makes it much more convenient.
I have 7 active basses and got tired of changing out batteries so I converted them all to phantom power. Now when I build preamps I can use any type or quantity of opamps or JFET’s I want and don’t have to worry about dead batteries from current draw.