I bought a new VG a couple of weeks ago and I have really enjoyed it with the exception of its insatiable appetite for AA batteries. (Yes I unplug the cord when not in use). the book says 8 to 10 hours per battery pack. Its more like 3 or 4...

I was playing thru the humbucker setting this morning at Church getting ready to play a lead on this one song when my guitar died. By the time I figured it out my 4 bars were gone.. and I was beholden to our Pianist who covered for me and was grinning like the Cheshire cat at Alice's Tea party... I know fresh batteries...

Anybody else have this problem?

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I'm not slow... and I'm not fast... just sort of halffast...

not sure, but with active systems in guitars(and I assume a guitar with modeling features has to have some kind of active circuit,) remember that plugging a cord into the output jack usually acts as an on/off switch, and basically taps the battery, so you need to be careful to unplug it whenever its not in use, to avoid risk of accidentally draining the battery for no reason.

not sure if VG's work this way, but most guitars with active circuitry do.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

Thanks twelvebar... It is an active system and yes when the chord is in the jack it turns the system on. However I do unplug it after the set. I am more interested in how much battery life other VG users are getting.

If this is typical of other active systems I am investing in rechargeable batteries. The guitar is versital in that I can go from acoustic to electric and play slide in an open G without having 3 different guitars. Oh and I am discovering some uses for the baritone option as well.

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I'm not slow... and I'm not fast... just sort of halffast...

I'd think of buying Nickel Metal Hydride batteries. They have a longer life, and are rechargable. I'd keep an extra set charged and ready to go. They are meant for electronic devices. I use them all the time for devices that go through batteries, and I bought a charger that can charge them from dead to full charge in only 10 mins. That type of charger is a few bucks more......but very worth it. Great for kids that go through batteries for toys too.

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"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne

sorry to not have been of help. the VG sounds like a fun tool.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

Hi, I have a VGStrat and I use Nickel Metal Hydride batteries.

I picked up a Kodak K6200 1-Hour Charger - it came with 4 2500 mAh AA batteries. I also bought a second set of those same batteries.

I get from 7 to 8 hours of playing from a single charge. The 1-Hour charger needs 2 1/2 hours + to charge 4 of the 2500 mAh AAs.

The total cost was about $36 - I picked them up at either a Walmart or a Staples - I don't remember.

The VGStrat manual says to get 10 hours of playing to use 2600 to 2700 mAh batteries - but I didn't find them, so I went with the next best thing. The ones I got work fine, and having 2 sets allows me to play and charge the other set if I had to at the same time.

Hope this helps,
Gil

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Where ever you go, there you are

1998 Ovation 1861 Standard Balladeer Natural
Taka - 2005 Squier '51 Black
Yume - 2006 Squier Strat Cherryburst
Houbi - 2008 Fender VG Strat Blizzard Pearl - won here
Fender Super Champ XD; Vox DA-5

Best Buy also sells all that stuff. That's where I bought my 10 minute charger.

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"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne

Thanks everyone Gil and Sy I'll be at Walmart today. Twelvebar you were a big help. Your comment about active systems pointed me in the right direction.

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I'm not slow... and I'm not fast... just sort of halffast...