My guitars all have variations of the Darling electronics. My two gigging guitars also have an additional boost which I use for maybe three songs in a 30 song set list.


If a guitar gets an average of 7 hours of playing time a week. Any idea how long the battery should last?

On my non-Series guitars, the battery lasts so long that I'm not even sure as I forget the last time I replaced it.  I'm talking many months or likely over a year, at least.  If I remember, I think I'll date the battery with a sharpie the next time I change one.  I have been known to test the battery just before a gig, and I ALWAYS carry a spare.

Bill, tgo

I always have a spare as well.  Better to be safe than sorry. I thought I got close to a year on one of them but I can't remember.

When I was using my non series guitar regularly for touring I changed the battery about every 6 months as a matter of course even if it still had a good charge. The old ones can used for other less critical items in the home. A few times I checked the battery and was surprised how low it was and still playing fine. I've never had a battery go down on stage. Mostly I use duracell with energiser as second choice.

Note that older non-Series instruments (probably 1989 and earlier) use a higher drain op amp that you'll probably change once a month as opposed to once or twice a year. Back then we could get low-drain op amps, but they were very noisy. Now the low drain ones are nice and quiet.

I used to date the batteries with a Sharpie pen, but still couldn't remember which ones I'd changed or when without opening up the control cavity anyway.

I wonder if maybe a little vinyl static like they put on your car windshield at the oil-change shop... or something like the appointment-reminder card they give you at the dentist office, left in the case... that could work.

I'm getting ready to do a battery change-out on several basses... maybe I'll try those ideas out.

I just write the date I changed them on a big sheet of paper, and keep it in the case.  Mine takes 5 9v's, and I need to change them every 6 months, or distortion occurs.  (It's a bass, though!)

I keep batteries in my case and backpack! Never had one fail while performing.

I'll go along with Darrell on that one - much better to have one and not need it than the other way around.