If you have a set of some of the newest guitar pickups, or some form of active tone control, or a mixer/preamp installed in your guitar, you also have to provide power for it. In the past you tried to find a place a 9 VDC battery could be stuffed into you guitar. Often it would rattle - between the springs of your vibrator bridge, or it would die right in the middle of a set, or it was stuck right in the middle of your sound hole.
Fishman, who uses an active pream/mixer for their Powerbridge piezo bridges for Fender guitars, and now have a line of active pickups have come up with a set of power solutions that are both technically advanced and don't look unsightly. This model is the 3rd in the series that includes a replacement rear cover with the electronics built in for a Fender Stratocaster or a Gibson Les Paul. With the electronics, a cell phone type battery pack and charger/regulator, now "loose" this technology can be made to work in a wider variety of guitars.
I have an active "floating" pickup on my archtop guitar and found trying to mount a battery a real problem. I purchased this set, it mounted easily under the suspended pickguard and, aside from the socket to stick in the USB charging cable, can't be seen. The cable is even long enough that in an emergency -like I forgot to check the charge before a set - the charging cable can be connected and plugged into a power strip while playing.
The small size will allow minimal work to install in guitars without large control cavities - it would easily install in a pair of small cutouts under most pickguards, in fact, the battery would most likely be able to mount under a standard humbucker.
I think it will really give a nice option to player who use archtop/hollow/semi-hollow bodied guitars. It can be mounted under the pickguard without having to try and mount it through the "F" holes.
I think it is small enough to mount on the neck block of an acoustic guitar - and with a bit of work - the recharging port can be accessed with removing the strings.
For a price in the range of a top quality pickup it really is an outstanding solution to the on-board power issue for guitarists.
if you are using the active Fluence pickups and have a place to install it on your guitar then you need this.I installed one in the cavity of my Chibson with its battery. fit perfect. Now on my Dangelico 335 it was a bit of a logistical issue butI put it under the pick-guard with a small hole drilled into it to access the charging port.
Love it!
I’ve been wanting a rechargeable pack for my active pickups and now finally I’ve got it. Works great and got it a day earlier than expected. Two thumbs up.