Hi I have just got a Yamaha silent guitar which I like. It runs on a 9v battery. Yamaha recommend alkaline ones. Is there a rechargeable worth getting or is it just better to get the use and throw ones. I will be touring with it so I will need to stock up.

One other option you may not have thought about. Yamaha's AG stomp might be an ideal partner for your silent guitar. As well as offering excellent mic modelling and effects it has another trick up it's sleeve. It comes with all the necessary bits and pieces to phantom power your guitar. All you need to add is a stereo lead.

It's a fantastic piece of kit. I've demo'd it to a local player who has vintage Martin Tenor guitar fitted with a humbucking Fishman Rare Earth. His live sound was already excellent, but the AG Stomp took it up another notch. And it has flexible outputs, including an optical digital out.

And no batteries ever again!! Do the maths and see how many Duracells you would have to save throwing away to pay for it. Not as many as you might think. But if you are using batteries I would suggest that rechargables aren't a great option. Most pre-amps were designed to use disposables, although it might be worth checking with Yamaha UK tech support to see if they recommend rechargables or not. Oh, one last tip. Instead of buying hi power batteries like duracell, just buy boxs of standard batteries wholesale. Change it for every gig and use it again for soundcheck next day. You'll never worry about your battery going during a show.

Hope that helps

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When the going gets weird, the Weird turn Pro.

The cheap battery tip isn't very green, but it does save money. There was a Which? report on batteries a while back. Although the more expensive batteries do last longer, and I think Duracell were one of the best, you pay a fortune for those extra few minutes. If you buy the cheapest batteries they will always give you the most hours/pound... and it isn't even close.

The only reasons to buy the best batteries are if it's awkward to change, really needs to run non-stop, or to save a small amount of toxic waste.

Rechargeables would give you a similar effect to the stack of cheapies, but you need to be together enough to make sure you've always got some ready and some on charge.

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www.bemuso.com

Thanks for both your posts. They helped.