Ok guys I've run into a little issue here. When buying this bass, I was specifically looking for passive pickups for the convenience of not replacing the batteries periodically. At the time of purchase(Oct 17,2012), the Jackson website indicated nothing about active electronics on this bass(I suppose an inaccuracy by the webmasters). Even after specifically asking a few of the employees in the guitar department about the pickups, all of them were positive that they were passives. So today, I plug in the bass and get nearly no signal sometimes even having it cut out completely. I noticed that there were two compartments, one for the electronics and for a standard 9v battery. I'm not very well versed in electronics but I am pretty confident this is a sure sign of an active pickup system. The 3 Band EQ is just way too good to trade the bass for a JS2, so I'm wondering if there exist rechargeable 9v batteries I could use to power the active system. Thanks for any insight that you guys provide!

PS: I've heard from friends that to extend the life of your batteries you must unplug the cable from the guitar jack when it is not in use. Unfortunately I've been under the impression that I had passive pups so I've sometimes left it plugged in through the night. How long would one charge last me assuming I play 1-2 hrs a day while following this rule?

By the way, the bass is fantastic! You can get a plethora of sounds just from playing around with the onboard EQ, and it feels great. I'm just a little bummed over the website inaccuracies :/

they did not mislead you, you did not understand. the pickups are passive and USE a preamp behind them. so technically it is an active bass so yes you HAVE to unplug the cord or your battery will be dead in 2days.

on my main bass that has the jackson preamp in it, I play a good 10-15 hours a month on it at home and gigs, and the battery lasts at least 1/2 a year.

my other basses that are backups? I have had the batterys last for 2-3 years.

Ah ok, thanks for informing me how the whole EQ thing works. I was suspecting it to be strictly an issue with the preamp rather than the pickups, but since this is my first instrument to use any type of active electronics, I was clueless as to where the power was being supplied to. At first I lost all hope in active electronics but this half year thing has me optimistic again about the JS3!

might last longer...who knows.
some people frown on batteries, but why?.
You check a lot more stuff in preparing for a gig or a practice, so every now and then you test the battery. I use a wireless so I always have a 4pack in my bag.
For those who say it is an inconvenience, or just whine "I hate taking 3 minutes of my time to check".... That kinda makes me chuckle.