Longest Battery Life Wireless Guitar Systems

Ever been there? It’s the climax of the song, the crowd is going nuts, and your mind is in a flow-state. It’s in those moments that you realize the reasons why you stuck with music for so long, till suddenly, your wireless runs out of battery.

The thrill is gone, the buzz dies, the faces your trusted band members give you are nothing but a blank stare. You were sure that the batteries/charge from the last show were going to last, yet couldn’t quite make it through the 2nd set.

Well, I’m not sure if you’ve been there but I have quite a few times with a number of my old wireless guitar systems. Nobody needs to go through that.

So what is the best wireless guitar system for battery life? The wireless guitar system’s that have the longest battery life is the Shure GLXD16, Shure GLXD14R, and the Shure GLXD14 all with 16 hours of continuous playtime. All 3 of these systems carry the same transmitter, but each one uses a different receiver. The transmitter uses a rechargeable 3.7-Volt Lithium-Ion Battery that can be charged by a micro USB or the charging port attached to the Shure GLXD14R or Shure GLXD14. Although the Boss WL-60 claims it has 25 hours of battery life, it only has 10 hours during continuous use.

With only 15 minutes of charging the transmitter gives you 1.5 hours of playtime, this is great for a bad situation. The metering for the lithium-Ion battery is exceptionally accurate. Therefore there will be no surprises in the middle of a gig.

The 2 Ways to Charge Your Wireless Guitar Transmitter

Although the vast majority of the wireless receivers have a wall or DC charge, wireless transmitters are a different story. There are two types of wireless transmitters in terms of how they are charged: either Rechargeable batteries or disposable batteries.

1. Rechargeable Batteries– When you charge your wireless transmitter with a USB Port. Some wireless guitar systems have an attached charging port
2. Disposable Batteries– When a transmitter needs consistent purchases of batteries, every 1-8 shows. This entirely depends on the wireless guitar system and how long your shows last. Most transmitters take 2 AA, some take 9V.  

Rechargeable Wireless Guitar Systems Transmitters

Below is a list of Wireless Guitar Systems that use rechargeable batteries. These units definitely have their perks in saving money over time by cutting out the yearly cost and hassle of buying batteries every week or so.

The transmitters are charged by either micro USB or the receiver has a charging port in which you plug the transmitter in while the receiver is turned on. The fact that you are not swapping out batteries every week makes these units more environmentally friendly. Of the list below, I’m currently a delighted user of the Shure GLXD 16.

List of Rechargeable Wireless Guitar Systems:
Highest Battery Life To Lowest

A Quick Video Of Charging My Shure GLXD-16 Before A Wedding Gig.

The most comfortable and convenient way to charge the Shure GLXD 16 is to bring a USB charger to your gigs and charge it before the show.
I keep my USB plug in my pedalboard case. When I’m done setting up, I charge my transmitter by plugging it in my pedalboard power supply.

This saves you the hassle of needing to charge your wireless when you’re not out playing a show. Video Example Below

Wireless Guitar Systems That Need Batteries 

Unlike the wireless guitar systems that use rechargeable batteries like the list above, these transmitters need consistent purchases of batteries. I used to be an owner of a few of these wireless guitar systems in the past.

After the 2nd/3rd time of my battery dying sooner than it was expected to, I started taking no chances. I began changing the batteries before every single show. To be fair, the majority of my gigs are 3-4 hours long. Although the battery didn’t die mid-show while I began changing them every time, battery cost began piling up.

It was also a slight inconvenience remembering to bring batteries to every show. I ended up buying a large carton of AA batteries and took up an entire compartment in my gig bag. However, wireless guitar systems that need batteries do have their perks as well! They tend to fall on the slightly cheaper side.

List of Wireless Guitar System That Needs Batteries (Highest Battery Life To Lowest)

The Reasons Why I Consistently Recommend The Shure GLXD 16

Between the three units that have the longest rechargeable battery life, Shure GLXD 16, Shure GLXD 14, and Shure GLXD 14R; I use and strongly recommend the GLXD 16. It is significantly more convenient because the receiver attaches to my pedalboard and I use it as my tuner as well.

But I must say, there are multiple reasons why the Shure GLXD series is, in my opinion, the best wireless choice to go for all mid/high-level musicians. The List below is about my personal experience with the GLXD-16 and why I believe musicians should look no further.

1. The Tone Is Flawless- I tested it between my Mogami cable and the wireless, no difference.
2. Durability– Most units I personally owned died by sweat damage or parts of the transmitter will break from either impact or touring conditions. The Transmitter comes in Metal casing, add the Neotech Wireless Pouch to protect it from moisture/more impact. 
3. Signal Strength/Reliability- ZERO DROPOUTS. For the year I have had it, big stage, small stage, tall stage, bar, brick, etc ZERO DROPOUTS. 
   (If that changes on any of my upcoming shows I will come back to correct this) It has continuous interference monitoring and automatic frequency switching that eliminates signal interruption.
4. Convenience- GLXD 16 is a tuner as well, when I bought this I returned my $97 Poly Tune tuner. Works just as good as it, a 2 in one deal. 
5. Battery life- 16 hours of battery life per charge(most out of every wireless). Unlike The Line 6 G50, you don’t have to buy extra batteries for this wireless. I save roughly 5 dollars a week.
6. Range- The range is 200 feet radius which is great for a digital wireless unit. Me and the guitarist have a part in our show where we do a solo battle in the crowd. There have been many times with the other units I had would cut out when I reach a certain point, it has not happened yet with the GLXD 16.
7. Rare Combination/Competitive Price – Usually mid-high level grade wireless units lack 1 or 2 of the following. Especially for the price.

What If I Don’t Gig Often And I Want A Low Budget Wireless.

If you don’t play often and want a low budget wireless for fun, or you just want to practice on the couch without your dog tripping on the cord; Than I recommend you to take a look at Top 10 Wireless Systems Under $200. There you will find what you’re looking for. With the latest technology, it’s quite amazing how cheap some of the wireless guitar systems have become over the years.

The Bottom Line

We understand that battery life is not the make or break when purchasing a wireless guitar system. In my opinion, 5 things determine an excellent wireless system.

1. Reliability -Signal strength, little to no dropouts
2. Durability- Able to last long/withstand touring conditions
3. Tone- Does it negatively affect guitar or bass tone compared to a quality cable
4. Convenience- Battery life, setup simplicity, easier instrument change, pedalboard attachable 
5. Range- Able to have a strong signal to cover a big stage, or perform in the crowd 

Battery life/Battery Type falls under the Convenience Category. If you have never owned a wireless, you quite won’t understand why convenience plays a big role in choosing a wireless instrument system. If you want to see the full review of the GLXD 16, click here.

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