Help! Lots of buzz coming from bass : (

[frenchtoast]

Hey guys,

When i got my Lakland, i jumped for joy! But that joy got brought down a little because of the buzzing coming from the bass. It wasnt the amp, since my other jazz had no problem with it.

Sure i thought, its probably because of single coils. So i guess i needed to ground it.

I brought it to KC to get it grounded. No problem, it cost me $10.

I just played it and there doesnt seem to be a difference. Everytime i touch the pickups/strings the buzzing stops...etc. And when i turned the tone knob back it goes away as well. When my hands go off the bass, oh my it sounds like a gain pedal was left on.

Does anyone know the problem here? Its really upsetting to get a problem like this from a bass manufacturer with a good rep in QC.

Thanks guys

 

[yuujin]

same thing's happening on my jazz.
when i play at studios there's a very irritating buzz. (im using BL pups so they shouldnt buzz)
when i play at home with my hartke its dead quiet.

*sorry to hitchhike on your thread.

 

[frenchtoast]

Hey man, nice to know theres someone else up at 5 in the morning! Well i just discovered smtg odd. From the gods of electrical forces. When i walk around certain points in my room the buzz goes away. And at other specific places (eg in front of my pedals) the buzz comes back up. And at all times no hands on bass, just hung around my body.

I have no idea whats going on now, if it has to do with the table light. Currents...

I guess ill see how it goes during jamming on sunday. Weird.

 

[yuujin]

hey it could be due to some electrical interferences in your room.
or some unshielded power wires.

edit: awake due to post SMV awe. listening to the SMV cd on my tube amp. i feel like crying.

 

[itzs]

Help is on this link:

http://www.audereaudio.com/FAQ_PUNoise.htm

Basically, shield your pickup cavities. =) Had the same problem when i installed the audere preamp on my marcus miller bass. the audere makes everything clearer, including the noise (and my mistakes).

 

[KayCee]

It really sounds like you're using an amp with a 2 pin plug. There wasn't any buzz through amp and I did some extra grounding of the pots. If your amp is a 2 pin plug, you've got to get the plug changed to a 3 pin one.

 

[frenchtoast]

Thanks for the link itzs, i have an audere on my jazz but its all quiet.
Hey KC, well the amp's a 3 pin plug. Particular model is a Marshall Bass State B65.

It would be understandable if it were the way the currents are linked around my place that makes the amp go buzzy. But it only happens on the Lakland and not the Fender, with audere. So im trying to figure out whats going on, and as for the walking about my room thing. That makes it even harder to decipher.

Would you guys think it then needs shielding? Or what have you..

(Btw kicking myself for missing SMV! How was it?)

 

[KayCee]

Brice,

Are there any sources of interference around you. CRT monitors, refrigerators, air conditioning etc? Shielding can help but I suspect it's the pickups itself that are noisy. It was quiet through my amp though.

SMV was a really fun concert. There was a real effort to support each other. sitting right in front of the subwoofers was literally a visceral experience though

KC

 

[frenchtoast]

Well yea i guess alot. I dont really mind if its abit noisy in my room. My main concern would be for shows. I'll try it out during jamming tmr and see if theres any noise. If it pops up then maybe we can discuss on shiedling? Since i just read up that it can greatly reduce the noise coming from the pickups.

Ah, i should have went!

 

[aquanaut]

you are using el cheapo pick ups la... i, on the other hand use original fender pick ups....

 

[frenchtoast]

el cheapo? no man, on the jazz theres batolini's and on the lakland their new chi sonics pickup line. About 300 odd per pair.

 

[cherns]

you are using el cheapo pick ups la... i, on the other hand use original fender pick ups....

I really hope you meant that as a joke...

FT> Let me know if the buzz persists during your gig. It shouldn't, but if it does, just let me know.

 

[frenchtoast]

Thanks cherns

 

[yuujin]

chi-sonics eh...
id love to hear how they sound!

 

[frenchtoast]

You can check them out on the lakland site.

http://lakland.com/ac_j-sonic.htm

 

[blueprintstudios]

i should have the answer to your problem :

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...ndID=4945425&albumID=2071140&imageID=42435885

it's something to do with grounding of your guitar/the house. as seen in the photo, take a roll of aluminium foil , roll it securely like a really thick wire, then one end wrap in between frethead strings.
the other end form a toe ring, wrap around one of your toes.ensure contact.

and yes this makes you look like a dumbass , as you can see in the photo, it's the best cheapest solution onspot.

i know 0 about electronics, which explains the use of kitchenware. so any electronics guy who knows the technical workaround kindly pls suggest hehe.

let me know if it helps.

80cents worth.

 

[frenchtoast]

Man that looks really troublesome! Haha

 

[blueprintstudios]

works perfect for recording without tearing your guitar apart though

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

heh, alternatively, one can tie a long jumper wire to the bridge/pot/or anything metallic on the instrument body itself and the other end, tie to the finger, its the same principle, to the one shown in the pic.

Basically the idea is that we act as the ground path when we touch the metallic part of the instrument

theres a pic circulating online where the guitarist of mogwai did the jumper wire on bridge and tie to finger trick. Its a poor man's method to temporary to reduce the hum, but it works

 

[frenchtoast]

.........is it expensive to shield? =|