- Bass Tabs
- Forum
- Tech Guys
Tech Guys
Must be a made in china issue
Naw - probably my fault. I replaced the OEM bridge with a Babicz FCH bridge and probably didn't get good contact. I'm thinking that I'll lift the bridge again and try soldering the ground wire to it.
I also replaced the original single coil jazz bass pickup (it's a PJ bass) with a Fender Super 55 split coil jazz pickup. That completely eliminated the 60 Hz hum typical of single coil jazz pickups, but I didn't manage to get a good ground on the bridge.
BTW, I have written to Babicz suggesting use of a set-screw to secure the ground wire to the bridge. I have done a lot of electrical wiring in houses and have always been very sceptical of a sound grounding simply by trapping the wire under the bridge. With a secure grounding mechanism, the FCH bridge would be perfect, IMO.
Back to the workbench!
I got the EMG BQS Control System installed in my Ibanez five string. It was a big job, including having to enlarge one of the holes for the pot (please don't chip! please don't chip!) even with minimal soldering due to EMG's awesome connectors. Took me all day.
And…I like it a lot! The noisy hiss from the Ibanez (made in China) OEM electronics is TOTALLY gone! It is absolutely quiet until I touch a string. And I think the variability in tone is much greater, and more to my liking, than the Bartolini EQ that was OEM. The EMG tone controls (bass, sweepable mid, and treble) seem to do a lot more than the original boost/cut controls did.
I used to pick up this bass only when I needed the low notes a five string gives. Now it sounds so good, I think I'll be playing it a lot more often.
It was a big job and a bit expensive, but I am really pleased with the result. Thanks to Marko for his earlier thoughts as I was considering this project.
From one of my earlier messages: I have a bass that is dead quiet so long as I am touching the bridge, strings,or tuners. Let go of them and there's a hum. A grounding issue?
It turns out it was not a grounding issue. I checked continuity between bridge and output jack and it was good; the ground wire and bridge had good contact.
So I took another look inside the control cavity and checked for continuity between the paint (?) in there and the jack - open circuit, no continuity. What looks like it could be conductive paint, is not. So I used copper foil to shield the control cavity and the separate output jack cavity and that has taken care of 80 - 90% of the hum. If I pulled the pickups and shielded those cavities, I bet I'd kill the hum completely. I may do that next time I change strings.
A hum which disappears when you touch the strings is an earth issue, shielding is not souch a big issue with modern pick ups with alloy and ceramic magnets, have you tried a different guitar lead? I only us Planet Waves which are guaranteed for life and have a shielded jack
Quote:
A hum which disappears when you touch the strings is an earth issue, shielding is not souch a big issue with modern pick ups with alloy and ceramic magnets, have you tried a different guitar lead? I only us Planet Waves which are guaranteed for life and have a shielded jack
Good to have you back Marko.
I use Mogami instrument cables.
I agree that killing the hum by touching bridge or tuners says it is a grounding issue, but the bridge to jack grounding was good. I expected that when I tested for continuity, I would not have a grounded bridge. But that is not what I found.
The hum was tied to that bass, and not others, despite using the same cable. The only card I had left to play was shielding the unshielded cavities. And shielding the pots and wiring from EMI greatly reduced the hum.
Of course, it could just be that I am cursed by God, or that bass is possessed by Satan (in which case I would have to sell it to Linkinpark).
Quote:
I use Mogami instrument cables.I agree that killing the hum by touching bridge or tuners says it is a grounding issue, but the bridge to jack grounding was good. I expected that when I tested for continuity, I would not have a grounded bridge. But that is not what I found.The hum was tied to that bass, and not others, despite using the same cable. The only card I had left to play was shielding the unshielded cavities. And shielding the pots and wiring from EMI greatly reduced the hum.Of course, it could just be that I am cursed by God, or that bass is possessed by Satan (in which case I would have to sell it to Linkinpark).
If it's possessed, don't sell it. Get a priest. He will just have to deal, a possessed bass is a serious thing, the small boy will still be there when he gets back lol
Quote:
If it's possessed, don't sell it. Get a priest. He will just have to deal, a possessed bass is a serious thing, the small boy will still be there when he gets back lol
LOL! Brilliant comment, Bassguy1! Cheers.
Quote:
Quote:
If it's possessed, don't sell it. Get a priest. He will just have to deal, a possessed bass is a serious thing, the small boy will still be there when he gets back lol
LOL! Brilliant comment, Bassguy1! Cheers.
It's been known to happen haha.
Reply to this thread
