Humming EMG

[Mr. Foxen]

One half of P style EMG active pickup hums when you touch it on casing or the screw that holds it in, only one half, and it lessends if you are touching strings also. Any clues? Bust ground/shielding somewhere? Should I just eart the screw? That would probably be an effective bodge.

[joegarcia]

Probably just got gaids.

[Mr. Foxen]

I don't think that is an appropriate portmanteau to be using in these parts. Did someone let you have a whole cider to yourself?

[JimBobTTD]

Interesting problem. The pickups are plastic, so you touching them does not make a circuit or anything. The pickups are also sealed, so you can't really crack it open and check for any loose wires. EMG say that you do not need to earth the bridge (and thus the strings) - have you done this? Does this happen with a fresh battery, and in other rooms and with other amps? Is the rest of the bass's wiring in good shape? No wires have popped off, or solder joints cracked or anything?

If everything else looks good, I think the simplest thing to do would be to earth the screw and see if that clears it all up. I would also drop EMG a line about this - they should know if other people have experienced this, and how to fix it. Although they may just tell you to buy a new pickup!

[Bigwan]

I had a similar problem with a set of EMG J pickups. Can't remember exactly where the problem was, but it was a wiring error made by moi...

[bnt]

I'm thinking in the same direction as JimBob: sounds like induced him in the strings getting in to the signal through the earthed bridge, which you don't need.

[Mr. Foxen]

I haven't earthed the bridge, left the wire floatin free with tape on the bare end. Its very specifically when I touch that half of the pickup when no touching anything else, and strong when I touch the screw, possibly as the screw is touching the earthed shielding in the cavity?

[Chopthebass]

Has the pup been removed at some point? I have accidentally clipped the 3-pin lead on the wrong way round, which lead to it sounding no quite right! I guess the internal preamp could become faulty, although I've never heard of it before.

[Mr. Foxen]

Its been out of the bass I bought it in, might try the quick connect cable, its the smaller one, not the one the batttery goes to that is being a pain, will dismantle tomorrow.

[Mr. Foxen]

Switching the cable round did the trick. Excellent.