jtcbass Posted June 16, 2020 Share Posted June 16, 2020 Hi guys. I recently purchased a 2017 lake placid blue Mex P Bass. It worked fine for the first month or so but every since yesterday it is distorting. I’ve tried cleaning the pots but it’s still distorting, tried it though a different amp and it’s still the same. It’s not an amp issue cos I’ve plugged in my other basses and they work fine. It’s a passive bass. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted June 16, 2020 Share Posted June 16, 2020 Have you put new strings on it? Is it on every string? Can you record a clip. "Distortion" takes many forms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted June 16, 2020 Share Posted June 16, 2020 Any bridge screws missing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtcbass Posted June 16, 2020 Author Share Posted June 16, 2020 48 minutes ago, fretmeister said: Any bridge screws missing? On all strings no screws missing. When I turn the tone down the volume drops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooky_lowdown Posted June 16, 2020 Share Posted June 16, 2020 Have you adjusted the height of the strings, or the height of the pickups? If the strings get too close to the pickups you can get a distorted sound. Try lowering the pickup height. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloke_zero Posted June 16, 2020 Share Posted June 16, 2020 15 minutes ago, jtcbass said: When I turn the tone down the volume drops Sounds like maybe something with the electronics - might be worth opening it up and seeing if scientifically wobbling some connections changes anything. Can you say what the distortion is like? Overdriving the amp? Ripped speaker? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtcbass Posted June 16, 2020 Author Share Posted June 16, 2020 12 minutes ago, hooky_lowdown said: Have you adjusted the height of the strings, or the height of the pickups? If the strings get too close to the pickups you can get a distorted sound. Try lowering the pickup height. Tried that no luck. Could the pickup be broken? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtcbass Posted June 16, 2020 Author Share Posted June 16, 2020 Just now, bloke_zero said: Sounds like maybe something with the electronics - might be worth opening it up and seeing if scientifically wobbling some connections changes anything. Can you say what the distortion is like? Overdriving the amp? Ripped speaker? Like a weak battery in an active bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppet Posted June 16, 2020 Share Posted June 16, 2020 Are the volume and tone pots tight on the pickguard? They could have twisted and you have a bad contact. Might be worthwhile having a look under the pickguard to see if there is anything obviously wrong. To be honest, assuming the pickups are healthy, there ain't a great deal to go wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudpup Posted June 16, 2020 Share Posted June 16, 2020 Cable maybe? Did you use the same on on both amps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtcbass Posted June 16, 2020 Author Share Posted June 16, 2020 1 hour ago, Mudpup said: Cable maybe? Did you use the same on on both amps? Tried different cables and amps no luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtcbass Posted June 16, 2020 Author Share Posted June 16, 2020 1 hour ago, Muppet said: Are the volume and tone pots tight on the pickguard? They could have twisted and you have a bad contact. Might be worthwhile having a look under the pickguard to see if there is anything obviously wrong. To be honest, assuming the pickups are healthy, there ain't a great deal to go wrong Volume and tone both tight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted June 16, 2020 Share Posted June 16, 2020 Have you got a soldering iron? You could wire the pickup straight to the jack. If it works fine then you know the problem is with the pots / caps and not the pickup itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 (edited) I had a distorted sound from a Bass in a particular room, turned out to be a drawer front vibrating. Have you checked it occurs in different rooms? Edited June 17, 2020 by yorks5stringer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigguy2017 Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 If the tone pot turns down the volume (and the vol pot also turns down the volume) then the tone cap is being bypassed (shorted out somehow - either to a pot leg or a bare bit of wiring)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtcbass Posted June 17, 2020 Author Share Posted June 17, 2020 Have sent this to a tech so should be fixed soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtcbass Posted June 19, 2020 Author Share Posted June 19, 2020 Tech says the pup has died. Need a new one now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Aguilar 60s wind. Lovely p bass sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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