omikin Posted November 12, 2020 Share Posted November 12, 2020 I recently acquired a new Squier CV Jaguar, and I have to say I am 95% delighted with it. Made minor adjustments to the setup (truss rod needed a slight adjustment and the action needed lowering slightly) but it is lovely to play. I have mainly been playing a US P-bass recently so it's nice to have the P-bass tone with the addition of the Jazz pup at the bridge. The neck is lovely and has made me think seriously about getting a Jazz neck for the P - but that's another story. The slight niggles I have are with the tuners which aren't as "solid" as the ones on my US P, but now I have tightened the large screw they are holding tune better than before. Also the pots don't feel as solid as the ones on my P (there is a very slight wobble to them). However the main bugbear at the moment is a very noticeable buzz when I am not touching the strings, bridge, or the metal plate on the front. Clearly something is not quite right with the electronics, but alas I am not electronically minded, and I don't own a soldering iron so I am not sure how to approach it. To add to the oddness, it buzzes through the Fender Bassman in the picture (my P bass doesn't, so that rules out cables, plug, wiring in that room etc), but it doesn't buzz through my Fender Rumble 40. I have thought about upgrading the pots to a @KiOgon stacked pot arrangement (my P has his handiwork in it) but (a) I don't know if this would fix the buzzing on its own (although I am confident it would improve the feel and sound of the pots) and (b) is there anything easy I can try in the meantime to remedy it? Thanks in advance! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiOgon Posted November 12, 2020 Share Posted November 12, 2020 From what you describe it's a shielding issue, here's a useful article that helps clear thing up; https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2015/04/15/solving-bass-hum-problems-grounding-vs-shielding/ 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeycrikey Posted November 13, 2020 Share Posted November 13, 2020 I had exactly the same issue with my Classic Vibe Precision. Bought a roll of self adhesive Copper Shielding tape from Amazon. Removed the pick guard, pickup and electronic and lined the cavities with the copper tape. Problem solved, no more buzzing. Tape is really easy to install too 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omikin Posted November 13, 2020 Author Share Posted November 13, 2020 Thanks for those tips - very useful. @mikeycrikey did you do anything else like adding wires to the shielding tape or was that enough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeycrikey Posted November 13, 2020 Share Posted November 13, 2020 I did replace the earth wire under the bridge but only because I managed to damage it. I had removed the bridge earlier on to inspect the earth wire. The strands of the wire are splayed out under the bridge. When I touched them a good few snapped off so I decided to replace it. When installing the tape start at the top on the route and work down. You can overlap it and cut to shape easily. Doesn't have to look perfect just cover the full route. Also use a pencil with a rubber on the end to push the tape flat and into the corners. The edges of the tape are quite sharp and its easy to cut your finger. I also upgraded to a kiogon wiring loom. Made a huge difference to the sound. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omikin Posted November 13, 2020 Author Share Posted November 13, 2020 Thanks, man! I will give that a try. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted November 14, 2020 Share Posted November 14, 2020 (edited) On 12/11/2020 at 18:41, KiOgon said: From what you describe it's a shielding issue, here's a useful article that helps clear thing up; https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2015/04/15/solving-bass-hum-problems-grounding-vs-shielding/ So useful! Thank you. Edited November 14, 2020 by stewblack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omikin Posted November 16, 2020 Author Share Posted November 16, 2020 Update! Tape arrived Saturday, so on Sunday morning I thought I would plug it in to get a "before" benchmark, just so I could ensure I had made an improvement. No buzzing. Not a sound. I don't understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted November 16, 2020 Share Posted November 16, 2020 (edited) 10 minutes ago, omikin said: Update! Tape arrived Saturday, so on Sunday morning I thought I would plug it in to get a "before" benchmark, just so I could ensure I had made an improvement. No buzzing. Not a sound. I don't understand. Maybe picking up interference from something else in the house that was then off ? Lights, nearby power adapters etc.. Edited November 16, 2020 by Machines 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omikin Posted November 16, 2020 Author Share Posted November 16, 2020 2 minutes ago, Machines said: Maybe picking up interference from something else in the house that was then off ? Lights, nearby power adapters etc.. So I should still go ahead and do the tape thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBunny Posted November 16, 2020 Share Posted November 16, 2020 30 minutes ago, omikin said: So I should still go ahead and do the tape thing? It certainly won't do any harm. It looks like whatever the issue was, you've cured it by poking around. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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