Help- Brand new bass issue.

[edstraker123]

So Andertons exchanged my defective Mooer  guitar for a Schecter Model T exotic yesterday. I hate Ernie Balls so ordered some Elixir nanowebs from Bass Direct and put them on tonight. On first play of the bass I noticed crackling coming through the amp which seemed to be when running my fingers up any none fretted strings. To ensure it wasn't an amp or cable problem, I tried another couple of basses and they didn't have the issue. Then to hear the noise better I put the bass through the Two Notes Revolt with headphones. The crackle was still there and there is a definite hum with all the strings open which goes when I touch any of the pots. I did a quick google and assume its a grounding issue. Are there any other checks I can do and should I return the bass ?

Edited Thursday at 22:14 by edstraker123

[franzbassist]

Unacceptable on a brand new bass IMO so I'd return it.

[Chienmortbb]

Try putting the EBs back on? Coated strings can cause shielding problems. 

[edstraker123]

Yes continued googling and saw the coating could be an issue. I've strung it through the body so not even the ball ends of the strings are touching the bridge - just the coated part of the string.

[franzbassist]

2 minutes ago, Chienmortbb said:

Try putting the EBs back on? Coated strings can cause shielding problems. 

Ah yes, I'd missed you'd put Elixirs on.  This could indeed be the issue.

[edstraker123]

Restrung it with a set of NYXL's which are uncoated. Still hear a hum unless I touch anything metal on the bass, strings, pots, bridge, jack.

[Chienmortbb]

10 hours ago, edstraker123 said:

Restrung it with a set of NYXL's which are uncoated. Still hear a hum unless I touch anything metal on the bass, strings, pots, bridge, jack.

You have done all you could, return it. 

[LukeFRC]

10 hours ago, edstraker123 said:

Restrung it with a set of NYXL's which are uncoated. Still hear a hum unless I touch anything metal on the bass, strings, pots, bridge, jack.

that's not unusual is it - you earth it via your hand? 

[80Hz]

11 hours ago, edstraker123 said:

Still hear a hum unless I touch anything metal on the bass, strings, pots, bridge, jack.

 

Well that means at least that the parts which should be going to ground / earth are electrically connected. I'd grab a multimeter and check for resistance between the cold leg of the output jack and any / all of those parts - a high resistance might indicate a cold solder joint somewhere in the path of the connections to ground, leading the bass to ground only through you and your body rather than through the jack. I've also experienced the crackling you describe (i.e. not just a dusty pot) on instruments where there was a problem with the grounding.

 

It's also possible the bass isn't sufficiently shielded -  you'd need to check the control cavity to see if it's painted with conductive shielding paint (should look matte black).

 

Either way, returning it might be the path of least resistance (ha, see what I did there?)

[Reggaebass]

I’m not familiar with those strings as I only use flats, but shouldn’t a new bass work with any strings, I certainly wouldn’t be talking it apart testing stuff, I’d ask for a return and new one, good luck 

[LukeFRC]

30 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

I’m not familiar with those strings as I only use flats, but shouldn’t a new bass work with any strings, I certainly wouldn’t be talking it apart testing stuff, I’d ask for a return and new one, good luck 

some coated strings coating isn't conductive - which is an issue when basses use the strings and our hands as earth

[Woodinblack]

13 hours ago, edstraker123 said:

Restrung it with a set of NYXL's which are uncoated. Still hear a hum unless I touch anything metal on the bass, strings, pots, bridge, jack.

 

Isn't that how all single coils work when in a wired house?

[Beedster]

14 hours ago, edstraker123 said:

So Andertons exchanged my defective Mooer  guitar for a Schecter Model T exotic yesterday. I hate Ernie Balls so ordered some Elixir nanowebs from Bass Direct and put them on tonight. On first play of the bass I noticed crackling coming through the amp which seemed to be when running my fingers up any none fretted strings. To ensure it wasn't an amp or cable problem, I tried another couple of basses and they didn't have the issue. Then to hear the noise better I put the bass through the Two Notes Revolt with headphones. The crackle was still there and there is a definite hum with all the strings open which goes when I touch any of the pots. I did a quick google and assume its a grounding issue. Are there any other checks I can do and should I return the bass ?

 

Dude you really don't have much luck, frankly Id just get your cash refunded and not worry too much about not having a bass that wasn't your first choice anyway 👍

 

A few of us were in the pub a few years ago and one of the gang described at length the catalogue of disasters that had been his last 10 years of buying new cars, finding them faulty, getting them repaired and/or then replaced. It was pretty amusing albeit not for him (he has more cash than sense being a big part of it). He finished his tale of woe with 'What the f***'s a bloke supposed to do...?", to which came the almost unanimous reply 'Stop buying new cars"  

 

That probably wasn't much help 🤔

[edstraker123]

Exchanging it for a USA precision - that will definitely be the last ! 3rd time lucky !

[Skybone]

1 hour ago, edstraker123 said:

Exchanging it for a USA precision - that will definitely be the last ! 3rd time lucky !

Fingers crossed!

[Bass4real]

On 30/01/2025 at 16:54, edstraker123 said:

So Andertons exchanged my defective Mooer  guitar for a Schecter Model T exotic yesterday. I hate Ernie Balls so ordered some Elixir nanowebs from Bass Direct and put them on tonight. On first play of the bass I noticed crackling coming through the amp which seemed to be when running my fingers up any none fretted strings. To ensure it wasn't an amp or cable problem, I tried another couple of basses and they didn't have the issue. Then to hear the noise better I put the bass through the Two Notes Revolt with headphones. The crackle was still there and there is a definite hum with all the strings open which goes when I touch any of the pots. I did a quick google and assume its a grounding issue. Are there any other checks I can do and should I return the bass ?

Ground issue probably

or

Could be wired in series - the signal flows through 1 pickup , then the next  that causes higher impedance , pickups are more sensitive to external noise and hum

 

Parallel is a less noisy way to wire pickups- signal goes to both pickups at the same time  lower impedance reducing the amount of hum

Do a little research you'll figure it out