KrispyDK Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 My bass is making a terrible buzz. A clever man told me it maybe to do with other electrical appliances that are on the same circuit. I turned everything from the pc to the fridge off to try and prove that theory. The last thing left to turn off (besides the bass amp) were the lights. It was the bloody lights! So, my question is, is that normal or should I expect more from my bass in terms of shielding? It wasn't mega expensive but it wasn't cheap either - £300 active bass. What do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Does the buzzing stop when you touch the strings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrispyDK Posted January 21, 2010 Author Share Posted January 21, 2010 No, it doesn't stop when I touch the strings. It does stop if I touch the plug on the lead at the guitar end. Also, it's not consistent - only happens in certain areas of the room, i.e. near the light switch. Haven't yet sussed all the knobs out on the bass yet but it gets louder when I turn one of them all the way up. It's either the high freq tone or the pickup blend knob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 shielding or earthing issue with your bass or cable. Try several different instrument cables to check its not that first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrispyDK Posted January 21, 2010 Author Share Posted January 21, 2010 Thanks Kev, tried a few different leads now with the same result so I think I can rule that out. Really, my query is - is it a 'fault' with the bass, should I expect it or should I go back to the shop and ask them to fix it? Of course, if I do go back to the shop the bloody thing probably won't buzz! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_B Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Sounds like it's not earthed properly, so perhaps a bad or loose solder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Anything we need to know about the lighting? Is it; Dimmer Switches Fluorescent tubes Transformer driven low-voltage halogen or anything funny like that. All of the above can cause buzzing hell, especially with single coils. No matter how well shielded your instrument might be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 What's your set up? My bass buzzed like a fridge a couple of years back. Took the pickups off ' cleaned them & the shielding plates below em & has been fine since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanP2008 Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 If the buzzing stop or gets quieter when you touch the jack body, but the same doesn't happen when you touch the strings, then almost certainly your strings aren't earthed to the electrics - you can confirm this by checking the resistance between them with a multimeter - it should show 0 ohms or nearly so. There should be a good connection, usuallly from the back of a pot via a wire, often to the bridge somewhere... When the guitar is properly earthed, then your body plays an important part in screening RF interference from it, mainly around the back - but this can only happen if your body is grounded - usually via the strings. If it is not grounded, then your body will usually make the buzz worse, by actually re-radiating noise into the guitar... An alternative approach is a careful internal screening job usually using either adhesive copper foil or conductive paint - in each case that must be properly earthed too... Usually though, properly earthed strings achieve most of what you need... Lights with dimmers, and florescents, are usually worse than simple incandescent lights. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.