Hey,

I've just completed a Whamola (imagine, 1-string bass with a single p-bass pickup and volume knob and jack socket), and it all works great except there is an annoying buzzing from the pickup - this is either because I used a cheap pickup or maybe due to the wiring? The ground is just soldered onto the back of a metal piece that hides the wires, but also houses the jack socket (maybe causing some kind of feedback?). See pic below...

Any Ideas?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v380/werebunny/DSCF0069small.jpg
(Sorry attach is not working for me)

I may be mistaken but what you have here is the equivalent of a single coil alone. I think what you're hearing is 60 cycle hum and I don't think theres a lot to do to stop it, except maybe put the other half of the pickup in there, because the P-pickup use the two halfves of the pickup to cancel each other that's what make it an humbucker...

So could I easily just add the other pickup? Presumably that would give some extra volume too?

Yeah, it may give a small volume boost as well as reducing hum. Make sure to run them in series.

PS: Any other pics of the whamola? I'd love to build one myself!

This is the wrong forum...

this thread should be in the "whamola" section :D

your "bridge" needs to move up the neck a little so that the string doesn't rest on its silks...I'd make sure that hole was fully de-burred, too...(a small round file will do the trick, or a dremel with a grinding tip)...

once you've done that...solder a ground wire from the bridge, to the ring of the jack...

that'll help heaps...also you can put a grounded metal plate behind the pickup.