Tribute L2K noise/hum issue

[smngm2]

Hi all. I've enjoyed reading everyone's posts here and I've learned a lot about my L2K purchased in November 2008. Thanks for contributing so much to the community here.

I play for services at my church and began experiencing a problem with my guitar at rehearsal last week. It began making a high pitched noise that got louder progressing from passive through active with boost. I took the battery out and it was making a loud hum (like if the note sounded around 25 decibel, the hum would be approximately 75 decibels).

I'm assuming I have a jack issue or a broken wire and the high pitch noise could have just been the hum processed through the preamp. But I play 'em and don't know too much about electronics. I dropped it off last weekend at an authorized G&L repair shop in the area and hope to get it back next week.

Has anyone experienced anything similar?

Gene

[Ken Baker]

Originally Posted by smngm2

It began making a high pitched noise that got louder progressing from passive through active with boost. I took the battery out and it was making a loud hum (like if the note sounded around 25 decibel, the hum would be approximately 75 decibels).

You mean the noise is about 300% louder than signal right? Audio decibel scales are logarithmic - like earthquake magnitude.

I'm assuming I have a jack issue or a broken wire and the high pitch noise could have just been the hum processed through the preamp.

If it was noise that had its basis in a 60Hz hum, I'd say that there is a ground problem - probably at the jack. The jack is a weak point, so it's almost a given. I'd be inclined to replace it on general purposes, but that's just me.

A high pitched noise that remains even when the battery is removed has the smell of a failed preamp IC (chip) on the board. The L series preamps are "in circuit" even when in passive mode with the battery removed, so a failed IC can wreak havoc on the signal.

If the IC were socketed (Tributes are usually soldered directly to the board) you could pull it to find out, as the bass would still work with the chip missing.

Hope your dealer is able to find the problem and handle it locally.

Ken...

[smngm2]

Thanks for the reply Ken.

You're statement is correct - the hum is about 300% louder than the note. To add to my earlier information, with the battery in it is a high pitched noise. With the battery out it sounds like a typical 60Hz hum. That's why I was making the assumption (and hoping for) a jack issue. Hoping for a quick repair - otherwise I have continue to beg, borrow, or rent a guitar for church services (as is typical, we have a lot of special music coming up that's heavy with contemporary stuff).

Gene

[Ken Baker]

Originally Posted by smngm2

Thanks for the reply Ken.

You're statement is correct - the hum is about 300% louder than the note. To add to my earlier information, with the battery in it is a high pitched noise. With the battery out it sounds like a typical 60Hz hum. That's why I was making the assumption (and hoping for) a jack issue. Hoping for a quick repair - otherwise I have continue to beg, borrow, or rent a guitar for church services (as is typical, we have a lot of special music coming up that's heavy with contemporary stuff).

Gene

Hope it works out to be easy!

Ken...

[smngm2]

Originally Posted by Ken Baker

Hope it works out to be easy!

Ken...

Got my bass back yesterday and all is well. Turns out the problem was self-induced.

My Tribute L2K has miles of wire inside the cavity but one of the wires running to the battery is very short. I pulled that loose switching out the battery and the luthier at the dealer was able to resolve the issue.

I used a bottom-end Ibanez loaner for the last couple of weeks for rehearsals and church services. I'm grateful that I had access to another bass but it's so nice getting my L2K back!

[Ken Baker]

Originally Posted by smngm2

My Tribute L2K has miles of wire inside the cavity but one of the wires running to the battery is very short. I pulled that loose switching out the battery and the luthier at the dealer was able to resolve the issue.

Interesting. Did they say which wire was loose/disconnected?

Glad it's back in your hands and working as it should!

Ken...

[smngm2]

Originally Posted by Ken Baker

Interesting. Did they say which wire was loose/disconnected?

Glad it's back in your hands and working as it should!

Ken...

If I understood him correctly, it sounded like a wire between the battery and the preamp.

Gene