Buzzing P-Bass Pickup on Whamola

werebunny · #1 10-18-2005, 02:57 AM

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?

(Sorry attach is not working for me)

JustOpenYourMind · #2 10-18-2005, 08:26 AM

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...

werebunny · #3 10-18-2005, 02:51 PM

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

Unchain · #4 10-18-2005, 04:28 PM

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!

PilbaraBass · #5 10-18-2005, 05:07 PM

This is the wrong forum...

this thread should be in the "whamola" section

PilbaraBass · #6 10-18-2005, 05:13 PM

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.