Dang Noisy Jaguar!!!

Chris Breese · #1 03-06-2007, 03:21 PM

I have changed pickups in my Jag to Dimarzio model J (humbuckers!!!) in order to get rid of the dog-goned hum, but to no avail! I have checked the wiring, double checked the wiring, and triple checked the wiring. Is there any relief? Is it just the wiring in my house? It seems to hum wherever the heck I am...

luknfur · #2 03-06-2007, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Breese

I have changed pickups in my Jag to Dimarzio model J (humbuckers!!!) in order to get rid of the dog-goned hum, but to no avail! I have checked the wiring, double checked the wiring, and triple checked the wiring. Is there any relief? Is it just the wiring in my house? It seems to hum wherever the heck I am...

FWIW:

Not your house if it hums anywhere - unless you just happen to play in a lot of old buildings with related wiring.

You may find this thread of some use: DIMENTO'S BASIC TROUBLE-SHOOTING GUIDE

Jim Carr · #3 03-06-2007, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Breese

I have changed pickups in my Jag to Dimarzio model J (humbuckers!!!) in order to get rid of the dog-goned hum, but to no avail! I have checked the wiring, double checked the wiring, and triple checked the wiring. Is there any relief? Is it just the wiring in my house? It seems to hum wherever the heck I am...

It could be that the wiring in your house IS part of it. I had this. I found that outlets in a different room were way quieter.

That said, do you find that when you touch the strings or bridge the hum is reduced? If so, you probably have a ground fault that you have missed. What about the Bridge?

Chris Breese · #4 03-06-2007, 07:01 PM

The bridge wire is present and attached, checked it. The hum does diminish a bit when I touch the strings, but doesn't disappear.

I will look at that thread....

Thanks!

rllefebv · #5 03-06-2007, 07:03 PM

It's the bass and a minor flaw in the shielding... I sent you a PM on how I corrected mine with minimal effort... Lovin' the Jag!!!

-robert

Mackie · #6 03-06-2007, 08:13 PM

If you don't mind - I just got a Jag and I also have the hum/buzz thing going on. Could you post this remedy or send a PM.

Thanks

luknfur · #7 03-06-2007, 08:52 PM

Interesting,

I've read previous posts on issues with older Fenders having cracks in the shielding on the pickgaurds. I think the guys just threw a fresh layer over the existing.

Guess should add that in my recall this was a wierd kind of hum. It changed with running the finger across the pickguard.

rllefebv · #8 03-06-2007, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mackie

If you don't mind - I just got a Jag and I also have the hum/buzz thing going on. Could you post this remedy or send a PM.

Thanks

Sorry... I guess the proper thing would have been to post here... I love these basses!!

Mine did the same thing... Very easy shielding fix. All of the cavities are shielded with graphite paint straight from the factory, the guard is also very well shielded. All that is missing, is that the cavity paint never comes in contact with the pickguard, (think 'Farraday Cage'). I put several small strips of conductive copper shielding tape connecting the cavities, which were then able to contact the pickguard. Instant quiet, (well, as quiet as you'd expect from a well shielded J)... I used a bit of extra tape just above the pre-amp for good measure...

One very big symptom that I found... Even with the battery out so that there was zero signal when the preamp was switched on, I was getting a huge hum... That was totally removed with this little bit of added shielding... I did lay the tape so that there was good contact between each cavity, (preamp controls, pickup switches, control pots) and their respective covers... You can get the shielding tape in 3/4" width at well stocked electrical shops, or the 2" width from StewMac.

Hope this helps.

-robert

cmhgreg · #9 04-26-2007, 07:27 PM

rllefebv:

I am going to try this fix on my Jag. I have a question though. I've sent you PM. Thanks.

cmhgreg · #10 04-27-2007, 12:44 PM

It worked! I followed rllefebv's instructions and it was pretty simple really. And now the only hum my Jag makes is the good kind. Incredible!

**Chef** · #11 04-27-2007, 01:54 PM

Now that's good tech, thanks!

sedan_dad · #12 04-27-2007, 02:25 PM

Thanks! I have this same problem and I was wanting to use it this weekend.
Looks like the answer I needed also.

30hrz · #13 06-23-2007, 12:29 PM

I've done the shielding job shown above. I still notice with the preamp on and the treble turned up I get a static sound. Now if I touch any metal on the instrument it goes away completely. Should I go back and try and shield it up some more or have I done the best I can do here?

Cheers.

Orpheus55 · #14 12-06-2007, 06:26 PM

Don't waste your time; I've had my Jaguar for a few months, tried everything (copper shielding, grounding, etc.), and it still hums like crazy. I will keep it as a wall-hanger, but will never play it out again. Good thing I'm rich.

luknfur · #15 12-06-2007, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 30hrz

I've done the shielding job shown above. I still notice with the preamp on and the treble turned up I get a static sound. Now if I touch any metal on the instrument it goes away completely. Should I go back and try and shield it up some more or have I done the best I can do here?

Cheers.

Hard to say but if touching metal kills it then touching strings should do the same. I'm used to keeping contact with the strings so if you do that you should be able to play most tunes.

PilbaraBass · #16 12-06-2007, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orpheus55

Don't waste your time; I've had my Jaguar for a few months, tried everything (copper shielding, grounding, etc.), and it still hums like crazy. I will keep it as a wall-hanger, but will never play it out again. Good thing I'm rich.

Yeah... good thing

lug · #17 12-07-2007, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PilbaraBass

Yeah... good thing

Only rich folk can afford basses that defy the laws of physics.

DavidRavenMoon · #18 12-07-2007, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orpheus55

Don't waste your time; I've had my Jaguar for a few months, tried everything (copper shielding, grounding, etc.), and it still hums like crazy. I will keep it as a wall-hanger, but will never play it out again. Good thing I'm rich.

Did you put in hum canceling pickups?

DavidRavenMoon · #19 12-07-2007, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 30hrz

I've done the shielding job shown above. I still notice with the preamp on and the treble turned up I get a static sound.

When you say "static" do you mean "hiss". That's the sound of the electronics. If that preamp is anything like the one in the Miller Jazz bass, it's noisy.

If you are hearing a high pitched buzz that goes away. That's electromagnetic interference. You hear that sitting in front of your computer monitor.

There's two kinds of noise, noise from electric fields, and noise from magnetic fields. Hum canceling pickups only kill the electric field noise. Even if you left the original single coils in (which do hum) they should be fairly quiet with both pickups turned up.

But magnetic field noise is harder to get rid of, and that's where shielding comes in.

But shielding wont make noisy single coils quiet, though I might help a bit... Remember that most of the wiring in that bass is unshielded, including the pickup leads.

Orpheus55 · #20 12-09-2007, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PilbaraBass

Yeah... good thing

I was being facetious; it was a big expenditure for me. I'd likely have been better off staying old school and getting a standard J-bass again, as it seems Fender doesn't do active very well. My ATK700 is dead quiet, by contrast. I will go through all the fixes so geenrously posted here and will hopefully impart some constructive material in the end. Thanks, everyone. By the way, Fender has been understanding

and has promised to work with me on any repairs or exchanges going forward.