How To Check Continuity?

KingRazor · #1 03-14-2011, 08:14 PM

I have a multimeter, and I have a bass. How do I setup the multimeter and where do I stick the prongs to check for continuity?

BassLife77 · #2 03-14-2011, 10:52 PM

there is a setting where you see an arrow through a vertical line. touch the 2 leads together and it will read 000, and it will beep if the MM has a beeper. when you have continuity you will see 000 on the display.

**line6man** · #3 03-14-2011, 11:26 PM

Continuity function, or simply the Ohm function, set to a low value if it's not auto-ranging.

KingRazor · #4 01-27-2012, 06:18 PM

Where am I supposed to stick the prongs to make sure I have continuity throughout the electronics of my bass? So far everything reads 000, which I think is good, but I still get noise sometimes, like if I have my bass sitting in front of my amp with the volume up.

**line6man** · #5 01-27-2012, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingRazor

Where am I supposed to stick the prongs to make sure I have continuity throughout the electronics of my bass? So far everything reads 000, which I think is good, but I still get noise sometimes, like if I have my bass sitting in front of my amp with the volume up.

Between any one point and all others.

KingRazor · #6 01-27-2012, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by line6man

Between any one point and all others.

And now I'm reading infinity ohms all over. Maybe my shielding job wasn't as good as I thought.

**line6man** · #7 01-27-2012, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingRazor

And now I'm reading infinity ohms all over. Maybe my shielding job wasn't as good as I thought.

Do you get 0 Ohms when the probes are touched together?

KingRazor · #8 01-27-2012, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by line6man

Do you get 0 Ohms when the probes are touched together?

Yes.

When I touch one prong to one of the pickup poles and the other prong to anything else, it reads infinity.

But it's 0 almost everywhere else.

**line6man** · #9 01-27-2012, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingRazor

Yes.

When I touch one prong to one of the pickup poles and the other prong to anything else, it reads infinity.

But it's 0 almost everywhere else.

The pole pieces are not grounded then.

KingRazor · #10 01-27-2012, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by line6man

The pole pieces are not grounded then.

Ah, simple enough.

Do you think grounding the pole pieces would stop the feedback I get from putting the bass in front of the amp?

lowendrv · #11 01-27-2012, 07:08 PM

Is it feedback or 60 cycle hum ? Does it go away when you turn down the gain on the amp ? What kind of amp is it ?

KingRazor · #12 01-27-2012, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowendrv

Is it feedback or 60 cycle hum ? Does it go away when you turn down the gain on the amp ?

Since it's a split coil pickup my initial guess is that it is not 60 cycle hum. It only goes away when the volume on the amp is turned ALL the way down.

lowendrv · #13 01-27-2012, 07:21 PM

What kind of amp is it? And how do you have it EQed. does it happen on other amps?

KingRazor · #14 01-27-2012, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowendrv

What kind of amp is it? And how do you have it EQed. does it happen on other amps?

This is the amp: RMS Bass Guitar Amp - 20 Watts

I have the bass cut slightly, the mids boosted slightly, the treble cut slightly and the presence boosted slightly.

I don't have access to another amp to try it on.

lowendrv · #15 01-27-2012, 07:36 PM

Do you still have a V-amp, does it feedback thru headphones. If doesn't the problem is not the bass. I would not expect to much out that amp. Probably no more than 1/2 way up on the volume to get any usable tone. Sounds like the amp went south. Also does it do it from both inputs ? I would suggest to check Craigslist for a inexpensive amp. Found this near you and it is good low price amp and they last forever.Fender Rumble 60 Bass Amp

KingRazor · #16 01-28-2012, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowendrv

Do you still have a V-amp, does it feedback thru headphones. If doesn't the problem is not the bass. I would not expect to much out that amp. Probably no more than 1/2 way up on the volume to get any usable tone. Sounds like the amp went south. Also does it do it from both inputs ? I would suggest to check Craigslist for a inexpensive amp. Found this near you and it is good low price amp and they last forever.Fender Rumble 60 Bass Amp

That's pretty funny, a Fender Rumble is exactly what I was looking at.

Ok so I tried plugging the bass into the VAMP, then turned the combo amp on (with nothing plugged in to it) but with the volume down. Then I put my bass right in front of the combo with the pickups facing the speaker...and there was noise.

pnut166 · #17 01-28-2012, 02:25 AM

I had an older version of one of these amps (still have it, I think). Get a new amp

SGD Lutherie · #18 01-28-2012, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingRazor

Do you think grounding the pole pieces would stop the feedback I get from putting the bass in front of the amp?

If it's squealing, that's from the pickups vibrating and being microphonic.

The other thing you might hear is high pitched feed back as a results of the pickup's picking up noise from the speakers. The speaker voice coils are producing a magnetic field, and the pickup coils can sense that. That's normal especially for non hum canceling/unshielded pickups.