humbucking PUs still humming

christoph h. · #1 07-08-2010, 02:58 PM

Hi!

I own a Yamaha BBNE2 which supposedly has humcancelling PUs, so-called "stacked humbuckers".

However it still seems to act more or less like a jazz bass, ie it hums when blended to one PU side.

What could be wrong with my bass? Can this still happen under extreme circumstances or do I need to get my bass repaired?

Is there anyway I can check it myself with a multimeter or something like that? I'm not all that knowledgeable about electronics, but I can follow some simple instructions.

Thanks,
-Christoph

mongo2 · #2 07-08-2010, 03:06 PM

First question: Are they the original pickups?

whitedk57 · #3 07-08-2010, 03:07 PM

Turn off the TV and lights. See if that makes a difference. Then step away from your amp. See if that helps. Is it shielded?

christoph h. · #4 07-09-2010, 04:03 AM

Yes, I bought the bass "factory new" just a month ago, so it still has the original PUs.

Turning the TV on/off had some influence on the "buzz". Distance from amp also made a difference.

So, is it something different than single-coil hum? Isn't the bass shielded well enough?

Thanks for your support!

mongo2 · #5 07-09-2010, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christoph h.

So, is it something different than single-coil hum? Isn't the bass shielded well enough?

If the pickups are good then I suspect it's a shielding issue.

christoph h. · #6 07-09-2010, 07:08 AM

OK, is there any way I can verify that? I mean, are there any circumstances where it should be silent, compared to a jazz bass, so I can rule out that it's coming from the PUs?

If I open up the control cavity, anything I should look for?