J pickup humming question

Chipsonfire · #1 07-31-2008, 10:33 AM

I have a cheap PJ style bass (ESP B-50) and my J pickup hums pretty hardcore unless the swing the tone nob to heavy bass. I understand this is from interference and the fact that it's a cheap single coil, but I still can't help feel that I don't like Jazz tone because of it and even shy away from Jazz's when messing around at GC, especially something with a single J p'up. I guess what I'm getting at is I need some reassurance that single J's don't always have to sound like crap, and some suggestions as to what I should play to help convince myself of this.

Also, once I'm convinced of this, if I were to replace the single coil in my current bass, what would you recommend and how much would that cost me?

therex · #2 07-31-2008, 01:55 PM

well j pups dont sound too good by themselves, thats why theres is 2 of them in a j bass, they cancel each other hum, there are some j pups that dont hum though, also any pup in near the bridge will sound treblier, or atleast will get some treble

ciubz · #3 07-31-2008, 02:15 PM

i looked inside a Dimarzio UltraJazz pickup and i really liked what i saw there. There are two coils inside, they aren't stacked they sit next to each other, two strings per coil on a 4 string bass,resembles a p-bass pickup but it is in J format. The magnet rods are grounded with a thin wire, sometimes the J pickup hums when you touch the rod, dimarzio took care of that. The overall sound is quite nice and powerful and it has no hum at all!! The price is nice also

Good luck.

If don't wanna buy a new pickup, there is another way of solving the hum problem. The answer is to install a phantom coil somewhere in the bass. You need to wind a coil that has the same resistance as the J pickup from your bass, connect it to the j pickup so they ain't gonna phase cancel each other, hide the phantom coil in any free cavity of the bass,isolate the phantom coil with some sticky tape. Presto, no hum

Chipsonfire · #4 07-31-2008, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ciubz

i looked inside a Dimarzio UltraJazz pickup and i really liked what i saw there. There are two coils inside, they aren't stacked they sit next to each other, two strings per coil on a 4 string bass,resembles a p-bass pickup but it is in J format. The magnet rods are grounded with a thin wire, sometimes the J pickup hums when you touch the rod, dimarzio took care of that. The overall sound is quite nice and powerful and it has no hum at all!! The price is nice also

Good luck.

Firstly, it's nice to think that all made sense lol. Secondly, how hard it is to swap out a pickup? I've never messed with the electronics on my bass, but have an elementary knowledge of how electronics work in general. I don't have a soldering iron, but I can get my hands on one if need be.

spaz21387 · #5 07-31-2008, 03:16 PM

Another way to cut down on j bass pickup humming is to shield the pickup cavity and control cavity. It wont make it go away completly but it will make it quieter.

stflbn · #6 07-31-2008, 03:21 PM

Humming when both pickups are on full? or Humming when you just have the Bridge or Neck pickup on alone?

mellowgerman · #7 07-31-2008, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ciubz

If don't wanna buy a new pickup, there is another way of solving the hum problem. The answer is to install a phantom coil somewhere in the bass. You need to wind a coil that has the same resistance as the J pickup from your bass, connect it to the j pickup so they ain't gonna phase cancel each other, hide the phantom coil in any free cavity of the bass,isolate the phantom coil with some sticky tape. Presto, no hum

not to hijack the thread but please tell me more about the phantom coil! sounds fantastic. where can you get one? how much are they? difficult to install?

Chipsonfire · #8 07-31-2008, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stflbn

Humming when both pickups are on full? or Humming when you just have the Bridge or Neck pickup on alone?

It hums when either both are on, or just the bridge (J) pickup is on alone. Mind you I have a PJ, so the neck pickup is a P. Having both on quiets the hum, but it's still there.

stflbn · #9 07-31-2008, 03:34 PM

Is the bass shielded? Does it do it other places or do other basses "not" hum where you're at?

Chipsonfire · #10 08-01-2008, 11:40 AM

As far as I know it's not shielded and I've never had a chance to try it at other places or try other basses here, unless you count my Dean Playmate which barely makes any amplified sound at all.

ciubz · #11 08-01-2008, 02:57 PM

i'm not sure if u can buy a phantom coil, i usually wind them by my self, it's much easier than to wind a pick-up. U don't need a magnet, you just need the coil. Take some thin wire, 0.06mm or something, measure the impendance of the pickup and wind a bobin on a piece of plastic or carton with the same impendance. Hook it up to the pickup, that's all. The phantom coil technology is used by musicman in their bass humbuckers.