Massive popping when moving around with bass...

**sleepy_monkey** · #1 12-29-2010, 02:10 PM

Modulus Q5...when I move it makes a deafening pop through the bass cabs...I took the control cover off to see if it was touching something and it only appears to be touching the inside of the input...which is normal. Any ideas??

Phalex · #2 12-29-2010, 02:24 PM

1) Did you try a different cable?

2) Might be a battery connection problem.........

**sleepy_monkey** · #3 12-29-2010, 02:34 PM

I have tried different cables...that was the first thing I tried. I wonder if I should just blow it out with air duster....all of the connections seem solid.

**sleepy_monkey** · #4 12-29-2010, 02:36 PM

The sound cuts out too...then when I wiggle the chord it pops real loud (contact maybe?) and then sound is back.

9mmMike · #5 12-29-2010, 02:51 PM

Input jack grounding to something? I had a Fender bass that had black electrical tape on top of the copper shielding in the control cavity right where the i/p jack was located. For some reason, the i/p jack must have been occasionally touching the side of the cavity. I removed it and rotated the jack until it did not touch.

djaydjay · #6 12-29-2010, 02:56 PM

i have the same sound, but the problem lays in my amp (I have 2 amps, and only one does it). Are you sure the amp is ok?

Swampman Cory · #7 12-29-2010, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleepy_monkey

The sound cuts out too...then when I wiggle the chord it pops real loud (contact maybe?) and then sound is back.

Sounds like an input problem, however...

On an active bass I had, when I would be moving heavily I would get some crazy popping. Ended up figuring out that the particular battery I had was a little too small for the connectors, so when I used that brand of battery, I just took a piece of tape around the battery connection and it solved my problem.

Stick_Player · #8 12-29-2010, 03:06 PM

Perhaps the "massive popping" is coming from a different source?

Try this:

9mmMike · #9 12-29-2010, 03:09 PM

That would be an output problem then, eh?

heb9_28 · #10 12-29-2010, 03:12 PM

I'd say input jack as well. I think you can replace those for like, $20.

**sleepy_monkey** · #11 12-29-2010, 04:06 PM

It is not the amps or cabs...did it on my other head as well.

It pops when I wiggle the cable so I the problem has to lie in the control cavity.....now where is my duct tape, bubble gum, and blow torch........

**sleepy_monkey** · #12 12-29-2010, 04:46 PM

Ok...took everything out and so I could see what was making contact and when the noise was popping, and I wanted to make sure the input was touching the actual bass body.....it seemed to be JUST the input...everything was soldered tight...but when I would SPIN the end of the cable there was a scratching noise and the occasional pop...so I turned the amp off, and took a flat screw driver and scraped the guitar input where the cable makes contact....put it back in and no noise. I even jumped around a few times for good measure, kicked the cable...did everything but a back flip (although I thought about it)....

So maybe there was an iodized buildup (am I making that up?) that I scraped off.....weird.

loveandbass · #13 12-29-2010, 07:16 PM

The bass is worthless.. Please send it to me for proper disposal.

Output jack problem. Same issue with my spector. You need a switchcraft stereo barrel closed jack... All parts has them so does amazon i think.

**sleepy_monkey** · #14 12-29-2010, 07:45 PM

Cool, I will look into that. Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by loveandbass

The bass is worthless.. Please send it to me for proper disposal.

Output jack problem. Same issue with my spector. You need a switchcraft stereo barrel closed jack... All parts has them so does amazon i think.

bassbenj · #15 12-30-2010, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loveandbass

The bass is worthless.. Please send it to me for proper disposal.

Output jack problem. Same issue with my spector. You need a switchcraft stereo barrel closed jack... All parts has them so does amazon i think.

Yup. It's just a bad jack. especially if it's one of those long skinny kind that are threaded on the outside. They are NOTORIOUS for being crap and dying regularly. Switchcraft is better but still not as good as the flat panel jacks. Unfortunately if the bass came with the barrel jack it's hard to use anything else without a huge mod job. My Carvin has a barrel jack that needs replaced regularly.

I can give the worthless bass a better home where it can retire and talk to my Modulus and live with family...

**sleepy_monkey** · #16 12-30-2010, 07:49 AM

Do you have a link to that switchcraft? The only ones I am finding are the long barrel kind and that is not what I have....

Edit: I think this is it?

http://www.stewmac.com/shopby/item/4...ign=2010-12-gp

9mmMike · #17 12-30-2010, 08:35 AM

That's what I use in my parts-bass builds.

Raymeous · #18 12-30-2010, 08:40 AM

It sounds like the jack to me.

I've had that issue with a few guitars over the years and all I do is take it to my local tech and have them replace the jack for a couple of bucks and do a quick electronics inspect and clean to make sure the pots are scratchiness free and that all the wires are still connected properly. This is fairly cheap to have done or you can do it your self in about an hour. This is a minor issue that can be easily remedied.

**sleepy_monkey** · #19 12-30-2010, 09:10 AM

Great info guys, thanks! I will see how it holds up for the next week or so and probably end up replacing it anyway just in case...it is probably the original...which would make it 14 years old. I am going to try to clean the pots too...3 of them sound great but 1 has a VERY slight crackle at the end of one of the turns.

bassbenj · #20 12-30-2010, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleepy_monkey

Do you have a link to that switchcraft? The only ones I am finding are the long barrel kind and that is not what I have....

Edit: I think this is it?

http://www.stewmac.com/shopby/item/4...ign=2010-12-gp

IF that's what you have then that is good! Those are the best jacks. The problem with that style of jack is that those metal tabs that rub on the plug lose tension after a while. Switchcraft seems to be about the only brand that doesn't do that.

A quick and dirty fix is to bend the tabs so they press harder on the plug. If the crimp that holds the jack together is bad, then you just have to replace the whole jack. In any event you should replace it because once they lose tension they never seem to hold it very long after that.