Nordstrand, Fralin and Lollar P pickups: how silent they are?

**michele** · #1 05-15-2007, 09:43 AM

Ok guys, I've recently bought a MIJ '62RI P bass that I absolutely love but it seems that I have a noise problem with the stock pickup.
It's that damned hum that disappear when touching strings but it's boring anyway. Also my rig doesn't play for me because my cab is an Accugroove and I like it with the two tweeters full up ... for good or bad, it doesn't mask anything.
I’m pretty sure it’s the stock pickup because the bridge grounding is OK and I had a good shielding job done on the control cavity. The noise is still there.
Not too bad, because I was thinking about upgrading the pickup with something more juicy anyway and in my pickup searching at this point I’m between Nordstrand, Fralin and Lollar.
So I’d like to know from users of those pickups how silent they are and if someone had a similar problem solved by installing either a Nordie, a Fralin or a Lollar.
Thanks!

lefty007 · #2 05-15-2007, 11:04 AM

I don't know how to fix it, but I have/had the same problem in a Lakland Bob Glaaub USA with Fralins: there would be a grounding noise when touching the pole pieces. I don't think your pickup is at fault.

Same thing happens in my '82 Jazz Bass. . .

Not sure if is the nature of the design or if it can be fixed, in passive basses.

**michele** · #3 05-15-2007, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lefty007

I don't know how to fix it, but I have/had the same problem in a Lakland Bob Glaaub USA with Fralins: there would be a grounding noise when touching the pole pieces. I don't think your pickup is at fault.

Same thing happens in my '82 Jazz Bass. . .

Not sure if is the nature of the design or if it can be fixed, in passive basses.

Mmm ... I'm not talking about the grounding noise you hear when touching the polepieces. That kind of noise happens when the polepieces in the pickup are not grounded and that's another story. For example, I have a set of Nordstrand NJSE4 (humcancelling): I could turn my amp volume to 8 and leave the bass on his stand with the master volume full up ... and you could swear you're in an empty room BUT if you touch a polepiece you do hear grounding noise. But this is not a problem as you normally don't stay with your hand off the string AND touch a polepiece at the same time ....
Now, to my knowledge P pickups are split-coils and not humcancelling and that means they're not absolutely quiet BUT, well ... I'm trying to discover how quiet (or noisy) the NP4, the Fralin and the Lollar are.
The stock pickup in my bass produces an amount of noise that I'd define as "very pronounced" and I guess all the three contenders here could at least reduce the noise level to an acceptable point ...

maurilio · #4 05-15-2007, 12:43 PM

Ciao Michele, come va?

That's interesting, I've never had problem with "P" pups!

If you're sure that everything's ok, I would give a call/email to Carey. I know even Roger Sadowsky likes Carey's P pups!

Saluti

M

**michele** · #5 05-16-2007, 02:35 AM

Ciao Mo, tutto OK. Spero lo stesso per te!

Yeah, I'm pretty sure everything is OK ... there's not too much to check inside a P bass.
The bridge is properly grounded, I changed the stock japanese pots with CTS, the control cavity is fully shielded with aluminum foil and there's the brass grounding plate under the pickup so everything's OK for me... it should be the pickup.
Come on guys, inputs wanted on all three brands!!!

pickles · #6 05-16-2007, 08:15 AM

The pickup shouldn't be noisy, but if the bass is not fully shielded, you'll get hum and buzz from the wiring. You need to make sure you have a ground plate behind the pickup and shield all cavities and routes with conductive paint (make sure they are actually grounded or it doesn't count), or do like they did on my old USA '62 RI and cut a piece of copper the same shape as the pickguard and put it under the guard. It was grounded by one of the pots.

P pickups themselves are pretty much silent unless the builder really blows it.

4Mal · #7 05-16-2007, 09:04 AM

Actually you really don't need 100% shielding. You cover as much as you can and that's generally enough. I'm a believer in star grounding though. I'm using Stew Mac's copper foli shiend and star grounding the cavities and bridge and jack and pots. Seems to work pretty well.

If you want a really, really quiet split P, you might try the Bill Lawrence P-46. At $65 bucks delivered in the US it's a steal for a nice sounding pickup.

Michele, I don't know how your Italian is, but your English is better than most folks on this board!

**michele** · #8 05-16-2007, 09:18 AM

As stated before the control cavity is fully shielded with aluminum foil and, yes, of course it's grounded. Under the pickguard there's a piece of aluminum foil in correspondance with the control cavity so let's say that the electronics are in a safe cage.
4Mal, thanks for the compliment! I have to confess that my English has improved a lot since I hang on this board so ... thanks to you all guys!
Anyway, my Italian is better!