very bad ground buzz with my Fender Zone (MIM)

[bourzia]

I recently bought a used Fender Zone MIM and I love the neck but the active pickups have a terrible ground buzz when I am not touching the strings.

If I touch the P pickup it gets even worse!

should I fork out more cash and get new active pickups and preamp or is there an easy fix?

also
I have a passive Seymour Duncan SPB-3 pickup I put in an older bass that I really like the sound of.

Would it be crazy to change the stock active pickups with passive ones?


thanks in advance

[Nick Ioannucci]

the pick ups are passive arent they? if im not crazy, the pre amp is active, and the pickups are passive. that being said, go to fender.com, and go to support to find the wiring diagram, and make sure everything is wired correctly. you shouldnt need a new preamp, but if youre unhappy with its tone then theres nothing wrong with that. get pick ups first, its probably those youre not happy with, not the preamp.

[bourzia]

you're right
passive pups
active pre


I changed the pickup and checked the wiring and the buzz is slightly better but still pretty noisy when I'm not touching the strings or bridge

[Q-Bass]

This kind of remaining buzz when not touching strings/bridge usually occurs when your amp is not plugged in a grounded wall socket.

P Pickups, even cheap ones, are dead quiet.

Check your wall sockets, if not grounded try to plug your amp elsewhere.

[bourzia]

my other basses (P plus, Dan ELectro bass 6) don't have this problem through my practice amp in my apartment

I will try the Zone through my stage rig and see if it is any better

[Q-Bass]

Then the cause may be a ground loop, try to shield the cavity of the bass electronics, and get a "star grounded" wiring.

A lot of threads have already discussed those two points, and with google you will find some great materials to help you achieving that.

[bourzia]

thanks for your help